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Political Motives as Values
Most of us have been fooled, at some point, into hiring people who
turned out to be wrong for the job -- a contractor who did shoddy work,
a babysitter who neglected the children, a professional who was too busy
to make us a priority.
We probably gave them the jobs because we liked what they said. They
were friendly and self-confident.
Sometimes the failings didn’t come to light for years.
We realized, later, that we shouldn’t have based the hiring decision
solely on what the applicant told us.
By learning more about competence, character, background, and
motives, we have a better chance of making a wise decision and getting
good value for our money. That’s why employers check references.
So too when we hire political leaders we should pay attention to
their prior performance and values, because we’re entrusting them with
actions that affect us and our posterity.
The poor job that our Republican government has done is now obvious
to most Americans. The hurricanes exposed incompetence and underfunding
in programs intended to protect us. A few of the falsehoods have
resulted in indictments.
Let’s look at only five of President Bush’s past statements (since
space is limited):
- “Compassionate conservatism places great hope and confidence in
public education.”
- "The Iraqi regime . . . possesses and produces chemical and
biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons."
- “Veterans are getting very good health care under my
administration.”
- “Our government must work to make college more affordable for
students who come from economically disadvantaged homes.”
- “Our … goal is to promote energy independence for our country,
while dramatically improving the environment.”
We the People are responsible for our government’s performance
review. Let’s look at the facts:
- After touting “No Child Left Behind,” this administration
preferred to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans rather than
adequately fund a program to improve public education. As Senator
Kennedy says, “You can't reform and improve schools on a tin cup
budget.” Money doesn’t solve all educational issues, but it does
make possible smaller class sizes, textbooks, and an enriched
curriculum.
- This administration was bent on war and went to great lengths to
stifle the facts. We were told Iraq put us in imminent danger with
weapons of mass destruction.
- Veterans’ clinics were instructed not to publicize the
availability of services – to save money.
- Students know the reality – that college has become less
affordable since Republicans took control of the Presidency and
Congress. Just this week Republicans are proposing further cuts in
student aid.
- The GOP invited private corporations to write our nation’s
energy legislation, while Mother Earth’s icecaps are melting.
Practical steps, such as increased gas mileage and improved public
transportation, are given lip service.
America could have avoided this disastrous government by looking
carefully at the history of the Republican Party during the past 75
years.
In its actions, the GOP has shown over and over that it doesn’t value
programs that serve the public, especially when they interfere with
increasing the wealth of the already rich.
If we look at the agenda that this administration has pushed the
hardest, we see that the primary motive was to reduce the taxes of the
wealthiest Americans– even if that meant a burgeoning deficit, cuts in
education, cuts in veterans benefits, cuts in anything that benefits the
general public.
When the Republican Party says we can’t do X because we need to
“reduce the size of government,” or we need to “reform” Y, remember its
motives.
A leader’s accomplishments depend greatly on the philosophy of his or
her political party.
Whereas the modern GOP has institutionalized selfishness, the
Democratic Party has worked for the Common Good, as demonstrated by the
achievements of Democratic administrations (which most Republicans
fought tooth and nail): Social Security, unemployment insurance, minimum
wage, Medicare, Civil Rights, consumer protection, environmental
defense, and fairness in business).
Next time you hire political leaders by casting your vote, think long
and hard about the motives of their political party.
Consider which party comes closer to the objectives expressed by our
Founding Fathers: “We the People … to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the
Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Catherine Bayliss is chair of the Gloucester Democratic City
Committee and a member of the Democratic State Committee. |
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Catherine Bayliss's op ed published in the
Gloucester Daily Times November 4, 2005. |
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Gloucester
