© 2016 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. New Mexico and America’s elections have
become never-ending. Every minute of every day for decades has been focused on
coming elections. There has never been even one moment when the elected stop
campaigning and start representing the people.
Worse, our society has descended
into a “Thumb in the eye” society so that every action in politics is meant to
divide the people, not bring anyone together. Every issue is calculated by both
parties as to how much money the political operatives can raise because people
are upset.
For many years I took care of an
uncle who was a staunch Republican. One day while doing talk radio I was
talking to a staunch Democrat about the mailers coming to my uncle. He said
that he gets the same volume of mailers and their message is similar: to stop
the other side just send lots of money.
Perhaps what bothers me the most is
that we have professional legislators who will stay in office until they are
recalled by their maker. In some offices there are term limits but the
professional office-holders just move to another elected position and continue
feeding on the carcass of New Mexico and America.
Even worse are those professional
office holders who work for professional entities that are effected by the
legislature. These elected ones turn into a lobbying representative for the
people who write their paychecks instead of representing the voters.
Be it public education, environmental
organizations or those attorneys who gain immense wealth once elected to an
office that pays no money, they represent their own interests rather than the
voters. It is why some people think New Mexico is the capital of crony corruption
in our country.
Corruption is intertwined with all
of this political activity since it rewards those who will break the rules and
laws. Even more stupid are those who think that the crony corruptors will
self-report their transgressions. If someone with a bribe gives it to someone
who wants to trade influence for that bribe, neither will report this fact.
The only way to see even the shadow
requires noting the rise in wealth of these people when the reason for the rise
is not apparent. Mexico’s President, Enrique Peña Nieto observed, “Whenever
there are some who have more opportunities than others, this feed corruption.”
It goes on all of the time. The
person elected stands at the buffet of corruption and no one reports on their meteoritic
rise in wealth. The media gives them a pass.
Bess Myerson wrote, “The accomplice
to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference.” We are
partially responsible because year after year the crony corruption continues and
more often than not the crony corrupt legislators are returned to office
because the citizens do not care or often even vote.
At the coffee shop the other day
someone said that they could not wait for the November election to be over. Me
too, but I understand that there will be no pause. The 2018 election is upon us
as is 2020. We cannot think about governing because we are in the never ending
election cycle.
We are bombarded with Thumb in the
eye political actions. The elected are not stupid, they do so intentionally to
rally the base to give more money. Normal citizens are made nauseous by their
actions and they do not care as long as they feast at the money buffet.
The number one problem in our
country is that the media has changed sides from protecting the citizens to protecting
the crony corruption agents. Perhaps they are also on the take or they
understand that if they do not take the side of the elected ones, they will be
cut off from contact.
The only time corruptors cannot avoid
scrutiny is the Internet but canceling the First Amendment rights of citizens
is very attractive to those dealing with corruption. When the First Amendment
ends, which it will end, given the power of the corruptors, the nation goes
over the cliff.
At the very least let us stop
allowing companies and organizations to have paid lobbyists in elected office.
We have to start somewhere in cleaning up our government.
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