As stated from the official White House government website, "Because Congress did not fulfill its responsibility to pass a budget, much of the federal government will shut down. | Courtesy of aoc.gov

Far off into the sunset we see a line of local mayors, city councils, sheriffs and judges who at some point actually had an impact on their communities. Somewhere along the line, it seems we have lost hope in these local heroes: the mayor who lives down the street, the council-person who campaigns in the diner and the county judge who attends our church. Far gone seem the days of local belonging, understanding and doing what is truly best for the common good.

DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT LEADS TO CRISIS

In the face of the government shutdown, the glaring indictment of federal greed and the inability to communicate is clear. The dysfunction of our government has led to a fiscal crisis which we should have avoided from the beginning.

I have no desire to hear your partisan pomp whistling about your messianic-like candidate who has been in the White House these past five years and accomplished next to nothing. I certainly have no desire to hear about your majority in the House of Representatives — talk about disarray. I do not even care if you are a Democrat or Republican: You need to trust again in local government. If we had worried about the hot-button issues of healthcare reform, social security and so on to our local governments, we could have saved a lot of heartache, trillions of dollars and the current debacle in which we land.

One of the problems facing our country is a lack of everyday citizens participating in local and state government. Do you know your mayor’s name? How about if your town has a council? Do you elect your sheriff? Here’s an easier one: Who is your governor? Sadly, not even I would get a 100 percent on this pop quiz. That is our problem.

Despondently, we look to the federal government to lead us into the promised land of happiness, health and financial sensibility. We have faith in a “trickle down” system from the federal level into the pithy community localities we could care less about. We get angered by local sales taxes and complain something along the lines of “don’t they get enough of our money?” In La Mirada, revenue from sales tax is used to “raise money for infrastructure, such as streets, sewers, storm drains, traffic signals, curbs, gutters and sidewalks.” The streets we drive on every day are funded by the sales taxes we complain about — for some students, the only tax they pay.

Courtesy of whitehouse.gov

FINDING OUR PLACE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Don’t get me wrong, we need the federal government. Our military ought to be strong and ready for action. The office of the president should be held by someone sensible and aware of the image of the U.S. abroad, not perpetually campaigning for the exponential growth of government. The Supreme Court should be occupied to interpret the laws in place, while always paying attention to the Constitution. Congress should decide on issues of national import: interstate highways, military spending and appropriating limited funds for important projects. They should not look for ways to impede a private citizen’s life. In short, each branch of the federal government should make it their job to be as inconsequential in my everyday life as I am in theirs.

If the U.S. government actually performed this task, it would open opportunities for local governments to get something worthwhile accomplished. Imagine a nation where we were more concerned about who was on our school boards, city councils and occupying our state offices. Those in office would truly be the people. They would be our neighbors, siblings, parents — the people we could call up on the phone if we had a tangible answer to the mess in which our communities may find themselves.

As Uncle Sam limps along the crumbling precipice of financial ruin, we can only watch. While it is still possible to call and email our representatives, our voices seem to mean nothing because it seems we have been coerced into believing Washington knows best. Let’s return to the days of local officials who knew our names and had our phone numbers. Find your place in a community that you can influence and make a tangible difference. The day of local government must return to relevance for the sake fiscal responsibility and community betterment.