In a healthy representative democracy, the Governor and every legislator would understand that the role of government is to:
1. Provide common infrastructure* by spreading the costs across society in a fair manner;
2. Ensuring that those who cannot care for themselves receive good care; it is the moral duty of the strong to care for the weak.
3. Be competent, suitable to the needs of the day, and able to adapt to changing conditions in an open minded, intelligent manner. Defensiveness or narcissism in those who govern kills democracy and vulnerable human beings.
4. Avoid a hereditary class of rulers and nourish the representative democracy fought for during the American Revolution. Just because someone’s father or grandfather was a legislator or judge should never be the reason they now hold the power to govern.
5. Follow the statutory Open Meeting, Freedom of Information Act, and procurement protocols whether or not some ancient law exempted your agency or house in the legislature from good government laws; sunlight and air lead to healthy government.
*Infrastructure includes, but is not limited to: roads, bridges, dams, communications including broadband, a suitable k-12 public education for all, health care and health management (swine flu and cigarette smoking are but two examples of health management issues), public safety, access to justice (courts, indigent defense), civics education both in school and ongoing though use of the media as to what government is and what the duty of the governed should be, incarceration with effective rehabilitation, good stewardship of public assets (parks, beaches, museums, etc.), accessible career education including community colleges and public universities that have safe buildings and fair tuition and fees and prepare for today’s and tomorrow’s employment, and long range planning free of contamination by special interests and open to real civic engagement.
Window dressing involvement won’t cut it now – and did not pass scrutiny “then.”
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p>Agreed, but this is not the case in America. You have to win elections, and be up for regular re-election. I’m not sure what examples there are of people holding the power to govern “because” their father or grandfather was a legislator or judge.
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p>Sometimes, but not always. If the debates of the Constitution Convention in Philadelphia had been fully open to the people and the press, we would have ended up with a whole lot of political grandstanding and no Constitution.
When the Federal government is staffed by people who think the very concept of nations is obsolete conflict of interest is an understatement. Instead of providing for the concept today is how best to destroy.
Article IV. The people of this commonwealth have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves, as a free, sovereign, and independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not, or may not hereafter, be by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in Congress assembled.
Article V. All power residing originally in the people, and being derived from them, the several magistrates and officers of government, vested with authority, whether legislative, executive, or judicial, are their substitutes and agents, and are at all times accountable to them.
Article VI. No man, nor corporation, or association of men, have any other title to obtain advantages, or particular and exclusive privileges, distinct from those of the community, than what arises from the consideration of services rendered to the public; and this title being in nature neither hereditary, nor transmissible to children, or descendants, or relations by blood, the idea of a man born a magistrate, lawgiver, or judge, is absurd and unnatural.
Article VII. Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men: Therefore the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it.
Article VIII. In order to prevent those, who are vested with authority, from becoming oppressors, the people have a right, at such periods and in such manner as they shall establish by their frame of government, to cause their public officers to return to private life; and to fill up vacant places by certain and regular elections and appointments.
Article IX. All elections ought to be free; and all the inhabitants of this commonwealth, having such qualifications as they shall establish by their frame of government, have an equal right to elect officers, and to be elected, for public employments. [See Amendments, Arts. XLV and XLVIII, The Initiative, sec. 2.] [For compulsory voting, see Amendments, Art. LXI.] [For use of voting machines at elections, see Amendments, Art. XXXVIII.] [For absent voting, see Amendments, Art. LXXVI.]
Article X. Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty and property, according to standing laws. He is obliged, consequently, to contribute his share to the expense of this protection; to give his personal service, or an equivalent, when necessary: but no part of the property of any individual can, with justice, be taken from him, or applied to public uses, without his own consent, or that of the representative body of the people. In fine, the people of this commonwealth are not controllable by any other laws than those to which their constitutional representative body have given their consent. And whenever the public exigencies require that the property of any individual should be appropriated to public uses, he shall receive a reasonable compensation therefor. [See Amendments, Arts. XXXIX, XLIII, XLVII, XLVIII, The Initiative, II, sec. 2, XLIX, L, LI and XCVII.]
Article XI. Every subject of the commonwealth ought to find a certain remedy, by having recourse to the laws, for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, property, or character. He ought to obtain right and justice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it; completely, and without any denial; promptly, and without delay; conformably to the laws.
Article XII. No subject shall be held to answer for any crimes or offence, until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and formally, described to him; or be compelled to accuse, or furnish evidence against himself. And every subject shall have a right to produce all proofs, that may be favorable to him; to meet the witnesses against him face to face, and to be fully heard in his defence by himself, or his council at his election. And no subject shall be arrested, imprisoned, despoiled, or deprived of his property, immunities, or privileges, put out of the protection of the law, exiled, or deprived of his life, liberty, or estate, but by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land.
And the legislature shall not make any law, that shall subject any person to a capital or infamous punishment, excepting for the government of the army and navy, without trial by jury. [See Amendments, Art. XLVIII, The Initiative, II, sec. 2.]
Article XIII. In criminal prosecutions, the verification of facts in the vicinity where they happen, is one of the greatest securities of the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.
Article XIV. Every subject has a right to be secure from all unreasonable searches, and seizures, of his person, his houses, his papers, and all his possessions. All warrants, therefore, are contrary to this right, if the cause or foundation of them be not previously supported by oath or affirmation; and if the order in the warrant to a civil officer, to make search in suspected places, or to arrest one or more suspected persons, or to seize their property, be not accompanied with a special designation of the persons or objects of search, arrest, or seizure: and no warrant ought to be issued but in cases, and with the formalities prescribed by the laws. [See Amendments, Art. XLVIII, The Initiative, II, sec. 2].