So What Does The Politician Do Now?
by John Drury
Over Christmas dinner with my family, my father looked at me and said, “So what does the politician do now?” That question and variations of it are becoming very familiar to me these days.
I told him that one of the things I will be doing is staying on top of and commenting on the issues that are important to north Iowa. I mentioned that with only two weeks to go for the start of the Iowa legislature, I am anxious to compare campaign promises with actual votes taken and legislation introduced. We talked about letters to the editor that could be written and other things that I could do to keep my name out there and to hold our elected officials accountable. I mentioned this weekly column as one of the ways to do this.
And as we talked, my father and I agreed that these were things that everyone should be doing. We elect our officials at least partly based on what we hear during the campaigns. We then expect them to represent us and our interests, to take their oath of office seriously, and to not necessarily follow the party line if it isn’t in their constituents’ best interests. While voting is our duty, it is also our duty to make sure that we get what we are voting for. My dad and I agreed that often politicians get caught up in doing what their party wants them to do as opposed to what the people want them to do. We agreed that our government is too far removed from the people and that it is a problem that needs fixing. My father and I often argue politics. We usually have to agree to disagree—but on that day we found agreement. Perhaps our conversation that day was a gift to the rest of our family.
We should all be watching our elected officials to make sure they truly represent us, not their own or their party’s special interests. A good example of this happened a couple of weeks ago. Educators and business leaders around north Iowa presented their concerns and ideas to legislators in a “Jobs Summit” held at North Iowa Area Community College. I was surprised when I noticed that Senator Gaskill was missing from the list of legislators who attended. I remember one of his campaign ads said he wants north Iowa to be a “haven for good jobs.” It seems to me that he would have wanted to attend; it would have been a perfect place to discuss that “haven” concept. Senator Gaskill will get a letter from me asking why he wasn’t in attendance. Perhaps I should ask him for his plan to create this haven.
In order to be politically active or even just actively engaged in one’s community, one needs to pay attention to what the government is doing. Get involved in the decisions being made and don’t be shy to voice your opinion. Write letters to the editor, attend city council meetings, and compare the campaign promises you heard to votes and actions taken by your representatives and senators in the upcoming legislative session.
We need to do these things to remain true to the idea of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Without the people’s active participation, those words become an empty shell, just something you memorize in Civics class.
Pay attention to your representatives, write letters, agitate for change if you don’t like the direction our government is taking. Join me in being We, the People.