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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2008-08-20

What Matters To My Representative 

Legislators use their websites to highlight what they think makes them look best to the people whose votes they need to get elected . . . generally. You don't often see a website, for instance, with a link to "Bills of Mine That Died In Committee." So when website has a link to "Issues," you expect this to be a laundry list of accomplishments and priorities.


So this link is somewhat confusing, in that it seems to point out that Sara Gagliardi hasn't done much in two years as a member of the majority in the Colorado State legislature . As near as I can tell, here is the sum of two years' worth of work . . . "that make her look best."


--Expanding access to health care . . . by making promises that actually haven't become anything yet

She did, actually, pass two bills that make advanced care nurses primary care providers. (Gotta admit, as the son of a nurse, this is a pretty good thing). Both of these passed by near-unanimous votes, which indicates to me that they were neither controversial nor particularly imaginative. The hard legislation has dissension; easy stuff is easy . . .as if somebody in the leadership saw this opportunity, wrote a no-brainer bill, and then looked around and asked "Who do we need to give this to to build a resume?"

--improved public schools by . . . working on it. No actual accomplishment, just worked on it. The Dems seem to have focused their actual legislative efforts on higher ed, by pumping $63 mil into it

The Dems have held the legislature now for four years, have HATED the CSAP that whole time, but have done nothing yet to improve that test or the schools in general. In fact, they seem to have focused their attention on getting rid of the test because it keeps showing the same thing.

Kinda like eliminating the thermometer in Minnesota because it keeps telling you that it's cold.

--protected the environment. blah blah blah.

--"energized" the economy in Colorado eliminating some limited regulation on businesses (very limited) and capping the interest rate on payday loans.

I'm feeling pretty energized. I'm sure glad she didn't try to tackle really important things . . .like immigration enforcement, like actual education reform, or like energy exploration and production.

Because actual, important issues should be left to serious people.

So, I have to ask: what have you done as my legislator, Ms. Gagliardi, to make my life any better at all?



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Posted by: Michael / 8/20/2008 07:18:00 PM

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