Yesterday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an editorial opinion I authored on the 2024 Wilder Symposium, “Elections 2024: The Importance of Listening to the People.”
The event will take place on Tuesday, September 17, at 5:00 p.m. at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts. I’ll be joined by leading political analysts, Dr. Bob Holsworth, managing partner of the consulting firm DecideSmart and founding director of the Wilder School; Dr. Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics; Dr. Susan Gooden, dean of the Wilder School; and Dr. Robyn McDougle, associate dean of research and outreach at the Wilder School.
I invite you to join us at this event. Learn more and RSVP for this vital discussion concerning the issues most important to the people.
Today, I will be on with Jeff Katz, WRVA, at 4:05 p.m. to discuss local, state, and national topics.
Stay tuned.
Below is the full editorial as published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“Doug Wilder: Our ‘people first’ democracy is a work in progress”
“Virginia is a “people” state, not red, blue or, as I’ve previously described it, purple.
America is founded on the principle that “the just powers of governments are derived from the consent of the governed.” This consent is visibly given when those who are exercising these powers cast their votes. The powers are spread when those so elected appoint others, thus widening the sphere of authority.
There are many instances of the growth of government and the exercise of power “without the consent of the governed.” When I was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1969, the salary of a legislator was $1,500 a year. We did not have personal secretaries or legislative assistants. We met for 60 days every two years with an intervening 30-day budget session to correct or adjust the proposed budget. I cite these facts not to suggest that we return to those days — as change just for the sake of change is not justified. Many of the changes of those times were necessary. I reference this because there were not that many people who could afford to run for office.
Elections should be about more than just determining who will hold an office. Issues of accountability to the people should always be the primary purpose of elections. I have on many occasions said that my one-word definition of politics is money. I have challenged students to identify a single issue in government that does not relate to that simple reference. The real question at election time, whether national, state or local, must address how the people’s money will be allocated.
I invite you to join a symposium arranged by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, “Elections 2024: The Importance of Listening to the People.”
Susan T. Gooden, dean of the Wilder School, has invited me to join her in focusing on the vital importance of elections in today’s world. We have been fortunate in securing the analyses of political experts Bob Holsworth, managing partner of DecideSmart, and Larry Sabato, director and founder of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, to moderate the discussion, which will also feature Robyn McDougle, associate dean of research and outreach. We will elicit audience participation, as well as pose questions encompassing national and state elections.
Just a stone’s throw across the Potomac from our nation’s capital, and “home away from home” for many serving in the U.S. Congress, we will discuss the importance of these topics to all Americans on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m., on the VCU campus in Richmond at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave.
We will further discuss the power and authority imposed in other positions of leadership, though unelected, with appointed boards or agencies playing such increasingly important roles in decisions at all levels directly affecting the people. Though money has always been a “necessary evil” in politics, we will discuss what some consider the overwhelming impact it has relative to the basic decision-making process.
The nationally recognized Commonwealth Poll conducted by our team of experts has revealed results that will be examined and discussed. For nearly three decades, the VCU Wilder School Commonwealth Poll within the Center for Public Policy has served as an important bellwether for policymakers in Virginia and beyond, covering a range of topics, including voting intentions, economic and workforce development, education, housing, public health, public safety and racial equity. The Commonwealth Poll was a featured 2020 Presidential Election Poll by CNN, approved after a rigorous review of methodologies and assumptions to ensure that CNN-cited polling entities adhere to the gold standard in public opinion research. I am of the belief that Virginia is a leading state as a voice of the people.
Education, being a cornerstone of democracy, is always an issue. We will discuss what is needed to address historical inadequacies in K-12 and higher education.
Public safety in our homes and communities requires the commitment of those elected to lead by example. We will discuss the need for elected officials and law enforcement to work together to reduce crime, violence and restore confidence in leadership.
An informed polity is the most productive, and we aim to help in that undertaking. We hope to discuss the historical lack of fairness and inequality, as a part of our nation’s beginning, so as not to be confused with sound bites. History should never be confused with being so concrete that it is not subject to constant examination and revision.
A quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson, “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” inspired me to want to improve upon what was, to make it what it should be. We cannot afford to rest on any past achievements or laurels. As has been stated heretofore, “we must re-dig the wells our fathers have dug.” And we must continue to demand what is right and criticize what is wrong. I strongly believe that when the “thing” is right, the time is right. I introduced legislation and enlisted public support for adequate housing, second-chance education and voter education. Getting a “one-gun-a-month” law passed was not easy, but we got it done.
I did not think Virginia should help South Africa in its apartheid policies by purchasing their bonds for investment, and we got it done. A number of states followed Virginia’s action.
Though it took eight years to get Virginia to declare a legislative state holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we were able to accomplish this with bipartisan support. Some of those who opposed it in the beginning would eventually become patrons.
A question I always ask of those seeking election is, “Why you? What have you done?” Partisan divide should not result in a people divide. A ”no” vote today could result in a “yes” vote tomorrow if the course is chartered to reflect the will of the people. This is a two-way street; the people must be informed about the issues to let the “leaders” know what they demand of them.
I look forward to an exciting and informative discussion with the fullest participation.”
