Which Pronoun?

Post #50

Now that the latest legislative session in Annapolis has adjourned, Delegates and Senators are sending out letters to their constituents lauding their accomplishments.  In an election year, sensibly skeptical voters should be on the lookout for legislators inflating their own importance.  One simple test is to look at the pronoun used in the letter: is it “I” or is it “we”?

When I was in the House of Delegates, a professional media consultant suggested (as a friend) that I used the word “we” far too often in describing my legislative work.  I argued that it takes a team to pass or kill a bill, win support for a project, or forge a bipartisan coalition.  She reminded me that it was my leadership that initiated the effort and educated colleagues and the community on the issue.

So which should it be: I or we?  And how should voters determine the level of personal accomplishment when reading a legislative record?

Most legislators are careful never to take credit for other people’s work.  They will rarely claim to have sponsored a bill if they didn’t.  But they’re perfectly justified in saying they supported or backed a proposal if they voted for it, even if they weren’t a sponsor or co-sponsor; it’s left up to the voter to determine the legislator’s level of commitment and effort.

Consistency is also important. After being relatively inactive for the first three years of a term, some legislators will dramatically ramp up their sponsorship and co-sponsorship of bills in an election year, just so they have a record to share with voters in an election campaign.  But are we really electing representatives to a four-year term, just so they might be actively engaged in their jobs for the final few months?

This kind of last-minute legislative window-dressing can extend to the practice of amending a bill to add oneself as a co-sponsor on a measure that’s about to pass.  That way, the legislator can claim part of the political glory without doing any of the actual work—also wasting legislative time and taxpayer dollars in the process.

Legislating is complicated and difficult.  It should not be about grabbing headlines or padding a resume.  And it’s certainly never a one-woman (or man) show. That’s why, if I’m lucky enough to return to Annapolis in January as the State Senator from Montgomery County’s District 17, I will likely continue to use a lot of “we” in order to share the credit with all those who make success possible.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  Is this a semantic and irrelevant issue, or do you tend to notice pronouns… especially in an election year?  Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#50) you're addressing.

 Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.