Who Will Stand For An Ethical Government?

RaDene Hatfield, Democratic Candidate for Senate District 16:

On Saturday, after hearing yet another person say “I can not publically contribute time or money to your campaign. Your opponent is vindictive and if I support you he will retaliate against me” – my husband looked at me and said, “I’m sure glad we are not afraid of that man.”

We’re not. But that doesn’t mean that it is fun to be where we are right now. Besides the people who have said they are too afraid to publically support me, I’ve heard story after story of unethical and corrupt practices among our elected State Representatives and Party Leaders. And yet those people who seek me out to tell me these stories say, “You can’t use my name or reveal the industry I represent”. What then am I suppose to do with the ‘hearsay’ I am presented with? I do not have the time or the resources to serve as an investigative reporter or public prosecutor! I am a candidate. And frankly it is taking all my family has for me to be a candidate. There are days when I feel like we are the only ones willing to stand up and say, “Enough is enough. We want ethical representative government. We will pay the price in time and money to make sure we have it.”

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our elected leaders can not govern alone. We the people must be actively engaged in the government of our communities. That is because the best solutions to the problems that face us are ones that grow up out of respectful and thoughtful consideration of the needs and wants of all the people.

If the people are silent, whether because of apathy or fear of retaliation we have crossed into a dangerous place – one where truly our ‘constitution is hanging by a thread’. From what I have heard these past few weeks, we are at that dangerous place.

So what are we going to do? I know what Harlan and I are doing. Will you join us? Will you stand up, without fear of retaliation, with hope and faith in the good people of our town and say “Enough is enough. I want ethical representative government. I too will contribute time or money to help elect a candidate that will represent me and my values and will do so with integrity.”