Before we become to critical
Before we become to critical of our elected officials. Often times congress represents the traditions of the past rather than the reality of the present.
When I became a city councilman back in 1978 I found out that so much that needed to be done was not allowed because of established rules, regulations and laws. The lattitude we had to do develop priorities and establish goals was very limited. The state and federal government had what is to referred to as "unfunded mandates" that our budgets were pretty well established for us. Mandate = requirement = had to be done! Unfunded = you take it out of the local budget. EVERY local politician gripes and complains about one thing UNFUNDED MANDATES. Well it is my guess that between the Supreme Court, The Excutive Branch, and Past rules and regulations that when a young congressman gets to Washington D.C. he finds out that his idealistic thinking is soon doused with a very large dose of reality that real change in government takes years and years not just the election of a new congress or administration.
Soo..... before I become too critical I always remember my experience as a councilman, mayor, and hospital board member and realize that often times good men are harnessed by the past. Also, in defense of moving slow, quick unthinking change can cause real problems. I have seen some dumb law pushed through that I knew was dumb at the time but someone with a little clout succeeded and a year later we would resend the law. So slow is sometimes good.
Tradition!, "fiddler on the roof" is powerful, very powerful indeed.
And tradition isn't all that bad at times. Congress and goverment is married to tradition!
Keith
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