Column: Government of the Party, by the Party, for the Party

President Lincoln's famous quote: "We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Actions speak louder than words. Vote by vote, our elected officials' priority is The Party, not the people. We the people are good for one thing, and that simply is supplying the money, be it through the taxes we pay or the contributions we send to candidates, PACs, and parties. A recent Pew Research Center Study found that term limits are equally popular among both Democrats and Republicans. An overwhelming 87% of adults favor limits on the number of terms each member of the House and Senate are allowed to serve. Despite that popularity, when given a chance to bring it to the floor in either the House or Senate it fails to pass. The fact is the elites who serve in these roles prefer the status quo, keeping things just the way, they are. Actions speak louder than words. Pick any issue we as Americans face every day: Crime, Illegal Immigration/Border, Drugs, Inflation, Cost of Energy, Health Care, Education, Climate, Federal Deficit, Employment, homelessness, Veterans, and the list just goes on. Wouldn't you think any one of those issues would cause our elected officials to set aside their differences and produce a solution that addresses the people's concerns? Neither party gets to smugly beat their chest in victory over the other party, the votes wouldn't necessarily fall along party lines but rather by district concern and the victory is for the nation at large. Isn't solving problems and protecting the people's interests what we send them to Washington and our state capitals to do? Elected officials shouldn't be taking a victory lap for killing a bill. Their job, as I understand it is to pound out their differences and stay engaged in the process until you get it right and perfect the legislation. Failure to get something passed isn't a victory, it's a colossal failure for the American people. We need less blaming the other side and far more single-issue bills that come to floor and force a vote that allows voters to know exactly where their representative stands issue by issue. Massive legislative bills that include every issue under the sun must be prohibited. They do nothing but provide excuses for votes in favor or against. I wrote about this back in 2018, but as I see laws ignored, serious issues going unsolved, and the grab for more money and power as the driving force in Washington, I support a Convention of States; A national movement started in 2013 to call a convention under Article V of the U. S. Constitution, restricted to proposing amendments that will impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction while imposing limits on federal officials. Now that's what I call a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Old Honest Abe would we proud if we stood up to those in power and took control of our future, much like our founders did when they gave birth to our nation. If we the people ever hope to regain control of our government this may be our only recourse. To learn more, go to https://conventionofstates.com/. -Columnist Dan Alexander is a resident of Elizabethtown, NY. He serves as Publisher Emeritus and President of Denton Publications, Inc. Thoughts Behind the Press Line Column reflects his observations of current events, not from a journalist's perspective but as an independent-minded, local businessman.

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Column: Government of the Party, by the Party, for the Party

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