So, Then What?

Editor,

We all agree that waste, fraud and abuse should be identified and eliminated. That’s why Congress instituted the system of Inspectors General within each government agency following Watergate. But the President’s ill-advised and chaotic actions, beginning with firing most Inspectors General, are ultimately doomed to fail. Lasting change only happens when it’s planned strategically with allowances for unintended consequences and consideration of the impact on humans and human organizations. History teaches us time and again that naïve arrogance is not viable governance.

In the meantime, Congress is AWOL, the judiciary may be stepping up to attempt to maintain a balance of power between branches, but harm to important government functions and to us as citizens increases daily. Personally, I’m most concerned by threats to social security, my nonverbal autistic great-granddaughter’s special education funding and the loss of manpower and resources to control wildfires in our forests this summer.

It would be easy to respond emotionally to the unnecessary and damaging chaos. I can think of many names to call the perpetrators; we’ve all heard them recently within the chorus of boos sent to Washington. But I also know that anger and vitriol do nothing to modify the destructive behavior. So, then what?

I’ve written to my Congressman, Kevin Kiley, to ask him and his colleagues to step up to their rightful role as a co-equal branch. No response yet. I’ve written to Chief Justice John Roberts to thank him for rebuking the President’s suggestion to impeach Judge Boasberg and encourage him and his colleagues to be the bulwark we need against unconstitutional executive action. So, then what?

In the short term, I will speak up whenever possible and join others in civil protest of the damage I observe. In the longer term, I will do all I can to make the case for re-establishing a government with constitutional balance of powers. I will try my best to reach any voter who does not blindly support the President’s agenda, especially those who have--or soon will--experience personal harm from a government that has gone off the rails.

Whether you have been personally harmed or not, I’m now asking you to reach out to others and make your voice heard in whatever actions your conscience dictates.

Keith Porter

Grass Valley