There seems to be a change in public sentiment of late. Perhaps it’s the mind-boggling bailouts, the economic turmoil, the rapacious government power grab, or maybe it’s just the “final straw” in a growing disgust with government overstepping. 

Fox New Channel’s Glenn Beck has tapped into this public mood with his clarion call for greater government accountability. His new TV show is garnering huge ratings, evidence that his message is resonating with a significant number of politically-aware Americans. And “tea party” taxpayer revolts are popping up all over the country. Just last weekend over 15,000 people descended upon Fullerton for KFI talk show hosts John and Ken’s tax revolt rally.

This shift in public attitude can best be summed up in The Great Communicator’s first Inaugural Address: “We are a nation that has a government—not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people.”

Citizens are tired of answering to government, instead of vice versa. Government has become so abusive of the power granted to it by the people that now the very citizens who established our government believe that they work for government. An example of this power transfer is the attitude of elected officials towards the public. 

Back in January my father—a politically-aware citizen—called Nancy Pelosi’s office to express his disapproval of the economic "stimulus" package that will create indentured servants of his posterity. Unsatisfied with the trite “I’ll give your message to the Speaker” response he received, Dad started asking questions about the pork-laden bill. The surly staff member retorted, “I’m going to hang up on you if you won’t let me respond to your questions” and then proceeded to hang up. Imagine the chain of events that would unfold if you were to respond to your employer in such a manner. Hello, unemployment office.
 
Last Wednesday CRI held our first Lobby Day of 2009. It was one of the best attended Lobby Days in our organization’s 22-year history, which I believe is further evidence of growing unrest in the body politic. As these citizen lobbyists returned from their visit to the capitol, there was a common theme to their reports. Several citizens, who had never participated in any type of contact with elected officials, commented they were surprised at how easy it was and wondered why they had been so afraid to engage in the process. One citizen even sent us a note later stating that she never realized that she was responsible for telling her representatives how to vote; she simply assumed that they would “know best” how to run the government without oversight from the represented.

As the sleeping giant of the body politic is awakened, the status quo will soon change and those politicians who take for granted their power and position should anticipate a similar change in career.  Many citizens we sent to the capitol returned incensed at the treatment they received in offices. 

Senator Lou Correa should beware the citizen group he encountered in his office. Finding the senator when they walked into his office, the citizens asked him to vote against Senator Mark Leno’s “Harvey Milk Day” bill (SB 572). His arrogant, dismissive response to their earnest appeals created political activists who will be working fervently for his future opponents’ campaigns. The citizens were also shocked by the hostile attitude towards their mere presence in some offices, let alone the accusations of bigotry for expressing their opinions on a controversial topic.

Those of us in politics sometimes forget what it’s like for the average citizen to contact their elected officials, how intimidating it can be for the political neophyte. In the capitol it’s easy to become cynical about the process and view constituents as the outsiders who don’t understand how government really works. Perhaps that’s why voter satisfaction with government is so low.

But elected officials and their staff must never forget for whom they really work. It’s voters who hire elected officials, and taxpayers who fund all those perks they enjoy (office staff, travel and stipends). With government arrogance and disregard for the public at an all-time high, it’s time for politicians to receive a lesson in humility at the hands of the governed. After all, it’s the people, not the politicians, who are in charge.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.