Date: Fri 08-Jan-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

edink-Rowland-politics-state

Full Text:

ED INK: Going With The Political Flow

John Rowland took his second oath of office as Connecticut's governor this

week, and once again he must forge his Republican administration's legacy with

the help of a Democratic legislature. Both the governor and state legislators,

however, seem to have taken note of the public's repudiation of the

intractable partisanship that has paralyzed the nation's capital.

In Washington DC, democracy's system of checks and balances has degenerated

into a system of political punches and counterpunches that is not only

battering personal reputations in both camps but also the ideal of government

by the people for the people. By contrast in Connecticut, the executive and

legislative branches of government, though controlled by competing parties,

have curried public support through bipartisan support of such popular

measures as tax rebates and the deal that will bring the New England Patriots

to Hartford. Both parties expect that trend to continue. In his inauguration

speech on Wednesday, the governor called for cooperation in a spirit of

"public civility." The new speaker of the Democratic House, Rep Moira Lyons of

Stamford, said this week, "We weren't sent here to be political. We were sent

here to act on our beliefs, and we were sent here to make good legislation."

We hope her words ring true at the end of the coming legislative session.

While both the governor and the legislature may have the best of intentions,

there are some issues where the political lines already seem to be drawn.

Republicans, for example, will press to reduce the income tax, while Democrats

will counter with measures to provide property tax relief across the state.

Education and health care initiatives, both critical issues to the quality of

our lives, also promise to generate sharp debate.

The people of Connecticut gave John Rowland an overwhelming vote of confidence

last November, and yet they also expressed a general preference for Democratic

legislators. The result is that nobody dominates politics in Connecticut; our

leaders have to work together if they are to get anything done. And if they

don't get anything done, they don't get reelected. Consequently, consensus,

not confrontation, seems to be on the rise in our state.

Where does this political wisdom come from? State elected leaders live and

work a lot closer to their constituents than their counterparts in Washington,

and political wisdom in a democracy always flows upward from the people. We

hope that flow swells to become an unabated tide that sweeps right through the

national elections in the year 2000.