By James McGarvey

Americans' trust in government has rebounded to its highest level since pre-Vietnam. The manner in which public employees at all levels of government responded to the attacks of Sept. 11 and the subsequent bioterrorism and security threats brought renewed recognition among the public that our jobs are essential to community safety.

As public employees, we have always known that our jobs are essential to establishing and sustaining sound communities. We also know that the opportunity to build on this renewed trust in government rests with policymakers and elected officials at the local, state and national levels, because they determine the quality of government through fiscal decisions, starting with tax policy.

At every level of government, lawmakers squandered the opportunity to invest in government infrastructure--services and employees--while the economy was robust. Instead, they opted for tax cuts and rebates. They failed to provide for the inevitable declines that come with the economic cycles of our economy--and they crippled the revenue structure of government.

As a result, FPE/AFT members across the country are being shortchanged. So are the services we provide. Our real challenge as public employees is to make sure we hold lawmakers accountable at the polls for the decisions they make that affect our livelihoods--our jobs, our pay and our benefits.

Through the FPE/AFT's Committee on Political Education (COPE), we can support candidates for public office who support our positions on public employee issues and the need for high-quality services. All of us must participate in COPE if we are going to preserve the services we provide, achieve our goals as a union and recoup the losses we have incurred through missed pay increases, denied cost-of-living adjustments, skyrocketing healthcare costs and reductions in other benefits. For more information about COPE and how you can participate, contact your local union office.

Unions were built for tough times. Indeed, unions are the only organizations working consistently and across the board to fight proposed cuts in services, salaries and benefits. Together, we can hold elected officials accountable for the votes they cast that affect our ability to deliver quality services to the public.

This is a critical year for public employees and the future of public service. We must capitalize on the trust Americans have placed in us. Get involved in political action and COPE--and help make sure that newly elected politicians are more responsive to the needs of public employees. Your involvement and participation has never been more essential.

James McGarvey is the vice president of the FPE/AFT-affiliated Montana Education Association-Montana Federation of Teachers. He also is an AFT vice president and chair of the FPE/AFT program and policy council.