Writing at Real Clear Politics in an article entitled Rick Perry's Roots: A World of Difference From Washington, Erin McPike includes some quotes from Perry's book, Fed Up! which we all should take to heart. Perry, an adamant states' rights/small federal government advocate cites Thomas Jefferson's concern that government should not grow so large as to prevent participation of the people. Noting that congressional districts which initially represented on average 60,000 constituents now represent 700,000, Perry wrote:

"So today, then, we should be even more vigilant in our effort to bring decision making back to the state and local level."

He goes on to make this plainly practical point:

"Ask yourself this: Are you most likely to gain the attention of the president or your local mayor? Your U.S. senator or your local city councilman? . . . Your city council, your mayor, your local school board, and often even your state representative are people who live and work in your neighborhood. These are people you are likely to be able to influence and whom you can more easily hold accountable. So, is it better for them or for Washington to have more power over your life?"

And right there, Governor Perry nails the problem of our present political circumstances-we are governed by elected representatives in Washington who really don't give a rat's patootie what we think because our individual influence has been diluted to nothingness unless we are major campaign contributors. And our elected representatives have installed a mushrooming, out-of-control federal bureaucracy which is even more disinterested in how the effects of their unwanted edicts and oppressive regulations make citizens' lives more difficult.

Certainly there are many exceptions where local governing entities act counter to their constituents' interests, but the probability of the local citizenry correcting or undoing the acts of local politicians is far greater than with this national monster the Democrats keep feeding, precisely Perry's point.

If Rick Perry chooses to run, he should incorporate that wisdom into his stump speech but with the added caution that there is one form of local authority every bit as despotic, tyrannical and uncaring as the feds:

Homeowners' associations...