Calling on The Guv

It doesn't matter WHY I decided to call the Governor's office. Suffice it to say, I just did.

I have long been interested in politics and current events - and try to keep up to speed on what is going on, particularly during this state's rather short legislative session.

I frequently gripe to myself. I occasionally send an e-mail to my state representative or state senator about something. I always fill out the surveys they send out in the waning days of the year. I rarely say anything about it to anyone else, or join a "campaign" against or for something. As it turns out, while I'm passionately political, when it comes right down to it, my interpretation of things is just that - my interpretation.

However, finally, after 4+ years in The Frontier, something finally irritated me enough last week to sign a petition.

Around the same time, an article came out in the local news about how the governor proudly stated that he would not be swayed by e-mail or social media campaigns and would govern "in the best interest of the state."

I don't pretend to be smarter than the governor. I don't know him well enough to make that assertion. I don't pretend to know, on a grand scale, what IS best for the state. What I do know, however, is that I belong to both a state and a nation governed by a REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY. That means I vote for you, you take the input of your constituency into consideration, and you vote for legislation. It does NOT mean that I vote for you and you plug your ears and close your eyes and sing "nah nah nah, I can't HEAR you!"

A representative democracy works fine as long as you don't have state legislatures who fail you and come up with bills that are about 180 degrees from the actual things needing work (because they score re-election points)- and also about 180 degrees from what you would do if anyone cared what your opinion is (trust me, they don't). Then, it doesn't feel so representative.

It feels EVEN LESS representative when an elected official essentially nullifies the valid, articulated positions of tens of thousands of people because he can't be bothered with opinions when he's trying to govern, "in the best interest of the state."

I was irritated. I don't have time to make calls to some legislative aide who answers a thousand phone calls a day. Still, I wanted to voice my opinion - be counted among the ranks. So, amidst the 4.5 hours I've already spent on the phone today in meetings, I called him.

Or, I called his office, rather. The Frontier may be in a rather unpopulated state, but there are still enough people that one does not actually speak with the governor unless one is a lobbyist with deep pockets. Neither of which describes me.

I'm not sure what I expected - I don't make a habit of calling the governor's office on a regular basis (as evidenced by the fact that I am not chained to a bed in a psychiatric facility) - but I certainly didn't expect the abrupt response to my inquiry. I got a few words out - and was told, "Thank you. I'll pass your concern along."

*Crickets*

No one asking for my name, precinct or anything. No one wanting any information to certify that I'm not some looney bin escapee or paranoid conspiracy theorist. Even if they wrote it on an air post-it and rolled their eyes, I would want someone to at least ASK the right questions.

But no - immediately after being assured the governor would take my opinion into consideration (as if!) I was disconnected. Really? So the governor doesn't want to hear about anything via e-mail or social media or web forms - or, apparently, any other way, since I'm pretty sure that camping out at his office would be met with even less enthusiasm than taking the time to phone his office.

I still believe in democracy. However, there may be another election in my future where only those who are not currently serving in an elected position get my vote.

I'm only one of 3 million people in this state. But I AM one. The least you can do is make me THINK you're reading that e-mail or petition or receiving a note that says "the crazy lady from The Frontier called - she'd like a word."