Put politics aside

State officeholders may be amused by the political games of governing, but they should realize that most Kansans only want to see results.

Gov. Bill Graves recently sat down with an Associated Press reporter to reflect on his eight years in office. The governorâÂÂs tenure, which began with such promise and popular support now is drawing to an anticlimactic close, with the state mired in economic problems. Most Kansans probably see the last eight years as a period of lost opportunities for which the state, its residents and Graves now are paying a high price.

Many of the comments taken from the interview sounded like someone trying to rationalize his failures. He pointed out that many other states were in the same fix as Kansas and there was no sense in trying to assign political blame for the situation. But in referring to the political process of governing, Graves spoke a truth that state officeholders should take to heart next month when they return to Topeka.

âÂÂSee, I think the politicians are erring when they think citizens make clear distinctions,â he said. âÂÂI think when it comes to this kind of problem, they actually want the political labels to just go away.âÂÂ

Amen.

ItâÂÂs probably a safe bet that the majority of Kansans think one of the least valid reasons for legislators to vote for or against a measure is to gain political advantage. They really donâÂÂt care whether the moderate Republicans feel slighted by the conservative Republicans. They really donâÂÂt care about leadership battles in the Kansas House. They really donâÂÂt care whether a group of Republican legislators succeeds in embarrassing the new governor by stonewalling her budget proposals in an effort to increase the chances of her defeat in 2006.

Only a very few Kansans have any interest in all the political maneuvering. All most of them see is that legislators and the governor sit in Topeka for three, almost four, months during the legislative session and jockey for political position often at the expense of Kansans. This scene seems to be repeating itself more often in recent years.

Schools and social service agencies are laying people off, and thousands of Kansans are struggling to get along without services they previously received from the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Transportation progress is at a standstill and overburdened courts are falling behind on heavy caseloads.

If lawmakers and the governor really want to serve their constituents across Kansas, especially in this critical financial situation, they should put their own narrow interests aside and look at whatâÂÂs best for the state. Kansans donâÂÂt know or care about all the petty plots lawmakers can pursue to gain a strategic edge for an individual or political group. They want results, and if the political maneuvering is getting in the way of those results, it is a disservice to the state.

Politics are a vital part of the democratic process, but once elections are over, officeholders need to place whatâÂÂs best for the state ahead of what serves their own personal interests. In the long run, the state officials who best serve the state, regardless of their party affiliation, are those who will garner the support – and the votes – of the people of Kansas.