Citizen Tom

 Over the next few days there will be much discussion of Governor Tim Kaine’s do-nothing special session of the General Assembly.  To fund transportation spending, Kaine wanted to raise our taxes and failed dismally.  Why?

Much of the focus amongst Republicans will be on the alternatives Republicans offered to tax increases.  Whereas Republicans had once before acquiesced to tax increases, they now refused.  Instead, they offered alternatives.  Why?

We must asked ourselves what changed.  I think the answer is that voters said NO!   People got behind Conservatives like Delegate Bob Marshall and added their voice to his.  By himself, Marshall is a quiet, dignified man, but he has no power of his own.  It is with our help that Marshall became a force to be reckoned with.  The GOP leadership may wish he would go away.  They may ignore Bob Marshall, but they could not ignore the citizens who added their voices to Bob Marshall’s.

When the men and women who founded our Republic created it, they began an experiment, and they made a commitment to a project that would last their lifetimes and beyond.  With Governor Tim Kaine’s do-nothing special session of the General Assembly, Conservatives achieved a small victory.  Our government did nothing.  That sort of victory, unfortunately, will not get us far.  We must now set about electing more Conservatives. 

Look ahead.  As the wise have said, ”the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”  During the last century, we have been slowly losing the Culture Wars.  We have let Utopian idealists seize our government as a tool for manipulating their fellow citizens.   To reverse this trend, we Conservatives must educate our fellow citizens.  We must explain to them how they are being manipulated.  We must explain to our fellow citizens the limited role of government.  We must encourage our fellow citizens to participate in the management of government.  We must convince our fellow citizens that good government is a commitment that must last their lifetimes and beyond.