Suzi Wizowaty

When I was elected, a neighbor who knows much more about politics than I ever will said to me, somewhat ruefully, "All the decisions in Montpelier are made by a small handful of people." I thought about this quite a bit. Since I obviously wasn’t one of that handful, I spent a fair amount of time the first year wondering how one became effective in this work.

Eventually I forgot the question, because I learned from watching people that there are lots of ways to have an effect, both positive and negative. But then that first complaint was repeated to me by a fellow freshman on Wednesday night (which seems like weeks ago), with a similar distress, and it threw me a bit. Was it true? Were the rest of us being somehow left out, disregarded?

I don't think so. Because not getting your way doesn’t mean you’re not being heard. Yes, obviously, final decisions are made by a small group of negotiators. But all along the way, I’ve felt like I had a voice. I had ample evidence that those who were making decisions cared about what all the rest of us thought, and what we wanted. What I wanted. Several times when I felt really unhappy about the way something was going, a couple of people that I had not communicated with approached me to say, "I understand you have some concerns about X." This surprised me every time: people cared what I thought. But, of course, I realize now. The "leadership" (which turns out to be larger than that small handful) cared about what everybody thought. Every single one of us. That’s the only way it can work. Because we are a team--a huge, unruly, diverse, difficult-to-manage, but in the end highly productive and successful, team. I don’t think I’ve ever participated in such a profoundly collaborative process. So, yes, it’s about trust. Hard as it has been at times, I’ve come to trust this process. I trust the committees, I trust my colleagues, and I trust the caucus and House leadership. I send heartfelt thanks to all.