The election is over, and now the time for governing begins

FROM MY FRONT PORCH

The election is over, and now the time for governing begins

SAM HOUSTON

Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter.

Thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours have been spent by candidates prior to election day. They have begged for our vote and assured us they were the best choice. We have seen the political signs along the side of the road, read the ads in the newspaper, and watched their commercials on TV. Most of those messages were about the failings of our government (local, school, state and national) and how if voters did not make the right choice, our democracy was sure to unravel like a pair of two-dollar socks.

The election is now over, and the winning candidates are left with the consequences. Consequences? Yes, because so many candidates preached about the failings of the prior office holder that now they are elected, they are going to have to step up to the plate and show they can do better. It is a little like the neighborhood dog chasing a passing car. When it finally “catches” the auto, the dog is bewildered trying to figure out what to do now that he has it.

You probably have seen how this plays out. The first few weeks pass where they do some grandstanding and play to their homebase, then the new office holders suddenly exhibit that “deer in the headlights” look as they start tackling the cornucopia of challenges before them. Most of them learn it is a lot easier to yell from the sidelines than it is to carry the football when a bunch of 300-pound linemen are chasing you.

There is a difference in campaigning and governing. Candidates yell those time-worn phrases saying they will cut taxes, eliminate waste, “get rid of the good old boys” and be more “transparent.” It all sounds good, it has an appeal to the masses, and the message does get some candidates elected. It also plays to the fiction that some mysterious powerbroker controls governmental goings on, and if we only get rid of “them” and replace them with “us,” all our problems are solved.

Officeholding is hard work. Everyone tries to tell you how to do the job and complains incessantly about whatever actions you take. There are laws to follow about what you can do, when you can meet and what topics can be discussed. It takes patience, understanding, and a willingness to work with others for the greater good. In order to govern well, an elected leader must genuinely care about their constituents and do what is right, no matter the party and no matter the agenda of their financial backers. As my friend President Sam Houston is frequently quoted, “Do the right thing and then suffer the consequences.”

Recently on social media I read where one of our elected officials stated he was not going to take a position on an issue that was clearly his responsibility because if he did it will make both sides of the argument mad at him. Stop and think about that for just a second because I think it is systemic of our political failings. This elected official cared not about fulfilling the obligations of the office for which he was elected. He cared not about what was right or wrong or even legal or illegal. The issue for him was whether he would lose voters in the next election. This is not leadership. It is not even politics. It is a failure to have the character to do what is the right thing and fulfill the obligations of the office they swore to God to uphold.

Governing is a tough and thankless business. It is choosing and prioritizing. Every time a tax is imposed it must be paid by the citizens. Every time we fail to make infrastructure improvements that are reasonable and necessary, traffic backs up, schools underperform, and police/firemen are underfunded. Yes, these are tough challenges and require quite a balancing act. Elected officials asked for the job and now they have it. I can only hope decisions are based on what is good for the community, what follows the law, and what makes good common sense. Is that too much to ask?

Thought for the day: Politicians promise you heaven before the election and give you hell afterward.

Until next time.

sam@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 260