Legislature And Baseball

The legislative session is beginning this week. The Budget is the big gorilla in the room. Your legislators are being asked to step up to the plate, or to be a pitcher and knock this thing out of the box. The goal is to hit a home run or to get a game ending strike out. If you are ahead and benefiting you want the strike out. If you are behind and losing, you want the home run. As George Will writes in the chapter on pitching in his book “Men at Work” the advice to the pitcher is forever unhelpful. It is “Don’t give this guy anything good to hit – but don’t walk him.” Legislative pitchers of bills are given the same kind of instructions: “Maintain our services, cut the deficit and do not raise taxes.” They are asked to pitch around the trouble, the big gorilla at the plate. But pitch they must. There are no open bases to put off the deciding moment for another time, or to shift the responsibility by using local government as a relief pitcher from the bullpen. Nor can we hope for a rain delay and expect the Federal Government to bring in a bonus baby to save the day. But I am hopeful that by using the shared values of our Families, Friends, and Community, the legislature will be able to focus on long term solutions for our common problems rather than short term fixes. We can do it with your input.

I can be reached during the week in Montpelier by calling toll free at the State House 1-800-322-5616, by E-mail at ggilbert@leg.state.vt.us, or at my home answering machine at 849-6333.

Gary Gilbert
State Representative
Franklin 1
Fairfax/Georgia