Declare Victory and Retreat!!!
I know this is going to sound weird coming from me of all people, but sometimes you need to know when to stop talking, declare victory and immediately run like hell. This advice I give to Indiana House Democrats who are holding out in my mom’s hometown of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. (For the record I told one of the State Reps who’s staying there that if she sees someone who looks like me walking around that’s probably my cousin.)
You got your victory when the Republicans acknowledged that “right to work” legislation was dead for this session. Pack up your bags, get back to work and tell your union friends to go back home because there’s something wrong when only seven people can stand around those work sites and do nothing all day. You guys have a lot of work still to do. I know you aren’t crazy about education reform. I know you don’t like restrictions on collective bargaining for teachers and public employees unions. I know for a fact you are not thrilled about redistricting. You can live with the state budget but you really don’t have much choice because there’s no money.
I know you guys aren’t crazy about a lot of things, but if were you, I would learn to accept the fact that you live in a “brave new world that hath such people in it”. The sooner you accept that fact the better you will feel. And when you feel better you’ll have more energy to take your case to the voters in 2012. If you think you have the message, take it to the people. You are much better at waging your fight in Plainfield, Danville, Franklin, Clinton, Madison, Bloomington and Washington, Indiana not Illinois.
I’ve been speaking to a lot of Hoosiers lately who are not thrilled about their elected officials not showing up for work and getting paid. And yes, I know this has been done in the past, but neither Republicans nor Democrats of legislatures past have ever left the state. I know some people went to Ohio Street, not the State of Ohio.
By the way, I did some checking. After five days lawmakers are no longer eligible for per diem, so after Monday the money stops flowing.
