But It's NOT My Birthday!!

I'm flattered.  I got a personally-signed birthday card at work today from a high-ranking local government official.  The bad news, though, is that it is NOT my birthday!  My birthday is not for another 2 1/2 weeks.  Now don't get me wrong, it is a nice gesture for a government official to take the time, and I'm sure it was part of some sort of mass birthday card extravaganza for every employee with an October birthday, but he even put the wrong date on the card!

And this got me thinking about government officials in general.  For those who know me, my political leanings are no secret.  I am right-of-center like most of the country.  I have a healthy, Constitutionally-driven skepticism of government largess, especially the bigger government grows and the further away government drifts from localities.  I fully believe, in leadership in life in government, that the best decisions are the ones made at the lowest level possible.  Call it conservative, call it tea party-ish, call it whatever, it is what I believe, and I believe it has proven to be the best mode of governing more times than not.  So back to my thinking about government and my screwed-up birthday card....if they can't even get that right, what else is government doing wrong, locally or otherwise?

We are on the eve of some pretty big midterm elections here.  And I can't help but glance at the nation-wide polling from time to time.  Apparently, either LOTS of people are also getting erroneous birthday wishes from their government officials, or this country is mad as hell right now.  Looks like government across this country is doing lots of wrong in the eyes of the American people lately.  Vast majorities want Obamacare repealed and the border finally sealed.  The party in power is trailing by wide margins in generic polls.  Pundits and "experts" are already saying the House of Representatives is changing hands, and the Senate is in full play.  Liberal bastions like Connecticut, California, Wisconsin, and Washington show formerly popular senators in a heap of trouble.  NOBODY is extolling the "progress" of the past two years, it is all "he's too extreme, she's too strange, who else can I blame."  My fellow Texans are legitimally torn between an unpopular, arrogant governor and his challenger who might do a good job but probably won't get a legitimate shot because he belongs to the now-unpopular party of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, not to mention our teleprompter president....and that fact alone probably means we keep Governor Good Hair for another term.  All in all, America seems to be saying, in full unison, "LISTEN TO US!"

Yep, government seems to be doing too much of "we'll do this for you, even if you don't want it, because we think it's good for you" and not enough of "tell us what you want us to do."  Good heavens, do we really have to pass a bill before we know what's in it, Madame' Speaker???

It is an uneasy time in my beloved country.  Hopefully things settle down and we can get back to the business of good, localized, limited, people-first, the-will-of-the-governed government soon...locally, statewide, and federally.  Until then, I can at least rest in the happiness that it is my birthday.  Oh wait, but it's NOT my birthday!!  Yet.  Freakin' screwed up card.......