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Some say history has a way of repeating itself. I agree.

Four years ago on this very Sunday, one of my most memorable legislative experiences took place. An afternoon of public policy making that highlights the danger of doing the people’s business beyond the view of the people.

We all remember one cardinal rule from our school days; passing notes during class is disrespectful. However, on the floor of the House of Representatives that rule doesn’t apply because passing notes is the only way to learn during the course of debates.

As we move into 2005, I still find myself asking the age-old question, where does the time go? And while time has always moved at the same pace, the environment we live in has not. The times they are a changing.

In 1975 the top rated prime time television shows included the Jeffersons and Waltons, today its Desperate Housewives. Thirty years ago my parent’s biggest concern was disco eight tracks being played too loud. Today I’m worried about my daughter’s cell phone, Internet use and keeping an eye on the movies she rents. And lets face it; these additional responsibilities haven’t come with additional time.

Last December I found out that I didn’t get the job I’ve always wanted. To be honest, my name wasn’t even on the list.

Instead, twenty-eight year old Theo Epstein was hired as the new General Manager of the Boston Red Sox. My first thought was to return my copy of  “Damn Yankees”, but then remembered I had already watched it several times.

As we celebrate Easter Sunday, I pause to reflect at the intersection of faith, religion and my government.

Mass on Sunday, Catechism, sacraments and years as an altar boy at St. Anthony have formed my Catholic foundation. As a boy I harbored fears of tripping in front of Monsignor Cowgill as I carried the cross towards the altar during mass. Twenty-five years later, watching the vivid cinematic take of Jesus’ agonizing journey carrying the cross from Pilate to Golgotha, my boyhood fears seem trivial. On a trip to Rome last spring with my wife, the first stop before we unpacked was the Vatican.

As he prepares to give his first State of the City address tomorrow before the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Mark Begich has a lot to report. With his approval ratings hovering around 70%, the youngest Mayor of Anchorage in over two decades is proving that the next generation has the ideas and experience to govern.