The Idaho Legislator Who Won’t Take Voter Calls

Is it that they just think they’re special?  At a recent Republican luncheon in Declo, State Representative Clay Handy explained he doesn’t answer his office telephone.  He gave his cell phone number to the few people in attendance.  If you weren’t at the luncheon, you’re SOL.

A caller to my program was at the luncheon and said if you called the Capitol, you could get Handy’s cellphone number.   However, members of the House don’t have secretaries, and current State GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon says anyone you might reach at the Capitol is instructed not to give out the cell numbers of individual members.  She previously served three terms in the House.

Folks, this is getting out of hand.  We’ve got legislators stonewalling bills because they believe relatives of their peers have been rude.  Or the perception is that it was rude.

A couple of years ago a Representative claimed at a committee meeting that he planned to vote against a bill to spite the people emailing him about the topic.

We get the government we deserve is an adage.  Perhaps we’re all poor judges of character.  But I’ve got news for the people behaving rudely in their office.  We don’t have a House of Lords, and you’re harming public confidence in the institution.  The fault isn’t in your constituents or on talk radio.  It’s that some people weren’t qualified from the beginning, and they weren’t prepared for the challenges of the job.

We can’t all go to Boise and vote on every matter, that’s why we have a representative form of government.  “Don’t you know who I am?” is a poor approach.  I think it’s time some of you should be unemployed.