Greg Brownfield

Yesterday I read an article that neatly summarizes a concern we often hear  about from you, the voter and community member.  The author wrote about the problems in DC but everything he says applies equally to what we have been seeing from the Illinois General Assembly.

In particular, the following excerpt is apropos to our own leadership crisis:

For years we have heard politicians from both parties talk about the need for Social Security reform. But it's called the third rail of politics: "You don't touch it."

So Congress passes the buck each year, because no one in either party wants to be a true leader and take on the issue. We need to get it done. It is clear that we are in store for a heap of trouble down the road, but with folks today protecting their political jobs, nothing gets done.

We are seeing exactly the same thing in Illinois with our budget crisis. Instead of doing the problem-solving work we pay them for, the General Assembly “punted” on real solutions and narrowed the debate to an unholy choice between additional borrowing and skipping the payments to our state pension systems. Then, after backing Gov. Quinn into this nonsensical choice, his opponents have constructed an ad campaign around his willingness to accept the bad option (borrowing) over the horrible one (not funding the pensions).

In my opinion, this situation demonstrates an extremely admirable quality on one side and a complete lack of it on the other. Gov. Quinn made a tough choice that would make things better for real people. And he did so knowing that his opponents would spin his principled choices into bumper-sticker “logic” for their negative campaign.

Don’t get me wrong—borrowing is a bad option. But when bad meets horrible, there’s only one thing that a responsible person can do (and it has nothing to do with punting).

I applaud Gov Quinn for having the guts to make the right choice even though it provided his unscrupulous opponents with material for their bumper stickers.  More importantly, I believe that it exemplifies the author's conclusion: 

This nation is crying out for men and women of conscience and principle to stand up, make a clarion call to lead and then do it.  But as long as we're willing to accept impotent politicians, the next generation will still be howling about fixing the messes we see right now.

Greg

Here is the link to the entire Roland Martin article, Voters Want Leaders, Not Politicians.