Getting It Right- The Process Still Works….A Little Bit

8/14/08
"The Joys Of The Democratic Political Process…..When It Works Properly".
Although abused, beaten, violated, infiltrated, adulterated, twisted, and often misinterpreted, the American democratic processes still work as was intended at the onset of our nation….at least at the local level in small communities. I am proud to say the system is working in Jackson County Florida.
As I have taken part in the assortment of political forums around the county during the past month I could not help but become appreciative of the opportunities given to us by our unique Democratic system. We are all about to be given the privilege of selecting who will be our chief law enforcement officer for the next four years, who will be in charge of educating our children, and who will represent us in our local government’s administrative and legislative processes. Each one of our votes will certainly count in making these important choices.
As I watched the various candidates who are competing for these positions being asked probing questions in a public forum filled with the voters that will ultimately make the choices for the open positions, I was proud of our nation and grateful for having this privilege of choice. In many nations we would instead be subjected to the decisions of a single ruler or group of powerful individuals. We would then have our next Sheriff decided by our Dictator announcing that he was appointing his nephew as Sheriff of Jackson County, and his son-in-law as School Superintendent. That is how it works for many.
So I feel strongly that it is very poor citizenship combined with negligence and apathy, that leads many to not vote on election day. Surly we can all afford to miss one day of golf, fishing, or shopping in order to utilize this precious privilege.
I feel that the selection processes are essentially pure and reflective of the public’s choices here in our county. There are a few who attempt to create voting blocks and thus accumulate the ability to enjoy extra influence within the processes, but they are generally minor and ineffective. The ultimate result in our elections here truly reflects the people’s choice.
Sadly, as one moves to more populated counties, cities …or to the state and national level, this level of virgin-like purity in the election processes is quickly eroded and lost. The presence of large blocks of votes accumulated through inappropriate use of money as in the case of political lobby organizations that take money from special interest groups and then use these funds to buy public influence or to bribe for political favors, quickly removes any pretense of virginity from the political scene. In other instances coercion and fear of reprisals is used to create large blocks of votes for a special cause. In my opinion, this is the case with the union political machines that operate within the political parties. In other instances huge voting blocks are created by social causes with the leaders of those causes using emotional issues to invoke unity at the polls. Examples of this would be the Religious Right, African-American, and Hispanic voting blocks, each with their special issues and evolved leadership.
Add to this the presence of huge political machines created by political parties and the power hungry individuals that thrive within these organizations, surviving for years and amassing tremendous influence. Examples of this influence would be the Daily Machine that has dominated and controlled the politics of Chicago for over fifty years, the Tammany Hall Political Machine in New York, and even the power of our national Democratic and Republican Party organizations.
Then there is the impact of illegal actions on the processes we hold so dear. Examples of this would be those people and organizations that pay people for their votes, those who pick up underprivileged and needy on voting day and drive them in busses to vote, and then slip them a $10 bill on the way back to their neighborhood. Even worse are those who use false identification, often that of deceased voters, to vote multiple times as they move from voting site to voting site on election day. Those who resist efforts for requiring proper, verified identification systems encourage this type of activity. Meanwhile our weak judicial system does not rigorously prosecute these activities.
I feel that our Democratic voting processes have evolved into a sad, sad situation at the State and National levels. The existence of these vote distorting elements within the political processes has assisted in the diminishing of our Democracy and encouraged and fostered destructive, wasteful, and amoral movements in our society……and uses our tax dollars to support them.
So, I take joy that here in Jackson County the political processes are pure and the results of our election truly reflect our desires and opinions. I only wish there was some way to restore political purity at all levels. Anyway, please vote and do your part…then you will be "Getting It Right!"
Rudiments- Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning:
- I hope our U.S. Senators and Congressmen are enjoying their tax paid vacation while our nation slides into recession and nothing but political rhetoric comes from them in response to our national energy situation.
- The county commissioners are apparently going to hold the line against raising our millage rate. I commend them if they accomplish this in a time of diminishing revenues.
- However, our overall millage rate will be increased this year because the State has mandated that the School Boards in the state increase their tax rates. At the same time, the Wizards of Tallahassee continue to dish out unnecessary pork project grants in order to buy your favor. (Don’t miss the photo opportunities pictures of them giving our local authorities those grant checks.) Tax and Spend as usual…..Also, several municipalities (including Marianna) are planning to increase their millage rates. What will they do when our pockets are completely empty?
- Be careful when driving. All law enforcement agencies have stepped up their levels of citations….they are also worried about declining revenues as high gasoline costs causes people to reduce their amount of time on the roads.