How else could we have ignored our state government making Kentucky the number one state in the nation in debt-to-GDP ratio?
I get as mad as the next guy at the Republicans who promised fiscal conservatism while they continued to feed the entitlement beasts of the left behind our backs. I get as mad as the next guy at the Democrats who completely ignored our will this year and passed several pieces of massive, expensive legislation that will negatively impact all of our lives.
But the people we should be most mad at are us. We have no excuse for treating the next generation of Americans like this. The debt we are about to leave them will be an excruciating burden to bear. Their freedom and prosperity has been sold out from under them because of our indifference.
We vote with a knee-jerk philosophy and then rarely hold those we put into office accountable, often re-electing incumbents for an entire generation simply because they are more familiar.
Without accountability, the faces may be new, but the actions will be the same.
When the dust of this fall’s midterm elections settles, I hope we see a lot of new faces in Washington. But I also hope we see a revitalized and vigilant voting public. Changing the faces in Washington without changing the level of accountability provided by constituents would be like changing the heads of the Gambino family. The same old racket will surely continue — it will just be the suits we have replaced.
You may not like the Tea Party or agree with our positions. But hopefully one day you will thank us for standing up. If things don’t drastically change now, our nation is doomed.
My hope is for a new movement in America that will inspire a higher level of participation in government on the part of the electorate.
As for me, I will never again vote and walk away. If elected, those who receive my vote in this election can expect a barrage of letters, e-mails and even a few personal visits in the future. I intend to remind them exactly who put them there and for what reasons. They will know without a doubt that my tireless support can quickly turn into tireless opposition should they disgrace the offices they have been given.
The founding fathers had hoped that ours would be a participatory government. Our only hope lies in an even broader movement aimed at creating less job security for elected leaders and more protection for our freedoms and prosperity.
Editor’s note: Leland Conway is the executive editor and co-founder of http://www.conservativeedge.com and the host of the Pulse of Lexington on News Radio 630 WLAP.
