ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
It’s not unusual for me to be disappointed in something I saw or heard at a Dorr Township Board meeting. But this past Thursday evening, the reason was different.
The board had an excellent chance to make an important statement against the troubling “us vs. them” approach that has been poisoning our political system lately in America. Members could have stood up to be counted in a fresh new way to do politics at the local level.
But it was not to be.
The board was asked by the Michigan Townships Association to weigh in on a proposal to make all township offices non-partisan rather than today’s customary Republican or Democratic Party affiliation for the seats of supervisor, clerk, treasurer and trustees. They could have expressed support for an idea to stop this awful and nasty battle between two sides — Republican vs. Democrat, just like red vs. blue, Coke vs. Pepsi, Bud Lite vs. Miller Lite, Michigan vs. Michigan State, beginning to be handled more like the Hatfields and McCoys.
It shouldn’t be a secret to anyone that our democratic system, or republic if you prefer, has deteriorated so badly because of an inability of its two major players to work together for the common good. Many will blame one party or the other, but we all must be getting painfully aware that this gridlock has been halting most progress for the past four decades.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gleefully said publicly his most satisfying accomplishment was thwarting any of former President Barack Obama’s goals or policies, even to the point of denying him a Supreme Court justice appointment.
Now there are many in the GOP who assert that the Democratic majority in the U.S. House will do anything to stop President Donald Trump, as the shoe goes on the other foot.
This bickering and mutual hatred has done nothing to advance the peoples’ interests of the United States of America. It has resulted in arguably what has become custom in valuing party over country.
Now comes the MTA with a modest proposal to toss out the reds and blues at the local level and let them run for office just as they are. In my world non-partisan politics should rule in city, village and county government and only begin at the state level.
Practicing party politics too often denies qualified people from holding office to serve the people.
One huge example played out before my eyes about 25 years ago in the Village of Nashville. When a seat on the Village Council became available, somehow local attorney Carol Jones Dwyer was appointed to fill the vacancy, though she was a Democrat among a sea of Republicans.
Dwyer’s performance on the council was so appreciated over two years (she provided a lot of free legal advice to colleagues) that the six members of the Village Council begged her to run for her seat as a Republican. She declined, explaining that she had been a lifelong Democrat.
Council members canvassed the village and asked voters to cross party lines to vote for her because she was doing such a good job. But in the end, she lost in the election by three votes. Because she was a Democrat.
So my disappointment with the Dorr Township Board is that members without discussion or hesitation voted 6-0 to reject the MTA proposal and just keep things the way they are.
The Township Board’s position is being echoed around the state, it is not isolated.
It appears our political system is a lot like the weather — Everybody complains about it, but nobody does anything about it.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But what if it is broke?
I find fault in your reasoning. If a Republican holds on to principle and votes no or holds up a nomination (as is their right to do), they are unreasonable. If a Democrat does the same thing, it seems to me you would approve?
The reason Republicans get entrenched in voting in the negative is the ideas Democrats put forth to vote on that are unreasonable, fiscally unsustainable, and is just bad for Americans overall. When was the last time Democrats were reasonable? Never, their way or the highway.
I agree local politics are somewhat overlapping along party lines. But why do most Republicans proudly state their party affiliation but Democrats usually don’t identify as such? Why is that? Are they embarrased of what their party has become?
Why aren’t Republicans embarrassed by being the party of Trump? They certainly should be. I know I’m embarrassed by having Trump as my president.