Local Government First
It has been said that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Founding Fathers knew this. They designed the Federal government to accomplish some very specific and very limited things which could not be reasonably done by the state governments. These limited functions are spelled out in the United States Constitution. But, with human nature being what it is, as the number of generations since the Founding Era increased, federal level politicians accumulated more and more power. This was usually done with various incentives such as entitlements and concern about security. At this point, society has been conditioned to look to the Federal government for almost everything. Even local governments look to the Federal government for aid in doing their jobs, accepting the strings that are attached to such aid.
Despite the enormous amount of centralized power in the hands of the Federal government far beyond what is allowed by the United States Constitution, there are still many cases where state and local governments have a greater impact over our daily lives. These include items such as local roads, law enforcement, zoning requirements, property taxes, etc.
Things do not just function on "autopilot." It might be expected that the basics like roads, law enforcement, and other staples to the local environment are covered, but these functions are not always the priorities of those in power. Sometimes, other less important things mysteriously take precedence.
Conservatives tend to focus on the current president, the leaders of Congress, and the battles in far away DC. For some, it's depressing. For others, it's entertaining. Talking heads on the television and talk show hosts on radio make a living off the battles in Washington, DC.
The president and Congress can affect us on a macro level. In between is the state government. But county and city/town governments can affect us on a micro level. While getting distracted by the president and Congress, we tend to ignore important situations happening in our own area.
The Founding Fathers felt the government closest to the people should have the biggest impact on their daily lives. This is also the level of government the common people can most easily affect. But the system only works if we pay attention.
Government meetings are public for a reason: the public has an opportunity to witness these meetings. Some might find it boring at first. And yes, you might get the occasional debate about whether to remove a flashing yellow light that can put most of the audience to sleep. But in general, there are vigorous debates about far more important subjects which do have an impact on the quality of life in the local area.
If you own a house, you know it requires maintenance. Merely paying the mortgage and tax bills does not keep it in good working order. Likewise, merely paying taxes to government does not mean it will stay in working order either. Both a house and government require personal attention.
Attendance at local government meetings is of course optional. But government does best when the people are watching. Penny Brown described some rather ridiculous spending priorities at the Boone County Quorum Court (county legislature) in the last several years. Much of this was allowed to happen because very few citizens attended meetings or asked questions. In more recent times, as the Boone County Quorum Court has seen record attendance by the public, it's not so easy to get some of these more questionable initiatives through.
After a few sessions of listening in, it actually becomes quite interesting. Get to know about the various politicians and voting blocks. Sometimes there can be great moments such as when a particular member of the Boone County Quorum Court sat at a meeting about roads and had to "check [his] notes" instead of being able to explain why he voted against maintaining roads.
It has taken a century or more for governments to become as corrupt as they are today. Rather than focusing on the Federal government at this point, focus on an area where real change can happen: local government. Take the time to attend the meetings. If you don't understand why something is being done or you disagree, question the politicians. They work for you. Most importantly, be there. Your presence has a major impact. And if you'd like to speak out on an issue, please do (within an orderly manner and at the appropriate time, of course).
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Note: Blog entries by Boone County Tea Party members are the opinion of the individual author only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Boone County Tea Party as a whole. Blog entries are posted here for the convenience of the general public.