Send Home the Clowns

The Commonwealth of Virginia has a transportation problem borne of two sources. First, the state is growing. The economy is bigger, the population is bigger. Virginia, as the northern most right-to-work state is an attractive place to work and to live. Second, the Virginia political class has spent money like drunken sailors for the past 10 years. No hand out too big, no tax increase ever enough to satisfy the spend-thrifts in the legislature and in the governor's mansion. Mark Warner "reformed the tax code" with help from big spender republicans and raised taxes through the roof. New governor Tim Kaine, despite promises to the contrary is fighting hard to raise taxes even more. The clowns in both branches of government and from both parties are in this for the long haul....anything that enhances, extends, or promotes their political careers. That is the real objective of the vast majority of political climbers in Virginia government and is the fundamental problem for those of us who have to live with their electioneering garbage disguised as policy.

I heard a radio interview with a republican delegate discussing the transpiration challenge facing Virginia. A solution was proposed...the content of the solution is not relevant...the radio host asked what about "solution A" as proposed by one of the senior state senators? The response was "that sounds like a proposal from someone who does not face an election for over 3 years". Well, isn't that interesting. The merits of the idea are really not relevant, but the impact on one's re-elections chances...now that is the top priority when considering policy decisions and the future of The Commonwealth.

The Framers of our constitution did not have this in mind when crafting this great experiment. The notion of careerist politicians would have been anathema to each of them. Yet here we sit, with "leaders" whose primary objective is to further their political careers on the backs of those they ostensibly represent.

The fix to the Virginia budget problems as well as many of the Federal issues is to term-limit out these folks, two terms in the House, one term in the Senate....and go home. I think that many politicians are self-absorbed enough to think that we really care about their careers and that we want them in their positions of power until they are good and ready to call it a career. Short term, self serving policies are responsible for much of our political mess. Until we are willing to send the bums home, don't expect much to get better...they have to face the voters and need to get in all the pandering they can...no matter how dearly it costs us all. See the problem?