For those of us who are sports fans, it doesn’t matter what sport, we have all heard the phrase by coaches who have taken over losing teams, “we have to return to the basics.”
For those of us in New Mexico, it is time to return to the basics! After all, we are last in everything that is good and first in everything that is bad. There is no sense in running down the list, we all know the problems. Unfortunately, those who should be coming up with the solutions are using their time and energy to throw mud at the other side’s suggestions. This is not about Democrats verses Republicans. If either party had solutions to New Mexico’s many problems, they would get my vote. I would even dare to say, they would get the majority of votes.
The basic governing document for this country is the U.S. Constitution. Although the weight of the books that have been written about it could sink a battleship, the Constitution itself is brief and to the point. One could almost say it is “simplistic”. New Mexico as well as all other states’ Constitutions take second place to the U. S. Constitution.
So how did we get in the mess we are in today? And what a mess it is!
The “founding fathers” did not want “political factions”. In fact, George Washington, in his farewell address, specifically warned against “political factionalism”. Yet here we are, completely beholding to the two-party system with neither party having the nations or New Mexico’s interest in mind. The only thing they care about is what party is in power.
Think about what is going on in New Mexico, or on the national scene for that matter.
Does either party’s platform mean anything? For all you conservatives, is a Republican legislator saving this country from going “Socialist”?
For the state of New Mexico, when is the last time the Democrats were not in power? Is a one-party state good for the state? Keep in mind I would ask the same questions if the Republicans were in power in this state.
There are over 55 political parties in this country, five of which could be considered to have a significant number of members that could make a difference. Yet, the fastest growing political party in this state as well as the nation is “Declined to State” or “Independent.” Watch the news reports on polls and see the number of “Independents” in the survey.
How many pieces of major legislation have been passed without our elected representatives even reading them? One member of the legislature, when asked why she voted for a law that was clearly unconstitutional? The answer: “My party leaders told me to!”
Is the power to control our lives in the hands of people we elected to represent us or have our representatives turned over that power to the bureaucracies? If the people in power do not get what they want by the legislative process, do they force their desires through rule making?
The open or “jungle primary” is not the answer. All one must do is look at California.
“Rank choice voting” is not the answer. This is simply turning over the power of your vote to the bureaucracies.
All kinds of gimmicks to “make it easier to vote” is not the answer. In most cases, this simply leads to voter fraud. Most reasonable people will state that in every election there is voter fraud. They differ on degrees. NO voter fraud is acceptable. Everything that protects the sanctity of your vote should be in place.
Let’s get back to basics. Informed, engaged, concerned citizens making sure our elected officials are doing the job they were sent to do. This means citizen legislators who are there to represent the citizens who elected them, not the political party they belong to.
Some will say that this is a simplistic solution to a very complex problem. Simplicity works!
Tom Vaillancourt is a U.S. Navy veteran and retired small business owner. He is married with two children and two grandchildren.