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 Legislators Should Take Next Year Off
by Tom Campbell
September 5, 2007
House Transportation Appropriations Chair Nelson Cole was asked by The Charlotte Observer why the legislature didn’t address the road crisis in our state, implying that a potential solution might include new or increased revenues. Cole candidly responded, “Politically, you can’t ask somebody to stick their neck out and vote for it if their opponent is going to hit them over the head with it. No one likes taxes.” In other words, nobody running for re-election will vote for new taxes.
Similarly, in a separate interview, Senator Janet Cowell from Wake County said it was unlikely that the legislature would make any decision regarding the disposal of the Dorothea Dix property during the short session of 2008. Once again there was the implication that controversial issues won’t be addressed next year.
We elect legislators to “stick their neck out” and tackle the tough issues. Most candidates promise they will do exactly that when asking for our vote, but as a recent Winston-Salem Journal editorial stated, “…we have elected a legislature more concerned with its own needs than with ours.” Much as we hate to believe it, evidence indicates it might be true. One can draw little other conclusion when re-election becomes more paramount than solving urgent state problems like roads, a shortage of public schools, a mental health crisis, inadequate clean water and sewerage treatment facilities and other important infrastructure needs.
If the 170 men and women of our legislature are not willing to resolve any difficult issues in next year’s short session of The General Assembly, why even bother to come back at all? Perhaps it would better serve the state if the legislature just took the year off, conducted their all-important re-election campaigns, then started afresh in 2009.
The so-called “short session” was initiated to review the state’s current financial performance and make necessary adjustments to the second year of the biennial budget. It isn’t essential to the day-to-day operation of the state and if lawmakers don’t come back at all there is a budget in place from which the state can operate. As administrator of the budget, the Governor can make critical changes, if necessary.
If they feel they must return there is no reason why the small group of leaders in both the House and Senate could not meet for a few days, decide budget changes, then convene the two houses for a two-day vote. To be honest, the budget was decided by this small group this year, and the year before, and the year before that. This would certainly save the state money and the end result would not be too different.
Our legislators should give serious thought to whose needs they are here to serve. If lawmakers truly want to serve the citizens who elected them they should willingly consider thorny issues and vote decisively on what is right and best for the majority, putting aside their own re-election concerns. If winning re-election is the primary concern perhaps they should just stay home. |
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