I’ve been inspired by the lack of leadership that fled Salem last week. Republican legislators have secreted themselves to undisclosed locations, out of state but not out of mind.
“It’s not about denying quorum,” House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, assured reporters as her colleagues fled. “But it absolutely is about setting a pace inside the building that allows for us to give all of these really big ideas in this short session their due.”
Drazan and most of her fellow Republicans have decided what these really big ideas need is an out-of-state trip where the pace allows for reflection but not self-reflection.
“Pay attention Oregon – this is a true example of partisan politics,” Senate Republican Leader Senator Herman Baertschiger said in a written statement. “Democrats are willfully ignoring 26 counties and one district, representing nearly 2 million Oregonians that have signed proclamations against cap and trade, to push their agenda.”
Proclamations have now replaced legislation. Elected officials have become elected unofficials. But don’t worry. Republicans have a plan to get the work done, but not by them. Baertschiger suggests “referring this legislation to let the people decide.”
The legislation he refers to is about 100 pages long. Those are single-spaced pages, with 55,000 wonky words. It’s filled with riveting passages like this one: “By April 15 next after the filing deadline for the primary election, each candidate described in subsection (1) of this section shall file with the commission a statement of economic interest as required under ORS 244.060, 244.070 and 244.090.”
You won’t have time to garden or hike this summer. These leaders want you to study up. Republicans want the people to decide. Can’t we just hire people to decide for us? Wait, isn’t that what we do in every election? Apparently not.
“I can no longer stand by and watch this poorly crafted cap and trade legislation get steamrolled through the capitol,” Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, said in a written statement. “Sometimes a boycott is the best way to stop bad laws from happening to good people.”
Thatcher is no longer standing by and watching, but she is still getting paid. Oregon lawmakers have made sure their pay cannot be interrupted, even by refusal to come to work.
“I cannot in good conscience represent the citizens and constituents of Senate District 30 or the 2 million other Oregonians who have rightfully opposed this legislation and allow it to go through,” Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, said in written a statement. “If my colleagues will not allow for a fair process in the building, then I will represent my constituents from outside the building.”
Findley is representing her constituents by refusing to represent her constituents. It’s a Zen model of governing, where leaders strive to cease striving.
Next week, I may not write a column and expect payment for the work I failed to do. I may even ask other employers to pay me for their work that I didn’t do. The Republicans not in Salem have blazed a path for paid inaction. I’ll only be following their lead.
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Don Kahle (fridays@dksez.com) writes a column each Friday for The Register-Guard and blogs at www.dksez.com.
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