Politics and Principle
“I hate the games,” one legislator colleague said to me. “I didn’t come here to play games. I came to help direct policy and appropriate money through principled actions.” We both agreed that we did not want to develop legislation based on politics, but on informed decision making based on principle and deeply held noble values.
We had a lengthy discussion that night about principled behavior vs. political theatrics and back room negotiating. Little did I know that the next morning, one of my bills was to go through some significant gamesmanship by a senate member who would attempt to finagle the bill into extinction through procedural maneuvers, a member of my own party, no less. My side was able to prevail by anticipating his moves and deploying procedural rules in response. Nothing here was illegal or unethical; just using the rules for one’s own agenda.
Both of us had good intentions, I assume, just different. He was doing an end run to help a constituent who wanted to own an unknown number of white tail deer and moose held in a captive hunt facility. I was working to put all of our wildlife in the public trust, insuring that our wildlife could not be reduced to private ownership. So who was right? What is the balance between doing what local constituents ask of you when it may stand in conflict with values held by Vermonters outside of your community? At times, we are servants of two masters: our individual towns as well as our state as a whole. This is no more evident than in our ongoing debate about fairness in funding of public education.
In our small state, politics are at play, but not as strongly as in other states. I spoke with gentleman who had served as legislative counsel to the U.S. Senate and later as a lobbyist in the Massachusetts legislature. While politics were at play in Washington, this paled in comparison with Boston’s back room deals. He figured the balance was about 15% principle and 85% politics. In Vermont, I would say it is the opposite, 15% politics to 85% principle. Most deliberations happen in the open and only a small handful of legislators are constantly working to secretly manipulate the system.
Now that I have seen three legislative sessions adjourn, I am no longer innocent enough to assume that politics are not at play. At the same time, it is not my style, I don’t respect it and it will be unlikely that I will be the instigator of such behavior. That said, I also like to keep in mind the words of Otto von Bismarck: “With a gentleman, I am always a gentleman and a half; and when I have to do with a pirate, I try to be a pirate and a half.”
I will be returning to my work as a special educator in Williston this week, ending our Tuesday mornings at Bruegger’s. I am available by appointment and can be contacted at KLWebb22@mac.com.