By Randy Scott
For years, Andre Bauer has been known for his tireless
constituent service and a work ethic that the state Republican Party
chairman once described as "almost superhuman."
Bauer's 24/7 work on behalf of the taxpayers has benefited our
state in many ways. As most are well aware, it has also landed him
in hot water for driving excessively fast -- which some newspapers
have seized upon to try to make the case that Bauer should drop his
re-election bid.
I disagree. Bauer's very public mistakes mean only one thing:
He's human.
Andre Bauer is definitely human: he's "one of the people."
Everything he has achieved has been earned the hard way, starting by
working his way through school mowing lawns and doing assorted odd
jobs, then building his own successful business through long hours
and hard work. Nothing was ever handed to him on a silver platter.
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Bauer has apologized for his mistake, and has even penalized
himself to make sure citizens understand that he is not above the
law. He has accepted full responsibility for his actions, a sign of
maturity that many older officials never learn.
Yes, everybody makes mistakes. But the powerful politicians and
the privileged few are able to cover up their mistakes because they
have the right "connections."
But not Andre Bauer. He's one of the people, not the powerful or
the privileged.
Ironically, these same media outlets who dupe the public into
believing they are "fair and balanced" have never once devoted a
single headline to a really important fact: Andre Bauer is actually
doing an excellent job as our lieutenant governor. He has a lengthy
list of notable accomplishments:
1. As presiding officer of the state Senate, Bauer has blocked
over $1.3 billion in proposed new taxes by ruling them out of order.
2. Under Bauer's leadership, the state Senate ended the archaic
practice of "filibusters," perhaps the most important government
reform in many decades, and a giant step forward for our state! As
presiding officer, Bauer helped lead the fight to change the Senate
rules to end filibusters, which have for decades been abused to
delay or kill legislation.
3. In 2002, Andre Bauer was the first to offer a common-sense
plan to shorten lines at Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Thanks to
his plan, lines are shorter, and service to motorists has been
greatly improved.
4. In 2005, Bauer cast the tie-breaking vote to keep property tax
reform alive. Since then, he has been participating in a grassroots
effort to find a way to end property taxes.
5. Under Bauer's leadership, the Lieutenant Governor's Office now
directs the state Office on Aging, which has increased vital
services to the state's senior population, including several major
achievements:
Bauer proposed and helped pass the state's first Geriatric
Physicians Act, a program that will mean more geriatric physicians
and improved care for seniors.
Bauer assembled a panel of business leaders who volunteered to
restructure the Office on Aging to make it more cost-efficient and
effective. The streamlined agency now delivers more services to
seniors, with lower overhead costs than ever before.
Under Bauer's leadership, the Office on Aging has become a
one-stop shop for all seniors who have needed help cutting through
federal and state governmental "red tape."
Using no tax dollars, Bauer developed a highly successful public
awareness program to help seniors through the confusion surrounding
the Medicare Part D prescription benefit plan. His office has helped
thousands of our elderly citizens.
In addition to these official responsibilities, Bauer has given
his time to assist hundreds of local civic and charity
organizations.
But the real untold story is this: Although the lieutenant
governor is paid as a part-time position, Bauer devotes himself to
the job full-time, regularly working 60-80 hour weeks -- in one
instance, with no pay at all!
When Bauer took over as lieutenant governor in 2003, his office
was already running out of money before the end of the fiscal year.
Not only did Bauer bring in unpaid campaign volunteers to help the
office run smoothly, but he also gave up his own salary for
two-and-a-half months to keep the office afloat!
Bauer has done excellent work as lieutenant governor. Some in the
media hope voters will overlook that good work, and cast their
voters based on mistakes he has made -- and apologized for -- as a
private citizen.
Voters deserve the opportunity to decide for themselves whether
to judge Bauer on his excellent public service or his traffic
violations. |
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