To the Editor:
Matt Rosenberg’s recent Wirepoints editorial about getting more involved in the political process really hit home with me. Many Illinoisans are fed up and ready to take action against the entitled tyranny of Illinois’ politicians. I have been inspired by the stories of those in other states who stood up, pushed back and won – even if they are just small victories, it gives conservatives some bit of hope.
However, it is one thing to be inspired but without a direction for that inspiration the spark will fizzle out. Where is the conservative leader who provides the excitement of something new rather than something rote; who is working to get grassroots groups together for a taxpayer revolution; or is keeping the constituency informed? Illinois Policy does a fine job of informing but we need some way of implementing an action plan, especially downstate where we are all but forgotten.
I will admit that I have been one of the ones who preferred not to get too involved in the political world. I voted for the person who espoused what I believed in and I believed that they would work to promote those interests. I have come to suspect that might not be the case. The Republicans for the most part depend that their constituency will always vote R just as the Democrats believe that their constituency will always “vote blue no matter who.”
There seem to be career Republican politicians in this state who prefer to be unseen and unheard from until election time. GOP websites both statewide and locally are neither up-to-date nor informative, unless we include dates for barbeques, golf scrambles and other fund-raising activities (I, for one, would like to know how this money is used). In this regard, I have to give it to the Democrats; on their Twitter page alone, they always seem to be working on a political issue–even if I think they go about it the wrong way, they appear to at least care about their voting base’s issues and interests.
Republican politicians will issue statements on how “they are as angry as we are” about the Illinois Democrats’ dominance in legislation but don’t seem to offer any pushback. Does the GOP itself care or have they given up on Illinois completely? Has the GOP assumed that the Democrats will always run the state and the rest of us will just have to deal with that?
I have seen the Edwardsville area turn from a lovely small city with small businesses as an economic pillar to a deep blue city propped up by a strong blue constituency of asbestos litigation firms and too many highly paid university administrators. Their own economic welfare remained strong during the COVID lockdowns yet they were very vocal that small business shut down and they demonstrated very little compassion to those business owners and their employees.
This new economic pillar is not likely to suffer during these inflationary times, either, but the little guy will, as will the small businesses that are left. Maybe the Ds will always have the run of the county and state. But that doesn't mean that the Rs can't provide friction against them.
To paraphrase an old African saying, "If you doubt the amount of irritation that a small thing can bring, you haven't been in a room with a mosquito." This is what we need at the very least from our elected R politicians - they need to be the mosquitoes.
Within my social circle, I have acquaintances who are unsettled by what they see happening in our state as well as our country. They are unsure as to how to be part of a solution. “Run For School Board” is not an option for many people – especially retirees. Perhaps we can not make changes to the Senate or House – but we can make an impact on local elections. We just don’t know how and where to get started.
To the GOP I say this: keep us informed. Have townhalls to discuss the issues and not just at election time, either. Help us organize small groups of advocates for causes we believe in.
Tell us how we can become more involved. We are not “NPCs” by choice, you know. We are interested and eager to help. But we need information, guidance and a real leader to help us mobilize and organize.
The GOP must also work to earn our vote, not just assume it.
Pamela Moody, Edwardsville