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As a new country, the United States was an
experiment in a brand new kind of government. The great experiment
was to see if the people could be sovereign, and government could be
the servant of people. Part-time "citizen-legislators"
would represent the interests of their friends and neighbors, and
power would always be diffuse, not concentrated. Only those laws that
were truly necessary would be added. The will of the people, not
government as an institution, would be supreme. In this way, the
founders believed that freedom could best be protected against the
tyranny of power.
This great experiment was a fantastic success,
leading in a very short time to the creation of the strongest, most
productive, and most free country on earth. But corrupting influences
are at work even in the most successful system on earth, and we are
seeing the results today.
Power has become concentrated at the Federal and
State levels. Even in Texas, where we at least still have part time
legislators, we are not immune from the problem.
Incumbents have been able to create a system in
which few races are even competitive. Only 24 of 150 House races are
competitive races this year. When elected officials do not fear even
the challenge of a re-election, they will be far less responsive to
the will of the people.
Because of the tremendous advantages of incumbency
that have been built into the system (free mail, gerrymandered safe
districts, and their hand on a billion dollar money spigot), no
longer can we simply "vote them out of office." The
national and state term-limits movements are just one citizen
response to this growing frustration over our inability to control
who we have representing us.
Average people no longer have the most access and
influence on their own elected officials. Professional lobbyists and
well-heeled special interests sit with them in Austin, and spend an
average of $490,000 per legislator.
We are awash in laws, so many that they literally
cannot be studied or evaluated by any one person. Each of the last
three sessions has produced more than1,000 new laws.
One of the best cures is to let citizens pass or
defeat laws themselves, through voting. Many Texas cities already
have this right. Twenty-four other states in the country also have
this right. But Texas does not, and we should. |
