Cindy Hill’s Wyoming Vision: Education And Much More

When a national spokesperson and pillar of modern conservatism such as Michelle Malkin gives a political endorsement, it is indeed worth noting. And that is exactly what she did on August 5 when she delivered a hearty “thumbs up” to Cindy Hill, Wyoming’s current Superintendent of Public Instruction, who is challenging incumbent Matt Mead for the governorship of Wyoming.

Much of Michelle Malkin’s glowing appraisal of Hill focuses on her outstanding track record of improving Wyoming schools, as well as her courageous and steadfast opposition to the ongoing Obama Administration effort to wrest control of education from local school districts across the country and centralize it in Washington under the insidious umbrella of his “Common Core” agenda. Malkin properly credits Hill as being “way ahead of the curve on Common Core,” and gives a detailed explanation of Mead’s complicity with the federal government in the “Common Core” debacle, including the stealthy manner in which it was implemented in Wyoming, with no review or public comment as required by law.

Far worse however was Mead’s underhanded 2013 effort (aided and abetted by the Wyoming legislature) to negate the vote of the people and seize the Education Superintendent’s duties, which he then conferred upon an appointee of his choosing. Fortunately, the move was declared unconstitutional on January 28 of 2014 by the Wyoming Supreme Court and Mead, after exhausting every available avenue to stonewall the decision, was ultimately forced to comply with it.

Throughout the ongoing contest over jurisdiction of Wyoming schools, and despite having had to endure endless investigations and baseless accusations, Hill has remained focused, continuing to deliver on the promises of her 2010 campaign, much to the dismay of the entrenched and self-serving political class. Clearly, where she has been able to concentrate her efforts, the performance of Wyoming schools has markedly improved. And in stark contrast to standard governmental operating procedure, this has been accomplished within budget. It is no wonder the entrenched bureaucracy regards her as a threat to its long-standing “revolving door” spending practices.

While it is entirely fair to say that Cindy Hill has great expertise in regards to public education, and that the school system constitutes a major portion of State Government (education comprises the single largest component of the Wyoming State budget), this does not suggest that her expertise and qualifications for Governor start and end there. Rather, the people of the Cowboy State can confidently expect that she will remain true to the principles on which she has previously operated, and will carry them forward into every aspect of state government.

Chief among these is her commitment to the guiding precept of the Wyoming Constitution “All power is inherent in the people.” It is a sad statement on the prevailing mindset among public office holders in this state that such a timeless ideal would be regarded as “controversial” and treated as an affront and threat to them. Accountability to the common citizen should be a cornerstone of government of, by, and for the people. Yet when government bloat spins out of control (and under the current administration Wyoming government has grown at a faster rate than any other state), it can quickly become insulated from the duties and concerns it was originally intended to serve. The massive effort by Mead and his legislative cronies to play ball with the Obama Administration, while shutting out the expressed will of voters, cannot honestly be construed in any other manner. Bridges and road projects will always be recalled by heady politicians as their worthy legacy. But the higher taxes and losses of liberty and property that inevitably accompany them do not light the way to a free and prosperous society.

In the end, it is not the receipt of enormous sums of federal dollars that will determine the quality of life in Wyoming, especially since they will be acquired at the cost of allowing Beltway Bureaucrats to completely dictate the goings on within this state. Rather, it is the ability of the state to operate as the Nation’s founders had originally intended, which was to remain largely independent of federal control, and responsible for the bulk of its own governing functions.

Wyoming has suffered more than its fair share of federal entanglements, losing land and resources to the insatiable federal leviathan along the way. Reversing this trend will require someone with a clear understanding of how precious freedom and state sovereignty really are. That individual must also possess the courage and resolve to stand against the onslaught from Washington, as well as the underhanded efforts of those within the state who would act as its minions. Cindy Hill has weathered this storm and is ready to put Wyoming’s future back into the hands of Wyomingites.