Cowards and Crybabies - Hoosier Style

Cowards and Crybabies – Hoosier Style

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

February 27, 2011

With adult supervision being restored in the governor’s mansions in Madison, WI, Columbus, OH, Richmond, VA and Trenton, NJ, the GOP is keeping its promises of cutting budgets – and not with a scalpel, but with the necessary hacksaw.

In abject cowardice, most of Indiana’s Democratic House members fled the Hoosier State to shun their jobs, jobs that the voters elected them to perform. As fast as they fled, they should be fired via recall. This Wisconsin-style hissy-fit is demonstrative of the Democrat party’s unwillingness to conduct their sworn duties, inclusive of which is to participate in the budgetary process. A budget that includes the salaries these scofflaws are still collecting while on the lam.

House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) basically gave House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) a laundry list of demands a la a hostage taker, except it is the Dems who would return if their demands are met.

Bosma, responded to Bauer that “we weren’t going to concede to a list of demands, and that he needed to get back here,” to the capitol. The government is not in the business of negotiating with hostage-takers, even if it is other members of the government making the demands.

The hooky-playing Democrats are behaving like petulant three-year-olds who are not getting their way on the ball field and have decided to take their ball and go to Illinois. When the minority party is on the potentially short end of the legislative stick, they must take their lumps and live to fight another day. The voters made their choices, and it is up to the representatives to do just that – represent, not run away.

A voucher bill directing taxpayer dollars toward private schools may make sense as the people paying to use the private schools are not utilizing the public schools for which their tax dollars already support. Why should parents sending their children to private schools pay double or more simply because the public schools are failing and they want better for their children? We should all be demanding better public schools or vouchers to enroll our children in schools where they can actually learn in a safe and positive environment.

As for the right to work bill prohibiting, as a condition of employment, union membership, this too just makes sense. No worker should be forced to join a union simply to earn a living. Clearly, that the Democrats are objecting to this bill is demonstrative of their cozy relationship with unions – just look at where much of their campaign contributions come from.

That Governor Mitch Daniels (R) is unwilling to take on the Democrats and seeks to avoid a Wisconsin-style battle is disappointing. Governor Scott Walker (R) has demonstrated courage in his convictions that the budget in his state needs more than just a trim around the edges and is not afraid to take on those who seek to bankrupt the Dairy State. Daniels’ name has been mentioned quite a bit as a potential 2012 GOP presidential nominee. If he plans to see that to fruition, he needs to toughen up and demonstrate that he is battle-tested and ready for the national campaign.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and political consultant living in Alexandria, VA.