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When I write about my feelings regarding my state rep., Josh Mandel (R-Lyndhurst) and his voluntary return to military service, I do everything but hide it. The anonymous person cited in this Canton Repository article by Paul Kostyu about an attack on State Senator John Boccieri needs to come clean – the post about which Kostyu writes and which included an attack on Boccieri for missing votes due to being in the military has been altered on the blog, Stark Politics.
Here’s the cached version with what Kostyu reports on; here’s the current view.
If it’s important enough to you to blog about it, then put your name on it. I know that’s not a popular position with many bloggers, but it’s how I feel.
What Kostyu writes as the content of the attack applies to all the members missing votes for military service:
“Boccieri has been constantly running for higher office ever since he first knocked off maverick former State Representative Ron Hood. He uses and abuses the nation’s uniform for political gain … uses it to win office, then miss (sic) all the important votes, being able to ply both sides of hot issues without accountability.”
Kostyu, to his credit, notes how this issue affects Republicans in the statehouse too:
Republican lawmakers also have missed votes because of military service, including state Sen. Steve Stivers of Columbus and state Reps. Danny R, Bubp of West Union and Josh Mandel of Lyndhurst. Stivers is also running for a congressional seat this year.
These three may not agree with Boccieri’s politics, but they don’t take too kindly to critics of military service. Neither do House and Senate leaders, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle and the general public.
Boccieri could capitalize on the blog criticism. He sent an e-mail to supporters asking for financial support to combat the attack.
The problem with that second paragraph, however, is that we need to be able to say, as voters and constituents, that it irks us when our elected officials aren’t in Ohio doing the job they’ve been elected to do. That doesn’t mean we’re being critical per se, but we should feel okay saying that it bugs us – I do – feel that it bugs me and that I should be able to say that.
The next step is to focus on the solution so that this angle of “attack” can be flattened:
Should we all be okay with electing people who then go into the military during the course of their elected office?
Should people in the military be forbidden to run?
Should there be some replacement policy/program that allows all Ohioans to always have someone available to represent them?
What?
If we’re taking such pains to make our election system be as close to what we want it to be as possible, what point is there in that if the people who end up getting elected end up not being there?
What do you think?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:49 pm January 1st, 2008 in Ohio, Politics, Statehouse
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5 Responses to “Stop selective attacks on electeds in the military; focus on solving the absence problem”
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I think there is already a pragmatic solution, all of these representatives must go up for re-election. I don’t approve of Congressman Kucinich running around the country missing votes for an absurd presidential run, and therefore vote against him. My fellow voters in the 10th District do not feel the same and he is re-elected. Any opponent in a primary or an election can bring this issue up as a valid point of debate.
I find it funny that I am displeased with Congressman Kucinich missing votes (even though he would not vote the way I would want) and you are displeased with Representative Mandel missing votes (even though you would most likely disagree with the way he votes).
Messrs. Kucinich and Mandel would both most likely defend themselves by pointing to the work of their respective staff and the constituent services that were not lacking in their absence. I will vote for former State Rep. Jim Trakas in the 10th District and I think a major campaign message Mr. Trakas will get out is that 10th District residents will not lose the constituent services they receive, and will in fact receive even better service with Mr. Trakas in office.
A Happy & Healthy New Year to JMZ and all of my fellow posters.
Best, Joe
Joe – I don’t find our dislike of votes being missed funny – I think we expect the same things from our elected representatives. I promise you, I’d feel the same way about a Democratic. I’m completely serious – we need to find a solution for this type of issue (as well as this issue itself) because otherwise it gets misused as a ball to lob when in fact, it represents a real problem: we elect people and they have absences. What do we do about those absences? Kristen Gillibrand – pregnant, will miss time; who was the guy last year who is back in Congress now who was very ill; the military folks; the campaigning folks.
These are real issues – missing votes. Now – are some excuses ok, some night? Should all be judged on a case by case basis, or not? At what point are constituents not being served to the point where the problem should be fixed in some way other than the next election?
Mandel being my rep only made me more aware of the issue – he didn’t make the issue an issue.
Happy New Year to you too, of course, Joe.
Thanks.
I think trying to decide who is allowed to be absent for votes when is a slippery slope- what if you are in the hospital, at a funeral, etc. I think that there should be some way to ‘deputize’ a member of the staff of that individual to provide the vote- whether it is a ‘vice-representative’ or whatever…the decisions made are too important to be absent, that said, politicians are people too and they miss work just like the rest of us.
Amanda – thanks for reading and commenting. Deputizing is an interesting idea. I need to go to NCSL and find out if any states have something like that – or some provision for when reps miss extended periods of time – esp. if they can predict it.
Let us know what you find out!