more like a caricature of a person, instead of being a real person

The other day, I was talking to a local couple who are good friends of mine. We got on the topic of those who represent us in the national and state capital, how that after being there for a while, they take on the characteristics of being more like a caricature of a person, instead of being a real person. One of them saying, “That they (the politicians) should come down here and stand in line at a local fast food restaurant for it is there that they will meet and see the real electorate, the folks who are being affected by everything they say and do.”

I thought about what my friend said, and wondered what that would be like if you had four senators in line at Burger King, two democrats and two republicans, deciding what they would have for lunch. I imagine the first argument would be over if they were going to eat in or take it to go, this is a rather easy decision for most people, but when you add the political side to it, it becomes difficult. The argument would probably start when the first one of either party stated a preference; a democratic senator says it is for here, right away a republican senator says, no, we want it to go, and then the other democrat would pipe up supporting his party colleague, of course that would get the fourth senator in the fray, who would be contesting the democrats’ position. Finally after reaching an agreement on whether to eat in or go, the foursome would discover that lunch was over and it was closer to supper. Then the argument would ensue on what to eat, with the democrats wanting hamburgers so that they could find out “where’s the beef,” and the republicans wanting to investigate a braised turkey salad with Abramoff dressing. They would finally agree to send the issue to the conference committee, and leave without eating anything.

While this is just a figment of my imagination, the reality of it is that similar activities take place every day on the floor of the House and the Senate. While important issues are put on the sidelines like, lobbyist reform, escalating energy costs and a deficit bigger than King Kong, so that they may engage in verbal fisticuffs over the most inane topics to distract our attention away from these critical issues.

This also occurs in our state capital; education reform is on their mind. While they in Columbus have been busy reforming or deforming public education, depends on your perspective and if you are a politician or an educator. The politicians have been more successful in shifting more of the burden of funding it, over onto the shoulders of property owners, exactly where the Ohio Supreme Court said it shouldn’t be, four times in the last 15 years.

So in the coming years, when the tax man cometh and cometh, be sure and thank your friendly neighborhood state senator or state representative for the bill, when you bump into them at the local Burger King, hopefully they will be behind you and not in front of you in the line.