Readers: Give Republicans more time

Some readers of Sunday's column questioning whether anything in the legislature has changed have fired back, saying the column was too quick to judge the new Republican majority and that the proof will be what happens in the long run.
 
A Charlotte reader wrote:

Enjoy reading your insights about Raleigh, as always.

I would think the new Republican leaders would have gotten more than a week before the honeymoon was declared 'over' after 112 years of wandering in the Wilderness like Moses and the people of Israel.

Any time these is a transition in power in Washington or Raleigh or Charlotte, the new leaders bring with them a new vision of how they are going to run things.

 'Appointing a parliamentarian' who is an expert at legislative process as Thomas Jefferson and Madison wrote about seems to be a step in the right direction, not the wrong one.  How can a duly-elected politician really be an unbiased arbiter of 'parliamentary procedure' in any setting? When I was chief of staff for Senator Dole in Washington, we had  TWO former parliamentarians come in to brief us on Senate procedures and I can promise you, there is NO WAY in the world that any mere mortal or politician can know and the rule on all points of order without such help on a minute-by-minute basis.

The best advice though, they gave us? 'Remember this, if you remember nothing else...In the US Senate, the ONLY rule is....there are NO RULES!  Majority rules...so figure out how to get to 50%+1 and you will win every time!'

That is the essence of our democratic republic.

I think it is far too soon to hang it up on these new leaders and a tad bit 'unfair' to judge them based on their first week of organization and all that.

Give Thom Tillis and Phil Berger and the others 6 months.  If they start passing bills in the dead of night and bring in people strapped in a gurney straight from the hospital to vote; or change the legislative day in the middle of a regular session ! (Saw it once with mine own 4 eyes when Jim Wright did it in Congress circa 1989!); or start burning down opponent's tobacco-curing sheds to intimidate them somehow, well, then you can write whatever you want about the 'NEW Republicans being as bad as the 'Old Democrats' all you want.

But these guys are different.....let them work their magic for awhile before judging.
Another reader wrote:

Will the Republicans govern "behind closed doors, riding roughshod over the opposition and building the kinds of power structure they have complained about Democrats doing for years?" I noticed that you said "they" because the Observer certainly has not complained about it too much. The Observer has enhanced this way of governing by their overwhelming endorsements and cheerleading of Democrat candidates, to the point of sounding like an actual appendage of the Democratic Party.

Your lamentation is no doubt sincere; however, it has the appearance of crocodile tears, much as the Democrats calling for a non-partisan committee to handle redistricting after a century of their doing so unilaterally. Only two days after Republicans assumed control Opinion was criticizing the priority of joining the Repeal Healthcare suit before initiating legislation on jobs. Surely, time was somewhat critical in joining this suit before it went to court?

In summary, I too hope the Republicans demonstrate how it should be done. But surely they deserve some leeway here after more than 100 years of Democrat's cramdowns? Our state's image has been badly tarnished by the Democrat's corruption, brought on no doubt by absolute power, which again has been significantly assisted by Observer support.
 
Another wrote:

I'm sorry sir, but we must have seen two different campaigns from the Republicans. Addressing the health care debacle was one of the big planks that conservatives across the country clamoured for. I am highly pleased to see them attempting to fulfill their pledge. I wish them success! Rep. Mel Watt mailed me a summary of the health care bill that Congress used. It is a nightmare! I strongly recommend you attempt to secure a copy of it. Just look at how fast one of the Dems favorite supporters, the unions, are attempting to get out of it.

 There is, as you are no doubt aware, little that government can do to create jobs. Since they don't manufacture anything. The only artillery they have available is to lower taxes, less regulation, and low union meddling to lure jobs.

 We need to get rid of corporate taxes. No company pays them. You must know this. It is simply added to the price of the good or service, and becomes a hidden tax on all of us.