On the heels of what is being billed as the third largest tax increase in Nevada history – which I am told by reputable sources, has zero chance of failing in the senate – I have heard many different reasons by our elected Republican leaders as to why they abandoned core Republican principles to vote for IP-1.
Chief among the reasons is this silly notion that “the people of my district voted for it” referring to an advisory question on a 3% room tax that was on the ballot in November. I won’t take the time to regurgitate the arguments against this fallacy since many smarter folks than I have picked that one apart pretty easily and thoroughly. I would focus on a greater reason why Republicans should not have voted for the tax increase, why the leader of the Republican Party of Nevada should veto it, and why Republican legislators in Nevada should not vote for tax increases in the future. It all turns on this crazy notion of providing LEADERSHIP.
Here’s the rub. If our Republican leaders buy into this flawed rationale that says, in essence, that “the masses voted for it so I must represent their wishes” then they have misconstrued their duties based upon a flawed understanding of a basic principle of American representative government. Additionally, and perhaps just as important to Republicans, they have abandoned their role as a Republican leaders.
First, we are a REPUBLIC, not a democracy. If our legislators don’t understand their roles, they need only look at Article IV, sect. 4 of the U.S. Constitution, that guarantees the people of every state a “Republican form of government.” That means that our leaders do not look to simply follow what is popularly believed by the masses. So when our legislators say, “it’s what the voters of my district wanted” they don’t understand their roles as legislators in the United States of America.
I didn’t want this piece to be a lesson in American government and history, but alas, ring the bell. School is back in session.
Instead of having the people decide the important issues of the day directly through their own participation in town hall type meetings or initiatives and referendums, our founding fathers decided that such a dangerously flawed system that is “incompatible with personal security or the rights of property” should be dumped in favor of a REPUBLIC (See Federalist #10.)
What does this mean, students? It means that “The Framers” understood that “the constituents of my district” usually do not have the time, astuteness, or issue sensibility to make complex decisions. That’s why the created legislators who are supposed to LEAD.
The truth is, if we wanted our legislators to merely go along with what their constituents wanted, there would be no need to have legislators. In this technological day and age, we could simply log on to our computers and cast our votes on issues that affect us. In fact, to cut down on human error, under this theory there would be no need for humans. No need for political philosophy. No need for a legislature. No need for leadership.
Which brings me to the most important point, and that is that Republicans want LEADERSHIP from our legislators. Ring the bell, again.
Leadership has been defined as “the capacity to establish direction and to influence and align others toward a common goal, motivating and committing them to action and making them responsible for their performance.”
If this is a valid definition of leadership, and it is, then where have our Republican legislators “established direction,” or “influenced” others? Where are the leaders who are supposed to be arguing for smaller government? Where are the Colonel Travis’s of the Republican Party who are willing to draw the proverbial line in the sand, and say to the Democrats who will be pushing several measures that will detrimentally impact the taxpayer, “not on my watch.” Where is the sacrifice? Where is the leadership? Arguing that “my constituents voted for it, and therefore I must follow their direction” is, quite simply, an abdication of leadership. Republicans don’t want that.
Now, more than ever, we need Republicans who are willing to fight for the Republican brand. We need Republicans who will stand and fight for less government intrusion into our daily lives and more fiscal responsibility. We don’t need the kind of leadership that says, “Look, there goes my people, I must find out which way they are heading so that I may lead them.”
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Right on point…The Great Zadrowski!
Well said Bernie! The elected officials should understand their role. They should study the issues, put them context of the current economic situation and find the best solution for the citizens of the state. Then persuade their peers to support and vote for it.
The constituents do not have the time, the drive or access to all the relevant information available that the elected representative have/should have to reach a conclusion.
With visitors (upon which we depend) to our city declining we should not be raising the cost – which discourages visitors causing a larger decline.
Again well said and keep up the good fight. Bill Stieren
Bernie,
I agree with Chuck Muth’s idea that we need to circulate a petition to censure any and all Republicans who voted in favor for this tax increase, and particularly criticize those Republicans if they signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, or had campaigned on a platform of not raising taxes. It is extremely naive for these tax-raising Republicans to think that the Democrats wll extend them quid-pro-quo for playing nice with them on taxes.
Richard
Hello Bernie and Bloggers,
I would add that we used to hear of a deliberative body when legislation was being considered and made by our representatives. You said, “We need Republicans who will stand and fight for less government intrusion into our daily lives and more fiscal responsibility.” I think it would be refreshing to see some Democrats who would do the same. Then, I would truly believe it when I heard the word, “bi-partisan leadership.” Today, the democrat party is illustrating the nature of a true democracy. Note the giant sucking sound.
Excellent Article. This can be applied to local government as well. We seem to have a great deal of “managers” but we truly lack leaders. The founding leaders of our great Country understood their role and the role of future generations of leaders. The masses do not have the required time to fully comprehend what is happening at the State and National level. They are hard pressed to meet their requirements of getting through the day-to-day affairs of family, work and the challenges survival. When we select and elect “leaders” to attend to the affairs-of-state we believe and hope they are up to the task and do the right things. Unfortunately, we have been severely let down over the past several years. This Country has been attacked and our economy has been trashed at the hands of the very “leaders” currently holding office. We have suffered on their watch and yet, we continue to elect these blind mice and hope for some salvation. Sorry folks, ain’t gonna happen. We need to become a louder voice and DEMAND accountability from those we select (by appointment) or elect. Now is a great time to start, if you haven’t yet, and get the word out that leaders are supposed to make tough decisions and do the right thing for all of us.
Bernie:
The real issue is do we have anyone in the Republican Party in Nevada who can lead? I’m on the fence on this issue as I cannot see one person who is standing out in this crisis. This also means that while the solutions maybe right in front of our eyes, no one is looking. This is becomming very serious as 2010 is right around the corner and we need a strong person to run against Harry and finally defeat him. He’s done nothing for Nevada and is a disgrace. He needs to go.
The isssue of money is real yet every dept in government cannot cut their budgets and spend less. The education system in Nevada is the main cause of financial concern to most of us, yet they cannot seem to change their ways and consolidate, regroup and cut their budget. The more money we throw at it the worse the education gets. Money is not the answer. Changing their ways is the answer. We need someone at the state level to demand accountability for the money the school system spends. Unitl that happens, we will not be able to fix our problems.
One answer is to raise the gaming tax. Yes, gaming doesn’t want to and they are making less now then they did in the past. So is everyone I know making less or spending more to live in these tough times. By raising the gaming tax by 2% points we would have all the money we need to run the state and give government time to fix the problems they already have and move forward.
Our legislature is not doing their jobs to help fix this mess. Everyone needs to get together and figure out how to fix it without politics getting in the way.
I am proud to be a Republican but ashamed of the results statewide and nationally.
Don’t want to be redundant here as I think we all know what the problem is. The needed result is to all be on the same track at the same time and do something about it, flush the toilet!
Bernie,
Great piece. This is exactly the kind of thing that ALL Republicans need to read. It should be standard issue for all card carrying Republicans. What I see is wrong with those that use the argument and I do not think it is a good argument is this.. I think that many are too afraid of being held accountable to the people that elected them. I think that they are scared for their position they hold. I believe that what they think is that if they appease the masses now they believe they will be able to weild more power tomorrow. That is not the case in my humble opinion. Sticking to your Guns as it were is what will wield you more power in the end becasue the people will realize that you did not waiver in your decissions. Please hear the pleas of those that did Vote in those Republican Leaders and be the Republican Leaders you were elected to be. Stick to your Guns. Show us all you are the Leaders we know you are. ” Lead us not into Temptation”. Deliver us your un-waivering commitment to Republican….. no American values.
I am a Republican.
I value and believe in…
The Constitution,
Free Speech,
Private Property,
Free Exercise of Religion,
The Right to Bear Arms,
Federalism,
Representative Government,
Limited Government,
Responsible Spending,
Low Taxes,
The Rule of Law,
A Strong Military,
Capitalism,
Personal Responsibility,
The Individual,
The Family,
The Greatness of the American People and especially Nevada,
The Greatness of the United States of America.
Find a candidate who says, believes and practices this and you will not only have a leader but a winner.
Nobody has addressed taxing “the sinners”: this has been done in other states, but not in this state. New York has put a large dollar tax on a pack of cigarettes; perhaps that would be a large sock in the troubled budget: $4.00 per pack?
Or even $1.00 per liter of alcohol?
Gov. Gibbons has decided a 6% across the board cut for all state employees. Easy for him when he makes over $100,000.00. Not too easy when one is a teacher’s aide at 6.70 per hour and the state insurance costs per family over $400.00. Hmmm. How about flipping that cut, Gov? What about a 10% cut for those above $100,000.00? That would be a bit more fair. And protect our teachers!
I would suggest that all of our Republican representatives read and read again and try to absorb “What it Means to be a Leader”. Right on Bernie Zadrowski!
I remember when Hillary proclaimed smokers to be sinners. The cost has steadily risen since then.
Lot’s of change since then in the tobacco industry. A lot more cost involved in the industry. It reminds me of the
break up/ or is it down, of the telephone company/monopolies. I guess where there is big money one finds/creates
many lawyers. They sure will enjoy this administration! However, will all of the newly generated lawsuits and money
flying around, the cost of healthcare skyrockets. Go figure! It’s like anarchy party abounding. I do like the cheerful disposition of the Republican Governor Gibbons. I for one would like to see some accounting going on. Do they call that transparency? It’s all very taxing! Good night and God Bless.
I think the Chairman is absolutely right , the leader has to make the desicion and not go back evry time to the people in his district see what they want. He was chosen by them to lead for the term and shoul make that desicion by himself which is the best accordi ng to him.Cheers for the party chaireman for finally speaking ouy
Keep speaking out and fighting for the truth Chairman Berni
Bravo Zulu (”BZ”) to B.Z. !! Shout it from the mountain tops until their hands are clean and their teeth are brushed !! I would love to help find a way to censure those who voted for this increase. A petition would be a start. SOMEBODY, PLEASE, STAND UP AND DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND !!
You nailed it, Bernie…Thank you! Finally someone understands that we are a REPUBLIC ! Did you hear Senator Feinstein call this nation a great Democracy at the inauguration? I can’t believe that no one picked up on that. Where is everybody? Hello!
Well said Bernie. However, regarding the comments above emphasizing that the United States is not a Democracy but a Republic, I think is playing with semantics. There is no contradiction between democracy and Republic. The term Respublic was used to distinghish that form of government from a Monarchy. We are a Democracy because our leaders have been elected by the majority of the people. However, these leaders are our representatives, who have been selected to run the Country, make the laws and enforce it, and as you said when making decisions, they should not be thinking about what the public may think at that time. The elected officials should do what they honestly believe is best for the Country, if at re-election time the majority of the people dissagree, then they can be voted out. As I hope will occurr in 2012. It is also obvious that the wishes of the majority, has limitations. The best example is that if an election would have been conducted in the South before the Civil War, the majority would have voted for slavery, which is totally unacceptable. Not forgetting, that Hitler was also elected by the majoprity of the German people.
I have been trying for years to get the sheeple into a position where they realize that we have a Republic. This is not a democracy! If this were a true democracy, then in order to vote, a person would have to be a TITLED landowner. I won’t take the time to explain what that means, because it should have been taught in one’s high school, history course.
Let it suffice to say that, if YOU are not or were not born of nobility, toooooo damn bad! You don’t vote, period! Pres. bam-bam wants to bring about a MARXIST/SOCIALIST govt. So how does this relate to leadership? Very simple, he is taking the people who are in favor of stripping us of our rights where they want to be. LEADERSHIP! In doing so, he is taking those of us, that don’t want this with him, because we have political leaders that are willing to follow a paycheck, as opossed to standing for what is right. Political leaders are the lowest form of life there is. The reason they are is because they have fooled the people into believing the lies that they spread. I accuse all politicians of this. We need less politicians, and more leaders with a backbone,that if necessary, will lead us against a tyranical govt. As we are now saddled with. I truly hope that there is a GOD, and that He has a true sense of right and wrong, and that He is able to bring forth a leader that I can stand beside, and work with to bring back the America that I once loved. I am scared for my nation, and for myself. GOD save us, because Harry Reid won’t and our current legislators are too scared to try.
The problem I have is that it appears the article is saying that our elected representatives should not listen to their constituents. Isn’t that the problem with Harry Reid? He has not listened to the people of Nevada and pushes a socialistic agenda. I hope that all the time I take to fight higher taxes, socialized medicine and pork barrel spending by writing my elected officials does not fall on deaf ears.
Wendy:
You should know what your elected representatives stand for when you vote for them. It is during the campaign season that they should be “listening to their constituents” because that is when they make promises or otherwise sell themselves to you based upon the principles that you share with them. That is the whole point behind campaigning. The problem arises when representatives campaign to Republicans on a platform that is consistent with the Republican brand and platform, but then votes contrary to those principles, and use excuse s like “that’s what my constituents wanted.” That is the antithesis of listening to their constituents. Constituents vote for their elected representatives to provide leadership based upon their campaign promises. When they want your vote they say they believe as you do. THey listen to you and say that they stand for limited goverment and stand for Republican principles. Then they turn around when it counts and say, to hell with you. That’s not representative goverment. That’s not leadership.