Forward Janesville - TheReport - Spring 2016

4 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M JOHN BECKORD - PRESIDENT, FORWARD JANESVILLE As I write this column I have just returned from the 3rd Annual Forward Janesville Washington D.C. trip. There is something to be said for going to D.C., immersing yourself in policy discussions for three days, and hearing firsthand where the fault lines are. It was gratifying to overhear members of our 40+ strong delegation talking about policy options and what they had learned earlier in the day by listening to one of the many presenters we had the pleasure of joining us. It is this informal mixing of people with different political leanings and varied professional experiences that make the trip so interesting. You might wonder, does the D.C. trip actually advance our legislative agenda? I would answer a qualified “yes.” I believe we nudged the needle in our favor on a few issues with Senator Tammy Baldwin and with Speaker Paul Ryan. As has been the case in years past, our elected officials designated specific staff members to follow-up on certain issues with additional meetings to be scheduled in the near future. It is my opinion that this is about the best you can expect. We wanted to start a conversation on specific issues and we did that. This is an election year and I would be ignoring the obvious if I didn’t share a thought or two about the partisan divide that naturally colored some of what we heard while we were there. Of particular interest to me was a presentation by Congressman Reid Ribble (R) who represents Wisconsin’s 8th congressional district in the Fox Valley. Congressman Ribble is finishing his third term in the House and has recently announced he will not run again. I got the impression Congressman Ribble was a bit more candid than he might have been if he were running again. He shared his unvarnished views on how dysfunctional congress had become. Most impressive was how he would describe a frustrating challenge and then lay out two or three things that could be done to deal with the challenge. In other words, he had clear, logical solutions. But he did not mince words about how the partisan divide and a leadership selection protocol that rewards tenure over merit both get in the way of smart, effective governance. Near the end our time with Congressman Ribble, a member of our delegation respectfully asked if he might reconsider his decision not to run again. (Speaker Ryan later confirmed that he had tried to talk Ribble out of retiring.) In addition to the standard answer about spending more time with his family, Ribble indicated he didn’t feel he could accomplish much staying for another term. I could sense the indignation in his remarks related to the lack of civility that is part and parcel of politics in D.C. I followed up our meeting by researching some articles about his announcement not to seek another term. In a Journal Sentinel story, he is quoted as saying, “I hope those who decide to run for this seat are civil candidates who could work with others from both sides of the aisle and not alienate potential partners needlessly. Ideally, it would be someone who could control their tongue.” That comment sums up what is a growing problem in politics at all levels. As the two major parties have moved ideologically to the fringes to attract hardcore base voters, respect for diverse views has almost vanished. Congress has become increasingly polarized and dysfunctional. So when someone like Reid Ribble throws in the towel, it’s hard not to shake your head and wonder how this situation gets any better. Perhaps we could all start by adopting a more civil attitude about those elected officials we don’t agree with. Perhaps we could challenge candidates who resort to name-calling and disparaging characterizations of those they disagree with. We get more than enough condescending snarkiness on entertainment news channels. We don’t need more of it from the campaign stage. It is TIME to JUMP the “SNARK”