Legislating Morals and Values

As our local elected officials seems to relish in the opportunity to create new policy, ordinances and rules, many Woodbury folks are left to wonder: Where is their input in these decisions?

The answer is likely that there was little public input and the new laws that govern the people were done in the cover of other documents. Also, many folks are left to wonder whether our elected officials were truly looking out for the populace's best interests or the interests of special political lobbyists, which is often the case.

Make no mistake about it; policy, ordinances and rules are just other synonyms for laws and decree’s created at different levels of government.

Much of the legislation at these different levels seems to be directing the morals and values that we should try to uphold and follow. So, while the intentions of the decrees may be justified, one can see where many abuses of these newly created law’s can occur when different situations arise.

Promises of “this and that” ring hollow in a court of law when the law is stated in a certain way.

A lot is going to be said about regulation (another type of law) in the coming weeks. Some of it good, other parts not so good.

Without regulations, every day life’s occurrence become difficult to manage, and, when some regulations were enacted at the direction of political lobbyists, they often have done little to benefit the people.

To be fair, deregulation can be worse; an example being increases in pollution and a reduction in the quality of the wildlife stock that sportsman, tourists, and most Minnesotan’s treasure.

The bottom line may be this: Smart regulation works when the good judgment and common sense of the folks of Woodbury and in Minnesota is taken into account for upholding their own morals and values without it having to be legislated through lobbyists influence on our elected officials.

So, next time you hear about a new ordinance or law going into effect by politician’s actions, be worried.

Because the repercussions of all these new laws, being created are slowing chipping away at the freedoms we as Americans enjoy today and into the future for us and our children.

We can all advance the idea of “freedom and justice for all” by making sure that we let our local politicians know that they should be looking out for the best interests of the folks of Woodbury District 56, and not those of  the literal army of political lobbyists with a specific agenda.