The Band Wagon is Rolling

One of the reasons I entered the Governor's race was to make sure that issues like "corporate subsidies" were adequately debated and addressed. Little did I realize (thanks in part to the Goodyear boondoggle) that it would be so easy to get the other candidates to start jumping on the anti-incentives band wagon. In today's Under the Dome blog (I'm suppose to link to it, but haven't figured how to quite do that yet), Richard Moore states that he's concerned about the incentives game and thinks Congress ought to do something. And his cohort Bev, while waffling around on the issue at least is expressing some concerns. My question is, where have they been over the past eight years as millions have been given away to select big businesses?

While on our GOP side it looks like Smith and Graham are firming up their opposition to the great give away game. Nothing like polls showing public opposition to the likes of the Goodyear deal, to solidify what has been a fluid position. All these folks and any other candidates for public office are welcome to jump aboard this issue that we've been talking (and dissenting and litigating) about for years.

The question is just how much of this, particularly on the democratic side, is just rhetoric in response to polls and how much is actually based on conviction? While it's great to try and shift the responsibility for changing the system to Congress, there are many steps that can be taken at the state and local level to bring about true reform. Will any of these candidates have the political courage to actually do that? I've got my doubts. But that's the constructive part of campaigns in that there is a true opportunity for debate and deliberation about significant issues of public policy. Now if only the media will facilitate the debate and examination of candidate positions on issues such as "corporate subsidies", then perhaps voters will be able to make informed decisions in the upcoming elections rather than succumbing to 30 second sound bites.