Why things never change By Terrance Mann

It's been a few days since McCrory signed the new NC budget that almost everyone seems to hate. More details have come out about the process and who the budget effects. We have found out that in an earlier version of the budget, certain industries were taxed, and it drew "an outcry" from them according to some news articles. What his means is that when word leaked out about what was being taxed the lobbyists went to work. Veterinary Doctors, Advertising, Etc, industries lobbied the politicians and now are exempt. Where is the working man lobby? The core of why things never change. Lobbyists and bureaucrats. Let's take this down a level and apply to your local government. Let's say you live in a small town. You elect a new Mayor. A few years later nothing seems any different and the people get upset and elect another new Mayor. Nothing changes again. The mayor is nothing but a figurehead. Yes, they can change some things, but very little. If you ask a question of the Mayor, more than likely he will refer you to the city manager or some other bureaucrat for the answer. Thus the problem. A career bureaucrat runs the show. They make rules, set policy, and probably let paperwork sit on their desk if they do not agree with it. Wait long enough and you may have a new Mayor, so toss said paperwork. There is little doubt that trick gets pulled on occasion. Now go back up to the next level. Who is in charge of implementing this budget? Bureaucrats. They say what can and can't be done. Where do the lobbyists fit? They represent an industry that buys the politicians influence. Looks like the advertising lobby had more than a few politicians ears. I will leave it to the imagination how they get what they want from a politician. We all know. Now go up one more step. See why Washington never changes? Same game, just on a bigger scale. A friend recently pointed out that this trick is being used in Europe and has been for years. Well-placed families get their siblings great government jobs (with great paying salaries) and rule the public. The people think that they have a say in their future through electing figureheads. In reality, the old class structure is played out through bureaucracy. How do you solve this mess? Term limits may help. Keeps all the politicians newbies, so they do not have the time to be influenced by lobbyists. How about the bureaucrats? Back to the local example. How about more electable positions? How about the city manager? Sheriffs are elected, and they change things. They are directly responsible to the people. Maybe a Mayor that ran on a platform of replacing bureaucrats. That would be hard as we all know how hard it is to get rid of a career bureaucrat. They did write the rules, remember? But first we have to recognise the problem. People say that the legislators in NC drank the Kool-Aid. What this means is that the arrogance and elitism of the system in Raliegh wears off on the politicians, and then they come home and dictate to the little people.