Poisoned trust

It’s no surprise that a recent national opinion poll found that
almost 80 percent of Americans don’t trust their federal
government. In similar polls, just one-third of the public supports
their state government and local governments win only a slim (52
percent) favorable rating from voters and citizens.
Surveyed citizens said politicians are selfish and only want to
get re-elected. They said the source of their mistrust was that
nobody cared about their needs and that “government” had all the
wrong priorities. One-third of the polled citizens said the federal
government was a threat to their personal freedoms.
More and more, the public is blaming government for a dismal
economy, high unemployment and more taxes with less services.
A healthy sense of citizen skepticism is being taken over by
unfocused mistrust and ugly, toxic talk. Our democracy’s well of
trust and fund of common interests have been poisoned.
From all the angry poll numbers, Tea Party rhetoric and Obama
bashing you’d think a vast majority of Americans today are ready to
disband their governments and become libertarians.
That could work.
Here in Sonoma County this week, the county’s public works
department announced it is quitting its program to pick up roadside
trash and illegal dumps. So, now we’ll just pick up the trash
ourselves. While we’re out patrolling the roads, we might as well
fix the potholes, too.
When the public says it doesn’t trust the government anymore, we
wonder if they mean the public works crew or a faceless congressman
in Washington. When voters demand smaller government, are they also
asking for larger classrooms, fewer police and closed parks to help
cut their taxes?
The polls say the Tea Baggers and many others don’t want an
“activist” government. Well, what’s the opposite of an activist
government? When it’s time to regulate the greed and corruption on
Wall Street at Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, who do the
citizens want to take action? Yes, the same federal government they
say they don’t trust.
Could it be that the noisy protests against Obama, Congress and
“government” is being misinterpreted? Isn’t all this mistrust more
about self-serving politicians, special interest lobbyists and
extreme partisanship?
We all tend to support and rely on government when it means safe
neighborhoods, good schools and healthy communities. We willfully
place our national defense and our social security in the hands of
the federal government.
But when government becomes “faceless” we tend to withhold the
same support. It doesn’t help that the process of our state and
federal governments has been taken over by extreme partisanship.
The rancor, gridlock and dishonesty is not caused by our laws,
programs or Constitution. (It’s the idiots, idiot.)
The true target for voter mistrust is any elected official who
puts self interest and party politics ahead of true governance and
public service.
We don’t allow our mayors and city council members to get away
with politicking instead of policy making. Here at home we make
government work for us. We say yes to new taxes or service cuts
when we’re talked to and given consideration.
After a few months, when trash really piles up along our roads
and the “no-government” libertarians don’t pitch in, we will hear
demands for local government action. When our parks were threatened
to be closed, look what happened.
Instead of so many Tea Party demonstrations that ignite too much
of an “us versus them” atmosphere, we should be meeting at City
Hall and the county supervisors chamber. We should sponsor more
candidates debates, election forums and bi-partisan Town Hall
meetings.
If we want to cleanse our public well of trust we must be
willing to go there and drink together.
— Rollie Atkinson