Genuine Change

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If the current state of affairs in the Indiana General Assembly is any
indicator of the effects of an extended era of solid Republican
control, Hoosiers need to reconsider our political priorities. We have
legislation being rushed through the system with countless unknown
earmarks and additional considerations that some legislators admit
they aren't even able to read, let alone weigh and consider.  At a
recent debate, I heard a Republican incumbent admit that often times
Senators' names are added as co-authors to bills they have never even
read! If there is a shred of truth to this (and I suspect there is),
it is a shameful state of affairs.

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As I see it, the greatest flaw in the present system is a total lack
of accountability. If a legislator co-authors a bill that lines the
pockets of another politician at the expense of Indiana's tax payers,
he should be made to answer for his actions - in this particular case,
the lawmaker not only shirked any responsibility for the consequences
of the bill's passage, he insisted he had never read the document that
he was clearly listed as having co-authored.  To me, this is
unacceptable - and I doubt that I am alone in that sentiment.

Ideally, bi-partisanship itself should serve as a check and/or
balance, but as there has been no balance between the two heavily
embraced parties in Indiana, this has not been the case. I believe
this imbalance, in itself, indicates a clear necessity for a third
party to assert itself into the situation and work to create a
solution that benefits the constituents of Indiana's General Assembly
members. The lack of a balance has led the minority party to have to
physically leave the state to avoid signing legislation into law that
many firmly believed would be detrimental to the people living in
their districts. This is a total breakdown of bi-partisanship and a
clear indication that our General Assembly is in desperate need of an
authentic change. This walkout signified a concrete lack of
cooperation between opposing parties in our Capitol; in essence, the
aisle separating the Democrats and Republicans became a gaping chasm.
As Libertarians we represent a genuine change, a bridge to span across
the aisle and connect the members Indiana's General Assembly in an
effort to better serve Hoosiers instead of our respective parties and
corporate interests.