Access to Whom and Control of What?

Access to Whom and Control of What?

http://www.ridgecrestca.com/articles/2004/12/10/opinion_-_editorial/letter_to_the_editor/lte01.txt

Back in 2004 Dorthy Brown wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily Independent in which she urges citizen vigilance of governmental spending on all levels---local, state, and Federal. Citizen participation in the government process is to be applauded and urged. This is especially so in times of budgetary austerity. We, at RidgeBlogger, need to ask two poignant questions.

1. Who (governmental policy makers and administrators) do we, the average citizen really have access to?

2. Which level of government has the most influence on our long-term quality of life?

The answers to these questions really determine the nature and frequency of citizen involvement in any governmental process. Who do we have access to? In a general sense, we can all write to any elected or administrative official. Federal policy makers, whether elected or hired, are generally so remote that the ability to directly influence them is obviously minimal. Have you ever seen the published Federal Budget? It is thousands of pages in several volumes. What about State officials?

We have access to our State Senator...in our case Roy Ashburn. We also have access to Kevin McCarthy our Congressman. Generally, that access is in the form of an appointed staff member representing the Senator or the Congressman. The Governor can be written to, but is generally not approachable. What about influencing the thousands of State employees who govern our daily lives? Most of us don't know who they are let alone what they do.

This brings us to local officials. We can easily pick up the phone and call any Council Member or City Department Head. We know their e-mail addresses. We can attend almost any or all of their meetings. How much control does local government really have?

Local government while the most accessible, is at the bottom of the food chain. As such, the ability of the elected officials or appointed administrators to truly control your destiny is very minimal. The dichotomy here is the greater influence exists at the State and Federal levels...but we know very little about the governance or administration process of either agency.

What is the point here? You, the ordinary citizen, need to be more involved. You need to be more informed on the election issues. We need to do, as our founding fathers believed, select men (and women) of the highest moral character to represent us. It is because we have a representative republic that safeguards us against the whims of tyranny. Become more informed.