Governor needs to treat working people with respect
When the governor is too busy to listen to the concerns of people who are hurting — such as minorities and public employees — and not too busy to talk to business folks about soccer stadiums or attend ceremonial events, it's one thing; but when he hastily signs bills contrary to their concerns, it's another matter. It shows indifference and insensitivity to the plight of ordinary people. When he left a letter in the "to read" file from his own Hispanic Council advising him not to sign the drivers' licensing bill, it was an affront to the Hispanic community.
When he quickly signed HB213 that reduces benefits for state employees and never took the time to meet with the employee leadership but was eager to support further study of IHC issues, and furthermore failed to speak against raises for top state executives, he showed a lack of understanding for how those policies affect the lives of working families. When he dismisses people, with patrol troopers at the door, and fires the director of the Committee of Consumer Services with a 20-minute notice, his concern for people rings hollow. In the governor's zeal to bring about efficiency and productivity in government, intimidating and demoralizing his work force is hardly the way to do it.
The governor seems to show disdain for citizen participation when he acts precipitously without prior communication with established advisory bodies, in particular those represent-
ing common people such as the Hispanic Council, the state employees' leadership and the Committee of Consumer Services.
It's especially disappointing when, at his inauguration, he said he wanted to have a period of reaching across boundaries and a "state that is respectful of each individual's pathway toward life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." People who are powerless, such as the poor and minorities, must always build their hopes on the words of elected leaders. They have nothing else.
One hopes that the new governor would learn from his mistakes and be true to the principles he espouses. He would do well to avoid the pitfalls of newly elected leaders: that of surrounding themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. In their desire to have a fresh start and make change, they hurry to hire people who are eager to please and bask in the power of the office.
Such appears to be the case in the matter regarding drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants. The governor created the Department of Community and Culture whose staff seems to function as gatekeepers to keep away people from the minority community who have a real understanding of the injustice and hurt minorities endure on a daily basis. The staff reflects the "fresh start" the governor wants throughout his administration but lacks understanding of the needs of less-privileged people.
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