I listened with interest as state Rep. Shannon Savick announced in an interview on Minnesota Public Radio that she would be voting for the gay marriage bill. What was interesting wasn’t the fact that she is voting for it, but rather that she said in the interview that this vote could cost her the next election.

Mrs. Savick is a good example of what is wrong with our system today. The admission that she could lose the election because “I represent a fairly conservative area” is also an admission that she is potentially voting out of line with the constituents that she was elected to represent. In the interview, Mrs. Savick said that she needs to vote according to her principles on this one. She should have asked the people of her district what they want.

No, certainly she’s not the only one who votes her own ideals and she may be the nicest person in the world, but if this is how she legislates, then she should admit also her lack of integrity to hold her position and resign. We elect our representatives to represent us, not themselves. Our elected representatives are our employees, as we pay their salary with our tax dollars. As an employer, we need to send employees who cannot uphold their responsibilities on their way.

 

Jon Esch

Owatonna