Two days after the big eat and I’m still thankful!
Mostly I’m thankful for that homemade Italian sausage stuffing. No offense to my friends who are turkeys but you guys look more like chicken pot pies compared with my stuffing splendor.
OK, there is more to be thankful for:
• Our faithful staff that continues to bring our readers the best of what Clark County has to offer.
• Our faithful readers that stick with us as we all grind through this horrendous recession.
• Clark County workers — both private and public — who continue to work hard to provide us the goods and services we all need.
• Catching an inside straight.
Oh, one other thing you might be a little surprised by. I’m thankful for those who disagree with us.
Yep, I love you guys!
In fact I just had a cup of joe with a guy who probably won’t be asking me to sing carols with him at the mall this holiday season.
That would be Jim Moeller. He’s a Democratic state representative from the 49th District.
He’s thankful for being re-elected, I’m sure. But virtually everything else he believed in on Election Day got kicked to the curb.
• Jim believed that a simple majority should be allowed to raise taxes in the state. Nope. The Legislature has done such a poor job at controlling how deep they reach into our pockets the voters restored requiring a two-thirds super- majority vote to hike our taxes.
• Jim believed in a state income tax. Nope. Despite trying to position it as an income tax just on the rich, the voters said no dice.
• Jim believed in a candy tax. The Legislature passed it. The voters threw it out.
Now it just so happens The Columbian — from an opinion standpoint — sided with the voters on these issues. Plus we didn’t endorse him this year. Hey, if I were him, I wouldn’t be thankful for us either.
But still, I’m thankful for a guy like Jim because we can disagree without being disagreeable. Not everyone has that ability.
That’s why can have coffee.
After I left our java jam I came away with two very clear thoughts.
• I still like this guy a lot.
• Jim — like so many other politicians — is pretty intractable on most of his positions. This intractability is true for both liberal and conservative politicians.
But again, his lack of movement doesn’t mean he’s disagreeable. When we were done talking I said this to him:
“You’re hopelessly lost, my friend.”
His response?
“I’ll save you a seat.”
Yes, two lost souls. But the difference — in my opinion — is I can move my views based on circumstances.
Jim and most other politicians can’t. And that’s why the government — on all levels — seems to be stuck on stuck.
Sure, lots of folks are also stuck on stuck. I’ve read where 80 percent of the public is pretty intractable — 40 percent are liberal, 40 percent are conservative. But that leaves 20 percent of us who can move. But politicians? About zero.
The Columbian is a lot like me from the standpoint of being moderate. Being able to move based on circumstances.
How else do you explain our being able to twice endorse George W. Bush and then Barack Obama? How else do you explain our being able to endorse Jim one year and not endorse him two years later?
Even though guys like Jim are stuck, I’m thankful that we can talk over coffee.
But back to my Italian sausage stuffing. Now that’s something to be stuck on!
Lou Brancaccio is The Columbian’s editor. Reach him at 360-735-4505 or lou.brancaccio@columbian.com.
