As a former columnist of this newspaper, I often railed against the liberal Democratic agenda by our politicians and proudly held high conservative Republican ideas. Lately, I’m wondering where the true conservatives really are.

Today, Democrats have become the Social Progressives with their ideas of increasing the size of government and its role in our daily lives, taxing the wealthy and redistributing it, and that government is the solution to every problem.

On the flip side, Republicans have become the Democrats of yesteryear.

They’re no longer the fiscal conservatives that they used to be. They too want to increase the size of government, tax and spend like it’s nobody’s business, and are too busy writing books, columns in newspapers and doing guest spots on TV to see what is really happening in Washington D.C.

Right now both parties are more worried about introducing legislation to protect the environment.

This is a cause which many of their own scientists say we may be too late to do anything about even if we shut down every power plant and stopped driving motor vehicles tomorrow, basically rolling us back to the stone age.

It still would not cut carbon emissions enough to stop global warming. That is if global warming is real science.

Why are they asking us to sacrifice for a lost cause that may be 50 to 100 years from happening? Why aren’t they focused on fixing the economy and creating jobs for those of us who need them now?

They’ve lost touch with the people. They no longer listen to us and it’s time we sent them a message they’ll have to listen too.

These problems exist in all branches of government and it’s not just at the state and federal levels either.

We’ve got “Good Ol’ Boy” politics playing out right here in Lawrence County. We’ve had it going on for years. We’ve complained about it, but we do nothing about it.

We keep electing the same people to the same offices year after year. We need fresh ideas and new minds.

Some of my Republican friends whom I’ve supported in the past here in our community are not going to like what I’m saying, but if we want to be instrumental in making a change and having our voices heard in government, it has to start by electing new officials at the local level too.

I’ve become anti-incumbent and a true fiscal conservative. I don’t care what party you belong to, I no longer see things in shades of red and blue.

But if you’ve served more than one term in office then I’m voting to send you home next November, and quite possibly for the next several election cycles to come.

I’m for sending all the bums home. This is a message all of our politicians will have to listen to. Obey the law and respect the Constitution. Stop trying to change it.

Do your job and listen to your constituency. Stop playing politics with our future, and do what you promised when we elected you … then go home.

Say “no” to career politicians this November!

Richard Duvendeck II

Chesapeake