Here is yet another reason why there is a special place In Hell for politicians. Imagine this.
Rep. Smith (not her real name) sees overcrowded prisons and that the cost to keep someone incarcerated is more than the cost of attending Stanford. After some digging, Rep. Smith comes up with a plan – to put low-risk offenders, like drug abusers, in halfway houses, where treatment is available, and a path to rehabilitation gives them a fighting chance to become productive taxpaying citizens.
And she calculates the savings a being potentially huge! With the money NOT spent on prisons, she could help shore up schools, fix roads, add more police, and help the ailing economy.
But then, a party colleague takes Ms. Smith aside and whispers “Best not do anything that would make you look soft on crime.” WHAT?!?!?
This is happening all over the US and is part of the reason some states have term limits – to get politicians to act in ways that are good for the people rather than what is good for the party, or even worse, what will look good in the next election.
This has to be one of the most reprehensible positions one can image!
A politician would rather appear to be “tough on crime” and spend 10 times more than necessary on high-cost prisons for those who don’t need it, than to save the taxpayers billions, add citizens back to the tax rolls, and spend more on the elderly and education.
This kind of politician prefers to appear to be a “friend to the environment” and waste precious state resources on a false issue rather than to ensure our bridges and roads are safer for drivers saving both the state and drivers hundreds of millions.
Now granted, there are issues worth standing for, especially regarding crime and the environment. But there are billions of dollars in our state and federal budgets just waiting to be saved, and aren’t because politicians would rather look good for the next election.
Words cannot even describe the outrage!
One can little wonder why there is a mood of anti-incumbent in the air.
So here are a few choice tidbits of advice to elected officials near and far…
Do the job you were elected to do!
Use your judgment to make hard choices.
Explain why you make certain choices because we really will understand.
Do every thing to make society better as a whole.
And stop avoiding the hard decisions because you don’t want to look bad in your next election.
To the rest of us…
If your elected official is avoiding a particular issue because he or she wants to look good in the next election, then understand this – that person is in politics for the wrong reason and needs to be defeated!
Anything less is a corruption of democracy.
