February 16, 2004

THE END OF CONSERVATISM

By James Eugene*

The labels liberal and conservative used to mean something. A liberal was for pro-active government, assisting the poor, creating opportunity and civil rights. A conservative was for less government, free markets, creating opportunity and a strong military. That no longer holds true.

Politics has degenerated into an opportunistic battle to control the spoils of government; principles be damned. The signs of this are everywhere to be seen.

On the local level the primary example is Mayor Billionaire. Mayor Billionaire was a Democrat. He left that party because he felt it would be easier to be elected mayor as a Republican. He was right. The Republican Party adopted Mayor Billionaire even if his positions are more akin to David Dinkins that Governor Patacuomo or Mayor Prosecutor. The fact that Mayor Billionaire is a liberal was quickly overlooked by conservatives in the Republican Party who eagerly reach for the spoils that he can give them and eagerly seek the financial assistance of his billions and rich friends.

At the NYC Council level, we have Republicans seeking to prevent development on Staten Island and spreading their gospel of anti-growth to other parts of the City. In the past, the Republican Party stood for growth and development while the Democratic Party fought for the little guy. Ironically, by being anti-growth in a city that is exploding at the seams, these Republicans wind up being both anti-growth and anti-little guy. A bizarre twist of political creed.

On the national level, we have President W. W. talks free-trade but when it is convenient he plays a cynical tariff game, knowing that the International Trade Court will overrule him. Tariffs on steel and underwear tilt at windmills. The President knows he is going to lose, but maybe he can pick up a few votes on the way.

Republicans use to be about fiscal conservatism, but W. is no fiscal conservative. He runs record deficits and then asks for more tax cuts. He increases spending with a Medicare bill that helps the wrong populations, and then admits later on that the numbers were wrong. W. is the father of "tax cut and spend" Republicanism.

Republicans used to be a stand-up solid party. While Democrats had to speak with fork-tongues to placate the conservative South and the liberal Northeast, Republicans could take principled stands. But as we witness the problems with national intelligence and the 9-11 Commission, are Republicans willing to stand up and be counted? No, it's blame the bureaucrats time. When Clinton sought to blame an agency for problems, the Republicans cried it was on his watch, therefore he was to blame. (Blame did never seem to stick to Slick Willie.) Oh well, it was Truman, a Democrat, who said "The buck stops here."

On the State level, we have Republicans in the Senate working with Democrats in the Assembly in order to pass massive budget increases in an era of fiscal stress and we have Democrats seeking to protect big business in the Assembly by not passing insurance reform measures.

Where are the intellectual leaders in our government? Where are those that think about where our country should be going, not in sound bites, not in terms of "Can this policy generate the most votes in the short-term?" but in terms of "What is good forf the nation?" I can't think of any. Where are the Hubert Humphries? Where are the Jacob Javits? Where are the Barry Goldwaters? Where are our Pat Moynihans? And yes, even where are our Richard Nixons, who while tarred by scandal, had a great politcal mind? These politicians asked the big questions and sought the answers as if they mattered. You might not have agreed with their answers, but at least their efforts were sincere.

I am not without hope. I see a few leaders who seem to have some vision. Some are old, and some new. On the State level, there are Joe Bruno (at least we have one intellectually honest leader in Albany) and Elliot Spitzer (who has room to grow). On the national level, I see promise in John Edwards, although he needs some seasoning. John McCain thinks about the bigger issues, but McCain is powerless in his own party and Edwards is about to jump out of the political process if he loses (ala Bill Bradley, who gave it his one shot and left… What ever happened to political persistence?).

Being a conservative used to mean something. Being a liberal used to mean something. Now it simply means, who can appeal to some catch phrase concepts. Conservatism and liberalism are dead, and that is not good.

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

A friend of mine noticed that Metro North (the northern suburb commuter rail line of the MTA) did not publish a February newsletter (or at least did not widely disseminate it). I asked him if the newsletter contained any statistics. He said the only ones with which he was familiar were the on-time performances for the past month and for the year to date. He then grinned and noted that Metro North had an awful December and January. He anticipated my next comment by saying, "I guess they don't want anyone to know how bad they did." Unlike nationally traded stocks, the MTA does not have to trumpet its own failures. Don't ask, don't tell.

MATCH THE HEAD OF THE NYC AGENCY WITH THE OFFICE.

In the first column are six names and in the second, the Office they head. Match the letter to the number. Answers below (don't peek).

Answers: 1-b, 2-f, 3-c, 4-e, 5-a, and 6-d.

* James Eugene is the pseudonym of a veteran of NYC government affairs. Inside The Big Apple will appear exclusively on the Empire Page. If you want to send tips or column ideas to James Eugene, email them to jameseugene@empirepage.com.