Recently, in an interesting article in The New Republic (blog), I noted the irony that while many of the most flagrant abuses of our civil rights occur at the local, municipal, and state levels, we hear so little about the central issues of freedom of speech and of religion that they figure highly into the election campaigns. Indeed, as the presidential candidates make their way through their primary elections this year, the issue of civil liberties will be a constant theme. It is ironic that civil libertarians have become the voice of limited government when their pet projects at the local, municipal, and state level are the key to endless government and its endless wars.
One of the fundamental rights of every American citizen is the right to vote, and the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for change. In our nation, the right to be free to worship is a constitutional guarantee, and the right to have a private domestic life is an inherent part of the First Amendment. But what happens when those civic freedoms get tossed aside in the name of economic development? What then?
In the article, “Civics and Administration: An Introduction, “written by Anna Tropeff, a professor at George Washington University Law School, she points out how easy it is for “civic zeal” to turn into self-interest when it comes to governance at the local, parishadotical, and district levels. For example, in a parish such as Orange County, California, the laity might want to regulate spending in order to prevent a loss of community funds, but if they believe the loss of funding is caused by unwise tax policies, they can use their vote at the next election to elect the members of the board who will put the issue on the table for the community to decide. If, on the other hand, the board members are all supporters of the Catholic Church and want to rubber stamp any measure to increase spending, the laity would never get anything done. The result is a loss of control over policy that affects every citizen in the district.
A perfect example of this occurs in Madhya Pradesh, a large and arid state in India. Like the good citizens of Orange County, who wanted to protect rural living and keep taxes low, the citizens of Madhya Pradesh want affordable housing, clean air, and adequate healthcare. But they cannot get those things through their elected representatives. Instead, they have to look to the federal government for help. Thanks to Indian politics, the residents of Madhya Pradesh now have access to advanced technologies that were previously available only to the scientists and engineers of the Indian Institute of Technology.
This is another example of why it is important to vote with one’s feet when voting for politicians. It might not be easy being a vegetarian while serving on the board of a university that farms millions of acres of sugar-cane and corn. But if the university happens to be located in a heavily urbanized state where the majority of its students are from the countryside, the mayor probably does not care too much about animal rights and won’t mind getting the students to eat meat. That makes it easier for a mayor to cozy up to the sugar-cane industry, which contributes heavily to his campaign coffers. It might be slightly harder for the vegetarian mayor to turn his back on corporate America and support better farming policies, but who’s to say he can’t?
Take, for example, the board of trustees at a state university in Maryland. At the last count, the state had eight trustees, all of whom were major contributors to one specific campaign committee. At the time, one of them said he couldn’t in the “interests of the public” vote for any of them. So how do you suppose that might impact on his ability to fairly represent the people on the board? On the other hand, if that same trustee voted the right way out of office, would anyone really take notice?
Let’s face it; politicians don’t have your best interests at heart, and they certainly aren’t interested in you as a citizen. Politicians are there to serve themselves and their narrow political agenda. But that agenda doesn’t include you, the citizenry. And you’re the only one who can make certain that your government officials are actually working to your best interests, rather than their own. You need someone to watch over your taxes and ensure that they are being faithfully paid, and you need someone to protect the welfare of your state, for you. And you need someone to oversee the universities that are run for profit, with no regard for the well-being of the state itself.
If we want our politicians to be more responsible and honest, perhaps we need to elect those who aren’t afraid to state their views up front, whether they agree or not. Some may see that as an infringement on their free-speech rights. Others may see it as an attempt to insulate the state from its citizens. Hopefully, however, those who see that as an infringement will realize that having an honest board of trustees is the best way to ensure that the public trust is well protected.