What do our local elected officials really want, other than reelection?
“I do not believe in redistribution of wealth through government,” my state representative said.
The one thing state representatives in Georgia are bound by the state’s constitution to accomplish every legislative session is to pass a balanced state budget.
Tell me about it, American Express.
So, we the taxpayers elect state representatives to govern spending priorities. To make decisions about what our neighbors need.
If I elect you to represent the best interests of my money in the community by voting with the General Assembly, how is that not redistribution of wealth by government?
I mean, I’m putting my money into the pot paycheck to paycheck, and I’m paying tax on all my vices. Take my money and make vodka cheaper.
This is why we can’t have nice things. That tax money could fund education or mental health.
We stop paying attention to the issues. I mean, it’s expensive and we work so hard, right?
We vote for local leaders because no one has time to do all this shit all the time.
Time is money.
Focus is a luxury.
Attention is a privilege.
What do our elected officials really want, other than reelection?
We all want to kick back and scroll social media instead of exercising our rights to participate in the arduous and often annoying act of governing ourselves, so why does anyone want to serve?
How many city council meetings have you attended as a constituent without having an immediate concern? Just to observe and be part of this wonderful process of democracy?
We the people get complacent.
We ignore our local school board in favor of Facebook feeds.
One of my kids might be starting a business – or a house fire. I’m busy, you know.
Surgeons are struggling through 18-hour shifts to save lives. They aren’t reading the newspaper. And that’s OK.
Because we’re supposed to be in this together, right?
What about community? The money comes from the people.
I elect representatives to make decisions for me about my community.
I’m a journalist. My job is to observe, but I don’t have time to pay attention to everything that I need to focus on. I can’t possibly know everything, so I ask what questions I can and report back FOR my neighbors.
So, we all know what’s going on.
“Did Rosemary’s dog find his way home after that bear knocked over Mrs. Henchman’s trash can and scared off the whole pack?”
I’m sticking my tongue to the far side of my cheek with the above suggestion of news. I don’t need to know my neighbors that well, but wouldn’t it be nice if communities could have both privacy and trust?
The fine line between secrecy and privacy is stigma.
What do our local elected officials really want, other than reelection?