Shock The World! Write To Those Who Represent You!

I think I once wrote a letter to my representatives when I was working on a merit badge in Boy Scouts. I'm sure it was about a topic that really didn't influence my life very much at all. Since then I don't think I've ever written a local politician about anything. Until today.

I am appalled at what is going on all over the country in the battle for public service. Why must state employees be the whipping-boy for inflated budgets and excessive spending? These people have been paid, relatively, the same amount for generations and states have run fairly smoothly and under budget.

In fact, our state ran so well in the past, that in 1998 and 1999, I received a refund for our state's spending coming in under budget. [This done by an initiative pushed by governor Jesse Ventura, while our state was in the early stages of negotiating light rail (though many said it would fail, Jesse knew better). Yes, the governor that "Shocked the world" did do good things for our state.]

It is so in vogue to claim budgetary reasons for the vilifying of public servants: That teachers don't work a full year; that street maintenance crews just stand around all day; that "they should pay their fair share too"; that police officers' pensions are too high... Why is it that all of a sudden we can't afford the servants who have been a part of our budgets for a century; with union support for a half-century? Something doesn't add up, and I will no longer stand by silently and allow the finger-pointing to continue to falsely blame unions.

So I wrote a letter. In fact, I wrote two. I wrote to my state senator and my state representative, urging them to protect the public servants who all make my community (and yours) a better place. I know one voice does not carry a lot of weight, but it is still my voice communicating with my elected representatives: the foundation of democracy. If you agree with my cause, please use your voice too. Hell, if you don't agree with my cause, use your voice. This is our state, and unless we tell those who represent us what we demand from them, they will not represent our interests. Please, write your state senators and state representatives.

If you'd like, you can copy my letter:

Please protect the good men and women who serve our communities every day, by protecting their right to collectively bargain their contracts for both salary and benefits.

The people who choose to give themselves to a lifetime of service, choose to work for our communities every day, and make sacrifices that many of us in the business world do not have to make. These men and women do not get to choose who they serve at work or when their job is done, and they are held to the highest critics in any profession: all of us.

I worry that if our state takes the same path that Wisconsin and Ohio have taken, we will begin to lose the best public servants we have, and will eventually only attract the lesser educated and less motivated candidates for those positions. In addition, if those middle class public servants begin to suffer great financial losses, it will effect the small business owners in all of our communities. Home improvements will be put off; new recreational vehicles will not be justified; family vacations will be cancelled; dining out will no longer fit the family budget; etc.

Losing the right to bargain will affect us all: our economy and our quality of life depends on protecting the middle class. Please help these people continue to hire the best public servants so our community remains the best that it is.

Thank you.