Regardless of one’s position on the issue in question, voting Present should be grounds for recall.
I know that voting Present as a member of the Illinois state legislature seemed to become rather fashionable and opportunistic over the past 10 years or so. However, reasonable people should be able to agree that refusing to take a position with a Yes or No vote is definitely doing what is right.
This is yet another illustration of what appears to be a complete and total lack of honesty, integrity and conviction throughout our political ruling class.
I’m sure we could get some really good spin in support of a Present vote from people with inside knowledge of the political process or who are smarter than the rest of us minions. However, this is simple “right vs. wrong” in my view. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Attempting to explain this away as just part of the process is just another way of voting Present in an attempt to justify voting Present.
We have to be honest, though, by admitting that this is nothing more than a reflection of the electorate. If the electorate is unwilling to expect and demand honesty, integrity and conviction from elected officials, then one can easily conclude the electorate finds it perfectly acceptable and, quite possibly, is also lacking in honesty, integrity and conviction.
Until we expect and demand these personal characteristics of our elected officials, we are no better than these shameless elected officials and get exactly what we deserve.
It may not be “soup yet” as one Democratic representative states…but it could mean that a few more Illinois small businesses are “toast”. The state & federal gov’t are, literally, killing small business.
Regardless of one’s position on the issue in question, voting Present should be grounds for recall.
I know that voting Present as a member of the Illinois state legislature seemed to become rather fashionable and opportunistic over the past 10 years or so. However, reasonable people should be able to agree that refusing to take a position with a Yes or No vote is definitely doing what is right.
This is yet another illustration of what appears to be a complete and total lack of honesty, integrity and conviction throughout our political ruling class.
I’m sure we could get some really good spin in support of a Present vote from people with inside knowledge of the political process or who are smarter than the rest of us minions. However, this is simple “right vs. wrong” in my view. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Attempting to explain this away as just part of the process is just another way of voting Present in an attempt to justify voting Present.
We have to be honest, though, by admitting that this is nothing more than a reflection of the electorate. If the electorate is unwilling to expect and demand honesty, integrity and conviction from elected officials, then one can easily conclude the electorate finds it perfectly acceptable and, quite possibly, is also lacking in honesty, integrity and conviction.
Until we expect and demand these personal characteristics of our elected officials, we are no better than these shameless elected officials and get exactly what we deserve.
Meant to say “…definitely NOT doing what is right.”
I’m sending an e-mail to every senator that voted Present and ask them why they didn’t take a stand either way on this issue.
It may not be “soup yet” as one Democratic representative states…but it could mean that a few more Illinois small businesses are “toast”. The state & federal gov’t are, literally, killing small business.