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The past few months my web site and writing has been quiet. I was privileged to serve in the Delaware State Senate as a page. Pages in the Delaware Assembly are not young as is generally thought, they are mature and experienced and have been there twenty years and more. The young do arrive for one month when college is out about the end of May, and they serve through the end of June or the first of July. A page gets coffee, sends messages to the Representatives, runs errands and whatever else the senators need during their sessions. We also help anyone who needs help with tasks. Delaware General Assembly is in session from January through the end of June. In between legislative sessions, when it seems the legislators are not working, they hold public hearings for the finance committees where I worked as a secretary and received an education in how our state government works. It was exhilarating, consuming and exhausting with no time for much else.

Delaware is one of the last states to allow visitors to sit on the Senate and House floors during session. It is awesome to hear the debates, listen to people testify and watch the voting procedure. People would visit to hear their bill being debated and passed, or not.

When I was asked to serve at the bottom of the positions at Legislative Hall, I wondered what I would learn and how I would contribute. What I learned is how the Senate works with the House of Representatives to create and pass laws. Edgar Cayce’s first lesson in spiritual growth is “Cooperation.” The Delaware Assembly practices cooperation, sometimes with animated discussions but in the end, cooperation reigns.

If you live anywhere but planet earth, you know how polarized the country seems to be (according to the press) and how nasty political rhetoric can be during election season. The first thing I learned was in the Delaware Assembly everyone got along, cooperated, respected each other and forgot which party one belongs to. Politics was not discussed, how to get things accomplished harmoniously was. The staff, from pages up to the financial wizards, is valuable and important, and all are respected by the elected officials and cabinet members. The purpose of the Assembly is to govern, and they did. The democratic way of government can be lengthy and messy, but it is the best the world has and is fascinating.

It was exciting and revelatory to have witnessed the public hearings when the divisions of government presented their cases to be funded for the upcoming year. Each division, or cabinet, had to report what they had accomplished the past year, what they planned and why they wanted money, which is appropriated by the General Assembly. The General Assembly is both houses of government, which must pass the financial bills in identical form, not an easy task. It was especially exciting to have been present during the open hearings for controversial bills which were emotional, complicated and have profound consequences, some unintended.

One of the things learned is the Senators listen to those who speak up. When people visited the Senators and the postcards and letters arrived, the Senators listened, answered and responded. So, speak up to your elected officials, they listen. If they do not vote the way you want, perhaps more people than you – this is called the majority – asked them to vote otherwise. Silence is assent, so please let your voice be heard on the issues that matter to you. Your voice need not be shrill, but needs to be heard.

How did I contribute? I provided basic tasks to those who needed them. Plus, my enthusiasm for this new adventure inspired others to actually take interest instead of seeing their job only being mundane. One secretary told me I must be a light to those on the senate floor, too. When we “little staff” talked, we learned we knew many of the same people. Delaware is a small state (the second smallest). We natives went to school and socialized together years ago. One of the senators remembered me, and after figuring it out, we used to go to the same Friday after-work “watering hole” and she shopped in my dress shop before she was a senator.

Read on for a story of unintended consequences

Something to note about unintended consequences: a few years ago there was controversy over “double-dipping,” which is any state employee receiving two or more paychecks from the State. A law was passed preventing any state employee from double-dipping. Now, who works for the state? Legislators, judges, the governor… and school teachers, university employees, policemen, counselors, servers in the cafeteria and people who work for motor vehicle department, to name a few. It may be that whomever pushed for the law wanted the legislators to not work for a state agency and receive a paycheck as a legislator. There was a misperceived notion they received two retirements and two benefits packages. One of the consequences of this law was that foster parenting came to a screeching halt. Why? The best foster parents seemed to be school teachers, counselors, etc. Since a schoolteacher or counselor received a paycheck from the state, and a foster parent received a check from the state, it was ruled to be double-dipping. So, if you worked for the state and were a foster parent, they had to decide to be either a foster parent or have a job. This past session, 2007, the law was amended to correct this situation. So it is wise to consider the consequences of our actions.

To me, some of the most emotional and controversial issues in the press are moot, meaning the law is already a law and upheld by the Supreme Court. At the state level, some issues are federal issues where the legislators cannot vote on issues anyway, but people get excited and create controversy.

Many people are politically asleep or do not think their opinion or vote matters. You do matter. Not voting means you are allowing others to say how your life will be legislated, whether your taxes go up or down, and even what roads will be going through your neighborhood.

It is important for you to be interested in your world and your legislators, what laws are being passed and how they can affect your everyday life. We are lucky this year to have many running for President and more presidential primaries than usual. I urge you to pay attention to what the candidates say they will do. If they are or have been in office, check out their voting record which is public information on the internet. Does your favorite candidate truly reflect your values or Ideals? If so, vote, if not check out the others and vote for the person who apparently will legislate or rule according to your ideals.

Enough of that. Now things have slowed down a little and my writing will resume, and will not be political, but timely.

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