I THINK we need another Roger Sherman.
You know, Roger Sherman? The Connecticut patriot? Signer of the Declaration of Independence, delegate to the Constitutional Convention and all-around nice guy? That Roger Sherman?
Sigh.
I’ll grant you, Roger’s not exactly box-office these days. For most Americans anymore, a New England patriot is somebody who didn’t quite make the Super Bowl this year. And I guarantee you, this one won’t be winning any rushing titles.
But we can still use him. Or at least his ideas. Anything, really, that can find the right balance between Kansas cities and Kansas counties.
It’s an old battle that never really dies.
Back when the frontier was being settled, the legendary fight was between the farmer and the rancher. Now it has evolved to the rural and the urban, the county resident and the city-dweller. When they cooperate, they’re unbeatable. But when they clash, everyone knows it.
There’s been a lot of clashing lately.
Look at the last election. A proposal to add two county commissioners and a county administrator failed, partly because some county voters saw it as a takeover attempt by the city.
Or look at the last budget, which nearly came to a standstill because of disputes over who would pay for the local ambulance service.
Or look ahead to the next big issue, law-enforcement consolidation. Of the seven-member task force appointed to study the issue, five members live inside the Emporia city limits — a fact that has not gone unremarked by some county residents.
“Once again, the rural area is left without a voice,” a person using the name “Johnsie” posted to The Gazette’s Web site.
It’s one of those ongoing debates where both sides have a point. On the city’s side, Emporia has three-quarters of the county’s population and should have a strong voice. But then again, Emporia has a city government to attend to its own needs — rural residents can and have argued that they should have a strong say on county-wide issues so that the city doesn’t run them over.
As I listened to the latest round of it, the argument began to sound familiar. And then, last week, I realized where I’d heard it before.
American history class. The Constitutional Convention.
And suddenly, I began to have my answer.
Back in 1787, the same debate broke out at the Convention. Large states like New York and Virginia had most of the population and wanted most of the authority. Small states like New Hampshire and Delaware didn’t want to be left out and demanded an equal voice.
That’s where Roger Sherman came in. His Connecticut Compromise gave everyone what they wanted with a two-house Congress, one based on population and one on equality. It was sane and sensible, but the politicians adopted it anyway.
I started wondering. With consolidation in the air, why not try this locally? Why not disband the existing commissions and start fresh with two new ones —one based on population and one with a vote for each city?
Unlikely, I know. If nothing else, I’d probably be tarred and feathered for daring to increase the number of politicians in the county. And I’d deserve it.
But think about it for a second. The county can’t ignore the city. The city shouldn’t ignore the county. A bicameral arrangement would at least recognize both realities and give everyone a chance to have a say on issues before they became controversies.
I’m not married to the arrangement. But I am wedded to the principal. We all have to live here. Maybe we can find a way to keep from jostling each other so much while we do it.
After all, look at the Congress our friend Roger set up. What a model of efficiency! Of cooperation! Of ...
Hmmm.
Oh, well. Back to the drawing board.
Scott Rochat’s e-mail address is rochat@emporiagazette.com.