All I Want For Christmas

Dear Santa,

I'd like to think I have been a pretty good state representative this year. I worked hard and got re-elected and didn't raise anyone's taxes, so I think I've done about as much as possible for a politician to stay off your "naughty" list. As such, I have put together my Christmas wish list for this year.

I wish my dogs would learn to share the bed. My two best four-legged friends, Abigail and Delano, have made it clear that the only place they will sleep at night is right by my side. While I certainly appreciate the show of affection, they have not yet mastered the concept of spacing out so we can all sleep comfortably in my king-sized bed.

Abby likes to lay across my legs so I can't move and Delano has taken to boxing me in on the opposite side near my head; as a result, I wake up contorted like a human pretzel. I don't know if this one is within your power, Santa, but it would mean a whole lot to me.

I wish our political debate could be a little more civil. It seems as though legitimate debate about public policy at all levels of government, from federal all the way down to local townships, has been totally tossed aside in favor of sensationalism and personal attacks.

While the public claims to detest such tactics, it is increasingly proving to be the easiest path for those who lack any real positive ideas or desire to actually help people. We need to get back to raising public awareness on issues through informed debate, and not through personal attacks, fear mongering and hypocrisy.

I wish municipal authorities didn't exist. Although there are some local authorities blessed with good people who volunteer their time and talents in an effort to help the community, there are too many bad apples using these appointed positions for a political power trip. They allow their egos and lack of public accountability drive projects and policies that do far more harm than good to the people they are supposed to be serving.

I remain convinced that no one should have that much control without being elected. I'm assuming you don't have sewage problems up in the North Pole, but just trust me on this one, Santa.

I wish there were more random acts of kindness. Just today, I received an anonymous gift from a constituent; a really nice personalized brushed metal coffee cup that is sitting on my desk as I write this. A card was attached to the gift simply asking me to pass along another random act of kindness to someone else. Little gestures can go a long way to making a big impact, and I wish more people would take the time to do something nice for others.

I wish my legislative district was just a little bit smaller so I could get to more events. No matter how hard I try, it seems like I miss as many things as I attend. Or maybe you could give me a helicopter so I could get around easier, or maybe even one of your reindeer. Actually, I don't know how distinguished I would look flying around on a reindeer, so let's go with the chopper, Santa.

Finally, I wish every one of my constituents a safe and happy holiday with family and friends. If you can only give me one thing on this list, I think that would be the one to go with, but if you can find it in your heart to teach my dogs to let me sleep comfortably at night too, that would be just swell.

Thank you and Merry Christmas,

Jesse