There's No Getting Around 'The Pick And Shovel Work.'
Last night’s dinner with a friend was made more somber with news of the passing of Representative Jackie Walorski. She died early yesterday afternoon in a car accident along with two young staffers. My friend lives in her congressional district.
He relayed to me a couple of anecdotes of how highly responsive she had been to constituents’ needs and concerns.
One time—at the start of COVID—some local college students were stuck in a far-a-way country unable to get a flight back home to the US. Walorski worked with the State Department to figure out a way to get them home and home they came.
What struck me was she (and her office) worked to be helpful to people regardless of their political leanings or affiliations. She did her job working on behalf of the people in her district. In our time of dispiriting political polarization, that’s impressive and refreshing. Pick and shovel work. That’s in the job description. Represent your district and do what you can to help.
I would appreciate it if some other congressional representatives would take note. Enough said.
I have met elected leaders on both sides here in Michigan and most were helpful, to a point. The issues presented to them by their constituents rarely are as simple as we see them. Whatever stand they may choose to take can be twisted by the other side to be seen in the worst possible light. It takes great courage to step out from the crowd and we see that with the backlash faced by Rep. Peter Meijer in MI. Voting against his party is being seen as the reason for his primary loss to a Trump crony that moved to MI to run against him. With lots of money spent on all elections, how much do our votes and contributions really count?
Sorry for the loss.
¨To work for the people, regardless of any political affiliation..."; that sould be, always, the idea any representative must follow....
Regards.