When citizens are asked about their knowledge and involvement with government the most common reply is “I just don’t have time for that.” People rely on their elected officials to actually represent them and to act in their best interest. I wonder if citizens understand that most of their elected representatives “just don’t have time” or just do not make time to read and understand the legislation they are voting on. As a result, the most common law approved by our legislators, at all levels, is the “Law of unintended consequences”

The “stimulus bill” activity in Congress has been a point of contention between liberals and conservatives because of content. What should be of greater concern to citizens is that few of the 534 members of Congress voting on the bills had read and understood the content before voting. Equally important should be the fact that an “approve before reading” methodology now permeates our legislative bodies to the lowest level. Legislators are not making fact based decisions and have not studied the impact and consequences of their actions. Exactly who is being represented by the process?

The state legislature is currently dealing with over 1500 bills or resolutions. Just reviewing the list of bills is an arduous task. Studying a bill and providing comment is a major effort. There is no way that any single legislator could read and comprehend the outcome of every proposal. The reality is that legislators rely on the staff and lobbyists who generated the legislation and who understand the intent and impact of the proposal to testify in support of the legislation. Hardly a process that highlights depth of knowledge and understanding.

At the local level, history demonstrates that Commissioners and Council members handle legislation similar to legislators at the state and national level. Staff reports, recommendations from state agencies, and input from appointed advisory boards provide the basis for ordinance approval. The “time crunch” limits opportunity for study and questioning outcomes and impacts. “Approve before reading” is not uncommon in legislation dealing with technical or science based issues. The reality is that elected officials understand revising an existing ordinance is easier than getting it right in the first place.

Because ours is a representative form of government, each citizen has a responsibility for the outcome. Before you decide that you “don’t have time” ask yourself “Am I prepared to live with a lifetime of unintended consequences?”

If your answer is yes, then accept the fact that your vote is actually an agreement to transfer control of your life to someone else. If your answer is no — get involved, get informed, and get in charge of your government.