I’ve had way too much time on my hands today, which is never a good thing.  As a result, you’re going to get a mixed bag of random thoughts in two blogs about two separate issues that are loosely connected because both deal with today’s political climate.  I originally wrote one long, rambling column, but then realized that, as usual, it was necessary for me to focus on one topic at a time.  This first one deals with my current mindset about politics in general.  The second, to be published a little later, is more specific to (Oops!  She’s doing it again!) pension reform.  But, first things first…

Like a good many Americans these days, I have become increasingly disgusted with Congress.  As most of you know, I am a Republican.  But I find I’m just as annoyed by the Republicans in Washington as I am by their counterparts across the aisle.  It seems that no one in D.C. is even remotely concerned about the real problems in America as long as they get clean towels in their taxpayer funded Congressional gym – a pressing problem those poor, overworked elected officials had to deal with during the recent government shutdown.  Little wonder they have no clue what it’s like to survive down here in the trenches, where many of us can barely afford laundry detergent, much less have our towels washed by “staff.”

Most despicable of all is that far too often, once elected to Congress, the seat winner’s starry-eyed idealism almost inevitably devolves into corporate cronyism.  Ensuring one’s re-election eventually turns into a full time job, often requiring a payback of some sort to the individuals and/or entities who helped put that politician in office in the first place.  Those members of Congress who remain principled and toe their respective party lines end up being characterized as idealogues or worse – replaced.  For any politician in Washington who refuses to comply with his campaign donors’ wishes, there are any number of eager yes-men who are willing to take his place for the right price.  And why wouldn’t they?  The 535 members of Congress have a sweet gig for life if they play the game right.  Along with the job comes all the power, prestige and privilege that money can buy if they continue to please their benefactors, which usually entails legislating policies that enrich the coffers of those wealthy enough to finance their next campaign.  The irony is that most of the time, members of Congress exempt themselves from the laws they enact for a “greater good” that in reality has nothing to do with the benefit of the American people.  It merely ensures the continuance of their own elite lifestyle to which they quickly become accustomed.

Those self-proclaimed “mavericks” who set out to “reform” Washington from “outside the beltway” usually end up either complying with the group think or get sent packing in the next election cycle.  The ones who stray from rigid party ideologies – such as pro-choice conservatives or pro-gun liberals – become unelectable pariahs after one term.  It’s nothing but one great big game and the cosmic joke is on the ones who refuse to play.

Do I sound cynical enough for you?  I hope so because not only was I born cynical, but my cynicism has served me well.  When it comes to politics, I learned early on that the words “trust” and “politician” should never be used in the same sentence with the sole exception of, “Never trust a politician.”

Regardless of what an elected official says, the actions he or she takes are often suspect as we begin to question the agenda hidden behind the words.  Although I use the royal “we” because I speak with so many people who are on the same page, of course I can only speak for myself.  Coming from someone who has always been a political animal, I am certainly shocked by my intense disinterest in politics these days.

To use just one example, not only was I unaware that there is a countywide special election coming up on November 5th, but I honestly don’t even feel like voting in any election whatsoever.  A week from this Tuesday voters will be asked by Jackson Health System to gouge taxpayers for another $830 million dollars because property owners don’t pay nearly enough in taxes to the county.  When you think about the fact that there is absolutely no accountability for all the tax money Miami-Dade County has already collected, far too much of it doled out to various and sundry “non-profits,” it’s easy to be cynical about who really stands to profit by the “upgrades to be paid entirely by taxpayer funds.”  According to the Miami Herald article entitled Jackson Health System upgrade plan goes to Miami-Dade voters, this entire bond vote scheme was concocted for the purpose of theoretically attracting more patients to use Jackson instead of any number of private hospitals in South Florida in order to make Jackson more competitive.  That’s a pretty expensive theory, if you ask me.  And one that we who own property in Miami-Dade County are being asked to finance.  Doesn’t it make you wonder just which members of the County Commission or the Public Health Trust or any one of the “non-profits” associated with Jackson has a vested interest in this tax increase?  It does me.  If I do rouse my interest enough to get out and vote on November 5th, I will enthusiastically fill in the “NO” bubble.  Just saying.

At this point, I’m even less inclined to care about next year’s mid-term Congressional election.  Hopefully, by then my interest will be rekindled.  Or not.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”