Trent Skaggs D-31

I realize that my site is new and that our representatives in Clay County do not have to take a vested interest in what I say. But, then again, I say that the possibilities for this website are endless and I fully intend to make this a useful informational tool for us peasants. It's my hope to start a web page that is connected that even offers even more information for Clay County citizens in the future.

So, I emailed all of the state House representatives the other night asking if they had a newsletter. Admittedly the response was low. Rep. Ervin R-35 is very responsive. I actually got a response out of Trent Skaggs D-31. We had a profound conversation it went like this:

Me: I am in Doug Ervin's district but I have started a blog for Clay County politics. I am trying to make it a central source for people to go to get information about what is going on in Clay County. If you have a newsletter please add me. Link to the blog is in the address line of this email.

Rep. Skaggs: I do not have a newsletter. Thanks (Sent from his iPhone)

Hmmm... Man of many words I guess. I thought I would give him a second chance.

Me: If people want to be informed in your district about things that you are doing how do they accomplish this?

Rep. Skaggs: I send out info on how to reach me on various topics. (Sent from his iPhone)

Now, one could say that I might be some crazy absorbed blogger and that he doesn't need to respond. But that isn't true, and, isn't the problem in politics today a lack of communication between our representatives and us. We hired you, not the other way around. If someone whose life you affect with your decisions emails you with an honest and respectful attempt to gather information maybe you ought to send more than one line from your iPhone and sit down and write a real response. How about, thanks Andrew for trying to promote political involvement in your county. I am asking too much I guess.

Maybe someone needs to remind Mr. Skaggs that he is the only Democrat in a Republican county. Now in fairness I am not trying to play pick on the Democrat here because none of the other Republicans have responded at all which does concern me as well. I am going to try again with them here in the next week.

While we're on the subject of Mr. Skaggs, he was apparently offended by some comments made on the house floor by Rep. Schaaf-St. Joseph. Rep. Schaaf compared Medicaid to slavery. Well, it is, financial slavery. Sorry you got so offended and wanted to play semantics after an argument. I don't even think that Mr. Schaaf should have apologized, just clarified what he meant. This is another topic for another time.