BATCER& MCKENZIE EUROPC Asrr ATTORNEYS AT LAW NOmn AND Y~orrE*sr PAcmc Swrnhzniu * *M*TEIDAY MILAN BANG"0I 815 CONNECTICUT AVENUE. N.W. SOGOTI MUlCO cm SA" FRINCtSCO BIRCCLOOY. *oscov SCUlNG B"A91LI& *>*MI SA0 PAUL0 SFlLlN *.e15 **?io, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006.4078 WENOS llRE5 YONTEIIRC" IIJUAHI BI("95EL5 PIIGUL no C", ",NW ClTl CAI-5 NLIIORK lOlOHT0 B"DIPc5' RrT*D* "OWC "ON6 TELEPHONE (202) 452-7000 CHlCIGO PLLO KTO VALENCIA CNllD ROY€ *&NIL* DALI*5 R10 DE 4INEIUO WASHINGTON. D.C. rR*NWUI)T ST WTLIISEzURG YCLBOUllNC CABLE ABOGADO ' TELEX 89552 JUAIEI ?AN DlErjD OCWrbA SIc€"*OL* 51NGIWIIE XlW WARSAW SYDHE" FACSIMILE (202) 452-7074 L0"W" I"II>C" 7*,=1 Y&DR

September 29, 1995

Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. General Counsel Federal Election Commission 999 E Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20463

Attention: Mary L. Taksar, Esq. Re: MUR 4250 Dear Mr. Noble:

This is the response of the National Policy Forum ("NPF")to the complaint by the

Democratic National Commitbee ("DNC") against NPF and the Republican National Committee

("RNC"), alleging violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended

("FECA)..I' On the basis of the considerations set forth below, there is no reason to believe

that a violation of FECA has been committed by the NPF (or, for that matter, by the RNC), or to beiieve that the NPF is within the jurisdiction of the Fedeml Election Commission (''FZC''

or "Commission").

l' NPF requests confidentiality in the handling of this Matter Under Review 2 U.S.C.5 437g(a)(12) and 11 C.F.R. S 111.21. Designations of counsel have previously been filed pursuant to 11 C.F.R. 6 ttt.23. BAKER& M~KENZLE

Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 2

The Alleyations of the Comdaint

The complaint alleges as violations of FECA that the NPF is "simply an arm or project

of the IWC," 1 31, and that, "in the alternative," if the NPF is "deemed" "to be a separate

corporate entity rather than a project or arm of the RNC,"1 34, then it is a political committee, 1 37. The claims in the DNC complaint can be understood more clearly, however, if they are

set forth in a more straightforward and natural order, reversed from the order in which the DNC

presents them. (Examination in that order also respects the existence of the NPF as a separate

corporate entity, which the NPF is.) The DNC's claims are, in more natural order: As

admitted in 1 3 of the DNC complaint, the NPF is a separate corporate entity, and its articles of incorporation confine its activities to those which a 5 501(c)(4) organization is permitted to

perform. (1) However, it engages in activities whose purpose is to influence federal elections, and, therefore, it cannot qualify as a 5 501(c)(4) organization, and is a political committee. See DNC complaint at 11 34-37. (2) Since it is a poli~calcommittee, it can be questioned whether

it is "affiliated" with any other political committees in accordance with the criteria set forth at

11 C.F.R. 8 lOOS(g). On the basis of various subsidiary allegations, it is claimed to be

affiliated with the RNC. See id. at If28-33.

When the claims are set forth in this straightforward order, it is easy to see that the

DNC's claims actually are not claims "in the alternative" at all. Instead, the DNC's claim (2)

depends on the truth of its claim (1): One does not even reach the question of affiliation with Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 3 another political committee (claim (2)) unless one has first determined that the NPF is itself a political committee (claim (1)).

Why has the DNC stated its claims in the reverse manner? So doing serves to disguise the inherent weaknesses of the DNC complaint. First, putting the claims in reverse order enables the DNC to obscure the fact that n~neof the FEC's regulations -- including its

"affiliation" regulations at 11 C.F.R. !j 100.5(g) -- apply to social welfare and charitable organizations at all. The law provides that political committees are subject to the jurisdiction of the FEC, and that different political committees may be considered for some purposes io be a single political committee. 2 U.S.C. 8 441a(5). The FEC's "affiliation" regulations at 11

C.F.R. 0 100.5(g) implement the law, by specifying how to determine when two political committees be treated as affiliated (or, in the language of the statute, as a "single political committee"). The law does provide that a 8 501(c)(4) corporation and a political committee can be lumped together and treated as a "single political committee" -- yet that is what the DNC complaint proposes to do. The DNC complaint disguises its strategy, first by blatantly ignoring the status of the NPF as an independent corporate entity (it later suggests that the NPF could be

"deemed" to be one, which is absurd -- it L one), and second by simply attempting to apply the affiliation criteria of 11 C.F.R. 8 100.5(g) without mentioning the inconvenient fact that these regulations do not apply to entities that are not political committees.

Additionally, the claim that the NPF is a political committee is expressed as a second, weak "in the alternative" claim because the NPF clearlv is a a political committee. When the BAICER& M'XENZIE

Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 4

allegations concerning the activities of the NPF are deflated of their rhetoric, it is clear that the NPF has been involved in grass-roots issue development and issue advocacy, and deiiniiely has rn undertaken any activities "for the purpose of influencing any election for federal office." 2 U.S.C. 8 431(8). As a result, there is no reason to believe that the NPF is itself a political committee. But if there is no reason to believe that the NPF is a political committee, then there

is no second political committee with which the RNC is supposedly affiiated -- in short, the

question of "affiiation" simply does not arise at all.

An underlying, and misguided, motivation of the DNC complaint may be based on the

incorrect notion that donations to issue advocacy organizations more in tune with one political

philosophy than another should be reported to the FEC and counted as part of the receipts

belonging to the political committee with which the issue advocacy organization in question is

perceived to be aligned. By the same reasoning that the DNC has used, the FEC would, for

example, require the Democratic Leadership Council and the Progressive Policy Institute -- both

DNC-aligned organizations, one a 8 501(c)(4) organization, the other a 8 501(c)(3) organization

-- to be treated as "arms or projects" of the DNC,Z' and to provide information on their

donations to the DNC,which in return would report such donations as part of the receipts of the

DNC. It would then be only a short step away to extend that reasoning to cover next, for

example, The Brookings Institution and various "think tanks" aligned with one political

a And, presumably, those two organizations would also be treated as "arms or projects" of each other, thereby destroying the Progressive Policy Institute's 5 501(c)(3) status. BAKER& M~KENZIE

Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 5

philosophy or another -- or who have directors, officers, contributors or members who also

happen to belong to one or another political committee or party. This is not, however, what the

law provides.

There are obvious good reasons, in fact constitutional reasons, why the law and the

affiition regulations do not extend so far as to encompass social welfare and charitable

organizations. To provide that these organizations might be treated as political committees, or

as "arms" of political committees, is to enter the perilous constitutional waters that BuckZey v. Vale0 and its progeny have been set up to avoid:

On its face, the statute might seem to include as political committees , . . issue-oriented groups . . . . In BucUey, however, the Supreme Court explicitly recognized the potentially vague and overbroad character of the 'p.olitical committee' definition in the context of [the Act's] disclosure requirements . . . .

The Buckley court felt that a more expansive definition of 'political commitiee' would have been constitutionally dangerous, since once any group of Americans is found to be a 'political committee' it must then submit to an elaborate panoply of FEC regulations requiring the filing of dozens of forms, the disclosing of various activities, and the limiting of the group's freedom of political action to make expenditures or contributions.

Federal Election Commission v. Machinists Non-Pam'san Political League, 655 F.2d 380,391 -2 @.C. Cir. 1981), quoted in Federal Election Commission v. WPAC,Inc., 871 F. Supp. 1466, 1469 (D.D.C.1994). Finally, putting the claims in backwards order obscures the fact that the DNC is in effect requesting the Commission to make a determination that actually is within the purview of the

Internal Revenue Service -- i.e., whether a given corporation qualifies for 8 501(c)(4) treatment.

To attempt to accomplish this, the DNC has to ignore NPF's separate corporate existence.

Thus, it talks, strangely, of "deeming" the NPF to be a separate corporate entity, when there BAKER& MW~NZIE

Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 6

can be no question of "deeming": The NPF indisputably & 9 seuarate comorate e.The NPF also indisputably has Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that prohibit it from engaging

in the activities of a political committee. Of course, these are inconvenient facts the recognition

of which would derail the DNC's complaint, so the DNC simply ignores them in its haste to try

to create an issue within FEC jurisdiction.

The NPF

The NPF is a non-profit corporation?' organized under the laws of the District of

Columbia "to operate exclusively for social welfare purposes within the meaning of Section

501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended . . . ." NPF Articles of

Incorporation (attached to DNC complaint as Exhibit l).j' NPF's Articles expressly provide

that NPF "shall neither have nor exercise any power of authority, either expressly, by

interpretation, or by operation of law, nor directly, nor indirectly, engage in any activity that

would prevent it from qualifying and continuing to qualify as an organization described in [26 U.S.C.] Section 501(c)(4)." Id. NPFs purposes, as stated in its Articles of Incorporation,

include encouraging "the involvement of citizens in free and open debate, the public exchange

and development of ideas, discussions, dialogues, conferences, and discourses, to promote public

forums, seminars and colloquia and information dissemination to the general populace, to

2' The NPF is not a "subsidiary" of the RNC. See DNC complaint at 7 28.

5' The NPF's application for recognition of exemption from federal income tax under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4) is pending. B~R& MWCENZIE

Lawrence M. Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 7

develop a national Republican policy agenda and to serve as a clearinghouse for :he collection

and review of research and ideas“ on “issues of concern to or affecting the citizens of the United

States of America.” Id. These kinds of purposes are functionally indistinguishable from the

broad purposes of literally thousands of other social welfare and charitable organizations

organized to operate in accordance with 26 U.S.C. $8 501(c)(4) and (c)(3).

The very point of the NPF’s existence is to develop ideas from the grassroots up, where

the best political ideas are developed in this country, and not from a political leadership down.

The ideas developed from the NPF’s major project so far have been memorialized in a report,

Listening to America, a copy of which is enclosed. As the table of contents page states and the

report itself demonstrates, the NPF “is a broad-based, inclusive organization designed to go out

to the grass roots to listen to Americans about issues on their minds and to conduct a search for

‘ideas that work.”’ The NPF deals in political philosophy, not in candidates or elections.

The complaint filed by the DNC does not allege NPF involvement in federal election

campaigns. The NPF has not contributed to, or made expenditures on behalf of, federal

candidates.:’ The complaint does not allege endorsements of or opposition to federal

2’ The NPF has borrowed funds from the RNC on an arm’s-length basis, that is; NPF has borrowed at market rates from the RNC, and the NPF has already repaid most of such loans. Nothing, of course, prohibits the RNC from lending funds to a Q 501(c)(4) organization. The DNC’s claim that the participants in NPF fora were invited “based on the status of those persons as ‘potential candidates for the 1996 Republican presidential nomination”’ is simply false; invitations were based on the fact that individuals invited were prominent and informed on the policy topic in question, not on whether they were or were not running for President. Surely the DNC cannot be suggesting that a person cannot be invited to participate in issue discussion if he or she might become a candidate for President or other federal office. BAKER& MCKENZLE

Lawrence M.Noble, Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 8

candidates, through independent expenditures or otherwise. It does not allege that the NPF has

responsibility for the day-to-day affairs or operations of the Republican Party. In short, the complaint lacks a factual basis for characterizing the NPF a political committee.

There are, of course, numerous mis-statements in the complaint, which, in view of NPF's

status as a 8 501(c)(4) corporation outside the ambit of FEC jurisdiction, do not require

refutation allegation by allegation. The DNC complains, for example, that the same individual

has a role in a political committee and also has a role in a 5 501(c)(4) organization. One might

as well complain that a public official cannot attend church because that would violate the wall

of separation between church and state. It is a commonplace of life in the United States that

civic-minded individuals belong to and participate actively in a variety of different organizations.

This is unremarkable and desirable, not undesirable, as the DNC insinuates. It would be very

surprising if the ranks of persons actively participating in DNC affairs did no&also include civic-

minded individuals belonging to and taking part in the activities of numerous different organizations, including 5 501 (c)(3) charitable and religious organizations, and 8 501 (c)(4) organizations such as the Democratic Leadership Council.@

c' In its zeal to collapse separate organizations into one, the DNC even goes so far as to attempt to collapse two individuals into one: The first NPF President was in fact Michael Baroody, but he was never "on the payroll of the RNC" during his NPF tenure, as alleged in the DNC complaint, 1 9 and f 24(a). The Baroody listed on Exhibit 4 to the DNC complaint is Mr. Baroody's son. BAKER& MFKENZIE

Lawrence M. Noble, ]Esq. September 29, 1995 Page 9

Conclusion

In light of the above considerations, we respectfully submit that there is no reason to

believe that a violation of FECA has been committed by the NPF.

John R. Bolton R. Carter Sanders

Lerner, Reed, Bolton & Sanders, UP 815 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006

Nicholas F. Coward Thomas Pede

Baker & McKemie

Attorneys for National Policy Forum ATTACHMENTS

By-Laws of the National Policy Forum

Listening to America: A Summary Report of the National Policy Forum, 1994

...

...... ~. . .~~. ..

...... , ..: BYLAWS

Conformed CODY

1/3/95 OF THE

NATIONAL POLICY FORUM

ARTICLEI. PURPOSE

Section 1. The purpose of the National Policy Forum is exclusively for social welfare

... .. purposes as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation. In pursuing such purpose, the .- ... .. National Policy Forum shall not act so as to impair its eligibility for exemption under Section

501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986, as amended.

ARTICLE 11. OFFICES

Section 1. The registered office of the National Policy Forum shall be at Suite 550,

1156 Fifteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, or such other location in the District

of Columbia as the Directors may from time to time determine.

Section 2. The National Policy Forum may also have offices at such other places as

the Directors may select and the business of the National Policy Forum shall require.

ARTICLE 111. lMEMBERS

Section 1. The National Policy Forum shall have no members.

Section 2. The Directors may create such classes of "membership," such as BYLAWS OF THE NPF Page 2

contributing members or honorary members, as the Directors see fit, but such persons shall

not have the right of members under the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act

of 1962, as amended. .. .

.. ARTICLE IV. DIRECTORS

Section 1. Powers. The Directors shall have all powers and duties for the conduct

of the activities of the Nationai Policy Forum except as otherwise restricted by these Bylaws

or a resolution duly adopted by the Board.

Section 2. Number. Amointment. Term. The Board of Directors shall consist of

not less than three (3) nor more than twenty (20) persons. Directors shall be appointed by

the Chairman of the Board at the annual meeting. Directors who hold elected positions in

federal state or local government shall be appointed to sewe a term of four (4) years or

until their terms of office have expired and they have not been re-elected, whichever is less.

Directors who do not serve as elected officials on the federal, state or local level shall serve a term of four (4) years until their successors are appointed and qualified. As nearly as possible, an equal number of terms shall expire each year.

Section 3. Removal. Any Director may be removed from office, without the

assignment of any cause, by a vote of a majority of the Directors in office at any duly

convened meeting of the Board, provided that written notice of the intention to consider

removal of such Director has been included in the notice of the meeting at which such action BYLAWS OF TEE NPF Page 3

is to be considered.

Section 4. Vacancies. Vacancies among the Directors may be filled by the

.. Chairman of the Board by appointment, and each Director so chosen shall hold office until

.~. .. the end of the term of the Director replaced and shall hold office until the next successor .. is elected and qualifies or until the Director’s earlier resignation or removal pursuant to ...... - . .. Sections 2 or 3 above.

Section 5. Ouorum A majority of the Directors shall constitute a quorum of the

Board €or the transaction of business. The act of the majority of the Directors present at

a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board (except that an

affirmative vote of two-thirds (13)of the entire Board shall be required with respect to any

amendment to these Bylaws or the Certificate of Incorporation.)

Section 6. Vote. Each Director shall be entitled to one vote. No proxy votes shall

be permitted.

Section 7. Waivers of Notice of Board Meetines. Adiournments. Notice of a meeting

need not be given to any Director who signs a waiver of notice whether before or after the

meeting, or who attends the meeting without protesting, prior to the conclusion of the

meeting, the lack of notice to such Director of such meeting. Neither the business to be

transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting of the Board need be specified in the notice

or waiver of notice of such meeting. Notice of an adjourned meeting need not be given if

the time and place are fixed at the meeting adjourning and if the period of adjournment BYLAWS OF THE NPF Page 4

does not exceed twenty days in any one adjournment.

Section 8. Regular Meetings. A regular annual meeting of the Board for appointment and election of officers and such other business as may come before the meeting shall be held upon not less than ten days written notice of the time, place and purposes of the meeting. The Board must provide for at least one additional regular meeting which may be held in accordance with the resolutions adopted at any meeting of the Board. In the absence of such a resolution the Board will meet at the call of the

Chairman.

Section 9. Soecial Meetings of the Board. Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman or a majority of the Board.

Such meetings shall be held upon not less than two days notice given personally by

telephone or upon not less than four days notice given by depositing notice in the United

States mails, postage paid. Such notice shall speci€y the time and place of the meeting.

Section 10. Action Without Meeting: The Board or any committee of the Board may

act without a meeting if, prior or subsequent to such action, each director or committee

member shall consent in writing to such action. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the meeting.

Section 11. Meetine by TeleDhone: The Board or a committee of the Board may

participate in a meeting of the Board or such committee, by means of a telephone

conference or any other means of communication by which all persons participating in the BYLAWS OF TEIE NPF Page 5

meeting are able to hear each other.

Section 12. Committees of the Board The Board, by resolution approved by a

.. majority of the entire Board, may appoint (from among the Directors) one or more ...... ~ committees, of one or more members (which may include persons who are not Directors,

provided that at least one member of each committee shall be a director and that any act

of any committee which has members which are not Directors shall be advisory, shall not

bind the Board or the Corporation and shall be subject to Board approval) each of which,

to the extent provided in the resolution, shall have and may exercise the authority of the

Board, except that no such committee shall:

(a) make, alter or repeal any Bylaw of the National Policy Forum;

(b) elect or appoint any officer or director, or remove any officer or director;

(c) make any grants or distribution of funds; or

(d) amend or repeal any resolution previously adopted by the Board.

The Board, by resolution adopted by a majority of the entire Board, may:

(a) fill any vacancy in such committee;

(b) appoint one or more persons to serve as alternate members of any such committee to act in the absence or disability of members of any such committee with all the

powers of such absent or disabled members of a committee;

(c) abolish any such committee at its pleasure; or

(d) remove any members of such committee at any time, with or without cause. BYLAWS OF TEE NPF Page 6

A majority of each committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of the majority of the committee members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of such committee.

Each committee shall appoint from among its members a chairman unless the resolution of the Board establishing such committee designates the chairman, in which case, in the event of a vacancy in the chairmanship, the Board shall fill the vacancy.

Actions taken at a meeting of any such committee shall be kept in a record of its proceedings which shall be reported to the Board at its next meeting following such committee meeting, except that, when the meeting of the Board is held within two days after the committee meeting, such report shall, if not made at the first meeting, be made to the

Board at its second meeting following such committee meeting.

Section 13. Comuensation: Neither Directors nor officers of the Board shall receive any fee, salary or remuneration of any kind for their services as Directors or officers, provided, however, that Directors and officers may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred with approval of the Board upon presentation of vouchers.

Section 14. Officers. At its annual meeting, the Board shall elect from its members a Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer, and such other officers as it shall deem necessary?each of whom shall serve for a term of two years and may succeed themselves. The Chairman of the Board shall select a President, who need not be a Director, with the concurrence by the Board, and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Board, by resolution BYLAWS OF THE NPF Page 7

adopted by a 2/3rds vote of the entire Board, may remove any officer, with or without cause.

The duties and authority of the officers shall be determined from time to time by the Board.

Subject to any such determination, the officers shall have the following duties and authority:

(a) The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall have other such duties and such other powers as may be vested on the office by the Board of Directors.

(b) The Secretary-Treasurer, who may not be an elected official of the federal, state or local government, shall have custody of the funds and securities of the corporation and shall keep or cause to be kept regular books of account for the corporation and shall cause notices of all meetings to be served as prescribed in these Bylaws and shall keep or cause to be kept the minutes of all meetings of the Board. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have charge of the seal of the corporation and shall perform such other duties and possess such powers as are incident to the office or shall be assigned from time to time by the Chairman or the Board.

(c) The President shall be a compensated employee and shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation and have the duties and responsibilities of conducting the affairs of the National Policy Forum and cany out the duties of office in accordance with the directions and policies of the Board, subject to the right of the Board to delegate any specific powers as allowed by law; and shall execute bonds, mortgages, and other contracts requiring a seal, under the seal of the Corporation, and when authorized by the Board, affi BYLAWS OF THE NPF Page 8

the seal to any instrument requiring the same.

(d) Assistant Treasurers, if elected, shall have such duties and possess such

authority as may be delegated to them by the Treasurer.

... (e) Assistant Secretaries, if elected, shall have duties and possess such ... authority as may be delegated to them by the Secretary.

ARTICLEV. BYLAWS

Section I. Force and Effect of Bvlaws. These Bylaws are subject to the provisions

of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act (the Act) and the Certificate of

Incorporation as they may be amended from time to time. If any provision in these Bylaws

is inconsistent with a provision in the Act or the Certificate of Incorporation, the provision

of the Act or the Certificate of Incorporation shall govern to the extent of such

inconsistency.

Section 2. Amendment to Bvlaws. These Bylaws may be altered, amended or

repealed by a vote of 213 of the Board. Written notice of any such Bylaw change to be

voted upon by the Board shall be given not less than 10 days prior to the meeting at which

such change shall be proposed. e

BYLAWS OF THE NPF Page 9

ARTICLE VI. INDEMNIJ?ICATION

Section 1. Indemnification. The National Policy Forum shall indemnify to the full extent permitted by law any person made, or threatened to be made, a party to an action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that the person, or the person's testator or intestate, is or was a director or

officer of the National Policy Forum, provided however, that no persons shall be entitled to

indemnification pursuant to this Article in any instance in which the action or failure to take

action giving rise to the claim for indemnification is determined by a court to be wilful

misconduct or recklessness. A Summary Report of the National Policy FOXUIII- A Republican Center for the Exchange of Ideas . ~ - ...... e TO

Introduction ...... 2 NATIONAL POLICY FORUM Map ...... 6 BOARD OF DIRECTORS F'ree Individuals in a Free Society ...... 8 AND OFFICERS Strengthening the Family ...... 11 Haley Barbour, C/tainttas .. Michael E. Raroody,Prrsident .. Improving Schools and Education...... 14 .. .. Safe and Prosperous Neighborhoods ...... 18 Oren L. Benton The Honorable William E. Brock Economic Growth and Workplace Opportunity ...... 22 W. L. Lyons Brown, Jr. Entrepreneurship and Small Business ...... 26 Mayor James Garner The Honorable ...... Gwendolyn S. King ... Reducing the Size and Scope of Government ...... 29 ...... State Senator Teresa Lubbers ...... Health Care Grounded in American Values ...... 33 Congressman Robert H. Michel, Reforming the Legal and Regulatory Systems ...... 37 Minority Leader Senator Don Nickles The Environment ...... 40 Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez Natural Resources, Agriculture and Energy ...... 44 Governor George V. Wjinovich Competing in the Global Marketplace...... 47 Daniel B. Denning, Ch@Operating Oficer U.S. Leademhip in a Changing World ...... 51 Kenneth J. Hill, Assuring America's Security ...... 54 vice Pwident, Operations C.T. "Kip" Howlett, Jr., Some Concluding Thoughts ...... 58 vice Pri?+dmtJor Po/iq/ Judy Van Rest, NPF Participants ...... 60 vice Presidcnl, Ex&ernalMaim

David R. MacDonald, Speciul Adtiism to the President

The National Policy Fomnl is a broad-based. inclusive organization designed to go oirl to thr gmsro0t.s to listen to Americans about issues on their minds and to conduct a search for "ideas that work." NPF is organized as a not-for-profitorganization under section 501 (c)(,I)of the Internal Hevenue Code. Contribulionsto the Forum are no1 deductible as charitable contributions for Cederal inconrr tax pllrpus~~s. 1 i Copyright 01994 by the National Policy Fomm. WashinRton. D.C. Pemlission is gmnlrd to reproduce niaterials in this publi- cation provided acknowledgenlent is made. WPF is located at 229 In Pennsylvania Avenue. S.E.. Washington. D.C. 2W03. (2002) 544-2000

~ .. __ ...... ~~ ...... - $. &. Lbled on fhe itside fmnf mrw and inside bock couer am some OJ the rno~lho,, 177.000 propie t- cub participated iir Listening to America .t "Republican party Having spent the last year listening to tion to bad policies that adversely affect leaders yesterday America, I am sure of one important our families, communities and nation. dusted off an old idea point: Americans want an alternative to Among the ideas in this report are that they hope will the big government, high tax, regulatory these: make the BOP the agenda that is currently being pursued in 0 Economic policies that would stimu- party of the future. late growth lower taxes and Seeking to reinvigo- Washington. through rate its ranks after Such an alternative agenda must be reduce the deficit by less spending; losing the White founded on the belief that individual Education reforms like school chice House last year, the freedom and individual responsibility are and more parental involvement in com- party kicked off the far preferable to government power and munity-not federal-control of schools; process to scour the government responsibility. That belief 9 Trade policies based on open country for new ideas resounded through the comments and markets and free trade coupled with and build a consensus views of more than 177,000 people who global competitiveness unburdened by within the OOP have participated in the first phase of excessive taxes and regulations; heading into 1996. to "Attributing last Listening America-an incredible, A commitment to a strong national year's defeat to the inclusive process that led to the publica- defense and foreign policy; party's failure to tion of this summary-the first report of Emphasis on strong law enforce- stand for anything, the National Policy Forum (NPF), a ment, tough sentencing and crimina! Republican National Republicm Center for the Exchange of control, not palliatives like gun control, to Committee Chairman Ideas. reduce violent crime; Haley Barbour said, As you read the 14 summaries, you will Support for specific, targeted 'We Republicans need observe that a fundamental belief and reforms-not a government-run health to regain our position commitment to individual freedom and care system-to solve the problems in thls country as a party of principle and responsibility permeates the policy posi- facing health care without destroying the a party of ideas.'" tions-whether they are positions in system that gives us the finest medical -Washington Post, favor of positive changes in laws, regula- care in the world; 9/29/53. tions or standare or positions in opposi- Regulatory reform and balanced LISTENING TO AIERICA 3

environmental protection polic Athat - are based on science and risk assessment and do not unnecessarily Iiurdon the economy; And welfare reform and other social policies that empower individuals and increase their opportunity, responsibility and self-esteem instead of offering incen- tives for dependency and illegitimacy. As you read Listciiing to Ainwica, it will be obvious what we are for, and you will ais0 observe that the views adve cated in this volume are consistent with those held by a majority of Americans. They are not “Republican”ideas per se; in than the Cliitons’ proposal for govern- Chairman, Haley fact, many who joined us in our process ment to take over and run the health care Ba.rboiir welcom.es are not Republicans. This led us to system. Crafted in secret by an elitist NPF bawd members remind ourselves that the National Policy crew of policy insiders and partisans, US. Sen. Don, Nickless. State Sen. Teresa Forum is a Republican Center for the support for the plan has steadily declined Lubbers and the Exchange of Ideas, not a Center for the as the public has learned what is actually Honorable Willinin, Exchange of Republican Ideas. in it. Its terrible flaws have become more Brock a,l IIt,e,firsl Nevertheless, it is quite evident that and more obvious. Today even its original Aiads of the the views expressed in this initial report proponents and sponsors cannot defend Forum recepli.on iir are an accurate reflection of the policies its major elements-and most have quit Wnshinglon., D.C. Republicans in federal, state and local trying. Mayor .Jnmes Gamey government have advocated and sup- Thus, from its formation last summer, stands bekind the ckairma,n. ported. And where these Republicans the National Policy Forum has had the have had the power to implement poli- goal of being a participatory institution, cies and programs based on these ideas, open to all who want their voices heard those policies and programs have and their ideas considered in the public worked. policy debate. We made it clear that one The Reagan policies of economic did not have to be a Republican to partic- growth through low taxes led to the ipate, and as we hoped and expected, longest peacetime economic expansion many Democrats and Independents did in American history and the creation of participate. more than 18 million new jobs. The What was not expected, or even strategic doctrine of peace through dreanied of, was the magnitude of the strength generated policies that led to the participation. More than 177,000 demise of the Soviet Union, the collapse Americans have participated in the initial of communism and Western victory in the phase of National Policy Forum’s work. Cold War. Ideas have consequences, Needless to say, we were overwhelmed at issues matter, and public policy based on times-but thrilled. the right principles succeeds. The process that led to their participa- But public policy is too important to tion was based on our belief that good allow it to be developed apart from the ideas and policy are more likely to origi- participation and scrutiny of the public. nate outside the Washington, D.C., What better example could there be beltway than inside it. Therefore, in 4 LISTENING TO AMERICA ..~~.~ "Another reason develop1e policy, the Forum sought After answering the for the new forum the ideas of nonelected, non- fourth question. Sen. Wallop said to the is Barbour's view Washingtonians-the people who have to group, "We're glad to answer your ques- that Bush lost In pay the taxes and live with the laws and tions, but we really came here to listen t~ large part because regulations. you." Needless to say, the audience was Republicans failed to get his message to The principal operating arms of the flabbergasted. Most elected officials want voters. National Policy Forum are its 14 policy to talk, and the fact that the officials who '' 'Most Repub- councils. participated in our public fonuns were licans agree we did Each council has cochairs who are there io listen made a favorable impres- not do a very good highly respected leaders with recognized sion on everyone. job in 1992 of letting experience and knowledge in the policy Another principal source for this the American people area around which the council is orga- report was the Republican National know what we were nized. They provide outstanding leader- Committee. The RNC developed a 26- asking them to vote for,' Barbour said. ship for the councils and the Forum itself. section survey which included 159 ques- 'And we need to give The majority of the members of each tions about public policy, ranging from people something to council, however, are neither elected offi- defense to education, taxes and crime. be for. It is not cials nor Washington insiders. Most come They mailed it to more than 800,000 enough for us today from the private sector, although gover- Republican households across the to just oppose nors, U.S. senators and representatives, country. Clinton. We want a state legislators and other state and local More than 134,000 people took the 30- party that is centered elected officials also serve on every 45 minutes necessary to respcsd to on ideas.' " this -Philadelphia council. survey. The RNC shared the results with Inquirer, 9/29/93. The councils held more than 60 public the National Policy Forum, so it could forums from coast-to-coast between benefit from the input of this huge sample November 1993 and June 1994. They also of public opinion. This survey is the held scores of smaller meetings. More largest public policy research project ever than 10,000 people attended the public undertaken by a political organization. forums, with crowds ranging from a few Listening to America primarily dozen to several hundred. Fonuns were reflects the views expressed at the televised. Local media coverage was fonuns and in the survey. It also includes almost invariably attained, and it was the opinion of nearly 40,000 additional usually very favorable. Frankly, the media people who were involved with the seemed surprised that the forums were Forum through other avenues. not about politics in the election sense The policy councils digested and con- but actually about public policy. sidered the recommendations and opin- Attendees were surprised, too. They ions of these participants and presented were surprised that the elected officials them in this report. But the nearly 1,000 who sewed on the Listening Panels were members of the councils will continue there to listen. One of my favorite stories deliberations and consider proposals came out of the event in Billings, Mont. that have been or will be received in the Sen. Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming, who coming months. Listening to America is cochaired the Natural Resources and the initial report of the National Policy Energy Policy Council with Reagan Forum. A final report will be issued in administration official Wendy Gramm, the spring of 1995. opened the floor after the last witnesses Between now and the publication of had made their presentations. The first the final report, the policy councils will four participants in the audience all asked expand their deliberations. They will con- ~ LISTENING TO AMERICA 5

~~ ~ sider the development of issuea this America needs an alterna to this . fall's campaign and will seek increased big-government agenda The majority of input from elected officials. Therefore. Americans want lower taxes, less spend- the final document will result not only ing and fewer regulations. The National from Listening lo America at the grass- Policy Forum is in the process of devel- roots level, but it will also reflect long in- oping just such an agenda. depth consideration of these policy When you read Listening to America, proposals. I hope it inspires you to consider our I know Listening to America and the ideas about good public policy and stim- full policy reports and white papers to be ulates you to share your recommenda- published by the councils in September tions and opinions with us. wiU stimulate debate and pave the way The first phase of the National Policy for the development of a positive alterna- Forum's work was intensely participatory tive agenda for this country. It is crucial and concentrated on reaching out to that such an agenda be developed and those at the grassroots who have much to advocated. share with us. As we continue this Today the five biggest institutions in process, we welcome the ideas of US. public policy-the White House, Americans like you. Please consider this Congress, the bureaucracy, the news my personal invitation to you to join us in media and the special interests-are all the National Policy Forum in our effort to pursuing a big-government agenda They develop a positive alternative agenda for call for higher taxes, more spending and America. increased regulation. They believe gov- ernment is the answer to every question. Haley Barbour If a problem exists, they look for a gov- Chairman ernment solution. National Policy Forum

0 LISTENING TO llMERlCA 0 8 LISTENING TO AMERICA 'FREE INDlVlbUALS IN A FREE SOCl

..

,.

~~ .., ..

... .

... ~.

. .. . "Others said opportu- "My vision is red simple. I'm an Amatcan. I count on and the very political process our ...... nlty was unattalneble can define myseU: I knour what my identity freedom depends on seem to operate outside .. for black Americans is. "-Bill Thomas in Greensboro. N.C. that framework. It is their government they are because of the educa- not sure about. They feel it doesn't represent ..~. ..~ tlon system and What Seems simple to Bill Thomas, an entrepre them well. .. welfare. Some people new from lldewater, Va, confuses some who Their government seems to them to conduct advocated allowlng are called the nation's "elites." But Mr. public policy that's at odds with public opinion school choice; others Thomas-and many others we have listened on issues ranging from homelessness to drugs, sald there was a need to-believe that simply saying "I'm an from subsidies for offensive & to the question for entrepreneurship in American" is saying a lot. He meant it more than of whether religion has a place in the public the black community. just a statement of nationality; he meant it as a square. Many mdor institutions seem to operate ... Communlc&ion, point of pride-a boast that being an American by a different set of rules and on a different set economic empower- makes him a free individual in a free society. of assumptions than the majority of Americans. ment, personal There is a gulf that divides the pride and cer- Many we heard from would agree with responslbillty and titude of a Bill Thomas from the cultural confu- Myron Magnet, who wrote in Commonsense, strong famllles were sion of these "elites" who have so much NPFs journal: "We've had a 30-years' experi- among the solutions influence over policy, over the messages of ment with living by the values of the cultural offered by audlence entertainment and other elements of the revolution, and now the results are in." Many, members to achieving popular culture, and over education and the too, would agree with council Co-chair William opportunities for media That gulf explains why listening to Bennett: "It is not that we live in a society com- Americans." America in the 1990s can both dampen the spirit pletely devoid of virtue. Many people live well, -0anville (Va.) and lii the heart. decently, even honorably. There are famMes, Regkter and Bee, Like Bill Thomas, most Americans still seem schools, churches, and neighborhoods that 4/9/94. confident about themselves, sure about their work. There are places where virtue is taught goals and values. The great majority we heard and learned. But there is a lot less of this than from still live, work, worship and raise families there ought to be. And we howit." within a fairly definite framework of right and At forum after forum held by this and other wrong. NPF councils, we heard citizens' anger and But many of the schools they send their chil- noted their distrust. But we also heard their dren to, the criminal justice system they used to ideas, ideals and determination. "One solution lirs in taking back od +tics. . otic block at a time. one neighborhood at a time and injecting a sritsr of c~ottimtrtittvhck info the way we live our lives (wry (lay," said Arkansas legislator Jini live1 iir our fonmi in Little Rock. llc niiist have had in nitnd Thelma Moton, who told us she had coticlutled that since she couldn't change Washingion, 1).C.. she would change her own town of Conway, Ark. And she's doing it. working with reetiagers-five of whom were with her at the forum-to shape character and discoitrage teen pregnancy. We found people a11 over Anierica, looking less to government than to themselves. helping one another MChin their fanlilies ;md through their neighborhoods. churches and roniniuniries. In Kent, Wash.. former Whitis Hoits~sr,affer Greg Alex told tis how his Xitr Talbot Center is helping homelrss people find their way hack into the Seattle conimunity--;uid hek doing it without government funds. Sheila Reed Palmer told us of her trnant In Dallas, Texas, Rick Webber sounded a management of public housing in Tampa, Fla. recurring theme regarding threats to our eco- In Greensboro, N.C., Jack Dunn told us of his nomic freedom. He asked us to "think back to efforts to help innercity youngsters in North our immigrant forefathers who left oppressive Carolina get the most out of education. governments that were taking the fniits of their In Orlando, ma.. deacon Mark Rivera told of labor away from their families, and who were intercepting kids whom the experts call "at risk always looking over their shoulder to see if and diverting them from a path that might end there w.7~a govemient agent checking up on up in criminal careers. them. We are quickly brcoming thr kind of The examples are endless. It's a good country our forefathers left." country, with good people in it. We know- "me truth is," said Bill Thomas, "wr havr we've been listening. But currents of anger run lost our moral values. We've lost our family. shong. We've lost the character in our cornmunitirs." IO ILISTENING TO AMERICA

Uurin @\ir forum in Greensboro, N.C., soci@ privat.e institutions to act as buffers to (’hiirk Muller told us, “The basic thing I think is the power of government. protect against it. and wrong with ow society is the destruction of the offer alternatives t,o it. Churches, civic and family.” neighborhood groups, unions, trade and other In Fort Mitchell, Ky., a mother impatient to professional organizations are some of these get home to her family from our evening mediating inst,itutions, but the first among them meeting stayed late to tell us that she knew well is the family. her responsibilities to her children: get them to 2. The suMval of political and social liberty school, feed them, shelter them, teach them depends upon the maintenance of economic morals. teach them ethics and teach them reli- freedom and opportunity. Whiie political liber- gion. “I thought that was my job,” she said. “I ties have expanded significantly in recent times, thought teachers got paid for academics.“ their underpinnings-citizens’ freedom from The audience applause made clear she was economic constraints imposed by govern- not alone in thinking that schools are taking ment-have grown weaker. For the sake of over what parents think to be their job-teach- maintaining full American liberty, we must ing morals and values. make t.he restoration of those underpinnings a These concerns nin deep. They affect the top priority. way people live their lives and earn their living. 3. Public disconrse in a free society must. be They affect the economy in which they must guided by civility and rooted in reason, not by operate and t.he communities in which they live. the formiikw of “political correctness,“ which They affect their families and their chddren- are rooted in emotion and limit freedom in the thr source of the passion that emerged in our guise of presening it. forum meetings. Finally, they affect the spirit. 4. Individuals have rights. The Declaration of Blending all the voices we have heard into a Independence declares these rights t,o be single presentation is not easy. Many thanked us ”nnalicnable”

Wr hrrrvtl oiirr and ouw /ha1 the iie.stmr- t ion q/‘thr ,famil,tl and policim that rnroumgc? that trrntl are among ow biggest problems. STREIkTHEN1 NG 0 THE FAMILY

"The issue of welfare dependency was a frequent topic at Thursday's session. The lack of an incen- tive to get off public assistance was Listening to Anierica has Iiriiright its siirprisos. brought up by several Perhaps the inost startling ha5 l)wn thc strong speakers and pan- public response to our itnitation to discuss elists concurred that strengthening the faniily. The role of the family the business sector is all-encompassing: to prorrct provide for arid must get involved by educate the next genrrarion. passing on to it thr providing jobs for values and principles that rrisure the, tiations those on assistance. stability and prodnctivity. "One suggestion We discovered. iiowwrr. t fw public.b con- from the audience was rems could not hr c:ontaincd wirhin that frarw- to give businesses work. On ahnost rvrfyissiir ciinsitlerrtl by our incentives to hire other panels--education, crinic. Iiralth. tli~ welfare recipients. econoniy-t he speakers ranir Iiack 10 thr smie "Roy Innis. national point the I'runily tii~ittc*rs. chairman of the With sweeping nn~aniniit,y,prople insisted Congress of Racial I hat unless America's fanii1.v lifr is rcwmd. wr Equality and a Demo- as a nation will never he al)le to deal with the crat, added. 'It's our array of issues currently cmsuniing the wrr- intent to break the gies of government :uid thr rrsoiwrs of faspay- system. but not the CIS. What we heard on1.v rrinforrrs the findings morality of those in of a national survry conimissionctl hy thv the system.' *' Family Research Council: -The Milwaukee 72 percent of rrspondrnts say changes in Journal, 3/11/94. I:! LlSTESlNO TO I\IIERICA we get fBJ .” asked someone at our forum in ..&nient. has truly failed with our Kent, Wash. “More taxes!” came ai inunediate tvelfare system. It’s failed for the children, it’s rrply from another attendee. l‘ailed for thosv on wrlfarc. it’s failed for the tax- In 1948, a median-income family of four paid payer-and I know we can come up with some- vimally no income tax and only $60 in Social thing better.“ said Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Security taxes. Today, that same family pays 40 Thompson at our forum in Beloit, Wis. percent of its income to taxes. Measured by Thirty percent of the babies born today are their average after-tax, percapita income, fami- born to single mothers, a rate five t,imes what it lies with children are the lowest income house- was 30 years ago. Two out of three black chil- hold group in America dren are now horn out of wedlock, up from 25 Across the counm, we found parents out- percent in 1965. Scholar Charles Murray asserts, raged not only about t.he financial burden of “Illegitimacy is the single most important social taxes but about the lack of results from problem of our time.” Washington’s use of their hardearned money. Failed welfare policies contribute to a They just don’t feel they’re getting their money’s decline in the stabi1it.y of the family unit and W0rl.h. are a true “root cause” of our most serious A young woman in Kent, Wash., laniented social problems. Vhildren born out of that her family codd not afford t,o buy a house wedlock are tlme limes as likely to fail in even though her hnsband made a good living. school. twice as likely to coninlit crimes and, “We cannot afford a house, because government if thry are girls, more t.han twice as likely to money is going to things that don’t even pertain bear children out. of wedlock themselves. to the community.” Congress of Racial Equality Chairman Roy Innis summed it up at our Beloit forum: “The ‘Family time famine’ people that lost, out the most on this welfare Today’s financial crunch is also tied to a niore were children.” ominous pressure on the family, what has What should lie done about the welfare been called the ”family time famine.” In 10G5, jirograni? One thing is clear: actions beyond a parents spent, on average, about 30 hours a nicre t.inkering are iiiiperat,ive. For instance: week with their children. By 1985, parent- Government must stop subsidizing illegiti- child time together had dropped to just 17 macy and rnabling parents to avoid responsi- hours a week. The parents we listened to bility for their children. We niust end the expressed their frustration wit.h having too rnabling factor of benefits that lead lo little time with their children and wondered increased teen pregnancy, forcink young aloud how they can work so hard and still not mot,heis and their children into an unending get ahead. cycle of poverty. Noth~ngwould brnefit families more thnn a Work niust be required in exchange for ben- significant reduction in the size and scope of efits, and benefits must be time limited. government. That would make possible a dra- Overhauling the welfare system should not matic reduction in their tax burden, which, in simply replace one form of entitlement, i.e., turn, would allow them to redirect their time cash benefits, with others such as training, edu- from earning to parent.ing. cation and government work programs. When people across the country discuss The federal government must end its stran- bloated, ineffective government, one proposi- glehold on the regulations concerning public {.ionmeets with wide agreement: our welfare assistance, allowing states to more easily launch system is a disaster. The people it was bold innovations to truly end “welfare as we designed to help have been caught in the trap know it.” of its perverse incentives. Through the Many states have already instituted reforms, current welfare system a single mother is and niore would do so if the official hand of guaranteed a paycheck as long as she does Washington were removed from their necks. not work and does not marry a working male. The citizens of Wisconsin, proud of their state’s The system is such that illegitimacy and pioneering approach to welfare reform, cited dependency are subsidized while marriage Gov. Thompson’s innovations to encourage and work are taxed. parental responsibility and other initiatives, ~ ~~ ~~

LISTENING TO AMERICA 13 such as time- limited benefits. ClearR J, uccess is possible when change is initiated and managed by those closest to the programs: the taxpayers, beneficiaries and public officials in states and localities. As a case in point, Wisconsin has witnessed an almost 20 percent reduction in its welfare rolls: the state has reduced its welfare rolls more than the rest of the states combined. While some in Washington think the easy way out of the welfare quagmire is more educa- tion and training, most Americans know the real answer is work. "The best wag we learn how to work is to work," observed Harvard professor Lany Mead. Hc reflects the views of many when he said. "The opportunity ladder begins with that first job, not. with permissive training progranis." If federal officials want.to stem the tide of the welfare state, they need only to do what we have done: listen to what Americans have to say about welfare. It is not callous or mean-spirited. It tells the hard truth. Facing hard truths can build strong charac- ter-and a strong society. There are many individuals across the country who are taking it on themselves to support strong responsi- ble families within their own communities. There are local groups such as the Delaware Family Foundation, encouraging responsible fatherhood. There are individuals, such as tainment industry and, of course, abortion. "More than 100 Greg Alex of Seattle, who are assisting in the When a Nebraska-born Republican on the West people attended the recovery of drug addicts. In Kentucky, we Coast called "family values" a "thinly veiled, forum, and most visited with families teaching their own chil- negative, anti-abortion message" and "a dead seemed to agree It dren; home schooling is a dramatic illustra- issue," another member of the audience was atme to get tough tion of how parents are reasserting their responded, "the abortion issue is not dead, not on longtlme welfare rights-and their responsibilities. "We must while lives are being taken, and not while my recipients and those go home and personally try to make a differ- tax dollars are paying for it." Whenever the issue who don't pay child ence. We need to take personal responsibility arose, the latter sentiment was the mJority support. One young and work toward generational wellness," said position. welfare mother In the Thelma Moton, quoted earlier. What united the members of our audience in crowd said webre Throughout the country there is a common all parts of the country was a willingness to reclplents 'want to concern about what kind of adults today's chil- fight for their families and the future of their work.' " dren will become. Will they live by the values we children. 'koubled though people are about -Wlsconsln State have been guided by, or will they become ethi- current trends toward social disintegration, Journal, 3/11/94. cally alien to us and earlier generations? Will they have not given up on themselves or their their culture be an extension, indeed an neighbors. "They have taught us our greatest improvement, of our own, or will social changes lesson in listening to America," said council Co- make them strangers to us? chair Nona Brazier. "The family is the only foun- Those questions underlie many of the spe- dation that makes a nation mentally, physically cific issues covered in other sections of this and spiritually strong. National policy must report: prayer in schools, outcome-based educa- return tc-and flow from-this fundamental tion, drug abuse, sex and violence in the enter- truth." 14 LISTENINQ TO AMERICA --

.. 'A. the format "Ourfutu1-edepends on the education of our Education must prepare them for the tasks of promirnd, most of the children, and nothing is more important." adulthood, give them the skills necessary to talk Wednesday night -Lisa Men in Lubbock, Texas. work and to iive and to support a family in the came from ordinary 21st centuy And parents are up in arms with .. .. . LuMsockltes instead As we listened to America, education, more schools that fail at this. of pollticlans." than any subject, provoked passion. Not only On the second point-its meaning-edu- -The lubbock parents, but heroic teachers and able adminii- cation means passing on to another genera- (Texas) Avalanche trators who stand on education's front line tion the values and virtues that tie them to Journal, 3/31/94. have a common complaint: that someone those who came before, tie them to each farther away and further up the line now con- other and maintain the continuity of civiliza- trols what goes on in the classroom. There is a tion. Education also means affirming the popular revolt brewing. Parents and teachers ideas on which the American proposition in communities all across the country are rests and reinforcing citizenship. Which is furious that something so basic as teaching why a veteran teacher won applause at our our children can go so wrong. After all, these forum in Maine when she told us, "Every day schoolsaretheuschools, and theirchildren go in my classroom I start with a flag salute, a to them. moment of silence and a song-because we "If someone would have ever told me I was are Americans, and that's the beginning of going to be losing sleep over my children's edu- unity." cation, I would not have had children. And I am Everywhere we went, we heard with remark- losing sleep over my children's education," said able consistency what parents, teachers, stu- Bob Boswell at our fonun in Ft Mitchell, Ky. dents and administrators consider the basic The powerful emotion is, in large part, elements of a good school. Whether we were in explained both by the vital importance California, Florida, Maine, or all our stops in Americans attach to education and by the deep between, we heard parents, teachers and stu- meaning they give it. dents insisting on the same core essentials: On the first point, its importance, we know basic academics, discipline in the schools, that Lisa Men is right. Our future does depend choice, parental involvement, caring, responsi- on education-our future as a nation and each ble teachers, more local control and far, far less of our children's individual futures as adults. governmentintrusion. LISTENING TO AMERICA 16

In their own words In Richmond, Va., the . “All I hear from parents is. please. have them forum focused on the teach iny children to read. to do basic arith- basic objectives qf the metic. Teach them how to spell. Teach them educatiortd system history, Teach them geography, and forget all and the home school- this other junk.”-ludi Hahn, Ohio Board of ing alternative. Education. “When you take discipline (Jilt of the class- room. you ruin any opportunity the child has of leaming.”Jeff Layne, a father from Richmond. “The only way to ensure quality education is to speak up and to have a voice on where we want our kids to go to school.”-Rick Willianson, another Richmond father. “We’re just making the schools worse, not better, by having more control. And at the national levrl, wr don’t need more testing, we don’t need morr national requirements for edu- cation. Lct’s do it hrre.“-Mackie Bobo. an administrator and former teacher in Lubbock. Texas. “From the mouths of students comes ’if my parent cares, 1 will prrtorm.‘ “-Jeff Cooche. a parent from Albion. Maine. “Teachers how the potential present in their students. Expect students to excel and they voucher system. But I think as many options as “Many who spoke will.”-Scott Dadich. a high school senior in we can give parents and students [is] what we were teachers who Lubbock, Texas. ought to go for.” said they have not In Cincinnati, we visited the Hughes Center. been given proper ABC5 of education reform Intensely popular with parents, students and training but are There is an inteiise desire for reform that is teachers, the Hughes Center’s five magnet expected to use reflectcd in an overwhelming call for school schools widen options for children interested in new techniques and choice and choices. Wr heard from many like careers in technical and specialized fields of programs. Parents Toni O’Hare ’hcker in Lubbock, Texas, who health care, communications and computer also voiced concerns ‘argued for a system tliat lcts “a child and a science. Its High School for the Health that included: parent, a fanlily [cornel together to be able to Professions, like most successful magnet “Lumplng choose where and when to spend their tax svhools, grounds students in the basics while students of different dollars for education.” Lacing the wide support also preparing them for a career. Lynn Ohan, ages and those with for such a voucher system is a skepticism born president of the Greater Cincinnati Hospital different abllities in of concerns about intrusive government. Sheny Council, made a telling point about community one ungraded class. Myers, a mother in Lubbock, warned forum involvement. The school for the health profes- “Trying to teach attendees, ”Before you request a voucher sions. she said, “started not with educators. It values and morals In system with, quote, ’no strings attached.’ look at started in our business because we faced and the classroom instead history and realize that what you’ll get is going cmntinue to face a shortage of skilled profes- of leaving it up to to be federal conlrol.” sional workers for our health care community.” parents. But choice means more than vouchers to Govs. John McKernan of Maine and Tommy “Mandat:i;g too niany we met. C:hoice includes magnet schools, Thompson of Wisconsin have crafted youth much, too fast. charter schools. private schools, youth appren- apprenticeship programs providing workplace “Allowing family ticeship progranis. And it ran mean greater training and a bright future for students not resource centers to selection from among a greater variety of good planning on college. The father of one appren- offer informatlon schools. As Waterlord School Board member tice told us of his son and “the changes I’ve seen about birth control.” Russell Gyson told us in Maine: “I am an adve in hi5 commitment to himself.” We visited a -The (Florence, KF) cate of school choice. I promote the idea of a National Guard boot camp for high school Recorder, 12/15/93. 16 LISTENING TO AMERICA dropoumor, Okla Like many such schools need extra help. All these programs, all these across the country-where discipline is a domi- choices have at their core basic academics with nant feature-it gives a second chance to hun- the specialty programs determined by the dreds of kids, kids who were on their way to the parents, teachers and communities t,o best fit criminal justice system or just on their way to the needs of their children and the world they nowhere. One of them, Cadet David Priest, told are preparing to enter. us: “I had given up on the school system. It was Where refom work, their design involved a big joke, [but]thi academy has given me a dif- parents, teachers and the local community. In a ferent outlook on my goals. I’m planning on number of cases, leadership at the state level has going to college and doing something with my brought about effective reforms. State-struc- life rather than just being a bum.” tured reforms are successful only where gover- We heard, as well, the needs of children who nors and state superintendents work closely come to school from families and neighbor- with parents, teachers and local leaders and hoods that surround them with drugs and vio- involve them in the reform process. Michigan, lence or from families who just don’t care. “You Ohio and Wisconsin offer three such examples. don’t just abandon them or kick them when Often, the biggest obstacles to reform are they’re down,” said Kay Mink, a science teacher posed by entrenched bureaucracies and the in Lubbock. “Many of these children have been leadership of teachers’ unions out of touch, not abandoned too many times already.” only with the desires of parents, but even with For these children, Rob Smith in Portland, the thinking of many teachers in their member- Maine, urged provision of school-based scr- ship. Most distressing, and perhaps most pre vices-not of the politically correct sort that so dictable, where reform has gone wrong are inflames many parents we heard from-but to those cases where educators and state legisla- help children learn, provide a safe place to study tors and officials craft total overhauls without or mentors to guide children through the maze the involvement of parents, teachers and local of destruction, frustration and a sense of help communities. Lois Schoborg told us in Ft. lessness. Acknowledging “some people don‘t Mitchell that, Kentucky‘s reform was “a top- want the public schools to have to pick up this clown thing inflicted upon us. Teachers have no Co-Ch.irs: role,” Rob insisted that “if we’re ever going to try say. The people have no say.” Lamar Alexandm: and change the direction our society’s heading No so-called reform generated more fury former governor of in, whether it be crime, domestic violence, alce than Outcome-Based Education (OBE). The Tanessee and holism, drug abuse, we’re really going to have to education elite supporting OBE hdack the uni- Secretanj of Education make an effort.” versal desire to know exactly how schools, stu- in the Bush odmin- We went looking for ideas that work in edu- dents and teachers are doing and distort schools islmtion, chairs cation, and we found many more than we report into engines of social reform. Lil Tuttle. co- “The Rqnrblirnn here. Importantly, we found an explosion of founder of Academics First, contrasts OBE with Neighborhood reform, where parents, teachers and communi- the “traditional academic model” that keeps a Meeting,” CI monthLjj ties are fighting to take charge of their schools “focus on developing children’s intellects.” She sntellile tehision and school systems. explains that schools rising OBE ”direct a.. piogmm. As we traveled around the country, a pattern much attention to the social, emotional and per- and process for successful reform are emerging. sonal domains as they do to the intellectual Lynn Martin., The structure, the elements of reform, has at its domain. Children decide for themselves what former Secretani of core an insistence on a basic academic curricu- they want to learn, and when. Curriculum and Labor ond US. repre- lum and clear, high standards. Built around this instruction are designed to develop self-esteem. sen.tati.ve (IL-12th), core is a widening circle of choice; among Children aren’t promoted, they can’t be fded, rlicim Dcloilte & schools and types of schools, from charter and and letter grades aren’t given because of the Touche:? Council on magnet schools to youth apprenticeship pro- impact it has on their self-esteem.” the Advancement of grams. Choice also includes different teaching OBE is in place in Kentucky. It was voted Women and hold.? styles, from the academically rigorous seminars down last fall in Virginia It is being tested and Me Davw Chair of ‘Paideia“ to the disciplined environments of considered in many states. We went to at the Kellogg the boot camps we saw. And schools should Kentucky. We went to Virginia. In Kentucky, Lois School of Business. provide for appropriate services, again, not the Schoborg told us, “I see children that cannot Northwestern U. politically correct sort, but services for children read and write. We have something called cre- LISTENING TO A>IERICA li ative spelling.” In Richmond. John Dalmather of five, was *convinced that this push toward OBE is going to ‘tlnmb down’ our children into mindless drones.” A niorher in Virginia told us that she “resigned as an English teacher because I got in trouble with the county for teaching subject-verb agreement to college- bound seniors.” We found widespread dismay aniong parents about certain ideas, like OBE. that. don’t work. Often such ideas represent to them an uncon- scionable willingness by experts to experiment with their children. As Gina Bondick said in northern Kentucky, “I very much resent my chil- dren being used as guinea pigs at the sake of their education.” A growing number of parents feel forced to give up on the schools altogether be, the core essentials we heard everywhere we “Tonight, area resi- and take on the job theniselves. We are grateful went. These have guided reforms that have dents, whatever their to Dawn and Brian Henderson and Jane and proven successful: they ought to guide all politics, can be part Steve Bamea of Taylor Mill. Ky., for invithg us reform. And people know what reforms, what of the America the into their homes to meet them and their chil- choices make sense for their communities and policy formulators are dredstudents and to leam more about the for their children. The answers are not found in listening to. ... It’s an growing practice of home schooling-how it federal agencies, in one-size-fits-all national important chance to works, and that it works. solutions or the dictates of government. The speak up. More than A good education begins with good teachers. task for Republicans and for all who share these 60 such forums are We heard a lot from parents about teachers and views is to ensure that communities are free to being held throughout a lot from teachers about teaching. Discussions make the reforms that work and t.o resist or the country. Maine about teaching all revolve around accountabil- discard the reforms that do not. voices deserve to be ity. Parents want good teacheis for their kids. strongly heard.” Parents want teachers held accountable; teach- ‘:4ny communi& Niat icank g& ,dwo/s, -Partland (Maine) ers want to he held accountable. Parents want titants high standards. wanb tests that a,llow Press Herald, t.o know how their children are doing teachers tis to hold the system nccountablc, ninnk to 4/6/94. want the right tools to tell students exactly how give parents choices of many cliffwent scltools, they are doing. And teachers are furious when can do !Ita!. We kn,oio what to do. toe uiill tests, the key to acconntability, are bad tests and simpti/ put tlte rc~onsibilityback rc?lmc il when bureaucrats get in the way ofaccountabil- .sliouIil tic cintl yitie tcwlicw and pmt~c.,tt.scitrtl im. Linda Hawkins, who has tanght in Kentucky ct!myone ini)olimi with children (I rhanre lo for 24 years, told us, “This test is not testing rmnange /he schools i.n n way tlmf ,fit.s,fi.rvni.- what we teach. I know what I have taught those lies the iony .litmilies are torln,y. lhmr IIW ran children. It breaks niy heart to look at those test have /Its wty bcst scltoo1.s it1 IIIP .tt~ot%l.”- scores.” Lamar Alexander

In conclusion ‘As CI Ici~cluo‘atul p(itcnt, I know .10c ttctr.st America’s schools will do niuch to shape the tammil lo schools that work. Itt Atnurim, future of America. While enormous improve- schools shoul11 be the route 10 n betto’ foivio1’ ments must be made in the face of complex NOW, lite 111a~tyto Iiivttl u ncrtion togeflro: ’Il,dci:ty, problems, there are programs. projects. schools /hey too ?/!en it?inforrc nilzal does77 ‘t imrk- and school systems that work. And while there wlml can’t work. TIie twull.: our cltilrlrcni ut’(’ is no one silver bullet of reform that by itself is dieated of their ji(&ure. We ?iced konest the answer to what ails American education, the rrppraisals and honest discussion o/‘~vherewe reforms happening all across this conntry frtr nnd ~tihmpWP nmnl to 90. 7he Rrplrbliron provide guideposts to the future. Parents and Pa,rty must lead and propel the changes liial teachers know what they want their school to work.”-Lynn Martin ~ ~~

I8 LISTENING TO AMERICA

"One message that 'nLe intensity of the violence is worse than it County, Va, makes a large point. Our discussion came out from both Iias ever been before. Younger and younger of criminal justice at Hayfeld High School had the panel and audi- people am committing violence as they never gone on for more than an hour. From state offi- ence members was did before. We have the unfortunate situation, cials, former prosecutors, student and audience that social responsi- I think, of being a societv that has Is-,14- and participants, we had heard a variety of views blllty beglas wlth the I5-year-olds killing oulers with no remorse, no about the issues of crime and personal safety family and the com- conscience-no feelings about it. Taken when the microphone found its way to Joan munity. logelheq those things make us wonder what is Frederick. "[Alexandria, Va., happening to our society.'"--Dan Lungren in Admitting that she didn't like tatking before Vice-Mayor Bill] Fullerton, Calif. crowds, Joan went on to say that this was a Cleveland discussed crowd she needed to address. She then held up how getting Involved We began with the thought of going to the a picture of her husband, her son and herself with neighborhood neighborhoods that make up America's cities and, letting it take the place of the proverbial watches or helping and towns to discuss policies for renewing 1,000 words, Joan chillingly described it as "a young adults can them, for addressing their problems and for picture of what my family used to look like." have a great impact invigorating their economies. kom the collec- Less than a year before, she recounted, teen- against criminals." tive experience of council members long age carjackers shot and killed her 3&year-old -The Fairfax (Va.) involved with such issues, we adopted as Journal, 5/27/94. working hypotheses the following: economic revitalization depended on control of crime, and neighborhoods that weren't safe places to live 0.6 61.8 could hardly be safe places to work or invest. 7.12 64.6 Put differently, in the words of council 13.18 63.6 member Deborah Daniels, the fust rule for revi- 19.24 64.6- talizing our conununities must be "Safety first." 2830 80.7' Months later, informed by all we have heard 3136 61.3' since, we persist in that view. 3'160 60.6 Though we have traveled the country to get 61+ 48.9. outside of Washington, D.C., one encaunter that occurred just one exit off the beltway, in Fairfax SOURCE: BUREAU OF JUSTICE STAlISlICS A/ /he Fni?:/as, Vn.. Uand. “They saw our ~.-year-oldliX-5.” she told ./htum,.Joan us. “aid they said. Tliat‘s thc one I want.’ ” And RPden:cks chilli,t?g/J/ they killrtl him for it. tlesnibes “a pi,ctule q/’ Victim. The word often srenis devalued by iohat my.famil?/iised its cnrrent overusage in public discourse. But lo look like” bqfire not. in the case of Dale Frctirricks, his widow the murder of her‘ ;uid his son. On June 11. 199:). the entire hicsband, Dale. a Fredericks family brcame tnie victims. In the member of ttia 1J.S 11 months that passed between the night of Mwhe &nd. Dale’s niurdrr and the night of our meeting at Hayfielcl High, .Joan Frrtlericks has been vic- timized again antl again as trial dates for the accused assailants were set seven times and were postponed seven times. We heard peisonal accounts that were all too similar in other nirrtings across the country. From Sharon 13oyrr in Cincinnati and Hazel Korol in ’Texas. from I’olly Deninia in Florida and Collene Campbell in California. and from conncil nicml~ers.lolui Ireland. Jack Collins and .John and Patsy (;illis in California. we heard from tictinls aid thr fiuiiilies of victims. telling their individual story, not asking for sympathy but demanding justice. They have a right to it. Listening to them shaped our view that the criminal ,jristice system has been warped by assigning relatively more Wright to t.he rights of ing their own communities. Listed below are the “Blamed for a growing the accused than to tlie rights of‘ their victims. recurring themes expressed by those voices. wave of violent crime Victims of crime are too often victimized again Strong families and safe neighborhoods are was everything from Iiy a system that compounds the iiuuty of crime central to the development of our core values a breakdown in the with the insult of procedural delay antl endless and the foundation of our society. As Bill family to a lack of appeal. prolonging tli~iiiicrrtaint.v that ,justice Thomas told IIS in Hmpton, Va.. “The truth is. discipline. There was will ever be done. The putsuit of ,justice is no we have lost our moral values. We have lost our talk of children game: yet we have a ciiniiniti ,jiistirc system that family. Wr have lost ow cliaractrr in our com- without hope and can br played as if it wrrr. munities. What we have to (lo. tliough, is pick without role models, Just as “tictini” is tlevaluetl by overuse aid our chin tip, regain our moral cliaracter and of an 11-year-old misuse. so too is the concept of rights. Our move forward.” gangraped by 14- and iisage here is tlelibcratr. Iliorigh. \’ic.tinis have Neighborhoods should br spciire havens. ISyyear-olds, and a lights, the first of which is tlir right to I)c pro- where violence arid frar do not. deline the pregnant 14-year-old trctetl from Iircwiiing vivtinis in thr liist. plac~,. i’ommon ciilture. Nrigliborliootls in which t.rust mother of two Americans have a right to br govcmed I)y those and interdependence charactcrize the relation- charged with grand %Vh(J UIlt~~l3l;Ultl.LS ‘~~lOlll~LS.JC’ff<’rSOll djd. that stups ;uiiong people will pt’ot1iic.e ~irighbotswho theft.“ “the first aim of govrmment is to protect. life. live with ai attitude of hope antl confidence. -The Orlando t\l)aritlon that aid you Iiavr :~l~nndoiicdall.” Community-based action is rssential 1.0 Sentinel, 11/16/93. make neighborhoods der pl;ic:es to b0t.h live Principles and ideas and work as well as to provide the foundations As tlie National Policy Forum travel(4 throiigh- for economic revitalization. Bill Brnnett told us out the country listening to peoples’ itleas on at, the Columbus, Ohio, forum about the resi- how to make neighborhoods safe and prosper- dents living in the suburb of South Linden: ous, we received invaluable input ant1 insights “They described safety as the mqjor issue facing from teachers. parents. ,judges,law enforcement them. They feared the drugs, tlie gangs, the officials arid many others serious about iniprov- prostit.utes aid tlie break-ins. The plan devel- oped barmidents included increased police protection and presence, including stepped-up street patrols. installation of secure doors. lights PROBATION AND/OR PERCEkT in the alleys and installation 01 playgrounds and INCARCERATION OF INMATES community gardens to encourage people to be NONE IR.5. outside and in the neighborhood." .Ii"Ii.E 10.6. Bennett went on to explain that "aftrr the homes were rehabilitated and crime retluced somewhat, the residents began to work on getting their general educat.ion diplomas and NUMBER OF TIMES participating in job training programs. f'anily

budgeting, substance abuse programs. child and ~ adult day care and other issues." 2 lti.5' :1.s 2li.O' Crime violates the concept of community &IO 12.6, by its threat to the safety of those who live I1 OR MORI: 6.6' there. Violent offenders must be removed from our neighborhoods and comniunitirs if we are to have any chance of making them prosperous and secure places in which to live. tracking down the rrsearch. suggests to us the Incarcerating chronic offenders works. It following: reduces crime. Approximately 4 to 7 percent of It. costs more not to pnt. violent.offenders in all violent offenders are responsible for com- prison than it doc^ io keep them there. We mitting more than half of all violent crimes, lcametl from the Bureau of Justice Statistics that according to criminal justice studies. Targeting direct costs to victims in 1902 was $19.8 billion, this category of career criminals for iniprison- hiit Vanderbilt [ Jniversity profrssor Mark C'ohen nient will reduce the incidence of violrnt found that. the total dirrct. and intlircct rosts of crime. crime to sorirty might, be sanic. This confirms thv in Ute Bush ndmi)i- cost-effective'! If we have a record number of common srnse we hrard from Amerirans. most istmtion. rriminals in prison, why is crime still a pro!ilrm? (if whom do no1 think Aniwica's (~rinivprolil~~tii What we learned, from listening to citizrns and conics lroni putt in:: too many ollrndcrs in ,jail.

TIME SERVED 1sT RELEASE FROM STATE PRISON Solutions ('itizens told us thry think criminals should Mo9T SERIOUS ,WAX. SENTENCE TIME SERVED serve their lull senkncrs. They are outraged that OFTENSE (MEDIAN) (MEDIAN) this rarely happcns. They niay not, know the sta- ALLCRIMES 4 m.. IYR.IM0. (21.) tistirs--a 1988 survey of :% stat,es ;md the foiiii(1 VIOWCRNB SYEARS 2 YRS. I MOS. (42 ) District of ('oliiml~i~i flint violent olkntle1s served averagr only $2 percent of their sen- MURDER 16 YRS. 5 YRS. 6 NOS. (:W) on tenrc-Iiut they know it:s a serions probl(ni. RAPE 8 YRS. :1 YRS. 0 hlOS. i:tx 1 And t.hry know thoy w,mt the problem solved. ROBBERY 6 YRS. 2 3 MOS. (:W) YRS. Having listened attentively, we recomnicnd ~ASEN~WCELENCT~IIS~IEMED~IFHUP~~~S~CFSAREMNC~RANDHALFNIESHOHTER.st.rengthening t hr weaknessc~sof our criminal justice system a3 follows: SMRCE: BUREAU OF wswi srmsncs Cifizens told us crim- inals should serue Ilteirfull sentences and are outraged that this rarely happens.

Abolish parole as the federal system has "receive two open wounds. First, the crime; "It's not Oprah or done. second, the treatment by the criminal justice Donahue, but city End niicron~anagenientof state prisons by system." residents -AI get a the courts. Practically evrqwhrre we went, The current juvenile ,justice system, a relic chance Thursday state and local officials voiced complaints from a more innocent time, teaches youthful night to register their similar to that of Ohio Lt. Gov. Mike DeWine: offenders that "crime pays and that they are opinions on ways to "Virtually every decision we make in our prison totally ininiune and insulated from responsibil- make their neighbor- system toclay is done because a federal judge ity," observed Florida Juvenile Judge Charles hoods safe and has told us to do tlrut. This goes for everything McClure. prosperous." from recreation. to food. to housing." As Substantial rcfbmi is needed here: It must -The Columbus Michael Block and Steven nvivist point.et1 out in wrtainly include broadening the possibility for (Ohio) Dispatch, NPFs jonrnal. cf~ttIiiot/.sL't)sf~.the standard of tiying violent juveniles as adults and making 4/2/94. living for prisonris has risen 40 percent Caster ,jrmenilc rrrords available 1.0 adult sentencing over the lnst 30 years than tlie median income authorities so courts will have a complete for law-abiding citizens. picture of prior offenses. Streamline tlie appeals process so t.hat. Also in Florida, Polly Demma, a teacher. among other rea.sons. cwn\ict.ed violent offend- insisted that "if a child cannot go to school ers can't mani~~iilateit and thereby prolong their without frar of being raped, robbed or even abuse of their victims. murdered. then nothing else government does Adoption b.v thc stat.es of a "Victims' Bill rc%~llynratters." She's right-and while we strug- of Rights." including their right to a speetly gle with the complex problems of violent crime trial of the accusctl: their right to be infornied in Anieiicq she offers us another compelling of their rights at the crime scene (in the same reason why greater parental choice in schools way that suspects must be Mirandized); and needs to be considered and reminds us that their right to be represented in community what is true of the revitalization of our commu- efforts, such as neigltborliood advisory crime nities is true equally of the education of our chil- councils. Victims, Sharon Boyer told us. dren: the rule is "Safety first." 22 LISTENING TO AMERICA

iG?vss domestic pmdwt growth is driven by policy that made it easier for the economy to job creatiun, driven by education, driven by the grow, by cutting taxes, restraining spending .. . availability of finding goad, quality people to and easing off on the federal regulatory jug- run our indvst y."-Ray Lewis in Atlanta, Ga gernaut. The Nineties differ, to be sure. International 'When you combine a 31 or 96 percat fedeml competition is tougher than ever, and it will be laz mte to state and locallazes, 15 percent for an increasingly important factor in economic both sides of FICA and then Medicam tnxes, the growth. Listening to America reassures us tJ~at fact is I'm working more for Congress than I growth-solid, stable, durable economic am for myseCf and my family."-Todd Taskey growth and the jobs and opportunity that go in Rockville, Md. with it-remain for Americans the overriding objectives of federal economic policy. The economic growth of the 1980s created more How to achieve it-and how to sustain it? than 18 million jobs, recaptured for the United These are the questions we are listening to States its place as the world's largest exporter Americans about. From our discussions in and drove personal income up and unemploy- Dallas, Jackson, Atlanta, Yorba Linda, ment, inflation and interest rates down. More Rockville, San Antonio and elsewhere, a clear than any government program, growth message emerges from their answers: For enhanced workplace opportunity; it released opportunity, jobs, and the economy to expand, entrepreneurial energies; it helped restore government must shrink. America can regain American hopes that the future could be better, unlimited opportunity if we Limit government in for ourselves and our families. the critical areas discussed below: taxes, regula- Government didn't do it. The Americzn tion, spending, debt and monetary policy. people did, in an economy fueled by millions Successful limits on government will create the of private decisions. Government created fEcal and monetary policy needed for economic the climate for it. As Virginian William success. Making government smaller, shifting Thomas told us: "Government shouldn't be resources back to businesses and families, will in business. Government should be a facili- make government intrusion much less costly tator." In the Eighties, that's what Re- and remove it from many daily decisions it cur- publican government tried to do-adopt rentiy regulates. Repeatedly and insiitently we LISTENING TO AYERlCh ?:I

- ~ . ~~ heard Americans say reduce the burde&es. broad tax bases provide long-ten&e incen- “Mr. Sullivan’s litany Some wr heard see a sense of the absurd in tives for businesses and households to increase of government current govemnient behavior. ;LY Aha Butler of their income. .A simplified federal income tax abuse-10 increas- Colunibus, Ohio, told tis: “I+deial dollars. which 1rit.h lower rates represents a major first step in ingly unlntelllgiblo are basically recycled local dollars. go to meaningful reforni. sets of laws and Washington and they come back. \%’henthey go regulatlons over the to Washington. they are kind of humble. corn- Federal budget restraint past 10 years- tiionsense doUars. Thry come out of people who We heard from many that a line-item veto for the should have been were doing labor to producc iliose dollan- president would put teeth in efforts to effec- plped Into the indus- good honest labor. kid they come back kind of tively limit federal spending by spending caps. trialized world’s all covered with ‘thou shalt’ mid ‘thou shalt nots.’ This woiild give the president the power almost ministers assembled You can hardly see the coninionsense in them.” every governor has to say “no”to specitic spend- for Detroit’s ‘Job’s ing that doesn’t niake sense, doesn’t fit with pri- Summlt.’ lhx policy orities, or is simply an outrage. “instead, Mr. People spoke clrarly on tlie nred to shift away Fundamental reform of the process is Sulilvan and other from the tax burden on faniilies and businesses. needed, and many of the people we listened to local business execs We heard a plea for fairness. simplicity and seem more than ever convinced that we must spoke to a Natlonal lower rates. The E’o~~ini’scouncil on strengthen- mend the Constitution to require a balanced Policy Forum. ... ing the family heard from many parents nearly budget. To implement a bdanced budget, some These Nationaf Pollcy exhausted by the financial burdrns of raising a felt the Gramxn-Rudman Deficit Reduction law Forums were founded family who are angry and rrscntfiil about tax should be restored and strengthened. on three solid burdens. On average, taxes of all kinds take 40 Govemnient spending has run out of conuol premises: that ideas percent of their income. I.hlikr their parents 40 under the Democraticcontrolled Congress of the have consequences, years ago, parents of forlay work almost as last 30 years in part because the budgeting that political parties much to support government .as to support their process is separated from taxes: federal govem- are a prime purveyor families. ment progranls never come with a tax price of ideas, and that Proposals for simpler individual hxes are attached. implying that there is a “free lunch ideas originate widely discussed. The appeal of lower ntes is that somebody else is paying for. Many people at outside Washington.” broad, as it is for reforms that yield simpler our forunls have called for an honest account of -Ken Adelman, The filing arid complianc!r. Uusinrssnien. concerned where r.heir federal tax dollars go. The founding Washington Times, about tlie financial burden oil rlicir companies. fathers expected that citizens would be informed 3/ia/94. similarly resent additional lases. Families and about govemnient in order to control it. With businesses are slill taxed on intlation. because computerized infomiation, the government assets, like the family fmn orhoine. are held for could easily provide a straightforward account- long periods. hluch inIlation. as well as real ing to citizens of how their tax dollars are spent, capital appreciation. is rellecteti in the nominal and taxpayers would “seehow much is going for sales price arid txwd when longlield assets are :dl entitlements,... how much is going toward the sold. Personal rxeinptions for faniily members debt and then the rest of it,” as Hugh Davis of have not kept tip with irlflatiuri cuinparrd irith Cromille. &Id.. told 11s. Knowledge in the their value in 1950. That purchasing power of hands of taxpayers is an important first step to t.he exemption in 1U50 tlollars should be c~ntrolgovemnient growth. restored by increasing tlie exemption amount. To protect faniilics mtl businesses against Getting federal regulation under control future iiflat.ion. c~xrnip~ionamounts imd asset Along with the policy councils on legal and reg- purchase prices must br fully indexed. To offset ulatory reform and on small business and entre- present intlation. (ust rrcovriy should be accel- preneurship, kve heard widespread complaints erated, prcferably by allowing eq)ensing or, at about overregulation. micromanagement of the least, by accelerating depreciation sched- business by govemnient, and the added burdens ules. If the ol?jcclivr is iwnoiiiic groW1i. we of cost, paperwork and inefficiency that result have to end anti-growth tax policy that discour- from the continuing explosion of government ages the efficiency and iiiotlcmization-iii a regulations. Their impact on our ability to word the “compe1itiveiiess”-t hat such pur- compete internationally is severe. chases make possible. Simple low rates across The Council thmks the federal government ~ ~-~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~

?I LISTESISG TO A\IEIIICA

. ~ ~ . should t&red to det,ermine the costs of reg ing&uns not connected to job nee ds... illation yearly, ant1 it. should make those costs niany of the state-tiinded Vo-Tech schools had clcar to i\mericws who pay them. in a "regtila- cwricula... concentrated on training welders. tory budget." \I'c,join the other councils in urging 'kese schools had their heritage fdyroot,ed a uniforni "SUIIS~~')provision to require periodic in World War 11 days." Much of the out-of-date review of all new and existing regulations. focus of government-driven program persists A regulato~yreduction commission. Tunc- as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the D- lioning rnnch like the defense base closing coni- day invaston. ' niission. was suggested as a way to reduce Many corporations spend significant rrgulatory hnrden in the economy. The business mounts of corporate budgets on training to conununity wonld assist in identification of a upgrade the skill levels of their workers. package of regulatory reforms and budget Trchnologyiintensive growth industries, such as reductions by agency, and Congress would vote teleconimunications, computer services, enter- ycxs or no on the whole package without tainment, publishing, insurance and financial changes, thus avoiding the targeted special services, require training for future job opportu- interest plradings that often dilute regulatov njties. Less technology-intensive industries such antl budget rrform. as travel (coniputerized airline and rental car reservations). hospitality (worldwide 800 reser- Make smart investments in vations) and construction are increasing the use training American workers of technology. Telecommunications and elec- Net pay for American workers increases when tronics play ai increasingly important role in productivity increases and the cost. of produc- tiducation and training and should be encour- t ion drcreasrs Tor knerican producers. Jobs :iged. Robert L. Silverman, CEO of the Winter increase when American producers become Croup. rellected this trend in Atlanta: "I leamed more prodort.ive at home and more cornpeti- management, from Thomas Watson Jr. at the tive abroad. Pcople we've listened to are IBM Company, and I've tried to take his ideas angered and frustrated by a federal govern- and employ them in a,.. fragmented construc- inent that doesn't understand t,his brasic fact of t ion industry." Today, when even used auto parts work life antl designs policies that decrease :ire tracked around the country by satellite our competitiveness at home and abroad, t eleconimunications, our training for workers shrink American pay checks. discourage must prepare them for the sophistication of our invest.nient in people and t,ools in the work- global marketplace. place, and destroy jobs. Workplace training should focus on (.he The federal government should not private srctor arid the creation of an cnviron- benefit from inflation at the expense riient whrrc Iiirsinc~ssand thc rtlucation system of the &payers cooperate to ;itlvance progranis that meet The federal government.'s burgeoning debt, as c~inployrr'sneeds as well i~sprotide eniployrcs well as the burden of federal taxation, dis- with the prospect of future career growth. places ccononiic activity in the privat.e sector Effectiw workplace training that is connectrd and liniitsjob creation in t.he private sector. We IO the tral world of the private sector --and rndorse the idea of establishing caps on total actually conducted there-is what is needed. frderal spending, backed up by the option of What is not, nretl(4 is ,just mother government "sequestration" which puts "teeth" in the t raining program. or training cntitlenient. that. spending caps. This worked in the Eighties, has been rlaborately designed by bureaucrats when the Granun-Rndnian legislation was on and acatlrrnics but is unrelated to thc way real the hooks 1.0 make it work. We ought to try it workers arid real employers operate and work again. togelher. In recent years, (:ongress enacted inept. The problem of bureaucratizetl government banking legislat.ion. Along with the irit,iniidating progranis arid outmoded skills was pinpointed rrgulations implementing it,, this pushed banks in NorIhridgr. ('alif., by NPF witnrss Robrrt B. into investing in federal government debt and Ormsby, fomier president of LocMieed Aircraft: away from investment in the private sector. This ‘The problem sec.nietl clear mough to me: train- only helps the federal government spend more; LISTENING TO AMERICA 25

it doesn’t help at all with vum: . private capital formation and job creation.

Congress. In our forums, people have told us rates, short and long term, have started to Gov. Kirk Fordice again and again that taxes are more than high increase. hosted a forum on enough. We take this as a clear signal-though business and eco- Congress seems always to miss it-that they Conclusion: So much government, nomic growth at the want spending brought down in line with rev- 80 little time governor’s mansion enues, not revenues (and borrowing) raised to Economic growth is essential to the economic in Jackson, Miss. meet spending. The current tax-overspend-and- well-being of American families, as are smaller print-money cycle of the federal government government and lower taxes. Americans pay stifles growth and especially the prospects for taxes on April 15, but now work into May to sustained growth in the future. eam enough to pay the year’s total burden of Both Congress and the administration federal, state and local taxes. “Tax Freedom should acknowledge the Federal Reserve Day” ought to come much earlier in the year. Board‘s apprapriate focus on keeping prices In our forums, Americans are telling us they stable. Currently, the U.S. Congress runs want lower taxes and a simplified and efficient deficits of up to 6 percent of GDP and expects tax code, truth in taxation (not hidden taxes), the Federal Reserve to accommodate its credit regulatoty restraint, federal spending restraint, needs, causing inflation. Congress should be market-oriented investment in American made to consider the cost and impact on the workers and their skill development, and stable, deficit of all spending programs and regula- noninflationary monetary policy. These policies tions that it proposes to consider. Taxes on will allow markets to flourish, create jobs and people and businesses should be fully indexed prosperity and provide for more sensible, down- so that government is not rewarded for its sized government. Net pay and new j6bs for failure to maintain stable prices in the American workers increase when the cost of economy. production decreases for American producers. Limiting federal spending is the surest way Americans we’ve listened to are also remind- to obtain deficit reduction. By reducing govem- ing us that the federal government is not the ment’s need to borrow, spending restraint also prime mover of economic progress in our enhances prospects of lower inflation and economy and that current federal policies get in lower interest rates. Interest rates started the the way of improved productivity, shrink 1980s at record levels for modem times but American pay checks and the number of new continued a steady, enduring decline through- jobs and decrease new business formation. out that decade and into the Nineties. That Increasingly confident about America’s ability to long-term trend has stopped. The policies of the compete, many American workers, when prop- new administration, with higher taxes and the erly trained and equipped with the proper took, L promise of substantial new spending and man- see intemational hade as a great opportunity for dates over the next several years, has resur- economic growth. The American people we hear rected the threat of inflation. And interest from are telling us that they are ready to meet 26 LISTENING TO AMERICA

..

~ ..

.~.

,...... ~ ..~ ..

,.. ... "Ever want to In Delroi!, we listened lo Gail Davis psal often in our meetings as one of the biggest ..~. glve the folks in two simple but compelling facts: (1) her smaU policy-related problems confronting small busi- Washington a piece of urban construction company grossed $1 ness, along with regulations, federal mandates .. your mlnd? Hampton iniUiori htyear far tlw first time, and (2)five on employers and access to capital. Though less ~.. Roads business years ago Gail was on wevure. tangible, another factor brought up in each owners will get a forum was felt to be just as important as the chance tonight If they Too many people in Washington who know calls for policy change: the need for re-empha- respond to an invita- nothing of business believe small business is sizing the family's irreplaceable role as the tion from the National ji~stanother way of saying "rich." Gail Davis' guardian and teacher of fundamental values like Pollcy Forum to meet example powerfully reminds us that small busi- honesty and hard work. and share ideas on ness is really another way of saying "free and In Tampa, Jack Kemp, council cochair, dis- how the national gov- independent." Like tens of thousands of cussed how people take pride in their neighbor- ernment can make American entrepre_neurs, Gail Davis supports hood when they have a stake in their thlngs easier for small her family and empowers those she employs community: "When people have a stake in their businesses." more than 50, at last count-to do the same. community through ownership, when they --The Hampton (Wa.) While "soaking the rich" may be back in come together in the churches, synagogues and Dally Press, vogue in Washington, it was the independent other neighborhood organizations that help 2/28/94. entrepreneurs who told is about getting soaked build moral character, then attitudes change. by Washington's anti-business attitude at forums For example, crime will come down because in Hampton, Va;Hempstead, N.Y.; Tampa, Ha.; people will respect not only their own property Detroit, and elsewhere. Organized as sole pn but their neighbors' property as well." prietors, partnerships and "subchapter S" cor- Specifically, we heard from American entre- porations, many individuals pay personal tax preneurs a call for tangible changes in policy: rates on business income. It is they, the inde- lower taxes, reduced regulatory burdens, fewer pendent entreprenelus, who get splashed with mandates on employers and better access to higher taxes whenever Washington sets out to capital. soak the rich. Indeed, such companies are now Responding to a comment Jack Kernp made subject to higher income tax rates than the giant in Tampa about tax fairness, retired attorney corporations. Joe Neely commented "What you're talking The heavy burden of taxation was mentioned about, Jack, is a flat-rate income tax, and you're I.ISTENIN(i TO AMERICA ii

getting toward the equality in taxation that Detroit forum, “There are two key things in busi- Co-Chairs Jack Kemp needs to take place by proportioning the tax ness. One is planning, the other is cash. You can tinct Michele Dyson evenly.” do all the planning you want-it’ you don’t have utz,joined by Florida On Long Island. t~usinesswo~nmSally Slacke any cash. it doesn’t make any difference.” Rr?puDlicanCliairnian gave voice to t.he impatience, evcn anger, of Without adequate capital, he concluded. plans 7bm Slrzde nt Ihc niany entrepreneurs: ‘*Weare the people who remain “paper businesses.” Tfrmpa,I%.. ,forum vreate the jobs. Small business is the engine that In today‘s eronomic and rrgulatory rnviron- oti 7iix Da.:y, April clrives t.he economy. kid we need relief from ment. nimg business operators and t.hose who 151h. times. But the only way we will get that relief is would like to stcart thrir own business told us when Washington decides that. yes. we are the the only capital they have access to is on a per- [Wople who tlnVP rllcl ec~JIl~lli~.” sonal t)asis--liicnrls :ind family mrmbers, “The scene was set Joy Newby told us in Indianapolis that the savings accounts. home equity loans and, for for a good old-fash- amount of governmental red tape makes hrr some, borrowing monry froni a credit card ioned, tax-bashing wonder if “my grandchiltlrcn are not going to company. session. About 300 lime trees if the paperwork doesn’t.stop.” In the “The small-biisiness ownrr looks at, the bank entrepreneurs and same city, Marti Sloop captured the widespread and says, “They‘rc not, making the loans.‘ Republican activists li-ristntion we timrtl about a govpmnient that Meanwhile, the banks are saying, ‘Our regula- packed a ballroom at doesn’t really untlerstand husiness with a pro- tors won’t allow lis to niakc the Ian,’‘obseivrtl Tampa’s Sheraton posal “that the people who do these regulations council co-chair Michrle Dyson at. the Grand Hotel. The mid- should have to come from their ivory towers I 1empstr:id forum. night deadline for aid get otrt in tlic rrd nwld mtl see what Sally Sl;ickr is right: small business is thr mailing tax returns impact those regulations” will have brfore they cngine that diivrs the economy. But that engine was just hours away.” are allowed to take effect. will stall soon without relief from the excesses -St. Petersburg Regarding access to capital. Raymond of a government. run by people who don’t share (Fla.) Times, &%nick of Wayne State University told our Sally’s wisdom and, worse, as they regulate 4/16/94. r I from Joy&y*s "ivory tower; seem not rvcn was,(I) fact. ii tiine ol' opportunity in which to how what. a business is. Americans long outside the economic main- NeedtBtl rrlief can and niiist. come through strrani c~rinldrntrr it and briiltl a business. I;LY policy, lower tax rat.es, t'ax code simplifica- During thr Reagan-Bush OS, the nrinibrr of tion, reduced taxes on capital and equipment, new Ilispanic-owned bosinesses grew 81 purchases. nnd asubstant.ial reduction in the tax prrcmt-livr times the rat,e of growth for all on capital gains. ('apital gains tax relief woriltl oilier I7.S. companies (hiring that prriod. substantially increase the available pool of Black rniploymmt and new black brisinrssrs investment capital by promising a ret.nrn on grew at the fastest rates in post.war histoy. invest.ment in small companies and start-up Ilalf of a11 (wwnt frmale-owned husinrssrs fiIlllS. cmie into bring during that malignrtl drradr: Relief from government excesses can also hy 1W2, they rmployrtl more workers than all come through reguhtory reform of thr sori of tlrr Fnrirmr 500 compnnirs combinrtl antl called for elsewhere in this report. Tailorrti wpre crcnting Jobs f;Lst,er t.han t.hose corporate rrforms that. specifically take into account. thr giants. circumstance of sniall businesses would recog- In Drlroit. we hrard Gail Davis say she nize most are without the legal, accounting and wasn't siirr t hat Washington could tw p~rsriadrd technical staff nrrrssary to read-much less to that a woman on welfare could hold ajoh, ninch comply with--;ill the Byzmtine demands of Icxss build a hnsiness antl crrate ,jobs for othrrs. government. Thanks to hrr, thongh, wr don't. have to try to Finally, relief will come when brisinesses are persiiatlr Washington with theoretical argii- freed from excessive mandates on employers to ments. Now. we'vr got, proof. Wr'vc inrt (hi1 fulfill social goals thought to be politically desir- Davis. able-like health care-that often prow rconomically impossible, espe cially for smaller businesses. Such mandates inevitably add to the cost of employment. and just. as inevitably, they lead to frwerjobs, lower wages, or hoth. Sally Slackc. .Joy Newby and ot,hers are right to he angry. But. like Gail Davis, they also are right to be proud. Somehow. they ovcrconie the obstacles govemnirnt. pnts in t,hcir way and they rrratc opportunity for themselvrs and others. Small busi- nesses employ more than half the American work force. For those seeking their firstjob in life, two- thirds will hc hired by small bnsi- nesses. Meanwhile. three out. of every fnour older i\mericans who work iirr employcd by small busi- nesses. It is fashionablt? in some political circles to slandcr the I!)SOs a a "decade of greed." They are wrong. It

Mark Wiridsor tcrlks n6oul .sin.nll 0usi.iiess issues us Dr: James Nola.nd looks or1 roith otherjonim attendees in Le6a,non, Mo. THE SIZE A PE OF GOVERN

cleaner and our neighborhoods were safer in I9GO. kid they’re right. Today, even the most dedicated liberals quietly question whether, with continued growth in spending and govern- ment progranis. kiierica is on the right track. The massive federal expansion of giveaway progr,uns that promised a “Great Society” have Judge Bogle is right. .MI across hierica we not cradicatcd poverty, ensured educational heard people frustrated with govenunent’s ever- opportunity or eliminated homelessness. increasing presence in their lives. And grown it Inderd, many Americans have come to question has. In 1960, combined frderal, state and local whether the incentives and the culture these government,spending was $1.51 billion. Today, it programs created have abetted-and even insti- is more than $2.7 trillion--lAven acijusting for tutionalized-the social dysfunction that under- inflation, this rrpresents tiiore than a tripling of lies poverty, crime and despair. government, expenditures since President While Americans are ready to accept that big Kennedy was elected. Most Aniericans spend a govrrnment has failed, we must go beyond just greater portion of their working clay earning the castigating the left for its failed experinient. money to pay their ~LYbills than to feed, clothe Rather, by appealing to the same aspirations for and house their fruiiilics. a bett.er society that fueled the massive social “Working fiunilies I)elirvr tmes are only programs of the Sixties aid Seventies, the worth paying if they arc fairly c*ollectedand pay opportunity exists to create a new unity by for services that arc nredrtl. We must defeat setting forth how these goals are best advanced efforts of government to collect taxes in by unleashing private initiative rather than fos- order to grow and grow and grow.” Domrnic! t rring governnient drpendency. The failure of Bozzotto, president of thr Hotel Workers Union t.he “Great Society” was more than a case of Local 26 in Boston. Mass.,said at our televised good intentions gone awry; it made big govern- forum in Trenton. N..J. ment even bigger and more intrusive. - Despite the enornious growth in the size and In the face of big government’s failures, scope of governnimt. niost Americans believe today’s voters require their leaders to take a new our public schools wcrr hrtter, our streets were oath of office: First, do no hami; second, JO LISTENISG TO AMERICA empowa very American to realize the American dream. "Improving Schools and Education.") There are In determining the appropriate role of gov- those in positions of leaciership who say that emient. our Fit true guide is the Constitution. whatever is wrong with our public schools can The 10th Amendment expressly limits the role be fixed with more money, more governmental of the federal government and upholds states' prescriptions and more bureaucrats-and then authority over their own affairs and their own go on to quietly choose private or posh subur- destiny. The fundamental role of the federal gov- ban schools for their own children. Many low- ernment is to provide what individuals, commu- income children, however, remain trapped in nities and states alone cannot provide-which their failed city schools, where bureaucracies includes the national defense, a judicial system, and school systems spend $9,000 per child a standard currency, and a sound national fmal and-without the accountability borne of com- and monetary policy. Primary among the obliga- petition-janitors make more than teachers. tions of the staces are the provisions for law and "I think privatization has a possibility in edu- order and for the education of all children. cation. [Education1 is one of the largest things we spend money on, and it doesn't seem to get We are a nation that has a government, through the bureaucracy down to the school," not a government that has a nation said Rick Swain, a teacher at Sedgefield Middle When govenunent steps beyond these roles, as School in North Carolina attending our it has for decades, it becomes as likely the Charlotte forum. source of our social and economic problem as In forums across the countq we heard the their solution. With the failure of liberal central concern that government spends too much. planning and its experiments in social engineer- Entitlement programs alone absorb more than ing, never before has the law of unintended con- 60 percent of the federal budget4771 billion in sequences been more evident. 1993. Particularly frightening is the growth in Nevada Secretary of State Cheryl Lau put it government spending on health care. In less this way: "Conservatives used to complain than 30 years, federal health benefits have bal- about the int.rusion of big govenunent. Then looned from a meager 1.4 percent of the federal Co-Chairs:Gou. intrusion becanie the status quo. Now the status biidget to more than 16 percent. WillfainE Weld of quo has become government policy. We've for- In real terms, federal, state, and local spend- Massochusetls hns gotten where we came from." ing is !OO times larger than it was in 1900 when earned a nalioiial Welfare is just one example and is discussed government was still relatively lean and effi- reputation for cutting further in the section on "Strengthening the cient. Today, government employs more than 18 the burden ojgovctn- Family." But it is a prime example of a govem- million civilians-more than the payrolls of all ment ON taxpayws nwnt program allowed to grow beyond its origi- US. manufacturing companies combined. And and busiiiesses oi1d nal intent. Aid to Families with Dependent the problem is getting worse. Despite "New trimming slate gou- Children (AFDC) began as a modest program to Democrats" rhetoric, President Clinton's budget einment lo live help widows and orphans. primarily of coal calls for federal spending to rise by an addi- ioilhin its meuns. miners. The program grew to encompass fami- tional 23 percent over the next five years. lies without fathers as a result of illegitimacy or divorce. though even then it was intended only Unfunded mandates as transition support until the mother remar- Not being satisfied with bankrupting itself, ried. But from these good intentions sprang the Washington now seems hell-bent on bankrupt- crisis of' dependency, the underclass and father- ing the states and cities as well. One old-time less fanulies. favorite ploy is raising taxes to fund new pre New ,Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman. speaking grams, then, once the money is filtered through at our Trenton, N.J., forum. cautions the reform- Washingon bureaucracies, returning less ers that real reform involves rethinking priori- money to the local conununities with expensive ties: "Just less of the same is still failed federal strings attached. Congress should, by government. Establishing priorities must be the cutting taxes, leave the money at home in the direction of all [levels of] government. " fmt place, rather than collect it and then hand it Education is another example of government back with more regulatory strings. intervention gone wrong. (For ftirther discus Washington's current favorite tool is the LISTENING TO AMERICA :II

New Jersey) Goi! Christie Todd Wailman greeis television audie participant ill Trenton, NJ.

unfunded mandate: a high-minded brit e.xpen- Governors of both parties are saying, “Between calls from sive obligation it imposes on lower govemnients “Enough!” Govs. Pete Wilson of California, Fife disgruntled taxpayers yet refuses to pay for. Already, overreaching and Symington of Arizona, Ann Richards of Texas in New Jersey and clumsy environniental laws, rigid prescriptions and Lawton Chiles of Florida are all testing their other states, of the federal special education law and count- legal and legislative recourse to force the Whitman and Weld less other dictates violate Federalist principles federal government to pay for its policy led panelists in and wash state biidgets in red ink. prescriptions. speeches extolling Ann Schrader. county romniissioner for Yet washington wants to intrude further. the virtues of private Mecklenburg Connty, N.C.. provides the county When the market is already stemming growth in enterprise, condemn- perspective: “I woulcl like some llexjbility in health care costs and health care inflation is ing bloated govern- how we deal with the expenditure of the Lunds. down to 5 percent. Washington proposes to ment bureaucracies, (Federal] programs are forced on cis. We have impose price controls, organize “collectives” and criticizing no flexibility in how we spend the money, ad and build a new government bureaucracy of President Clinton’s we have to match the fderal monies.” breathtaking scale. policies.” Unfunded mandates are hidden federal In reducing the size and scope of govem- -The (Hackensack, taxes. Congress should be required to demon- nient, it is time for Washington to learn from the N.J.) Record, strate thc henelits of a program to ,justify its lessons of the state and local governments. In 4/16/94. rosts and be prepared IO pay for any mandates Indianapolis, Jersey City, Dallas, Charlotte and it imposes on the states. “lmpact statements” Philadelphia. city governments under Democrat estimating the inipact of new mandates on as well as Republican acrministration are tuming states‘ checkbooks IU‘C insufficient. It is time lo to privatization to do more with less. In some revoke Washington‘s check-writing privileges cases. governments are getting out of the busi- altogether. ness of doing things they never should have done in the fust place. In other cases, private Washington can learn from companies compete with public employees to the states and cities provide service at the highest quality and the “The more the states do to bring our taxes lowest cost. down, to make our hing a little easier, the A quick tour of the country produces some higher the federal government raises our taxes,” shining examples of cities that have effectively commented Verna of Arizona who called our controlled and, in many cases, stunted the interactive forum broatlca5t from New .Jersey. growth of government. :I? LISTENING TO AMERICA

”Audience members Cham e Mayor Richard Vinroot reduced *&an - Gov. John Engler-. privatized the broke Into applause city pa,yroll by 400 people in one year, saving $8 state liquor distribution system, saving $15 numerous times as million anniially. million annilally. anti-tax and govern- Indianapolis Mayor Steve Golclsniith intro- Gov. Wliitman has proposed eliiiinating at ment reduction duced compet.it.ion into more than 50 city ser- least two state departments aid plans to priva- themes were men- vices, saving $28 million annually. tize six day care centers, New Jersey Network tioned.” Jersey City Mayor bet Schunctler hias and the Meadowlands Sports Complex. --the (Trenton, N.J.) mipowered inner-city residents with the ability As Gov. Weld points out, “I Iiad to cut $2.6 Times, 4/16/94. to hire and fre private firms competing to keep billion out of the budget my first month in office. their neighborhoods clean. It’s easy when you know how.” .New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is using cniployee buyouts to reduce city expendi- A (US.) Capitol idea: BaIanced budgets lures. and line-item vetoes ‘The goal is to give you, the public, public Another lesson t.he federal government should services as efficiently as we can and give you learn from the states is how to balance its the best bargain for your investment in govern- budget. Forty-nine of the 50 states nwst balance ment. That’s what we’re trying to do in their budgets every year. Wit.h a balanced [Charlotte, N.C.],and we ought to be trying to budget amendment, the brakes would be finally (lo that across the country,” said Charlotte applied to Washington’s present come of reck- Mayor Richard Vinroot at our Charlotte forum. less spending. At the state level. Republican governors A line-it.emveto would restore the balance of across t.hc country are leading the way toward power between the executive and legislative streanilined. downsized government that branches. Forty-three states grant their gover- provides more efficient, customer-oriented nors this authority; the nation’s cluef executive services. must also be enipowered. Massachusetts Gov. William Weld‘s privati- The federal govemient can learn much from zation initiatives have saved his state more than the new breed of mayors and governors who are $:I00 million, allowing larger investments in pre- responding to the call from their friends and vent.& licalth care and education. neighbors to put government. back in the Iiands Gov. Symington awarded capitated of the people who fund it; to rethink the role of Medicaid contracts under competitive bidding, govemnient; to get out of businesses it doesn’t controlling costs and maintaining qiiality of care. belong in; and to do the things it’s supposed to Gov. Wilson reports 30 percent savings be doing wit.h an eye to providing real service to from privatized social service programs. its customers.

d . HEALTMC ERICAN VALUE

"Some members of the audience said they don't need to be told what they want in terms of health care.

I' 'We're concerned about health care, and we want to keep government out of it,' said Atlantan Tom Brooks, who came with his wife, Mary Anna." -The Atlanta lournal/The Atlanta Constitution, 2/27/94. TO AMERICA ~. When coverage becomes niore and would harm the economy. expensive. fewer people can afford it, and the Employers forced to pay a fied amount for number of uninsured Americ;ms rises. Small Iicvdth coverage for their workers would have companies. especially, have felt the pinch, and no incentive to continue the innovations in some have bren faced wit,h the choice of drop- market-based Cost containment that are suc- ping health coverage for employees, laying off cessfully cutting the rate of medical inflation workers, or closing their doors. while preserving quality medical care. Until very recently, physicians and hospitals The niore government is involved in health have competed, not on price and value, but by care, the moore health care will cost. In fact, focusing on the latest, most sophisticated tech- when the president presented his health care nologies. Technology is important, but it must reforni proposal, he said costs in the Medicare be used wisely with attention to cost. and Medicaid programs are continuing to rise at. Before a single line of legislation has been double-digit rat.es. Meanwhile, the Comnierce enacted, companies and consumers are bringing Department says that costs in the private sector niarket forces to bear on the health care indus- have been declining and are now at their lowest try to drive down costs. Medical price inflation level in 20 years. A government-run health care has been falling, down to its lowest rate in niore system woiild create an oppressive, bureau- than 20 y~ars.If we build on this progress and cratic labyrinth laden with controls and liniita- first. fiw the distorted incentives and regulatory tion of choice that would hurt the quality of problenis in the current market for health insur- care. Government simply cannot match the ance 'and health coverage, then the market will workings of t.he competitive marketp!ace in prc- function niore effectively. "his would force ducing a system centered on quality, individual prices down, and

I.ISTESISG TO AMERICA :I7 THE LEGAL REGULATORY SYSTEMS

“I ih.i.nk iiir hnix lo tnkr Anim-inn back, stand nessman interested in the sound economic Up 10 /hiS l)fJl~~~?l~lk,)fi)l~Jl’f‘~~tIkl~iOI1 b,l/ h?,l]Oll- growth of our countv. mment. ”-John Blazic in Indianapolis, Ind. “How many people know t.hat it’s now become illegal to smell fresh bread bring “What I’m hearing is fear,” said Earl Wright at baked? How many people know that our gov- our Indianapolis forum. “I’m hearing that gov- emment is going to have each bakery and plant, ernment agencies are putting fear in the hearts spend $450,000 so we can’t smell the bread? of every American, rrgardless of what business And spend $250,000 a year to make sure the you’re in or what you’re doing. But 1 don’t only equipment runs‘? I say the federal government hear it here. I talk to mqjor corporations, and has to quantify what it does and its impact on they are as scared t.o death as this sniall our businesses.” businessman.“ Some economists have worked to quant,ify In the same city, an exasperated Debbie the costs of regulation and concluded that, rom- Bamett said she “wrould swear on a stack of pliance has a price tag of approximat.ely $500 Bibles that the dry-c.lcaning industry has to be billion a year. This amounts to a masive hidden one of the most ovrmgulated businesses in the country. Not only do we havr to live with OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Adminis- tration] rules, lram how to write our own lock-outltag-ont programs, our hazardous com- munications, keep our MSDS [material safety data sheets] books up to date, we just came under the rules of t.he National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air PoMants.” Richard Turkel, attending our Tampa forum, said hr knew govcmmrnt regulations had gone too far when Uncle Sam decided to protect America from the smell of freshly baked bread. “I came here not as a politician, not as a Democrat, not as a Republican, but as a busi- :in -~LISTENING TO AMERICA

and state legislatures that shifts ne SBb nature of business regulation- nirist he to businesses the costs for social and other able to change as well. object.iws they do not pay for directly through Oversight by the Office of Management.and government programs. Budget-specifically its Office of Information “For every dollar thata business has to spend and Regulatory Affairs -needs to be strength- on complying with some kind of regulatory rule, ened. The cwent unraveling of OMBs central that’s one dollar less that goes into creating jobs review function undermines accountability by and paying benefits and putting money into the individual federal agencies, enhances the influ- comniunity,” John Myrland of the Indianapolis ence of narrow interests and diminishes the Chaniber of Commerce told the forum held possibility of coordinating regulatory policy. there. Robert Chapman of Tampa computes the The need for coordination is fundamental costs of regulation another way: “The stack of among federal agencies so t,hat government.’s [regulatory]paperwork is now about 30-feet tall. left hand (say, EPA) will know what its other left If you stack all the documents that we’ve had to hand is doing (say, OSHA) and he less likely to generate, all of the reports we’ve had to issue, all issue conflicting or even contradictory rules. of the studies that had to he conducted to Letting 1,000 flowers bloom may make sense in heconie permitted for OUT town-t hat we had to the garden: it’s no basis for regulatory poky present to 31 different government agencies- 0 Sound science must be the basis for poli- none ever asked an important question.” cies affecting health and safety, food, farming, A lesson we learned from Grant Wright, who t.he environment-and virtually everything WP works for a company called Inventive Products, regulate. Here, too, coordination is essential. is that sonietimes counting the cost in dollars For example, objective and unbiased risk aid red tape understates t,he true cost. Grant assessments should be standardized across told us of the Sensor Pad, a medical device agencies; for another, health risks should be pri- developed by his company and hailed widely in oritized, and a coordinated policy govern- the medical community as an effective tool for mentwide should allow t,hese priorities, once early detection of breast cancer. Long since set, to be carried through. A policy on negligible approved for use in Europe and Asia, it’s still risk should be adopted to allow agencies to awaiting FDA approval. “After nine years, $2.5 ignore trivial risks often forced onto the regula- million and over $378,000 in legal fees, we sti tory agenda by toerigid legal criteria or special don’t have the product to market.” interest pleadings that abuse public access pre Already frightened by overwhelming regula- visions of current law. tory burdens that threaten to crush their liveli- As a general principle, the costs as well as hoods, the people we‘ve heard from are benefits of a given regulatory policy should be concerned that misguided and overreaching weighed in order to realize a policy that maxi- health care “reforms”could by themselves mul- mizes regulatory objectives with the least-possi- tiply the regulatory burden enough to scare ble cost to the economy. some businesses. They plead for a government A regulatory budget should be devised that, policy that reduces the regulatory burden rather requires new burdens-whether measured in than seeks ways to add to it. dollar costs or paperwork burdensto be offset. ”lie best way to find both policy ideas and by reducing existing burdens. Just a.. budget the will to c‘my them out is by listening to decisions are expected to be deficit neutral, reg- kiierica. ‘Ilie elements of such a plan are ulatory budgets should be made “red-tape obvious. We have outlined some below, but we neutral.“ Effective sunset provisions would insist that sensible sounding policies are not make such regulatory “neutrality”possihle. enough-we need the political will to cut rey- lations as well. Our legal system This council recommends the following In Princeton, N.J., we listened to Paul Beck tell actions: us it took “three years and $20,000 directly from All current and future regulations should be my pocket” before frivolous charges against him subject to sunset provisions. In a world where were dismissed by a judge, who, after reviewing international competition and fast-moving tech- the facts of the case, summarily ruled there was nology can rapidly change the nature of busi- no case. While it may be technically true Paul LISTENING TO AMERICA IO didn't have to prove his innocence, as just required to file a written noticB ntent to sue "Business owners a prior to filing suit. . one of thousands of Americans who, having attending a 'Listening done nothing wrong, are forced to pay legal To increase the chance of settlement early to America' forum costs that one might as well call a fie. in the process, when transaction costs are Tuesday had plenty Incredibly, Paul Becks story didn't end lower, parties in dispute should be required to to say about stifling there. "This past New Year's Eve," he told us, "I meet periodically. effects of government was named in a suit for a job site accident that Pretrial discovery needs to be streandined, regulations, and they occurred two years prior to my being hired. I made time sensitive and less costly for the applauded the was hired to make sure such an accident didn't litigants. Republicanbased happen." Again, Paul finds himself in need of Tort reform b long overdue. Bad or poorly group that gave legal help. Again, the costs of defending written product liability laws, for instance, them the chance to himself will come out of his pocket, and the retard product innovation, imperil industries sound off. emotional costs will be stolen from his peace like pharmaceuticals, drive up consumer costs 'We're here to of mind. and reduce employment. Perhaps worst of all, listen,' [Marilyn] Our civil justice system cries out for reform. these laws as written assign liability less on the Quayie told the crowd For too many Americans, encounters with it basis of who is at fault than on who can pay. of nearly 100 men take too long, cost too much and all too often The laws goveming the awarding of damages, and women represent- fail to yield the outcome the system was both compensatory and punitive, also need ing manufacturing and designed to produce: justice. For example, a reform. Compensatory damages for proven banking interests, person the court finds to be the iqjured party in Wiuy should be awarded promptly. Because farming and medical a lawsuit often receives less than 50 cents of their purpose is fair compensation for actual professions and other each dollar of compensation awarded; the iqjury done, states should discourage the wind- assorted enterprises." remainder pays for what are called "transaction fall of "double recovery," which allows plaintiff3 -The lndlanapolls costs," such as attorney fees. to recover damages from the responsible party in Star, 4/27/94. In the end, the process that guides our civil addition to monies obtained from other sources justice system fosters pointless litigation, seem- such as insurance companies or workmen's ingly endless delay and a "wheel of fortune" atti- compensation. Liabiity should be assessed in tude in the public in which the system seems proportion to fault and not abiity to pax more a game of chance than a matter of law. Punitive damages, like fines, are meant to Accordingly, there are a few big winners, but the penalize the responsible party. They should be biggest loser is a society burdened with a assessed only on clear and convincing evidence system that produces higher costs and clogged of intent. Clear criteria for setting such penalties courts while rewarding abuse and breeding cyn- should be developed, and judges-not juries- icism and failing to produce justice. should have the responsibility for assigning Having our "day in court" used to be a them. Punitive damages should be limited t.0 a metaphor for fairness in America Now, that day reasonable multiple of the individual's actual in court means years of litigation, lawyers and harm, with the punitive damage award paid to legal fees. state treasuries. Noting the vast majority of litigation disputes In cases where some recovery for the plain- are settled before trial, one participant in tiff seems assured, the average 33 percent con- Princeton, N.J.,asked, "Why do we spend tens tingency fee often amounts to a windfall for an of millions of dollars each year getting ready for attorney at the client's expense. In such cases, trials that never happen? Wouldn't it make more defendants should be required to make an early sense to spend more time and effort settling settlement offer. If accepted, attorney's fees cases rather than trying them?" should be limited to an hourly rate or modest What we have heard confirms that the share. If not, contingency fees should be paid system needs reforms of the following sort: only on the aniount of recovered damages that Alternatives to litigation that better meet exceeds the original settlement offer. the needs of the parties. Alternative dispute res- Another idea for reform involves the adop olution mechanisms can lead to mutually accept- tion of the socalled English rule or "loser pays" able solutions at lower cost than litigation. provision to discourage frivolous lawsuits by To create the opportunity for resolution requiring that the loser in litigation pay the attor- before litigation begins, plaintiffs should be ney's fees of the prevailing party. 40 LISTENING TO AMERICA 1:

i I j

i I !

...

.. ...

...

... "Oppressive environ- "I would hope that one message that you will We have been listening to America and what we ... ., mental policies are take back to Washington is that one size doesn't hear, wherever we go, tells of commitment to threatening the llveii- fit aU. We need to have local ommaking solving problems and respect and regard for the .. hood of Nevada's local decisions that wiil correct local problems, environment. We also hear confusion, bordering < .:: .-.~ and ranchers, diciulorJirnn i;. miners as opposed to having the on a sense of betrayal, about government poli- participants at a who has no idea as far as what our unique cir- cies that give people credit for neither. Republican-sponsored cums~ncesare, trying to run OUT own back- There may be no major policy issue in forum said Monday. ... yard."-Gary Herbert in Salt Lake City, Utah America today on which more money and 'We're In the battle resources are spent at the same time that more of our lives for our strident alarms are sounded that America is not grandchlldren,' said doing enough. John Hengen, presi- We've gotten a lot for the $2 trillion we've dent of the Western spent on protecting the environment. Our air Mining Council." and water are cleaner. By the criteria in Clean -Reno (Nev.j Air and Clean Water laws enacted near the start Gazeite-Journal, of this massive effort, each has signnificantly 5/3/94. improved. Meanwhile, during this same 25-year period, the American economy has grown sub- stantially. The number of jobs and the overall size of our economy have grown by at least 50 percent since 1970. In other words, we've had economic growth and environmental improvement at the same America has invested time, with those who argued we wouldn't and more than $2 trillion those who feared we couldn't happily proven in enaironmental pin- wrong. tection programs, and More important than learning that growth our air and water are and environmental progress can co-exist, we signvicantly cleaner have learned that they cannot exist one without as a result. the other. As our own experience and that of the LISTENING TO AMERICA 41

. ~~ ~~ - stagnant economies that we allow people to be as p Ak rous as pos- fisted governments of Eastern Europe have sible while protecting the environment," said shown us, if we want to continue to improve the Rick Stroup at our Denver forum. quality of our environment, we must continue to In summary, people we listened to across the ensure the growth of our economy. We heard coiintry voiced the following recommendations: from many who believe strongly that this reform existing laws to balance strong environ- requires avoiding excessive regulation. mental protection with strategies that foster "We've got to recognize that all bills are paid economic growth, restrain excessive federal by real people. It is absolutely critical, not just regulation; insist on sound science in environ- for general prosperity, hut for the environment, mental policy-making; uphold and respect prop

Balancing strong environmental protec- tion with strategies to foster economic growth, insisting on sound science to focus regulation on real and significant risks, and upholding and respecting private property rights were policies advocated by forum attendees. I? LlSTESlED TO hMERICA

~ .. ~~~ ~..~ clolaeach. The amendments extended the unfunded federal mandates. Clean-Air Act’s strict requirements to include smaller, mom-and-pop businessecfroni gas Balanced reforms stations and thy cleaners to bakeries. We heard Despite impatience with the rigidity of the laws several participants state their support for pro- now on the books, we heard no one urge tlie granis to increase state flexibility and encour- repeal of either the Endangered Species Act age technological innovation in connection with (ESA) or tlie Superfund program. However, the Clean Air Act. both were cited frequently ‘as needing subsran- Naturally, the cost of such compliance adds tial reforni. to the cost of doing business, thereby raising “The human element has been purposely left piices. reducing profits, lowering wages and, out of the Endangered Species Act. It ha.. grown eventually, killing jobs. Do environniental regu- to the point that private property is being taken lations always improve the environment‘? The :way or no longer allowed to be used [by people we listened to are skeptical. ownerj] to provide for theniselves and their We heard several participants during a pollu- family as they see fit,” observed Cheri Jacobson tion prevention round table forum discus their during our Sacramento fonmi. efforts to successfully reduce and prevent pol- We believe economic considerations have a lution-with a minimum of government “help.” place here, and the act should be amended to In pleading for regulatory flexibility, a chemical AOWtheir USC. As well. l~iority-~etti~igshould industry representative pointed out that her he permitted. on the basis not of emotion but company already knows the best method of pre science. Private efforts can help preserve endan- venting pollution because “we know our gered species, and the law should recognize this. processes better than ,mybody else.” Added a Oil the excesses of the Superfund law, Ken representative of an energy company that Chlouber, a Colorado state legislator, had some spends approximately $1 billion a year on envi- sharp comments about EPA enforcement ronmental coniphance costs. “The key to pollu- excesses in Leadville, Colo. “I don’t want to be tion prevention is bringing it down to the grass studied anymore,” he said he has told the EPA roots, down to the shop Hoor.” on behalf of his constituents. “I don’t want to be While acknowledging the importance of pol- poked. I don’t want to be tested. and I don’t lution prevention, a manufacturer’s representa- want to talk to you about it anymore. You’ve tive emphasized the iniportance of focusing on done enough to us. You’re killing our economy.” actual environmental improvement activity We believe Superfund can be aniended in a rather than “turning niy engmeers into bean way that could result in contanhated sites counters.” being cleaned up quickly, cost-effectively and These representatives of American business with less federal involvement and more local were unanimous in their belief that responsible control. In its 19-year history, the act, mihith its lit- cnvironmental practices represented good cor- igable system, has been responsible for signifi- porate citizenship as well as economic sense. cant ckn-up of fewer than one ont of 10 But those from whom we heard, whether big Superfund sites, and because the way the law is businesses or small, decry the regulatory written, too much is being spent on lawyen, excesses that hurt the economy for little or no c.onsullarits ;uid bureaucrats. Also, amending environmental benefit. !he law to require sound science and risk assessment could make it plain that the Sound science and Superfund goal of restoring these sites to some responsible risk assessment “pristine”itleal is neither neccssllly nor realistic. Horror stoiics abound-remember Alar and the apple scare:’--of alms raised and panic pre Regulation and its impact nioted by pseudo-scientific, politically nioti- on small business vqted assessments of risk. Only afterwards are In order to obtain an operating permit under the we given a societal “Never mind!” and told to 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act more yelax by the very folks who scared us to death than 150,000 businesses will have to spend as because, they inevitably explain, “we prefer to much as tens or even hundreds of thousands of err on the side of caution.” ~ -~~ ~~ __ LISTENING TO AMERICA 43

______~__ ~~ ~~ A dentist in Aspen, Terry Hale, li&PKs Since 1970, our Superfund excesses to a medical misdiagnosis. economy has grown “EPA incorrectly diagnoses risk,“ he said, by ovey 50 perceril likening this to performing surgery on people and the air and water who “fit the profile” for needing it without are also significantly bothering to check to see if they really have the cleane?: To maintain disease. this balance, exces- Scientific issues must be decided scientifi- sive regulation must cally, not politically. Environmental regulation be avoided. should be applied against risks that are real and significant. Real environmental progress is jeopardized by doing it any other way. The Alar scare and other examples of alarmists crying wolf on the basis of shoddy science undermines the public’s confidence in the science of risk assessment, .- making it harder to act against real dangers and enforce regulations that minimize real risk.

property rishu Mike Rowe told us during the Sacramento forum that the only reason his home in Riverside was saved from last year’s brush fires was because he defied Fish and Wildlife Senice rules prohibiting any disruption of a “study ma’’ set aside for pro- tection of the endangered Stephens kangaroo many participants at the fomspoke against rat. His “crime”?Removing bmh to create a fire- the federal govemment’s growing tendency to break against an oncoming firestorm. impose new requirements on state and local “It has to do with the fact that I own a piece governments without providing any funding. of property, that I pay taxes on it, that I live on it This often means that a state or local jurisdic- and I can’t use it as freely as somebody else on tion must take money from higher-priority pro- the other side of a line that was drawn by an grams-or impose new taxes-to pay for agency that never compensated me for the fact federally mandated programs over which they that they drew the be,” said Rowe. have little control. Many environmental laws affect use of President of the Colorado Senate Tom private property, but none specifically requires Norton attacked the federal government’s the protection of property rights. The U.S. apparent belief that states have an endless Constitution requires compensation when source of revenue when it comes to paying for private property is taken for public purposes, federal mandates. In Ohio, for instance, Gov. and this funhers the important goal of assuring George Voinovich reports in NPF‘s journal that individuals like Mr. Rowe are not singled Commonsense that nine cities in his state will out to bear heavy burdens that should be allo- face an added financial burden of $2.8 bion cated among everyone. But many people we lis- over the next 10 years from federal environ- tened to say they don’t want the money-they mental mandates. want their property and the use of it. People across the land insisted that not They feel govenunent should have to face a only are state and local governments unable to heavier burden of proof than it does now-justi- pay for many of the unfunded or partially fying that there is a strong public health, welfare funded federal environmental mandates, they or safety reason for any regulatory action that are in a much better position to implement prevents citizens from using their property. logical and innovative programs that would make far more sense than the federal govem- Unfunded environmental mandates ment forcing its own standardized one-size- Along with the rise in environmental regulation, fits-all approach. 41 LISTENING TO AMERICA

.. .<-: ~.

..

"Control over the use "Let's for a that lakes people into We also went to Texas, Louisiana and .. ask policy of water resources C onsidemtion. Let's recognize the real agenda Kansas. We listened to people's ideas and heard provided a convenient of those who are behind the concept of the New about their success and their problems. .~ .... starting point. From West. The reaL agenda is more centnlized sou- Traveling fmther West, though, we began to ...... there, complaints ernmat control, more control inside hear anger and apprehension from people who turned to wilderness Washington."-Taylor Brown in Billings, Mont. believe a way of life may be coming to an end as proposals, the Washington, in lhylor Brown's words, pursues Endangered Species While the issues we address are national in its "real agenda" of "more centraliied govem- Act, attempts to scope and impact, it may come as no surprise ment control." change grazing, that we were drawn to the West for many of our Practically everywhere we went, we heard timber and mining early fwums. In Billings, Mont., and Salt Lake about property rights. Some folks, mostly practices, designa- City and from the people we listened to from all farmers, ranchers, miners and loggers, howthe tions of wild and across the West, we heard in varied voices and 5th Amendment by heart these days, especially scenlc rivers, the words the same call for *a policy that takes the part less familiar to Washington that reads National Blological people into consideration." "nor shall private property be taken for public Survey, control of From ranchers and miners to farmers and use without just compensation." rural roads, preserv- loggers, this council heard a pleading for poli- ing access to public cies that put people fmt. Putting people first, Public policy: Private and public lands lands. ... however, in no way means putting the environ- We heard complaints that federal agencies use 'It's good to get ment last. or abuse their power to discourage or prevent back among people "My husband and I were raised to respect the homebuilding, grazing, farming, mining, tiber- who are real and land, and we were shownthat if you take care of ing, recreation, and oil and gas extraction on understand what gov- the land, it will take care of you," said Cheri public and private lands. With expansive ernment should be,' Jacobson at our Sacramento forum. "My kids," powers under laws like the Endangered sald Sen. Malcolm rancher Rob Blair told us at our Denver forum, Species Act, the Clean Water Act and wetlands Wallop, R-Wyo." *are the fiRh generation of my people on the regulations, the federal government delays and -me salt Lake city Same piece of land. I can't ruin that piece of land sometimes completely stops efforts' at rurd Tribune, 12/16/93. because I gotta be there next year and next year development. and next year and next year-hopefully, they Various enterprises are told they are fanning will also." land declared by Washington "unfarmable," ' cutting forrsts fnund "inruttable." iagsites 1u Salina Kan., tAe tleenircl "iinsuitable.' Grazing and farming are ,fi77um.heard pleas idso l'wling undrr :wault; thr fetlrral govern- ./bv help lo ensure that iuenl's attempts to tliniinish thr stat.es' historical Anie?-ican agriculture control over water rights imperil them even has access to the more. uiorld's markets a.nd Some frel lielpless, 01 hers rebellious. to maintain the U.S. Whether farmers or ranchers or miners, we as the breadbasket of heard from folks wherever we went who feel /he world. they are doing right by the land. Yet despite their good stewardship, they fer1 their government makes it impossible for them to stay employed or in biisiness. Mary Flanderka--a Western woman whose lo,%ing community has bren decimated by federal timber rrstiict.ions and whose faniily life Iias bern disrupted bccause lrrr logger husband had to go Iii~ndrrdsol' miles away to futd work-accused hrr own government of "child abuse." "They are severing families. They are hrraking tlirnm up. and they are creating hard- ship and stress like you will not believe," declarrd Mary. lands, you will most assuredly take away the Mining incentive for not only the production of those We heard concerns, especially from miners lands but also for the protection of those lands," att,ending our Rrno forum, about efforts in said J. Pad Brown, a rancher from Ignacio, Congress to anlend t he basic 1872 mining law to Colo., attending our Denver forum. In Denver and at restrict access to public lands and increase Westernfederal ,water utilization othw,forums %nthe costs where access is maintained. With little or no sensitivity to the human, West, some attendees Timber social and economic impacts of such decisions, .rilt k.elple.ssand We heard constantly about cxcesses under we heard of federal re-allocation efforts that others outraged the Endangered Specirs Act (ESA) a. a cause of take water primarily from agriculture. a renew- nl ,federal public rconomic distress and dislocation in the timber able economy, and dedicate it to environmental /tin& policy. industry. Many who used to work in t.he forest produrts industry don't any mor?. hlaniing the ESA ;M an rxcrssivr law that makes it difficult to strike a balance brtwren species consewa- tion and people imd their Jobs. C,tnzit?g,/iw On proposed gming frr increases. we heard tlirer points hring made in cach of our Western forums: Fre incrrasrs ;irr only the tip of the icvbrrg, with inc.rrasrtl frtleral control of public 1:mds thr rwl issur: Fee. inrrrasrs will forcr sn~allranchers off Ihr land, hurting local rcononiirs and adding to social brwfit rusts; Ranchrrs arr thr bcst strwards of the envi- ronmental health ol' public liuitls because they iise it year after yca for their own liveliiood. 'When yon incrrasr grazing fees and when yon take away a family's ownership in those I Ifj LISTENING TO AIlEHlCA purposea h as the restomtion of fLsh and ano@niust be imported by tanker, the most wildlife habitat in the Sacramento delta Further environmentally hazardous method of obtaining attempts on the part of the fetleral government oil supplies. to usurp state water authority by regulatory America's cont,inuing dependence on forcign expansion of the Clean Water Act has placed an oil is dangerous. but federal rcgulations and undue burden and confusion on private and environmental policies increase this tlepen- state water practices. tlence. Good policy would encourage domestic Energy production of oil and greater use of natural gas On enera, we heard the constant refrain in a variety of applications. "toomuch government regulation." In Midland, Fwmiirg urul Iinde Texas, we learned that petroleum refineries Farmeis are looking to the federal govern- would spend $37 billion in the 1990s complying ment for help in one key area: trade. At our with environmental rules. To put this cost in per- forums in Salina. I

I8 LlSTESlNG TO AIlERlCA world. Sb of them echo an attitude about crea a trend toward the globalization of pre hierica that we used to hear more of in tluctio<. Today, inany companies shop the \Vashington than we do these days: "You ain't world for the least expensive components and seen nothing yet." ship them to assembly plants located for maximum effcienry. Many LJS. industries par- The importance of the ticipate in this process, aid we should welcome trading system to competitiveness the trend. The United States' international trade policy should be easy t.0 describe: Full support of an Specific issues in the global marketplace open trading system because it provides the These general principles and trends help us nuximum prosperity for Americans and accel- understand and analyze specific problems. erated economic development for free people Consider, first, the future of the international throughout the world. Such a policy translates trading system. The recently completed into smart, aggressive negotiations to cut Uruguay Round has led to a broad agreement to tariffs and other nontariff barriers that hinder liberalize world trade further and establish per- our exporters' ability to reach foreign markets. manent institutions designed to streamline the It also nieans measures to reduce our own process for international trade dispute settle taxes, cut red tape that stifles American busi- ment. The Uruguay Round modifications to the nesses needing inexpensive raw materials GAlT are signifcant improvements to the struc- from abroad and stop interference with the ture of the world trading system. The United freedom of individual Americans to buy the States must use its pre-eminent position in the hest product at the best price. world to ensure full approval and implementa- First, Let's look at why open and free trade is tion of the Uruguay Round. good. Consumers worldwide are better off if The North American Free Tnde Agieement producerj can specialize in what they do best. (NAFTA) model should be expanded beyond The result is greater competition, higher quality Mexico to Central and South America and then and, ultimately, lower prices. to the modernizing countries of Asia These nade with other countries is good for the XE~Swill account for a significant portion of same reason that free trade between states, (J.S. export growth in future years. On the polit- counties, towns and individual people is good. ical front, NAFIA promises to provide Mexico By making it possible to buy and sell with more with an economic and symbolic anchor to people, it allows us to specialize in what we do secure recent advances in democracy and free best. markets. On the economic front, it is a blueprint The General Agreement on Tariffs and lkade for trade relations between industrialized (GAIT), including the improvements of the economies and their developing neighbors. The Iiruguay Round, must contend with the rapid idea of hemispheric free trade was launched by changes in China, the countries of the former President Reagan with Canada and extended to Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc, and reunited Mexico by President Bush in NAFTA-both Germany. The trading system must allow these with the 21st century in mind. countries to become the province of individual American trade policy shpuld continue to vntrepreneurs whose talents and productivity promote the movement to a market economy iue essential. We must build upon the chnnges in China and the countries of the former of the GATT round and improve our trade rela- Soviet (Inion and Soviet Bloc, being careful tionship and trade opportunities with Asia, about export of strategic materials that Europe and Africa threaten the United States. We must encour- Since 1047, international trade policy has age secure legal foundations for property and been broadly based on GAlT As a direct conse- contracts in these countries and provide the quence of the agreement, the signatory nations bulk of assistance in the form of enhanced have greatly reduced tariffs, thereby spawning a trade opportunities boom in the trade of goods. Our trade relat.ionships with Asia during In recent ye-, the resulting increase in the Clinton administration can be character- world trade, along with positive developments ized as a series of mixed signals that threat- in communications and transportation, has ened to divert action from the more important task of opening nrw niarkrts. The ('linton cwtreprenrurs could achieve if the market administration policy ha lackrtl crcdibility wrre open. Also. market-sharr agreenients and consistency, produced frustration and ill vncourage I lie formation of international will on both sides. and left the financial cartels in a market that needs no new incen- markets confused. tives for rollusion. Such agrernirnts would Recently, positive actions have bcrn takrn strengthrn the role of already powrrfnl with Japan and on China's "most favorrcl .lapanest. bureaucrats. nation" (MFN) status. But world uncertainty Our bilateral trade imbalance with ,Japan hiti remains. Our goal should br rspanding thr I wo nyjor sourcrs. First, thr ovtm11 organiza- opportunity fiir AIIIP~~~XI~trodrtcts. servicrs tion of the .Japanese economy limi!s the total ;md financial resourcrs in thr Asi'm markrts. tleniand of .Japanese consutnrrs and businesses Regarcling onr iniportant trade rrlationsliip for forrign imports. Pcmiancnt .Japanese la.. with Japan, thr atlniinistration ha.. fortnnatrly wts and grrat.rr govrrnnicnt/piil)lic srctor abandoned, at least for t.he presrnt, the mis- investment-that is tnily opc'n t.o forrign suppli- guided and often counterproductivr denrand rrs--are significant parts of thc solution. for numerical targets on .Japan's imports. Second. at the industrial level. where Aniericaii These efforts were flawed because numerical exporters are most concerned. importation of targets tend to !imit our sales to the targeted American goods, services and capital faces a level, which is usually lower than what our wide array of barriers. 50 LISTENING TO AMERICA

.Smen'ca needs a trade. tax and regula- ~OI~Jetiuimnment that nhws American industry to take full advantage of its competitive strengths, because the Americans we heard from told us that they are ready to meet the challenge of compet- ing in the global marketplace.

Our trade negotiators should put debates relied heavily on broad Republican support. over numbers aide and focus on real, sustain- More than threequarters of the Republicans in able improvements in market access that Congress voted for NAFTA, while fewer than address these problems. To sharpen US. com- half of the Democrats did so. The administration petitiveness, we must be allowed to compete. has continued on two Republican trade policies With regard to the rest of Asia our trade but, unfortunately, does not practice the policy should stress the Asia Pacific Economic Republican tax, regulatory and budget Cooperation Forum launched by the Bush reshxints that would also promote U.S. trade administration to create a common economic competitiveness. Only the whole package can framework to assist Pacific trade. ensure long-term prosperity. The current administration has wielded The world needs US. leadership to ensure a the linkage of trade relations and diplomatic trading system that provides growth for all objectives as a crude policy tool that threatens nations. We must demand complete national US. exports. With China, this tool is particu- treatment and market access for all our compa- larly likely to ~ureour exporters as well as nies abroad if we are to ensure long-term pro- fail to achieve its diplomatic goals. Asia con- trction for our prosperity. Our inventiveness, tains many of the biggest and fastest-growing industriousness and intellectual property are world economies. The administration should our true gifts a nation: we must protect the not put American prosperity at risk in an property rights to their fruits at home and attempt to support its failed international rela-- abroad. tions efforts. America needs a hade, tax and reylatory environment that allows American industry to The need for leadership in take full advantage of its competitive strengths, global competitiveness allowing t.he American people an economy with The recent trade milestones reached by the t.he maximum efficiency, prosperity and current administration are actually the culmina- freedom. The American people we heard from tion of 12 years of concerted Republican leader- t.old us that they are ready to meet the challenge ship in trade. The NAFTAvictory in Congress of competing in the global marketplace. "In response to audi- ence questions and comments about the role of America in the world, Lugar said this nation cannot turn isolationist and avoid seeking a safer world if it wants to expand trade and improve the economy at home." --South Bend (Ind.) Tribune. 3/20/94. .52 LISTESIZIG TO AMERICA Clinton ainistration's foreign policy has nit&is and allies t.o advance our coninion raused ordinary Americans to wonder where goals. We should continue to do so wherever the nation is headed. and whenever it serves kiiericm interests. But We believe that the dichotomy assiinied by we should never let American policy becomr this administration between foreign policy and hostage to multilateral institntions and unsound domestic policy is a false one; a successful international agreements Ropublicans place foreign policy is indispensable to improving the high priority on the lives of the American nien quality of Americans' lives at home. and women who serve in the mmed forces and, We stand for the use of means that will therefore, on proper command stnictnre. snffi- accomplish IJS. national goals. We st,and for cient quality and quantity of mianirnts, readi- leadership. Those we have heard around the ness and clearly defined niissions. country have told us that if the United States does not. lead, no one else can or will. Global security against nuclear war We stand for clear-cut articulation of our To meet the need for a worldwide conimitmrnt national interests. In particular, discussions to halt the spread of nuclear weapons and their we've held across America have led to the fol- missile delivery systems, the United States will lowing resolutions. require a more broadly based approach demanding active US. leadership to enhance Redefining NATOs role regional and global seciuriiy. We must lrad in in post-Cold War Europe preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to NATO provided the security foundat.ion upon outlaw regimes like North Korea. Iraq, Ir'm and which Europe rebuilt itself and the economies of Libya. In extreme cases we niust be prrpared to Europe and the United States grew stronger and act with force if necessary and unilaterally if more interdependent. NATO remains crucial required. today. However. NATO needs a clearer defhtion We shotild break the bureaucratic logiani of its responsibilities and its potential niember- slowing US. assistance t.0 Russia and ihe other ship. NATO should redefie its role to snit newly independent states and get, on with thr post-Cold War Europe and adopt a new purpose: rooperative task of identifying, controlling, and Co-Chairs:U.S. the creation of a whole, free and secure Europe. disposing of their nuclcar mat,erials. Of the $12 Senator Ricltnirl G. We should provide a road map, including specific billion authorized by the Nunn-Lugar legislation. Luga r,p.om Indian a conditions and timetables, for the admission of to date only $117 million has been made avail- is Itbe .ranking selected countries of Eastern Europe into NATO. able, with an additional $900 million lor which Republican on th,e While Russia has joined Clinton's "Partnership contracts have been written but fiinds not yet European Afairs for Peace," it should not be allowed to exercise obligated. We should rapidly develop effective Subconiinitfee of' /lie any veto over NATOs future, granted a special antimissile defenses to protert the American Scnate Foreigti role within the NATO alliance or a more privi- people, kneiican forces and onr key allics. Rcla lions Commif Ice leged relationship than any of the other partners. and co-chaim !lie A NAFTA-like agreement with Sennle Aims Cotitrot A policy of 'patient realism' with Russia the Pacific Basin ObSClTO7' GIVU~. We favor a sober, unromantic view of Russia's The Unit,ed States is ils much a Pacific power as possible futures-and a U.S. military Capability an Atlantir power. American intrrrsts are U.S. Senator Nnnry to match that more realistic view. We favor a served by helping to ensure that, competition in Landon Kassrbuvni policy that leaves no doubt in the mind ol' any hia remains the economic cmniprlition of ./ism Kansas is thc future Russian leader that a rcturn of Russia's friends and aiiics and not the polit,ical and mili- runking RcpuWimn imperial activity against its newly independent tary competition of adversaries. Thc I hitcd on the Inte~-nntionnl neighbors or a rcsumption of military competi- States must. maintain a stroiig militn,~pr~wnrc Eronomir, Poliry, tion with the IJnited States would tw a tragic in the Pacific ils a tmgiblc sign oI'our coinnii~- made, 0cean.s n ,Id mistake. Patient. realism is the best long-term ment to t.he security of the region. Enoi ro n men I b.asis for onr relationship with Russia. We find wnewrd conf'idrncc~ ;iinong Subcommittee of the Americans that we can compete succcssfiilly in Senate Foreign U.S. military preparedness a world without trade barriers. New nrgotia- Relations Committcr. and independence tions should be undertaken immetliatrly to The United States has often worked together c+qnnd NAFTA thronghout I;lt.in Anirrifii to 1.ISTENINC TO AMERICA R3

form a Western Hemisphere free trade agree- rhetoric, but on active and credible ITS ment, a goal envisaged in President Bush's involvement abroad. Enterprise ror the Americas Initiative. This should be followed by attempts to secure a Foreign aid for friendly nations NAlTA-like agreement with Japan and other Foreign assistance will be effective only if its countries. The expansion of trade is by far the purposes and the means to achieve those pur- best way to assist the development of the poses are clearly defined. For friendly nations economies of the Western Hemisphere and else- prepared to adopt responsible policies, there is where. Economic growth and ,job creation in a role for foreign assistance that not only less developed countries is one sure means to iiuproves life in recipient countries brit also moderate the flow of illegal immigrants to the stimulates US. exports, domestic industries and United States, which is causing hardship in a job creation. number of communities and states. We believe the hollow threats that have increa%gly come to pass for the Clinton adniin- Democratization and istration's foreign policy are the worst possible the protection of human rights form of diplomacy. Indeed, it is self-defeating The rrcation of market economies and worltl- and certainly no substitute for real Icadership. wide economic growth is the best basis fix Americans we've heard from believe that when substantial democratization and the protection a threat is made, it must be credible; when a of hunran rights. Deniocratization occurred in decision is made to use US. power, we must, do the 1080s because the IJnited States and its so with sufficient force to accomplish our goals allies pressed forward effectively, not only with at the least cost of lives and then terminate t,he high-sounding words but with serious commit- engagement. These decisions in the future will ments to support deniocratic movements and require what they called for in the past-an integrate new democracies into the political American president and a foreign policy team economy of the free world. A successful that are visionary, principled, engaged, conipc- human rights policy depends not on shrill tent and credible. 64 LISTENING TO AMERICA

.... .

,

‘Vne of the bills that is going to be paid won’t Those who take this view have not been lis- be dollars, this is going to be paid in lives.”- tening to America We haveand what we offer Charles Nichols in San Diego, Calif. here reports on what we’ve heard and the mJor conclusions we’ve drawn from it. .~.. ... ‘l‘m atremdy contented about the economic The National Policy Forum’s public meetings structure that supported our military, the on defense confirm what recent public opinion industrial structure, What is happening to polls indicate Americans, perceiving new and them?”- Al Wheatley in Fayetteville, N.C. serious challenges to American interests over- seas, are concerned that Clinton administration ‘Yn FayetteviUewhenever there is some type security policies are rapidly reducing our ability of cmtion,we feel itfirst. The casualties to deal with such challenges-even as the need faref our neighbos, our own people”- Col. to do so is growing, thanks in part to the damage Carlyle Woofer, USA (Ret.) in Fayetteville, N.C. being done to America’s international leder- ship and prestige. Americans have worldwide interests that their Tie most serious deficiencies in the Clinton government must protect The first, and by no administration security policies are outlined means the last, of these is freedom. below. As the world grows more interconnected, our interests extend well beyond protecting our The demobilization of own shores. The security, well-being and very the US. armed forces future of America are inextricably linked to Significant reductions in US. defense spending overseas markets, resources, trading partners, had been planned and implemented before the friends and allies. Global conditions may be inauguration of Bill Clinton as president. Since changng, but the need for American constancy, then, deeper cuts have been made, Budget cuts cdb~tyand stxength-in short, for American proposed by the Clinton administration will leademhipis unchanged. bring expenditures on our armed forces down There are those (many of them in the adrnin- 42 percent from 1985 levels (austed for Ma- kitration) who say that with the Cold War over, tion) to just 2.8 percent of gross domestic America can lay down its international respon- product. If carried out, these reductions will sibilities and let other nations take the lead. bring our security investments in the military LISTENING TO AMERICA 65

At our several dtfmt. forums we heard that in some areas we are comprehensively and unilalerauy elimi- nating vital national security capabilities.

and its supporting industrial capability down to security during much of the period since the end a level not seen since before Pearl Harbor. of World War II. Dismissed as "antiques of the Our active and reserve forces are being cut Cold War," these institutions--for example, by nearly one-half. Those that remain face NATO, the Strategic Defense Initiative, the mul- increasingly serious shortfalls in readiness and tilateral export control mechanism COCOM, sustainabiity reminiscent of the "hollow mili- programs to ensure our government could func- tary" of the late 1970s. tion despite nuclear attack, and Radio Free hemeasure of the One measure of the gravity of this situation: Europe and Radio Liberty-may prove to be gravity of the demobi- the United States will soon be at the point-if it every bit as important in the "post-Cold War" lization of the US. isn't already-where it can no longer perform world. Unfortunately, the task of reconstituting armed forces is that the sort of global power projection mission these assets will be an exceedingly difficult and we wiU soon be at the entailed in Operation Desert Storm. At best, timeconsuming one-if it can be done at all. point-if we are not with today's defense capabilities it would take Worse yet, this damage is being com- there already-when appreciably longer and cost substantially more, pounded by the Clinton administration's we can no longer notably in terms of American lives, than it did to embrace of new and flawed institutions and perform the sort oJ. defeat Saddam in 1990-91. arrangements that are simply not up to the global power projec- If current trends continue, we will be still tasks before us. Most of these derive from the tion mission entailed less prepared to deal with such a contingency a admiiustration's over commitment to multilat- in Operation Desert year or two from now. This is particularly true if, eralism. This administration is allowing Storm. as seem likely, we will face threats from more dangerous weaponry (such as weapons of mas deshuction), have less preparation time, are confronted with even tougher logistical chal- lenges or have to contend with more than one military contingency simultaneously.

The deconstruction of key security-related institutions Compounding its erosion of vital defense capa- bilities is the Clinton administration's aggressive weakening-and in some cases dismantling-f the institutions and arrangements upon which we in the United States and those in the West, more generally, relied upon for our collective iiiiprovc@ - riltilatc.r:il institutional arrange- to loII) rim Thcse trends are worrying in them- nicwts to tleline militam missions. tlevelop the selves. hul thcy are especially troubling at a tinie riilrs on IIW of forcr. control our troops and \vhen otheis are working hard to obtain nuclear wrtain kry drfensr rcsniirces.and compromise wrapom, when Russia‘s future policies remain \gic control. ;miis rrquiretl hy the START I 7keaty-twen I hfortunately, disarnianient is not limited to thoiigli th;ir treaty is not yet in force antl drspite the nilclear area. Gen. .Joseph F? Hoar, the coni- thr fact that K\nsiii has not made anything like niander-in-chief of the IJS. Crntrai Cnniniand, i~on~p;irahlereductions in its arsenal of some recently told Congress: “Strategic lift in this 5,000niickir weapons. countv is broken right now.” He said the short- Mewwhile. tlie Iinited States has stoppcxl age of giant long-range militm cargo planes pindiiction of niiclear weapons and is losing the and fast cargo ships is so severe that the military c.;ipsbility to do so. The highly skilled prison- would be hard pressed to fight even one war. iwl-whose ;ihility to prrforni rescwch. tlrvel- This situation will only hc aggravat.ed by cipment iintl trstirig oil nuclear weapons-rcl;ttcd iinprntling hrdget cuts, tleferred modernization Co-Chnits: Dirk lechnologirs is essential to fielding a credible ;inti thc planned assignment of Ameiiran air and f%riic!/. (I ,/iiiwci. 1i.S. niiclcm tlrtrrrrnt-;irc also hcing lost. Wc. art’ sealitk asets to the United Nations. i.cp,mr~irintir’c~.ji.ofii withoiit a reliahlr tloniestic source of the More generally, we see an inability to use thr bVt/O?ff;fig, scwctl tis riidioiictive ~:Ls, tlitiuni, that is essential to main- niilitzuy effectively, a stI7UIge reluctance on the IJf~PS~/lPIflN1tslt k taining ow nriclrnr stockpile over the nietlium part of this adniinistration to allow and empower ,Sccw/~ii:i/f! j 1hyii1i.w fff/fI I’fr~sitlcitlF/lU/:v IVIiilc 1kiri.w cliitft!/’

.Stf!#: LISTENING TO AMERICA 57 ~. .. - .~ . our military to prevail; and to prevaieisively, in military operations. This phenomenon was disturbingly evident. in the Somalia catast.rophe.

Diversion of military resources to nonmili- tary tasks The detrimental effects of deep cuts in defense spending are being exacerbated by the Clinton administration’s efforts to assign new nonde- fense functions-and budgetary burdens-to the Pentagon. Among these are billions of dollars being spent on defense conversion, emergency humanitarian relief, and peacekeep ing, environmental and health research activi- ties. The diversion of resources and personnel entailed in such functions aniounts to a further hidden reduction in the investment in and readi- ness of our nation’s combat forces.

Demoralization of the American military This strategy is based upon The mission of tlie Taken together, the foregoing are having a pre- Firm. reliable U.S. leadership; mi1itaqjJbrc:es is lo dictable and very undesirable impact on the A strong national defense establishment f?ght and win wars. morale of OUT armed forces. Test scores for with industrial and intelligence capabilities suf- The social e:x-pwi,rn.cvi- recruits are falling, and some services are ficient to project American power credibly ta.tion imposed having diftkulty meeting their enlistment goals. where necessary to defend our worldwide ugon the a.rmed In our forums, we heard parents of prospective interests; forces by the Clinton recruits-parents who are themselves serving A robust network ofAmerican-led alliances adminstration is in the military-admit that they were discourag- and security relationships; eroding not only the ing their children from enlisting. These are An unshakable commitment to promote ,willingness to smve warning signs that our military may once again and safeguard freedom, democracy and human in the militanj but be unable to attract and keep the highquality dignity. the readiness of those personnel it requires. We, and the citizens we htened to and heard, who do. The mission of military forces is to fight and would reverse the trend toward a hollow mili- win wars. Judgments about social policy as they tary and assure that OUT nation could once again affect the military must take this into account. fight and win a Desert Storm-should we be The social experimentation imposed upon the obliged to do so-together with allies if possi- armed forces by the Clinton admiitration, ble, alone if necessaty. taken together with grave uncertainties about We would again accord high priority to main- future pay and advancement opportunities, is taining the readiness, morale and qualitative eroding not only the willingness to serve in the edge of our military. We would again move military but the readiness of those who do. rapidly to protect this country and our allies, friends and mops overseas against the threat of “America needs a A strategy for safety and peace ballistic and cruise nussile attacks. We would strong military, but We believe these dubious security policies are again use our amed forces only when appropri- shouldn’t forget those as dangerous as they are unacceptable to the ate and in a manner designed to ensure their who have already American people. They are certain to expose success. Finally, we would not entrust our inter- served, speakers told the United States to grave risk their wakness ests, our forces or our freedom of action to a forum Wednesday may invik war. nations or institutions that do not share our sponsored by a We propose a clear alternative to the Clinton values or competence. Republican poiicy administration‘s approach to national secu- We believe that these are the defense capa- group.” rity-a strategy that has served America well in bilities and strategy that the nation requires. We -Fayetteville (N.C.) the past and that is sure to be required if we are believe, moreover, that the American people Observer-Tlmes, to live in safety and peace in the future. deserve and expect no less. 5/12/94. 58 LISTENING TO AMERICA

Listening to America, the task the National much for free people to ask from a representa- Policy Forum set for itself, is a very big under- tive government. taking. Just glancing over this report should And we started with Bill Thomas, in make that clear. Greensboro, declaring his “unhyphenated”pride To be sure, the task is logistically complex. that he was “an Anierican.“ ,. .. . It involves thousands of people and dozens of And we started with Utah County ~. meetings all over the country. But it is Commissioner Gary Herbert who asked us to complex in other ways, more important ways hke his message back to Washington: “One size as diverse as the people we met and the issues doesn’t fit all” and we should let local people they discussed. and local officials make “local decisions that To begin this summary, mindful of that com- will correct local problems.”

.. . plexity, the obvious question arose: And we started with Thelma Moton who Where do we sW? told us in Little Rock that even if she couldn’t .. . Our answer came from the heart: We started change official Washington’s counterproductive with some of the people we met along the approach to teen pregnancy (she had tried), she way-and listened to and learned from. We was determined to make a difference in started with individual Americans who, without Conway, her Arkansas hometown (and she has). even trying, elevated our view of what this Even before we met these citizens, we knew people and their democracy can do. that listening to America could not be a casual * We started with Gail Davis, a woman we endeavor. It would require care and thought and met in Detroit who used to depend on welfxe. a seriousness on our part that matches the sen- Now she tuns her own business. She employs ousness of those to whom we would listen. more than 50 people, and she, and they, support The people we heard from are very serious themselves and their families with work, not about the concerns they raise. They insist that welfare. the problems they face are the problems of real And we started with Joan Fredericks, life in the real world, and they tell us that poli- whom we met in Virginia. There, we talked tics and govenunent often seem removed from about crime, but she reminded us powerfully real life. They think they deserve better-and that we were really talking about people-and increasingly, they are in a mood to demand it. In justice. She held up a picture of her son, herself short. they want their politics to be serious and and her husband, a Marine slain not a year get real. before by carjackers-and called it softly, “a Out of all the complexity we encountered, pictxre of what my family used to look like.” some shnple propositions emerge. There oughi e And we started with Taylor Brown, a to be more victors like Gail Davis and fewer rancher and broadcaster in Montana who victims like Joan Fredericks. spoke about land use and the environment. He Impatient Americans have come to think asked for “a policy that takes people into con- politics should mean figuring out whatever it sideration”-and he doesn’t think that’s too takes to achieve that goal. They believe govern- LISTENING TO AMERICA 60

~~~. ~~ ~..~~ ~~ . -~ .~ ~ ~~ ~~~~~ .~. ment should create more opportuN@ there in between; ideas for reducinae size and can be more Gail Davis triumphs and more scope of government came alike from security so there will be fewer Joan Fredericks Indianapolis and Massachusetts and other out- tragedies. They know that government can posts of the American spirit; ideas for improving sometimes advance in that right direction; too education-focusing more on the needs of chil- often, they complain, it gets in the way or dren and less on the needs of school system- achieves the opposite. came from parents and teachers everywhere. We encountered resentment and frustration On topics from property rights to job cre with government. We heard repeatedly that it’s ation, from tax reduction to the use of sound too big and tries to do too much. These were not science in regulatory decisions, we found solid theoretical complaints; we heard example after ideas. These are rooted-as our system of gov- specific example-lots of infuriating detail. ernment is supposed to be rooted-in the But we also came across example after common sense of people, in their widespread example of local-and somelimes individual- determination to look less to government for efforts to solve problems and help people. From answers and to simply try to help each other people like Greg Alex of Seattle, whose work out, and in the wisdom their experience brings. with the homeless uses no government funds, We started out with some admitted precon- we heard that even if government isn’t the ceptions about America and its people, and our answer, answers can be found. From many we convictions about them were confumed with heard two messages: every forum. This is what we think is true: The first message to us turns out to be a America is a good country with good contemporary update of an old American creed people in it. There may be more sophisticated there are important tasks people believe ways to say that, but we will use plain words. strongly they should do themselves, and gov- Though we think this truth apparent, it is chal- ernment ought not to intrude or interfere with lenged these days by the confusions of political them. correctness and often obscured by the weight of Their second message, born of experience the nightly news. Our Free Individuals in a Free and prudence, is that most of these tasks should Society council is right in saying this, right to be done in a particular way: One at a time. One remind us all what should be obvious. child at a time, for example, or one family at a Ours is a strong country, not just economi- time, one block and one neighborhood at a tie, cally but spiritually and politically. Yet the world or one patient at a time, or one business and one is fragde, peace is delicate, the times are dan- job at a time. gerous. Our councils on US. leadership in a As Kate O’Beirne, one of our council changing world and on assuring America’s secu- memberj, put it, “Need I state the obvious: rity are right to remind us of this. Washington doesn’t have the answers; in fact Ours is still the countxy the world admires Washington doesn’t even know what the que+ and looks to for leadership. Like the National tions are.” Obvious or not, she had it exactly Policy Fonun, the world listens to America So right, which is why the room in Little Rock this nation has to lead, and its leaders have to be exploded with applause when she said it. careful and thoughtful about what they say- Obscuring the two messages mentioned not just because the world is listening but above is a confusion in much of politics and because our own children are. government today. The people we talked to see These simple truths run counter to the this confusion-and they resent it. It is simply thinking fashionable in some quarters, that this: Too many people, elected or appointed to America is unsure of itself these days and run the government, think they are running the Americans divided. We think, from what we’ve country. heard so far, that most Americans are together, The Americans we listened to would rather at least on this: They still dare to say, “We hold //taltask be left to them. these truths...’’ And with good reason, we discovered. We went looking for ideas, and we found them- Michael E. Baroody ideas for local, private action to help people President fmm Seattle and Orlando and numerous points National Policy Forum 60 LISTENING TO AMERICA _- Joseoh R. Artwert Improving Jim Miles an E. Lungren James E. Ferrell Patricia P. Bainbridgr Schools and George Mims Norman Malene Bacbara Hackman Walter E. Earbee Education JohnMurphy Carlos Mayan; Franklin Elizabeth P. Barnes John MU12 John MCClaughry John Gartland John Agresto Gary Bauer Lisa Nagle Bill McCollum Keith Gleasman Free Individuals Lamar Alexander Mariam Bell Jane Nelson Paul McNulty Steve J. Gonzalez in a Free Society Jeanne Allen Helen Bie Frances M. Norm Luther Millsaps Ricardo A. Gonzalez Jr. William B. Allen Norma Anderson David Blankenhorn Lisa Farringer Parker Mary Mohs Phil Gramm Martin Anderson John Arledge John W. Bode Meg Parson Sandra Barringer Harry G. Greenleaf Kenneth W. David Armor Nona M. Brazier Diane Patrick Mortham John Griffin Anderson Jr. Leslye A. Arsht Norma Paulus J. Mark Mutter Clifford J. Groh Sr. David Barton Sally S. Campbell Roger Baskerville Malcolm Peabody Sue Myers John R. Hall David Beito Robert Carlson Ken Bastian Paul Peterson Cheryl Nolan J. French Hill William 1. Bennett Michael A. Ciamarra Milton Bins Joseph F. Petros Jr. Peter K. Nunez Edith E. Holiday Peter L. Berger Betty Gault Cordoba Marion Blakey Dick Posthumus Jack O'Malley Linwood Holton Mary Ellen Borh Gayle Cozens Eleanor Goodfriend Blum Larry Pressler Russell Oberlin Constance Horner Allan C. Carlson Shirley Curry Clint Bolich Penny Pullen Carl Peed Noel IrwinHentschel Henry E. Catto Bruce A. Crasweli Robert R. Botkin Mary S. Pyle Bob Preston Dennis R. Israel Linda Chaver R. Mark &Moss Mark J. Bredemeier Terese Raia Deborah Pryce Thomas C. Keene Stanley Crouch Thomas DePree David Brennan Diane Ravitch Morgan Reynolds Richard R. Kelley David Crouse Ernest J. DiStefano Christine Brownlee Richard Rhone Richard Robinson William J. Kilberg Carol Dawson Katie L. Dixon Samuel A. Brunelli Annene Rickel Brel Schundler Jay Kim Mimi W. Dawson John T. Ooolittle David Caprara Dennis Rochford Rider Scott Brent Kincaid Edwin J. Deianre Judy Eckburg Bettye Rne Coilins John Rogers F. James Howard Leach Larry D. Dixon Scon J. Freitas Lorraine R. Colvilie Nancy Risque Rohrbach Sensenbrenner Jr. Michael Leavitt Donald E. Eberly Mary Lou Gartner James K. Coyne Harriet 6. Ratter Joy Silverman Lawrence Lorber Carol Ellinger Michael Geer T. Kenneth Cribb Linanne Sachet1 Alan K. Simpson John R. Loft Jr. Arlene Ellis Deborah G. Hander Harry Crisp Ii Ted Sanders John Smietanka YvonneConnie MachLucero Tina flaherty Brenda Harrison Dinesh O'Souza Nathaniel Semple Lamar S. Smith Arthur Fletcher Susan Erackin Teresa Damasau5kas Florence Shapiro Arlen Specter Fred Malek Martha McBryde Foy Hirschmann Stephen I. Danranshy Dewey Stohes Gary A. Franks Ivan A. Somers John J. Marchi Peter Hoekstra Elisabeth DeVos Kenneth W. Sukhia Thad Garrett Lynn Sparkman Ronny Margason Allan B. Hubbard Edward Donley George J. Terwilliger 111 Orrin G. Hatch Charles Sykes James E. McGregor Mary C. Hasten Denis P. Doyle Steven Twist Mitiam Hebeich loyce Lyons Terhes Jefltey C.McGuiness Pat Kelley Bobbi B. Dunn John Walters Paul Loy Hurd George V. Voinovich R. Tim McNamar Jeff Kemp Wade Dyke John C. Weicher Carol lannone Josephine Wang John K. Meagher Cynthia Stevens Kent Jay Eagen Susan Weiner Lee F. Jackson Robert L. Wehiing Gary Mendoza Gloria Kirking John Engler Louise R. White Charles R. Kesler Patrick Welch James C. Miller 111 William Kristol Mihe Farris James A. Leach Anne Wortham Peggy Wilson Todd A. Moore Beverly La HWe Scot M. Faulkner Tex Lezar Elaine Wynn James Wooton Rita L. Mullins Marilyn Loeffel Tom Feeney Edwin L. Meese 111 Robert Mumma Colin Luke Susan R. Feldtman Pat Miller Deroy Murdock Jane Maroney Robert Fincher Safe and Economic Mauro E. Mujica Fernando Niebla Ginny Marschman Chester E. Finn Jr. Prosperous Growth and Ted D'Meara Robert Nolan Bradley J. Mattes JaCQuelp A. Fish Neighborhoods Workplace Remedios Diaz Oliver Mitchell Pearlstein Loyce McCarter Opportunity Grover Joseph Rees 111 Martin Gerry Whitney Adam Mark Olson Lawrence M. Mead Tricia Gibbons Linda Akers Dwight Adam John Palmer Wayne A. Ross Alhenia Michel Mary Rumph Lanny Griffith George F. Allen Kenneth Adelman Wendy Pangburn Elwood Mose Steve Gunderson Jo Ellen Allen John M. Albertine Joseph Petrilli Paula Parker sawyers Kate Walsh O'Beirne Lisa Schiffren Charlene K. Haar Victor Ashe Annelise Anderson Robert Philibosian Kay Orr Jeannette Scollard Joseph H. Hagan William P. Barr Patrick L. Anderson Willard Phillips Jr. Michael Pappas Frances Scully Cheryl Halpern Richard Berkley Dick K. Armey Alice E. Phillips Don Parker Jeremy Shane Donna Hearne Morton C. Blachwell Ruthann Aron Peyton E. Pitts Bonnie Quirhe Andrea Sheldon Charles L. Heatherly Michael Block Bruce Bartlett Roger Porter Dana G. Reed Rosalie Gaull Silberman Stephen Horn Ronald E. Bogle Fred K. Biebel John Pos! Ralph Reed Nancy Silvers Shirley Hoshins Michael 0. Carey Richard H. Bornemann Davis M. Richardson Hairy M. Singleton Kay Rieboldt James Jeffords John Carlson Debra Bowland Ken Rietz Peter Smith Lynn Ronn Rose Ruth G. Johnson Tom Chaffee Richard Burr Steve Roach Merrie Spaeth Marge Rouhema Roberts T. Jones Jach Collins Michael F. Camardo John E. Robson Jack Svahn Alan Sears Thomas H. Kean Deborah Daniels W. Glenn Campbell Ed Rogers Michael M. Uhlman Cassio StatutoBeran Eiica Kenney Michael DeWine John F. Cogan Ellen Sauerbrey RObert S. Walker Ann E.W. Stone Ken Khachigian Charles G. Douglas Kevin Cramer Marh Schweiker Marlene A. Wohleber Mary Dielrich Strosin Anchi KU Elizabeth 2. Doyle Eugene R. Croissant Alex Sinclair Penny Young Louis E. Sturns Bonnie Ladwig Laura Federline C. Hines Cronin Gene Snyder Mary Potter Summa John Leinenweber Sarah Fiores Alfonse M. D'Amato Ken Slribiing Jonathan Swain Thomas W. Luce Ill John Gillis Hal Daub Marh Sullivan lil Strengthening Marilyn Thayer John T. MacDonald Slade Gorton J. Morton Davis Kevin Swim the Family Tommy G. Thompson Bruno V. Manno Reuben M. Greenberg Roderick A. DeArment Augustus Tagliaferri Cathie Adam Sandra Usher Jeffrey C. Martin Martin Growald Shirley Dennis W. Dennis Thomas Mary Cunningham Agee Daniel D. Van Hoy Allen Marlin Arlene Hansen Ham Richard B. Dressner Mary A. Toman Greg Alex Susan Vergeront Lynn Martin Bulbul Howard Robert M. Duncan Gloria €A. Toote Carl A. Anderson Bonnie Weber Howard McHeon Stanley lnterrante Larry Epstein Mark Treesh Faye Anderson Dick Weinhold John R. McKernan Jr. George Kettle Eddie Faith Norman B. Ture Michael Antonovich Paul Weyrich James A. Milam Trent Lott Byron L. Farrell Demo5 Vardiabasis - LIST'ENING TO AMERICA BI

Sally Jo Vasicko Victor N. Tucci Frank Vandersloot Philip 0. Hellreich -aiP. Yale Everen M. Upshaw Vin Weber Rachel Wachs William von Raab Cheri isett Christian G. Zimmerman John W. Vardaman Jr. C. Everett Wallace John Watt Nancy L. Johnson Carolyn Weaver Entrepreneur- Thomas W. Weisel William Weld Jana Jones Elirabeth Whelan G. Theodore Wolf Christine Todd Whitman Grace Jorgensen Bonnie Williams ship and Small Steve Wilson Jon Kyl Reforming Carolyn Wright Business Fred P. Lampropoulos the Legal Reducing the and Regulatory Bill Baker Size and Scope Health Care Lynne C. Layne Jim Baker Burton Lee Systems "he Environment Raymond Basey of Government Grounded in Alan Levey Bob Adams Gary H. Baise Paul Bechner Jim Alexander American Values Virginia Newman Littell Susan Au Allen Alex Beehler Robert F. Bennett Thomas 6. Andrews Ken Abramowitz. Sandra K. Mahkorn Thorne Auchter James Boland Melanie W. Bradford James H. Burnley IV F. Kenneth Ackerman Jr. Roy Marden Charles Bailey Thomas Borelli Alan Brink Andrew H. Card Jr. Ann C. Agnew Roy Mason Don Bain Michael N. Castle William Craycrafl Phil Anderson S. Anthony McCann Barbara Barren Ted A. Brown Paul H. Coohsey George Deukmejian Beth M. Anderson Marty McGeein Christopher Bond Tim Burns Joanna B. Cooper William 0. Eggers GraceMarie Arnett William McGuire Diana Culp Bork Carolyn Burridge John W. Cooper Ken Eikenberry Kay F. Barber Sally F. McKenzie Robert H. Bork Don Clay Ben Cooper Bert Ely J. Bruce Barragan J. Alex McMillan Phil Brady Ben Cohen Dorene Dominguez Janice 0. Faiks John Barrasso Paul R. Meyer PhD Ma!shall Breger Cesar V. Conda Michele Dyson Douglas Fearing Nelda BartonCollings Thomas Miller Patty Cafferata Lewis S.W. Crampton Michelle Engler Dorothy Felton Ramon Batson Dane A. Miller Timothy R. Campbell Robert Dawson Hamilton Fish Jr. Julie Finley Brenda Larsen Becker Lee Miller Gerald Caplan Kenneth Derr William E. flaherty Thomas Mills Shiela Frahm Don Bedell A. Thomas Carroccio Eecky Norton Ounlop .. Michael Forbes Bob Franks Virginia Blankenbaker Kevin Moley John E. Chamton Paula Pence Easley Tim French Howard M. Fry Richard L. Blomquist John Moran Roger Clegg Lauch Faircloth Karen L. Gillmor Stephen Goldsmith Gwen Boeke Don IAoran Joe Cobb William Gresham William F. Goodling Robert Bohnecht Gerhard H. Mundinger Nielsen Cochran Joseph Findaro Bill Hall Rod Grams Enid A. Borden Jr. Thad Coclirar Mary A. Gade Patricia de Stacy Janet Hale Beau Boulter Gerald L. Musgrave Charles J. Cooper Teresa Gonnan Harrison William Hansen Janice Bradford Antonia Novello Paul Coverdeli Charles L. Grizzle Charles Hawkins Bill Hardeman Deborah Oaws Brezina John J. O'Shaughnessy Woody Cozad Henry Habicht Doug Hendrichson Dorcas Hardy Nancy Brinher Jane Orient LeGree S. Daniels Oaryl Harms Robert Hiler Jr. Mary Hawhins J. Robert Brouse Jacquelyn Paige Miguel De Grandy Barry Hartman Henry Holley Paul Heimke Jeffrey T. Buley Derick Pasternich MD Juanita Duggan Marc Himmelstein Robb Hurn Scon A. Hodge Stuart Butler Vincent 0. Peninelli Susan Eckerly Robert W. Hasten Jr. Kay Bailey Hutchison Perry 0. Hooper Jr. W. Grimes Byerly Jeanne Johnson Phillips David flory Cathenne Killian Andy Ireland Tim Hutchinson Carroll A. Campbell Jr. John Pinto Tina flournoy Charles KOlb Lindsey Lee Johnson James M. lnhofe Larry L. CamDbeil Katherine 0. Railey Charles Fried Jan Larimer Michael Keck John R. Kasich Frank Cappadora Diane Rath Stuart M. Gerson Thomas R. Long Jack Kemp James F. Kelley Robert S. Carter Judy Dunn Riedlinger Donald Gaff Thomas A. Kershaw Dirk Kempthorne Donald A. Clarey Darrell S. Rigel Patricia Gormley Nancy Maloley William A. Keyes Sally Klein Kenneth M. Courey J. Patrick Rooney C. Boyden Gray Howard Marguleas Robert L. King Charles Lancaster Charles Crowders Robert A. Rusbuldt Eugene W. Hickoh Jr. G. Tracy Mehan Ill John T. Korsmo Cheryl Lau James Cunningham Martin Sbriglio R.N. Perry 0. Hooper Si. Randy Miller Gerald Kosmenshy Hubert E. Lillis Quentin Dastugue Ray Scalettar John L. Howard William J. Mulligan Alan M Kranowtu Robert E. Liltell Dianne White Delisi Jerry Schenken Asa Hutchinson Gordon Ness Thomas F. Kranz Micheal S. tong Donald J. Devine Richard Scott Sally Reed lmpastato Gale A. Norton Robert 8. Kronman Paul Mannweiler Lynn A. Drake Mark Seklechi 1. Barrington Jackson Michael Norton Chuck Leach John McCain David Durenberger Steven W. Sell John C. Kalavritinos Jr. Richard 0. Otis Jr. Daniel A. Lehner Natalie Meyer Juanita S. Farrow Erwin Small OVM James F. Kelley 1. Winston Porter David Lewis Laurie L. Michel Marlene L. Fausr R.N. Chris Smith E. David M. Laney James Range Thomas E. LorenUen Clyde Middleton Robert W. Feldtman MD Jose Sosa Richard G. Larsen Alan Charles Raul Bruno 1. Mauer Susan Molinari Peter J. Ferrara John K. Springer Daniel R. Levinson Carolyn McKecuen Kate L. Moore Kirk Fordice Cliff Steams Francis Pete Lunnie Clarke Reed Gene McNary Thomas F. Needles Lois Frels PhD RN Pat Sullivan Robert MacKichan William K. Reilly Stephen Merrill Robert L. Olden Jeri G. Garner Louis W. Sullivan MD Stephen Markman James E. Rich Richard D. Novih George Omas Kenneth L. Garver M.D. Charles W. Swan William Wade William Ruckelshaus Earl N. Phillips Jr. Bob Packwood PhD Nancy Taylor Matchneer 111 William H. Salterfield Rebecca J. Ravine Kurt Pfotenhauer Bruce Gates Frederick W. Telling C. V. McClellan John Schrote John E. Reed Greg A. Phillips John Gibbons Arnold R. Tomphins Edward R. McGlynn S. Fred Singer Thomas Reilly George S. Pillsbury Richard G. Glogau Martha Towler Mike Mills Carol S. Singer Delia Reyes Jan Rasch John Goodman Clarence Traum Daniel Oliver Fred L. Smith Roger Roberson Stephen W. Roberts Philip H. Goodwin FACHE Monroe E. Trout William Perry Pendley Wallace E. Stickney William V. Roth Jr. Hal Rogers Judd Greg John Troy Shirley D. Peterson James M. Strock Jim Saxton Clint Rotenberry Beny Hanicke Roy Vagelos George Pripst Richard Stroup George Scott Jr. Janet Rzewnickr Charles Hardwick Dirk Van Dongen Marilyn Tucker Quayle Lee Thomas Hillard F. Selck Christopher Shays Debby HardyHavens Elliott Vernon Daniel P. Ryan Judy Singleton Nick Smith Kathleen M. Harrington Colleen Welch Steve Sale Craig Thomas David G. Soergel Candace L. Straight Sarah Hartwig Tom Wilder Gene Schaerr LaJuana Wiicher Kenin M. Spivah 0. Nathaniel Swanson Dennis Hastert Gail R. Wilensky James W. Smith Jr. Robert B. Wilkins Jr. Susan Stokes Eugene F. Swanzey Spencer Hathaway Paul Willging Mary Sophos Lyn Withey Michael ter Maat Fife Symington Clark Havighurst Cal Winslow Nancy Harvey Steorts Roy Wuchitech Thomas Topuzes William M. Tidweil Bernardine Healy Marshall Wittman Gerald J. Todaro Buck J. Wynne 111 62 LISTENING TO AMERICA

Linda Skladany John G. Keller Jl. - Edward J. Lacey Edward S. Smida J. Darreli Keliey in a Changing Douglas Paal I. Lewis Libby James F. Spagnole Michael T. Kelley World Frank 1. Parker Christopher M. Jay Robert W. Kelly Gerald Parshy Lehman stone Eiiiott Abrams &d Energy Linda StunU James L. Kenworthy Daniel Pipes Susan Morrisey Richard V. Allen Rick Agnew C. William Swank Alec Poitevint Livingstone Alan Lenz Richard Armitage Eugene L. Ames Jr. Chandler L. van Orman John Price Theodor C. Mataxis Robert E. Lighthirer James A. Baker IiI Neil .hnondson Ann M. Veneman Jarios Radvanyi Mack F. Mattingly W. Kenneth Lindhorst Doug Bandow James V. Anderson Malcolm Wallop Jennifer Macdonald Jay S. Reibel Edward J, Meianson Jl. Jeffrey Bergner Lonnie Roweil Vicky Bailey Greg Ward Todd Malan Dale L. Moody Mary Ann Baron Harlan L. Watson Robert Blackwili George R. Salem Powell A. Moore Herbert E. Marks John R. Bolton John R. Blwk Myles Watts William Schneider Jr. Dane Morales Dan Mattwn William E. Brock Charles Boddy R. Thomas Weimer Brent Scowcroft David R. Nicholas Eugene McAllister Michael Boland Barry Williamson Richard R. Burt Robert M. Smalley Terrence O'Donnell Shellyn Gae McCaffrey Peter Tali Coleman Terry E. Eranstad Bruce Yandle Dlympia J. Snowe Sean OKeefe Paul W. McCracken Thomas Crocker Thomas M. Mack Zachem Michael E. Sotirhos Ann C. Petersen Beverly McKinrich Bresnahan 111 James W. Ziglar J.D. Crouch Andy Tagart Kien Pham Pam Browson Eric Melby Brim A. Davenport Sheldon Tajerstien H. McGuire Riley Conrad Burns Frank Mermoud Thomas C. Dawson Margaret DeB. Tutwiler Will Roosma Greg Cwrley Competing Red Meyer Vincent DeCain James Webb Phyllis Schlafly John Clark in the Global Jonathan Miller Kenneth E. Caspar W. Weinberger John P. Schmilz Candace J. Conger Marketplace Lane F. Miller deGraffenreid Curtin Winsor Jr. John D. Selby David B.H. Denoon Tom Corcoran Richard J. Agnich Antonio Monroig Ann 6. Wrobleski Perry T. Sikes Chuck DeVore Tom Craddick Robert W. Anderson Randall E. Moorhead Robert Zoellick David J. Smith Wendell M. Cramer Judith H. Belio Robert A. Mosbacher Sr. Lawrence 1. Di Rita Thomas H. Snitch Michael Craw Dren L. Benton Frank Murkowski Walter Herbert Dixon ~r. Herbert Baker Spring David Dreier Assuring Randy Davis Doug Bereuter Robert Neimeth America's Delbert L. SpUrlGCk Jr. Warren Dean Robert A. Best Connie Nicholas Nancy Bearg Dyke Ruth Steinberg Blanche Hill Fawell Security TGm DeLay Everen E. Bierman Robert Orr Ted Sleuens f ax Fisher Pete Domenici Ralph S. Blackman Gwen Pharo David Addington William H. raft IV George S. Dunlop Donald Bollinger James D. FiUPatrick Ernest Angelo Jr. Victoria Toensing Jerome H. Powell Henriena Holsman Fore Macon T. Edwards Ali Riza Bozkurt Robert Quartel John R. Ape1 Michelle Van Cleave Bill Emerson Susan Braden Christopher Gersten Anne L. Armstrong Barbara Vucanovich R. Sean Randolph Patrick Glynn Allan K. FiUsimmons Sam Brownback Jack Ranson Walter A. Baker Harry Walters Ted Garrish Richard N. Haass Douglas A. Brook Anne E. Brunsdale James E. Rapp Erwin C. Ward Loydee Grainger Alexander Haig Gregory 8. Butler S. Oan Capio John M. Rau John W. Warner Wendy L. Gramm Rita Hauser Stephen Buyer James 1. Carey Holland L. Redfield II W. Bruce Weinrod Carol Hamilton Edward C. Chow Robert C. Hill Margo 0.6. Carlisle Edwina Rogers Heather A. Wilson Russell L. Hanlin Si. John Clark Jack Holmes Ron Carlson Paul D. Wolfowitz Fred Rowe Mark 0. Hatfield Charles E. Cobb Jr. Richard N. Holwill Richard Cheney Dov Zakheim Gloria Cataneo Rudman S. Amold 1. Havens Michelle M. Conner Sieve Homoki Angelo Codevilla chartone Rush Taylor Haynes Jack Copeland Charles Horner William E. Conner John R. Hays Jr. Frederic W. Corle II Jackie wolcon Sanders William E. lnglee Henry F. Cooper Pam Hendrickson R. Lawrence Coughlin Leonard E. Santos Karl D. Jackson Vincent Davis Basil Hercules Carol T. Crawford Bill Sauey Robert Jenkins Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. DonaM Paul Hodel Charles Dallare William E. Schuck Whittle lohnston William L. Dickinson Alan 1. Cobb Guy Hurlbun John C. Danforth Susan Schwab Walter Kansteiner Paula J. Dobriansky Peggy J. Ellis Cy Jamison James L. Denson Doug Seay Nancy Landon Elaine Donnelly Linda L. Emery Stan Kiser Can Daminguer Jeffrey L. Sellzer Kassebaum Nancy Dorn Kevin P. HoIsClaw Richard Knight Thomas Duesterberg Thewe Shaheen Henry A. Kissinger Raymond F. DuBois Jr. Bruce D. LeWich Thomas R. Kuhn Alan M. Dunn Philip Shapiro Howard Kohr Judy Dunaway Michelle Steil.Bryski James Lack Thomas M. Dyer Judy Shelton Linas Kojelis WiI Ebel Paul C. Taylor VimLimmex Woods Eastland Sichan Siv Jim Kolbe Stanley Ebner Matthew E. crow Jim Magagna Garv Edson Mary-Louise Smith Eugene Kopp Andrea Fischer Bertram G. Hahn William F. Martin Troy Eid Ronald J. Sorini Michael V. Kostiw S. Robert Foley Jr. Sven Hraemer Maiselie Dolan Shortiey Margaret Maxey Richard D. Enelish Carey Stacy F. Frank J. Gaffney Edward J. Lacey Richard R. Thaxton Alby Modiano Franh 1. FahrGkopf Jr. Courtney A. Stadd Ruth Eileen Ganister John F. Lehman Chandler L. van Orman W. Henson Mwre Edwin J. Feulner Jr. John E. Stiner H. Lawrence Garrett 111 John Lenczowski Margaret Graham William MoshotSky Eugene V. Fife Margaret G. Thompson 8. Lou Ann Burney Charles M. Lichenstein William R. Graham William Northrop George Folsome Pam Turner Mary Mead Crawford O'Keefe Welquiz Ray Lopez Stephen J. Hadley William F. Tom Fowler Paula Unruh Kelly A. Guesnier Hugh D'RiOrdan Mark A. Franz Carnes Lord Mike Helion Herb D. Vest Catherine Wood Keller James C. Dberwetter Craig L. Fuller Richard G. Lugar Amoretta Hoeber M. Christine Vick John C. Vickerman Tom Parker Eric Garflnkel Marlin Maddoux Marjorie Holt 1. Antonio Villamil Gail Phillips James Gattuso Jewel Lafontant- Mildred Homan Heather 1. Bristol Billy R. Powell Claud 1. Gingrich Fred Volcansek MankariOuS Mary L. Howell Heather A. Elhajj John F. Rasor D. George Harris Peter J. Wallison Jorge MasCanoso Edwin L. Hullander Lisa A. Estrada Charles Resnick Carla A. Hills June Langston Walton Constantine C. Menges Duncan Hunter Kimberly H. Fulham James E. Rih Alan F, Holmer RUSS Wapensky J William Middendorf Fred C. lkle K. Kerrigan Houston Randle Richardson Roy M. Huffinglon Peter S. Watson Adib Mikhai! Bruce Jacmson Edward J. Lynch Pat Roberts G. Philip Huehes Dlin Lewis Wethington Meyer Mitchell P.X. Kelley Alison Linell McHose Stacey 8. Silva Rick Robitaillo Charles R. Johnston Jr. Richard S. Williamson G. Crmwell Montgomery~~ Robert W. Kelly Tom Sansonneni Tirso Del Junco Ewen M. Wilson Steven Mosher Jeane Kirkpatrick William E. Timmons Jr. C. J. Silas Christopher 6. Kearney Esther Lee Yw David Norcross Sven F. Kraemer Steven S. Walker LISTENING TO AMERICA 63

Gerard T. Adams Jack Collins -~iunca~Hunte~ Barbara Powell Mark Emmert Michael D. Bell Lorraine Colville Kav.. Bailev Hutchison Joel Pritchard Kelly Alexander Jr. Paul Fagone Ashli J. Carpi Larry Combest Carol lannone Deborah Pryce Steve Alexander Tom Feeney David C. Hancock Ernest Conant Stan lnterrante Diane Rath Bruce Alexius Peter Fischer Rea S. Hederman Jr. Henry F. Cooper Jr. Noel Irwin-Hentschel Marguerite Rhodes Jim Almond Patrkk Fitlgibbons Sandra L. Henderson Joanna Cooper Ray lsom William A. Roosma Joe Alvarez Brian Fontes Garth E. Kidman John Cooper Me1 Jackson Sue Runyan Robert Anderson Charles C. Foster Richard F. ODonnell Betty Gault Cordoba James Johnson Marilyn Tucker Quayle scon Armey Stephen Foster Mark R. Prondzinski Fred Corle Met Johnson Diane Rath George ,I. Arnold John Frank John P. Schafer Paul Coverdeli Nancy Johnson Alan Charles Raul Sandra Ashby Robert Frisbie Sharon L. Simon Ken Cowan Earl Jones Donald Ray Rose Augustin Nelson Fugate Christopher Cox George A. Jones Pam Roach Monica Baca Frank Gaffney Jack C. McDougle Tom Craddick Rodney Joyce Pat Roberts Nadine Bailey Gail Gagnone Steven G. Ross Wendell M.Ciamer Robert Kasten John Rogers Vic Baldridge Harold Gailher Jr. Lisa A. Walker Vernon Crowder Michael Keck Daniel Ryan Bill Ballard Henry Galindo George K. Rasley Jr. Blanquila Cullum Robert Kelly Marcia Sabla Kevin Beary Beth Gallegos D. Craig Ray Hope Culver Jack Kemp Steven Sale Kathleen Benedetto Raymond Genick B. J. Rogers Shirley Curry Erica Kenney Aubrey Sarvis Bill Bennett Murray Gerbei Justin R. Swift Peter Dailey Woody Kerkeslager Ellen Sauerbrey Kevin Berry Robert W. Gilmer Allison Adam Taylor Deborah Daniels Chris Kirk Dan Schaefer Harvey Betten John C. Goodman W. Grey Terry Ellen Darden Linas Kojelis Steven Schiff Phillip Bowen Charles Goodson Mike Dain Palrich Korlen Ray %how Jim Bowles Bill Granneil Hal Daub Thomas Kranr William Schuck Sharon Boyer James M. Grego JoAnn Davidson David Laney George %on Jr. Domsnic Bozzono Wayne E. Green Kathy DeGrow Stephen Latham Rider Scott Robin Brazley Kim Greene Kennelh Adelman Daniel B. Denning Mike Leavin Thomas scon J. Paul Brown Nelson Griswold Lamar Alexander Elaine Donnelly Burton Lee Hillard F. Seick Roger Brown Paul Guenlher Susan Au Allen John Dmlittle Dan Lehner Harry Singleton Taylor Brown Mike Farris Rob Allyn Tracey Douglass Charles Lichenstein Evan Slack Jo Brunner Ron Hall Skip Alston Becky Doyle John Linder Tom Slade Gloria Bryant Jack Hansen Annelise Anderson Lynn Drake Ursula Liprari Phyllis Slater Lee Bunting Carol Hanson Stacy Anderson Michele Dyson Virginia Newman Linell John Smietanka Doug Busselman Joyce Hardin Beth Anderson Ron Edwards Marc Little David J. Smith Alina Butler Gerald Harris Bill Archer Ken Eikenberry Trent Lon Olympia Snowe A. Bruce Campbell Charles E. Harrison Jr. Richard K. Armey Larry Elder Teresa Lubbers Floyd Spence Collene Campbell Mark Hatch John Ashcroh John Engler Richard Lugar Carey Stacey Wesley E. Cantrell Dana Hauck Victor Ashe Dorothy English Dan Lungren Jay Stone Dan Cassidy Carolyn Hegel Jeanie Austin Richard English Scott Mann Mark Sullivan Ill Ron Carler Philip Heimlich Haley Barbour Tom Feeney Bruno Manno Melanie Tammen Jeff Carr John Hengen Mike Barker Gene fin2 Ronny Margason John Taylor Herbert Chaffin Todd Herrick Michael E. Baroody Sarah Flores Robert Marshall Craig Thomas Robert L. Chapman Randall Hicks William P. Barr Kirk Fordice Lynn Martin Charlie Thompson Kennelh Churchill Neil Hiegins David Barton Robert Francis AI MartinezTonts Shirley Thompson Bill Cleveland Larry Hill Kenneth Bastian Lois Frels Bruno Mauer Tommy Thompson Angelo Codevilla Charles D. Hobbs Eddy Bayardelle Michael Fry Loyce McCarter Mary Toman Ernest Conant Robert Holland Harvey Betten S. Frank Gallo Bill McCollum Norman Ture Dan Coons Joseph Hooven Joe Bicken James Garner Mike McConnell Kirk Uhler John Cwrenti Ann Howard Brad Blakeman John Gavin Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon Charles G. Unlermeyer Vernon Crowder Bob Howard Thomas Biiley Leo Giacommeto John McKernan Dirk Van Dongen Scott Dadich Bill Howell Richard Blomquist John Gillis Beverly McKiNick Demos Vardiabasis Demar Dah1 Hugh Ingle John B. Blount Jim Gilmore Paul McNulty Gaddi Vasquez Edie Dahlsten Roy lnnis Ronald Bogle Newt Gingrich Kyle McSlarrow Richard Vinrwt Michael R. Darby John Ireland Donald Bollinger David Gold Marly Melancon Barbara Vucanovich David Davis Cheri Jacobson Henry Bonilla Jim Goldman Lee Miller Malcolm Wallop Gail Davis Bill James Mary Ellen Bork Steve Gonzalez George Mims Connie Warden.Roberts Clinton Day Dallin Jenson William Bosher Phil Gramm Betty Montgomery Gary Washburn Allison Dehr Glen Johnson Nona Brazier Wendy Gramm Thomas G. Moore Timothy L. Weeden Richard Dembo John Johnson Deborah Davis Brezina Mark Griffilh Carlos Moorhead William Weld Polly Demma Sherina Johnson Bill Brock Hallerin Hall Sandra Mortham Doug Wheeler Joseph Deters Richard Joseph Hank Brown Arlene Hansen Ham Michael Moses Gerald R. Whitburn Mike DeWine Nancy Jude Jeff Brown Sean Hannity Malty Naiitl Christie Todd Whitman David Diroll Jim Keet Jerry L. Brown James Hansen Billy Neese Armstrong William5 Frances Dixon Leonard P. Keller Taylor Brown Emily Harsch Scott Neighbors Brian Wilson Bill Donegan Philip E. Keith William Brown Monte Hasie Alex Netchvolodoff Healher Wilson Elaine Donnelly Dennis Kirchoff Carol A. Buenner Orrin Hatch Don Nickles Peggy Wilson Patricia F. Donneily Chris Kirk Conrad Burns Charles L. Heatherly Gale Norton Carolyn Wright William A. Donohue Philip Klrschner W. Grimes Byerly Fred Heckman Michael Norton Kenneth P. Yale Lynn A. Drake Martin Kogan Buddy Bynum Roger Hedgecock Kale D’Beirne Christian G. Zimmerman Joe Duda Jurgen Kok David Caprara Joel Heflev Robert Dkun Jack Dunn Hazel Korol John Carlson Jimmy Hedel Larry Patrick Danny Dunnigan Gall Kuntl Tom Chaffee Carla Hills Carl Peed Wade Dyke Gwen Kurz Wendy Chioji Martha House Jason Peltier Cappy Eads Jack Kyle Howard Coble C.T. ‘Kip’ Howlen Jr, Robert Philibosian Jerry Abboud Keith Edwards Gregory Lashutka Mac Collins, Mike Huckabee Richard Pombo Henry Alden Jeffrey Eisenach Rick Lassen 64 LISTENING TO AMERICA - - Kenneth L. Lay Cornell Scott Penny Young Steve Moore Bonnie Lewis Hanson Scott Phil Mosely America's ~ayLewis Kay Retta Shirley Strengthening Tom Scully Security lex Lezar Allan Shulhin Bob Stephenson the Family Margo 0.0. Carlisle Susan Liebler Robert L. Silverman Steve Wilson Louise Liston L.D. 'Buddy' Sipes Gary Bauer Angel0 Codevilla Marilyn Loewy Lynn Slaby Bill Gribbin Nancy Dorn John Lott Sally Slacke Ronald Hashins Health Care Frank J. Gaffney William Lucas Scon S. Smith Chris Jacobs Grounded in Stephen 1. Hadley Frank Lyon Belly Smulian Virginia Thomas American Values Sven F. Kraemer Kate Walsh D'Beirne Ann C. Rtersen Helen Magers Joseph Somner GraceMarie Amen Herb Marshal Harry Spannaus Paul 0. Wolfowitz Doug Badger Harry Martin John K. Springer Improving Richard Blomquist Merrill Mathews John Spisak Schools and Jean Manimore Jacqueline Soychak Shawn Coughlin Cathy McClelland Joseph Sprague Education Mike Freeman Charles D. McClure Alan Slates John Barth Ed Kutler COVER (lefl to right): Corey McDaniel Jay E. Stephens Steve Danzanshy Nikki McNamee Johnny Buuerio Barbara McLennan Maxine Stewart Wade Dyke Eric Thompson Gary Heatherly Robert McMillan Richard Stroup Jay Eagan Randy Tobius (2) Anna McNider Ken Foss Jalal Sudan Reforming Jon Lemay LawTence Mead Laurie Gremel Kenneth Sukhai the Legal Johhny Buzrerio Dale Melstrom Mike Sullivan Steve Hofman Gary Heatherly John Mendez Jack Howard and Regulatory Todd R. Taskey Terry Ashe Peter Michel John B. Taylor William F. Lauber SystemS Natacha Millan Lewis Lavine S. Robert Taylor Thorne Auchter 3 staff Don Miller Bruno Manno Pat Telson C. Boyden Gray 9 Jon LeMay, Bill Miskokomon Bob Okun John Thaemert John Howard Jim Pickerell/Folio Wayne Mitchell Craig Patlee William Thomas Gene Schaerr 10 Johnny Buuerio Michael Mogavero Ted Sanders Ron Thompson 13 Jim Pickerell/Folio Nat Semple Sam Morrison Tommy Thompson 15 staff Allyson M. Tucker The Environment Thelma Morton Oscar Tillman 17 Ed Cox Jeff Moseley Donald Tomascheski Teresa Gorman 19 Terry Ashe David Murray Terry Townes Safe and Marc Himmelstein 21 Stacy Pich/Folio Phyllis Berry Myers Alan Tawnsend Jim Rich 25 Governor's staff John Myrland Prosperous Paul Townsend Neighborhoods Mark Whitenton 27 Jhe Jampa Jribune James Nichols Arthur R. Traugon 28 John Stewart Kevin Holsclaw S. Frank Nishiguchi Craig True 31 staff Cathy Nordine Richard Turkel NaturaJ 32 staff Tom Norton Valerie Tu1 Economic Resources, 35 staff Lynn R. Olman Lil Tunle Growth and Agriculture 36 staff Robert Drmsby Jerry Upton Workplace and Energy 37 Jim Pickerell/Folio Fred Palace Carlos Valdes 40 Eric PoggenpohV Fred Palmer Jacquelyn Viefa OPPO-ty Mike Boland Chuck Connor Folio Tim Parker Skeet Von Harten Robert N. Monice 41 David Harp/Folio Randy Davis Jim Peacock Vicki Wacksman Mike Solon 43 Jim Picherell/Folio Dave Flory lason Penier Jim Walker Norman lure 45 Randy Tobius Sam Perelli Michael Walters Kim Walsh Gary Mitchell Staff David H. Peters Charlie Wells Jim Rich 47 John Riley/Folio Patricia Phea Jane Whilaker Entrepreneur- Linda Stuntz 49 Everett Johnson/ Mike Pickering Penni Wild Mark Whitenton Folio Neil Picken ship and Small Jack Will Business 50 Mathew McVay/Folio Claire Porter Clayton Williams 53 Fred Maroon/Folio Floyd Price Marshall Winmann David G. Albert Competing the Global 55 Charles Mussi/Folio Dennis Rainey Laurin A. Wollan Jr. Karen Bloch in Wally Bennen Raley Charles Woodling Steve Bloch Marketplace McNamee/Folio Alex Rascon Grant Wright William Dal Col Anne E. Brunsdale 56 staff Lou Rasplicka Les Wright Kelly Johnston Joe Cobb 57 Michael Patrick/ Gary L. Reback Robert W. Wright Doug Koopman Richard D. English Folia George Rhodes Jennifer Loon Myles wyan Bob fisher Paul Robinson David Yamada Mark Holmes BACK COVER Daniel Richardson Reducing the Gretchen Lamb Gary Heatherly Vic Riddle Mark Rivera Sue and Scope of Robert P. Parker Ed Roberts Government Vernon Robertson Tom Atwood U.S. Leadership Bonddy A. Rodriguez Free Individuals Marilyn Blindauer in a Changing Jeffrey Rohlfs Tim Boncoskey World Mike Rowe in a Free Society Lisa Caldwell Marda Sablan Mary Ellen Bork Peter Davidson Chip Andreae John Sacken Lori Gremel Joe Dugan Jeff Bergner William Scaljon Bill Gribbin Marly Linsky Jim Jatras Bill Schenck Andrea Sheldon Rich May Ken Peel Edward Schilling Pete Wehner Tony McCann Andy Semmel 4

Strengthening the Family forum, Knoxuilk, T~~see,May 23,1994

National Policy Forum Bulk Rate 229 li2 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. US. Postage Washington, D.C. 20003 PAID (202) 544-2900 Dyersburg, TN Pennit #32