It is sad to see citizens leaders' morph into boorish politicians
by James Simpson

Potomac News
Friday, May 9, 2003

I was going to use my column today to present additional examples of wasteful county spending; however, the changes made in the proposed FY04 budget are not going to be published until July 1st, and since I wouldn't want to waste this space pointing out budget items that were already cut (even if they shouldn't have been proposed in the first place) I will address the discouragement that many people seem to have with the political process in general.

It's early in the campaign season and the gloves have already come off. Is it just me or do politicians seem to get more unscrupulous every year? What ever happened to honor and integrity?

A couple weekends ago I was out helping my friend Robert McBride (Occoquan candidate for Supervisor) collect ballot access signatures in front of Giant Food in Lake Ridge. What was very telling about the experience was the number of people who didn't want anything to do with politics. Some were downright peeved at the whole mess, and didn't mind telling me how upset and perturbed they were.

Is it any wonder so few people turn out to vote? As a freedom that many people throughout the world aren't able to participate in, we Americans regularly take voting for granted. Many Americans feel it is pointless, and to a degree they are correct. I talk to people who say that it doesn't matter any more, that those in power are going to do what they have to do to stay in office. They feel that the individual, and individual rights, have been trumped by special interests; especially those with deep pockets.

Running for office should be a civic duty; performed by ordinary citizens who want to represent the individuals in their district by crafting legislation designed to protect them from harm. These days being a politician is a career that must be protected from those interested in taking their job. And the fight requires enormous funding to prevent that from happening.

Unfortunately I know too many people who are so busy just trying to keep the creditors at bay, keep their marriage together, and keep their kids in line, who walk into the voting booth on Election Day and mindlessly pull the lever next to the (R) or (D) - whichever big political party scares them least - without even knowing what that person stands for. I know this because I used to be one of those people. When I finally came to the realization that the folks I voted for didn't have my best interests in mind - that they were (are) in fact only looking after their own careers - I decided to become more involved. As the saying (apocryphally attributed to the British statesmen Edmund Burke) goes; "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

As an appointed member of the Occoquan Budget Committee, I had the opportunity to examine the budget and ask for clarification on items that were unclear. I was very disappointed. The entire budget is way too complicated and confusing for the average citizen (like me) to comprehend.

Because of its complexity and convolutedness, it is impossible for the average person to be actively involved in the local government, let alone the state and federal government. This is contemptible. While some may argue that people should not expect to be able to stay informed and involved about every aspect and level of their government; I say they are greatly mistaken. The government has power over our lives. It is the responsibility of those elected to streamline it and make it possible for anyone who is interested to know and understand what is going on - and for citizens to be able to do this without having to spend every second of their free time trying to figure things out.

In my opinion, the only Supervisor who has shown integrity and courage in fighting to prevent government waste and protect the citizens of Prince William is Ruth Griggs. She has stood up to enormous pressure from special interests and other board members to do what's right, refused to waste taxpayer money, rejected donating discretionary funds, and dedicated lots of personal time to work on issues of importance to the citizens of her district and the county. She will be sorely missed as she is now leaving office to rejoin the rest of us in the community she has tried to protect and nurture.

We need more people like Ruth Griggs in office, and far fewer career politicians. It would certainly make things a lot better for those of us struggling to make a living and put food on the table.

James Simpson lives in the Occoquan District and welcomes reader feedback. He can be reached at JamesSimpson@aol.com.