What Are Elected Officials Good For?

I don't post much in Spanish, besides a few smart little remarks here and their, because English is my first language. But anyone who knows me knows that I speak pretty good Spanish for a pocho. (Mexican spanish: Usually Disparaging. An American of Mexican parentage, especially one who has adopted U.S. customs and attitudes)


So I was watching some Spanish language TV when I saw a political advertisement come on. I didn't catch the whole thing but I heard enough to make me want to share it with all of you today. This is what it said: 

"Para que sirven los elegidos? Si los elegidos no sirven a la gente entonces los elegidos no sirven para nada."

Translation: 

"What are elected officials good for? If those who are elected do not serve the people then those who are elected serve no real purpose."

That statement couldn't have been more right. So take a look at the people who represent you or might represent you. Do they represent your family's needs? Do they do everything possible to make life easier for you and your family or do they worry about making life easier for those who have not earned the right to be represented? Does the  representative spend or will spend your money on things that directly affect and benefit you and your family or will the representative spend your hard earned money on people who do not contribute? These are all questions we have to ask ourselves especially when we are in hard economic times. Do we want elected officials who can live within their means or do we want elected officials who spend our taxes on fluff and feel good projects when we can barely afford what we need? 


We in El Paso are very traditional people. Unfortunately we have traditionally voted for the same type of people year after year yet always expect a different result. That by definition is insanity. City elections are right around the corner. It is a non-partisan election yet political pundits in El Paso always find a way to try to demonize certain candidates and try to pin them to a certain political party to make their "preferred" candidates look favorable. But I will tell you. Several candidates do not meet the standards of the party affiliation certain political pundits have labeled them to be. Maybe its the whole non-partisan idea that has candidates answering questions to cross party lines and attract cross over votes(this is true from candidates on both sides of the "non existent" aisle), maybe its candidates wavering on their beliefs just to get elected or maybe its the candidates just realizing their true ideology. What ever it is this election is going to be very interesting. I see so many candidates on both sides attempt to sound more to the center but in their attempt end up crossing over into the complete other side of where they stand politically. Leftist are all the way to the right and right wingers are out in left field. Either way it comes across as not being genuine. I honestly would respect the candidate that stands firm in his or her beliefs and loses than the candidate that wins by wavering in his or her beliefs. But that's just me.


I wish all the candidates luck. I know in my mind who I will be voting for, in my district of course. I know who I would vote for in some of the other districts, not all. But I know for a fact that I wouldn't vote for at least one lawyer. But then again I can count with my right hand, not my left hand but my right hand, how many lawyers I actually would vote for.