When we made the big decision to get our family’s first dog, we decided to adopt. At that time, we were living in the suburbs, and I made a few calls to the pounds before we made the rounds. The kids were one, four, and six.
That Saturday, we drove over to take a look at the dogs, but none of them spoke to us, so we went home. The next weekend, we got a call to meet a dog that had just arrived. The manager suggested we get there soon, because if a dog is there too long, they become a pound dog. I got it. It is easy to conform in uncomfortable environments.
I spoke with someone this week, and we discussed the need for governmental change. Both of us noted a few bright notes, young politicians who are looking at the world with a new pair of eyes. Many are refreshing, although rhetoric always scares me; execution is what I want to see.
Whether you like Bloomberg or not, when he came into power, he changed the way government operated and got more done than most. He ran the office with a guiding light and hired the best and brightest, giving them the ability to execute on that guidance.
Fast forward, and Bloomberg has many deep scars from those days. Who wouldn’t? When you talk to him now, he will tell you that you won’t be able to change that because of the unions, or you won’t be able to get that accomplished because of the contractors. Whatever the reason, I thought, has Bloomberg become a pound dog?
I am following the next generation of politicians (I believe they are), such as Talarico in Texas. He is insanely articulate, and he has deep moral beliefs. Very impressive. There are a handful across the country, like a Talarico, and more will enter the political arena.
Unless we have a full sweep of the elderly representatives and the rot that has infiltrated our government, such as lobbyists and unions, and how they operate, I fear that many of these new voices and ideas will become another cog in the wheel. How do we need to make sure they do not become pound dogs?
