Ed Thompson, brother of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and 2002 candidate for Wisconsin governor, recently gave this speech on the affairs of his state government.
It is truly a shame that wethe politically homeless--must gather here today. It is the failure of our society that we, the people, have lost control of our state government. This shame is not on us, but the shame is on the professional politicians that we trusted to represent us in the capitol. Rather than represent the citizens of Wisconsin, this political ruling class has chosen to promote its own interests and the interests of big money over the interests of the people.
We all bear responsibility for losing control of the reins of government, but now is our opportunity to do something about it.
It is my hope that today will mark the beginning of a change in government in the state of Wisconsin. I hope that today we will begin to forge a new direction for this state: A direction worthy of our proud heritage of clean politics and representative government, a direction that respects individual rights and promotes the power of the local community, a direction that banishes corruption from the statehouse forever.
Many of us here today are aware of the power of special interests in government, the sway that lobbyists hold over public policy, the resulting huge budget deficits, and the outright criminality that has taken place under the dome. Yet manyId say mostcitizens of Wisconsin are not aware of what is going on here in Madison.
In May of 2001 the Wisconsin State Journal broke the story of the Caucus Scandal. Felony charges against legislative leaders followed. As of today, no one charged has gone to trial.
Last we knew, our state carries the burden of a $3.4 billion deficit, yet we see little or no evidence that this deficit is being reduced.
The benefits of medical marijuana in alleviating pain and suffering for victims of serious and terminal illnesses are well-documented and well-known. A poll conducted by Chamberlain Research Consultants in 2002 found that 80% of Wisconsin residents favor legalization of medical marijuana. Why is it then that our government has not passed legislation legalizing medical marijuana for these unfortunate sufferers?
Why does our government spend millions and millions of dollars every year on road construction when 7,000 homeless children in Milwaukee are not getting an education? Why arent we doing something about homelessness instead of building more and more roads?
We build more and more prisons to incarcerate non-violent offenders with violent criminals, ensuring that the nonviolent offenders will be sexually assaulted and abused, and then become violent criminals themselves.
Have we, as a society, gone absolutely stark, raving mad?
Or is there another reason? Could it be that special interest money dictates that our government builds roads rather than sheltering and educating homeless children? Why is our money spent on prisons rather than on securing a comfortable old age for senior citizens?
If any small business, or any household, tried to follow the example set by Wisconsins government, that business or household would go bankrupt in a sea of debt, chaos and irresponsibility. But government has an advantage that the household or the small business doesnt have. Governments books dont have to balance because government has a constant stream of taxpayer revenue to cover its dubious activities, and if government goes farther behind, why then it will just take the taxpayer a few more years to catch up, if ever.
As it functions today, Wisconsin government does not represent the people. It does not recognize the opinions of its constituents. It does not weigh the concerns of the people when making decisions. Wisconsin government is comprised of the sham of two parties rolled into one: The Republicrats. The positions and attitudes of Republicrat members are dictated from the top down, because if a legislator doesnt play ball with the ruling powers in government, that legislator falls into disfavor.
Ask my friend Marty Reynolds, a former Democrat who served in the Assembly for twelve years, and who years ago urged his party to disband the Caucuses because they were involved in illegal activities. Marty will tell you that the reward for trying to save his party from corruption was to be sworn at and called names by other democrats.
The structure of Wisconsin government today would make the upper hierarchy of the former Soviet Union proud.
We are one of 9 states in the union with a full-time legislature but we are only 20th in population. And just why are we saddled with a full-time legislature?
A legislature whose members make over $45,000 a year, have gold-plated benefits, and platinum retirement plans. Was this scheme the idea of the people or the idea of the legislature itself? What would the people say if they could vote on that one?
The last we heard about the pension plan for government employees was that due to investments in stocks like WorldCom before the bubble broke, the funds are at $50 billion, with a shortfall of $10 billion. Unlike your pension, if youre lucky enough to have one, when the investments in the state pension fund lose value, the value of the pension doesnt go down! This is truly a miracle, a miracle known as taxpayer funding. The good, old, faithful Wisconsin taxpayer is going to make up the difference, whether the taxpayer likes it or not. I wonder what the taxpayers would say if they could vote on that?
Lets imagine for a minute that we have a part-time state government. If legislators salaries were considerably smaller, there would probably be more people running for office with the desire to serve rather than the desire to accumulate salary and benefits to enjoy an early and comfortable, taxpayer-funded retirement.
Smaller government would create less laws, and if youve ever taken the time to read some of our laws and bills youd probably agree that less of them would be a very good thing.
Maybe we could sell some of our laws to those deprived states who dont have enough of them because they dont have a full-time legislature. That would be one way to help reduce the state deficit. Maybe they could throw a bake sale on the capitol lawn to help out a little bit, too. Or the legislature could run shell games all around the capitol. That would bring in a lot more money than a bake sale, since if theres one thing our government is good at, its shell games. If you dont know what a shell game is, let me just say that even if you did know youd never have a chance to win at it anyway.
With all the laws weve got on the books today, I wouldnt be surprised to find out that were probably breaking some of them right here and now and we dont even know it.
We need smaller government, government at the grass roots level, down where the people are, not authoritarian government whose interests arent those of the people and the local community.
To better represent the will of the people, we need a voting system that gives third party candidates a chance--and nobody knows this better than I do. The rigged structure in place today is only one more tool the Republicrats use to disenfranchise the public from having any significant influence on the process of government.
Lets look into the different forms of preferential voting and make a rational, creative decision about what particular system would work best for the people of this state.
Our large state government with its creation of more and more laws has given rise to a large state bureaucracy to administer all those laws. As near as I can tell, the purpose of that bureaucracy appears to be to obstruct progress and harass the citizens with pointless rules and regulations.
As we move forward today with our ideas and our methods we ought to remember that our government was founded on the rights of the individual. We must not lose sight of the necessity of protecting those rights. When the machinery of authoritarian government gets going you hardly notice it running over a little six-letter word like rights.
While democracy is the best tool we have for electing members of our government, we must not use democracy to diminish the rights of the individual. Individual rights and responsibility give strength to our society and any move on the part of government bureaucracy to sap that strength must be curtailed. We must resist the tyranny of misused democracy just as we would resist the tyranny of an authoritarian dictatorship.
Let me tell you a story, taken from the PBS radio show, This American Life. Its an example of how bureaucracy defeats the heroic efforts of the individual. In 1994, one of the worst public elementary schools in Chicago, Washington Irving Elementary, tried something new: They let the teachers control their own classrooms. The principal got out of the way. Teachers did not submit lesson plans, but they often voluntarily worked into the evening mapping the direction the school should take. Supported by the enthusiasm of empowered teachers, the students learned to read and write. They liked coming to school. Test scores went up. None of this cost any more money.
The central school board looked into the Washington Irving school and decided to make some changes, even though the school had become a model of public elementary education. The school board demanded lesson plans. Other needless bureaucratic procedures were placed on the teachers. A new principal supported the boards decisions, oblivious to the objections of the teachers. The teachers stopped working voluntary longer hours. Some of them resigned. The model school fell apart. Today Washington Irving Elementary School is again one of the worst schools in the Chicago system.
An authoritarian, mindless bureaucracy ignorantly destroyed the tremendous accomplishment of a handful of dedicated, individual teachers.
In our state today, bureaucratic laws and rules and regulations, stifle the initiative and the freedoms of individuals. If you dont believe me, try starting a small business in this state, and then brace yourself for a barrage of forms and restrictions and oppressive laws and taxes on every move you make.
Is there any sense at all to the notion that a majority of legislators should decide what is or is not permissible in the personal lives of the population? I think not. Or that 51% of the people should decide what is or is not permissible in the personal lives of the other 49%? I think not.
Consider this: If you participate in limiting the rights of others today, there will undoubtedly be someone who feels justified in limiting your rights tomorrow.
This is how totalitarian governments come into being. And I believe government in America today, at all levels, is dangerously close to taking this serious misstep.
Strong communities develop from the dedication and persistence of strong individuals. Government can do the greatest good by just getting out of the way.
How are we going to turn this thing around? How are we to take control of our government from the political ruling class and put the control back where it belongs, in the hands of the people?
One of the most important things we can dowe, the politically homelessis to educate the people of the state of Wisconsin as to the condition of our stolen government. And to inform the people as to who is responsible for this sorry condition. And to speak out for the rights of the individual over the tyranny of the mob.
If each one of us takes the responsibility to tell our friends and our families and anyone else who will listen, about the theft of our state government, then we could bring to bear a force so large that even the professional politicians will not be able to ignore it.
Thank you for allowing me to talk to you today.
Please allow me to add one more thing. Our South Asian brothers and sisters have suffered a terrible tragedy. If you havent donated already, please give whatever you can to bring aid to these disaster victims. The outpouring of money from individuals to help in this emergency has been terrific but lots more money is needed.
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