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    • Do government leaders need to listen to the public more often?
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    Do government leaders need to listen to the public more often?

    Harry Posted on

    Cyndi Munson, the Democratic leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, uses a phrase that should be adopted by more lawmakers and government leaders.

    “I heard it at the gates…” says Munson.

    “I’m hearing from the doors that people are really feeling left behind, feeling like their wages are going down because of the rising cost of everything,” he said, speaking of his door-to-door campaigning ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

    Inflation, aside from federal immigration policy, is something state lawmakers like Munson can do little to influence. But Munson said he’s confident both issues are negative for other Democratic candidates, as many believe concerns in both areas are a result of actions taken by the Biden administration.

    Democrats in Oklahoma failed in their goal of reducing Republicans’ supermajorities in the House – an unchanged 81-20 margin in the House and a 40-8 margin in the Senate (barring the midterm resignation of Sen. Roger Thompson) R-Okemah), whose seat will be filled in the election.

    The election result was disappointing, “but honestly, we’ve done an incredible job of not losing any of our incumbents this election cycle with Trump on the ballot, and when you look at what’s going on in statehouses across the country, just keeping the election line,” Munson said.

    Editorial: Trump will be president. We hope that through self-evaluation a leader will emerge for everyone.

    Other candidates for the Legislature campaigned door-to-door, including Republican Rep. Daniel Pae, who represents the Lawton district.

    Like Munson, Pae said members of both parties hear a lot of concern about the cost of living, but many also cite the state’s weak economy and poor schools as a quality of life issue. And he said he’s heard a lot of dissatisfaction with the performance of public schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.

    “This was true across the board,” Pae said. “In my district, they feel like his decisions and his words are not helping the situation. They’re particularly discouraging to teachers, and that’s a big problem because we’re trying to recruit and retain professionals in this field. So, I think there’s broad consensus that we need a different approach.”

    Munson received similar feedback; He heard concerns about the poor performance of many schools and criticism of Walters’ “extremist rhetoric”.

    Knocking on doors is one way for candidates to make their dissatisfaction with Oklahoma’s abortion law, one of the most restrictive in the country, known. Were the legislators on the doorstep congratulated on this achievement?

    Legislators have heard a lot of confusion at the door of many Latino homes about which political party is on their side. They were upset with Democrats over high prices and a lack of job opportunities, but they were unhappy with Oklahoma’s attempt — now court-bound — to detain undocumented people in the state. The Republican campaign’s smears against Puerto Ricans and other minorities and the threat of a massive federal deportation effort.

    Pae said many of the people he met while knocking on doors were disturbed by the polarization and “extreme partisanship” of the election campaign. “There is no need for Russia, China or Iran to start a nuclear war. All they need to do is watch us tear each other apart and become so divided that we can no longer be a ruling country.” they said.

    It doesn’t have to be this way.

    As Oklahoma Mayor David Holt said in the guest column According to The Oklahoman, although the city is sharply divided between Republicans and Democrats, “we work together and get things done… We may find ourselves completely divided over national political figures, but we still manage to find common ground. We’re still trying to build our own community.” We’re coming.”

    The Oklahoma City School District recently held eight “listening sessions” to hear the opinions of parents, students and others about launching a public campaign. questionnaire providing another opportunity for the community to express their views. This is a start. Perhaps government departments and agencies should get more information from their customers.

    Finding common ground will be crucial for the Oklahoma Legislature if it hopes to pull the state away from the bottom in key areas like education and health care. Public views on the importance of this effort were made clear “at the gates.”

    An analysis in The Oklahoman Written by: Scott Carter and Murray Evans noted that 16 new faces will head to the Capitol after the November elections, despite the Republican supermajority in the House remaining unchanged. This doesn’t seem like much, but it’s more than 10 percent; It’s enough to tip the scales a little.

    So the question for the new Legislature is: Will members listen to the voices of political party zealots who want you to focus on bumper sticker issues like tax cuts and tax credits that mostly help the wealthy? Bibles in the classroom and public support for a Catholic charter school? Are they really border problems that only the federal government can solve? Will they mostly be thinking about talking points they can use in the 2026 election, namely who they can blame for things that weren’t done?

    Or will they strive to address real issues that real people are talking about to those willing to listen:

    ● Improving healthcare options and making care more affordable.

    ● Ensuring women have reasonable access to all kinds of health services they may need.

    ● Providing public schools with the support and oversight they need to make real and sustainable progress in math and reading skills.

    ● Provide incentives for statewide business development that provides tangible returns on investment in the form of products and services and tax revenue.

    William C. Wertz is deputy editor of Viewpoints. You can reach him with comments and story ideas at [email protected].

    Harry
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