Do you ever wonder what passes for political news would sound like without Talking Points?
Have you ever noticed how rare it is that you can turn to a channel on your TV and hear original thought and not just commentary?
We thought it would be fun to try out the idea of “Listening Points” at Park County Democratic sponsored event booths held the past two weekends – one at The Pine Grove Rhubarb Festival on June 11, and one at Bailey Day on June 18.
In addition to inviting people to stop by and just talk, we also asked them to take a few moments and answer a couple of simple questions on a free form survey: What issues are the most important to you – on any level of government – and what do you believe you need from your government?
No, it wasn’t intended as a reverse spin on John F Kennedy’s famous “Ask not what your country can do for you” quote but was, rather, an effort to get people to stop for just a minute and think about the role they believe government should play and what is important to them. We didn’t care what political party they were registered to, either, or even if they were. And a couple dozen took the time.
A number of respondents discussed health care as a concern, but offered no suggestions about how to improve it. I’ll assume that when some suggested “nationalized” health care, they meant the idea of “single payer” or “Medicare for all,” which is something I personally support as well.
A unique idea from a woman in Conifer was to use doctors and nurses in medical school to work in Medicare-related services, and then compensate them by paying down their education costs. It’s one I hadn’t heard before. She also advocated a political “no-call” list. Another woman asks to stop development along US 285 while one wants to control motorcycles on residential streets. Living up here in the rural Bailey area, I can appreciate that one when my ears perk up just to hear a coyote down the road.
Also a repeated theme relates to concerns people have about education and focus on our domestic needs, with questions about the money the country is spending on five wars: in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, and the War on Drugs. One Pine man says who declared himself a Republican said he’d like to get rid of the Department of Education (although I would’ve preferred a little more discussion about “why”). One questioned the spending of money in Pakistan to “aid terroists.”
One very unhappy Democratic woman is hoping to see a more Progressive Candidate for President, especially given what she feels has been preferential treatment of the financial industry by the current administration. “Get rid of Geitner and all of the other loser Bush-Light Wall Street operatives,” she said, and she proposes that corporations get tax credits when they bring jobs BACK to the United States.
One unsigned respondent wants to see states’ rights protected, but failed to offer detail for what his point was. He worries about devaluation of the US Dollar. Several wanted to see more control of corporations as they play a bigger role in our political system every day.
A topic that came up several times, including between myself and chair of the Republican Party here in Park County, is the need for campaign finance reform. It’s an issue so many people agree with, yet so few know how to tackle. Clearly, it’s something we should all be working together on.
Too often, it seems in politics, we talk past one another rather than listen and much of our political discourse has become one of party talking points without serious thought or discussion of what those talking points mean. Taking the time to listen, and giving the people time to be listened to, is something we need to see more of.
This column was originally published in the June 24, 2011 edition of The Flume, the paper of record for Park County, Colorado. The monthly column is titled "Democratically Speaking"
This column was originally published in the June 24, 2011 edition of The Flume, the paper of record for Park County, Colorado. The monthly column is titled "Democratically Speaking"
