Local Empowerment Focus of Dole's Agenda

Guest Author: Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, President, Republican Mayors and Local Officials

The Presidential election campaign of 1996 may well prove to be a watershed for local government. Buried among the cookie-cutter campaign issues which seem to have headline space permanently reserved just for them, one can almost hear the muffled screams of one of the most overlooked elements in this experiment we call Democracy - localism.

Our founding fathers had the wisdom and foresight to declare as a basic right of all Americans the right to govern themselves. A commitment to "federalism" was often a defining characteristic of early American leaders and politicians. It was one issue which anyone with the hope of representing the people had to embrace, understand and advocate.

Why, then, after 200 years and a Constitutional Amendment to protect our right to self-rule, is it necessary to fight the battle all over again in an effort to regain control of the government at the grassroots level?

Perhaps a bout of collective malaise somewhere in our national past provoked the American people to throw their hands up in despair and submit to the foster care of Uncle Sam. If that's the case, our only defense is to provide an environment of growth, opportunity and individual promise. Can such a feat be accomplished by an administration which spends $15,841 per household per year to fund the cost of lifting its own weight?

The stockholder in a corporation eyes the financial reports for a sign of responsible fiscal management; companies in the red rarely perform well on the stock market. By our own accepted standards, a business with a shortfall of $116 billion in one year would cause concern among its stockholders. An investor would certainly take exception to such spending habits if the business leaders refused to even examine the efficiency and effectiveness of 48% of its spending sources. Yet the American citizen is expected to put its full trust in an organization which does precisely that.

It's time to let go of Uncle Sam's hand and realize that we have the power to influence our future and that the federal government is a means to that end, not the end itself.

Perhaps the departure from localism can be explained simply as a matter of semantics. We historically elect an "Administration" to "govern" the nation; but the changing priorities of Washington have given us today a "Government" which merely "administers." It administers the programs that excite the people's imagination, whet the appetite of evening news anchors and promise the best poll results when services are delivered within a specified time immediately preceding an election.

Overwhelmed by the burden of a multi-trillion dollar deficit, is it fair for us to expect our government to concern itself with the formulation of national policy, the establishment of national goals and the declaration of a national vision for the future? Certainly, if the administration will acknowledge the competence and legitimate authority of local officials who are, after all, on the front lines of implementing federal policy and programs.

The success or failure of federal initiatives is decided at the grassroots level, and here is where the responsibility to administer belongs. We could easily take the burden from the shoulders of the federal government, and we should be given every opportunity to do so.

Bob Dole and Jack Kemp understand this philosophy well. Central to Senator Dole's campaign is an Executive Committee for Local Government Affairs. The selection of Senator Dirk Kempthorne, former Mayor of Boise, Idaho, to Chair the Committee is evidence of Senator Dole's confidence in local officials and his commitment to local issues.

A man who carries his ideology near his heart in the form of a copy of the Tenth Amendment, Senator Dole used the recent Presidential debates as a forum in which to praise the competence and determination of local government officials.

He cited Mayor Rudy Giuliani's policing strategy, which brought about a dramatic decrease in crime in New York City and, consequently, in the national crime statistics. The Senator applauded Wisconsin Governor Thompson for implementing an innovative approach to public services that provides real incentives and opportunities for families to enter the workforce, maintain their self-respect and contribute to their communities.

He has chosen as his running mate a man who, during his leadership of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, proved that he understands the challenges our urban residents face, as well as the challenges local officials face in meeting the needs of our constituents. Jack Kemp has heard the heartbeat of the city, and he knows what it takes to keep it beating.

It is too easy to say in this modern era that the people govern themselves by electing into office politicians of their own choosing. The changing role of the federal government has muddied the waters and diluted the meaning of the word and the intent of localism. Localism is the promise of being able to evaluate your own resources, determine your own priorities and identify the most effective methods to meet the needs of your own unique environment. Governor Thompson understands. Mayor Giuliani understands. Secretary Kemp understands. Senator Dole understands.

The Republican Mayors and Local Officials will continue to urge Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to support Senate Bill 1 in eliminating unfunded mandates. To extend the practice to the local level, we will ask for their support in encouraging local flexibility in responding to the needs of our citizens. We will pursue an environment in which local government entities can collaborate and implement the most efficient service delivery to the public, including city/county mergers and other innovative solutions tailored to the community.

Within weeks we'll be asked to vote either for continued funding of an inefficient bureaucracy which excludes nearly half of its spending budget from reform, or for policy changes that will reduce spending, restore authority to the states and cities and, to borrow President Clinton's words, "give people the tools and try to establish the conditions in which they can make the most of their own lives."

I agree with Bob Dole - I trust the people, and they'll get my vote in November.