The tragic events on Saturday, July 13th, show the many things that have diminished our institutions and created fear in our county. The breakdown of our faith in our institutions has created fear and frustration. We no longer feel that we can look to our government to solve the problems too big for us to solve alone. When violence becomes an answer to our problems, we have regressed to times when “might makes right.” We no longer live in the Wild West with little or no community to solve problems too big to solve ourselves. Our government has been slowly dismantled over the last 50 years and can no longer redress grievances promised by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. One party domination of public policy has led to a legislature no longer functioning as it once did.
The 92nd Assembly district until this year was so gerrymandered that only one party would ever elect the representative to the seat. That representative was chosen during the August republican primary. The November general election has been a simple formality for decades.
The GOP leadership was elected from increasingly dark red areas of the state. As they tightened control they held sway over rural northern republican legislators. Those local GOP representatives offered that leadership their votes to remain in office. That leadership and their followers up north began changing public policy that at one time advanced the middle class. From the decline of unions to consumer protection, banking rules and conservation of water resources the GOP changed protective standards for the benefit of their wealthy contributors. The middle class was hammered and defeated. The GOP’s well oiled and financed media voices used both attitudes and budget cuts weakening our agencies that were created to protect us and our resources from unscrupulous people and enterprises weakened our regulations and standards that keep us safe and protect our environment. And it is obvious today our free public schools have been under GOP partisan led policies set to create havoc in our schools. They want privatization of all forms of government. Downgrading education serves the purpose of those wanting to control all aspects of our people’s lives.
To make our government ineffective, they have cut funding so fewer people can hear our grievances. Local sheriffs do not have the funds to protect us from drug gangs operating in the rural areas of our counties. Our roads are deteriorating faster than our local governments can repair and maintain them. Our schools are being attacked and underfunded so that our children are only educated to work and not engage in community and civic responsibility.
When Joe Plouff was in the legislature, he was available to everyone. If reelected to the legislature, he will return the office to its main fundamental purpose. Working for people. All of them. Joe knows how to work effectively in the legislature to reverse the dismantling of our government. Joe is compelled to return to the legislature and work to reverse the damage done during the last 30 years to our great state. His experience, integrity, and independence will help bring back our 1st Amendment Rights.
To learn more about Joe Plouff for Assembly visit https://joeplouff.com/
Like Joe Plouff on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RepJoePlouff/
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