Politicians Do What Politicians Always Do

It’s an understatement to say Hoosiers are steamed about property taxes. Actually, it’s an understatement to say it’s an understatement (boy, that could go awhile and get confusing). While it may be easy to believe that lawmakers acted like lawmakers usually do, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun completely reversing course like he did caught some of us off guard. Yeah, yeah, I know. Not thinking a politician would stab voters in the back was pretty naïve. I might have to turn in my press fedora and worn-out Weejuns!

I absolutely get it that a lot of Hoosiers are angry. What they have to understand is that legislators don’t care. It’s two years until the next election for some, four years for others. We may not forgive, but we’ll forget. Or we’ll be apathetic. Chances are things will go on like they always do and the black hole that government has become will just get deeper and wider.

Wow, sounds pretty bleak, huh?

Sorry, just calling it like I see it.

The thing is, a lot of politicians are good folks. It’s been said in this space plenty of times, they’re really good at the local level, mostly good at the Statehouse and only so-so in Washington, D.C. Once they get to the big time, too many of them see opportunities to grow rich beyond their dreams. How does that happen? Speaking engagements, consulting gigs, honorariums, you name it. Is it illegal? I am sure they dance all over those lines. But what they mostly do – and have done for a while – is create a system that keeps it going.

How many folks have gone to D.C. with the intention on changing? How many come home defeated, or worse, stay there and become part of the problem?

But even at the local and state level, there are problems. Property taxes are just the latest example.

We keep saying this, but it’s true. When there is a choice between the government cutting spending or you and I cutting spending, they choose us. Always. Every time.

Do they say it that way? Of course not. OF COURSE NOT! But our boy Ralph Waldo Emerson used to say that what you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say. Folks at all levels of government consistently choose taxpayers to feel the pain instead of them.

They will disagree, but Ralph got it right. Look at their benefits, their pay, what they spend money on. Look at the buildings – how many old, worn-out, crappy buildings house government offices? Some, to be sure. Really does depend on where you are. But there are a lot of worn-out, crappy buildings in the private sector. There are a lot of folks working for a lower wage and less benefits in the private sector.

Government takes care of government. Wasn’t it in Chronicles where the long list of who beget who took up a zillion pages? Something similar about government taking care of government would take up more.

It’s never, ever the same in the private sector. Our good governor had this to say earlier this week: “As a business owner, I navigated through tough times and always came out stronger because I focused on cutting waste, eliminating overhead, and getting back to the basics.”

See, that’s the thing. That’s why we voted for the guy. We wanted to see that brought into the highest office in the state. We all know that what Braun originally proposed for property taxes could have worked. It simply would have meant cities, towns, counties, schools, etc., would have had to figure out how to do with less. Would that have been hard? In some cases, sure. In others, not so much. But it was certainly manageable. The private sector, just like Braun said, do it all the time. ALL THE FRIGGING TIME!

But Braun chose not to. Did he lie when he campaigned? I don’t think so. But by reversing course, by telling Hoosiers one thing to get their votes and then turning around and doing something else, turned it into a lie – and the worst kind. The kind that he profited from.

It’s what politicians do all the time.

If we have a chance to break the cycle, to turn things around, it has to start with you. And you. And you. And you. And you. A lot of yous have to come together and say enough is enough. Will that happen? Not to be coy, but it really is up to you.

Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically in The Times. Timmons is the chief executive officer of Sagamore News Media, the company that owns The Noblesville Times. He is also a proud Noblesville High School graduate and can be contacted at ttimmons@thetimes24-7.com.