Jackson Free Press

Next week, the Mississippi Legislature takes up hearings on the fiscal year 2015 budget. Beginning Monday, Sept. 16, the 14-member Joint Legislative Committee will hear how much money various state agencies need and why. The full Legislature will hammer out the details when it reconvenes in January.

That may sound like it's a long way off, but it's not.

And let's be clear: The conservatives in the Mississippi Legislature will do everything in their power to continue down a path laid out decades ago. Just in case you're not aware of what that path is, we'll repeat it: The goal is to limit the role of government everywhere, making it small enough to "drown it in the bathtub," in the immortal words of Grover Norquist, regardless of the human toll.

On the other hand, progressives seem continuously on the defensive. They're the "tax and spend" liberals—even for supporting common-sense legislation, such as fully funding public schools and maintaining Mississippi's roads. Funding for the arts is lower in the United States that most developed countries and has barely budged in more than a decade.

All of us should step away from partisan talking points to honestly consider what kind of a Mississippi we want. Do we want a state where people have influence and opportunity? Do we want children who are well educated and good critical thinkers? Do we want our kids to understand and appreciate their culture? Should our families have enough to eat? Should Mississippians be healthy?

How about this: Do we want a government that is accountable and transparent? (Don't you find it curious that most of the people promoting the idea that government doesn't work and can't be trusted—that it is the problem and not the solution—are paid and elected government officials?)

The beauty of the American democratic process is that all of us have an opportunity to have our voices heard. It's easy to become cynical. What's hard, but necessary, is to stand up for what we believe in. That's tough in politics—at least as tough as any other part of life.

The closer an elected official is to home, the more impact citizen involvement can have. While it may be difficult, even impossible, to sway public policy decisions in Washington, D.C., the chances are high that your state senator or House of Representative member—just as your mayor, county tax collector and even the dog catcher—lives just down the street. In theory, that means those people must be responsive to their constituents if they want to be re-elected. It takes our voices as well as our votes to make the system work.

Never forget: Local politics influence state politics, which, in turn, influence national politics. To make a difference, we must show up and demand accountability.