The following exchange is from Dialogue Group 11, Thread 7.

1. Congress, are you watching? Group Eleven has something to say!
Tue, Dec 22, 1998 - 8:08 PM/EST
senryu

Hello friends! Here's an idea. And, yes, it's a "government" idea from the house iconoclast :)

Briefly tell what it is you fear most about government the way it is, what you admire most, and something about what you dream government could be if it was "perfect".

Let's give Congress the honest opinions of people who really *care*.

Hmmm? :)

2. "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Walt Kelley
Tue, Dec 22, 1998 - 9:18 PM/EST
Dougwood

My biggest fear is that Congress will become self-serving, partisan, greedy and only conerned with getting reelected...what?...they already are?...Oh...never mind.

Just when you've given up on Congress and politicians in general, they do something right. This comes in handy during wars (real wars - not bombing raids), disasters (natural and man made),etc. This is what Congress was created for.

Ideally, Congress should go home more often. More and more, members stay in D.C. too long and a growing number seem to be retiring in the surrounding area. Also, Congress should let the individual states take care of the "small stuff" instead of creating larger and larger bureauocracies to administer some of the laws they pass.

3. The best government is the least government -- someone or other
Tue, Dec 22, 1998 - 9:45 PM/EST
MAYORBOB

My greatest fear about government is the ever intrusive nature of the beast. The massive amounts of information that are out there about each of us...tax records, social security account numbers, police records, medical records, employment records, etc. The fact is that it is not at all difficult for an investigator or an agency to develop a complete profile on just about any private citizen.

Although I am a federal government civil servant, I am wary of this potential and the proclivity for those in government to want to know more and more about all of us. I am unsure what steps a private citizen who is a full participant in the economy and society can do to avoid intrusion.

I am not sure that there is any particular aspect of government that I am truly enamored of. I guess my dream government would simply ensure the viability of the economy and provide for the common defense.

4. It's too big
Tue, Dec 22, 1998 - 10:23 PM/EST
Jamest

Dougwood and MayorBob,

I agree re:the enormity of the government. It's one of the things that keeps me voting Republican (though they don't do such a great job of reducing it themselves.) Was it Jefferson who said, "Government is best which governs least?" I like that. I'd like to see all States take care of their own people. Instead, what we have is this big bureaucracy (sp?) taking money that could go to the needy and ending up in middle class civil servants. (I appreciate you thoughts MayorBob.)

Education, health, welfare should be exclusive state responsibilities. It would be more efficient, those in need could be found; those not in need could be booted. Theoretically, it should cost less, yet give more to the needy. Instead of the poor living on the crumbs falling from the table, time and money could be used to get them into the mainstream. I can't see how it can ever work better out of Washington.

5. on the spot for my own question :)
Tue, Dec 22, 1998 - 10:48 PM/EST
senryu

I like the way this is going :)

What I fear the most: The gun-to-your-head, so-what-if-we-ruin-your-life, we-love-to-watch-you-wiggle, sadistic, murderous, devious bunch of muggers whose parents were never married, IIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSS... who asked them to take food out of our mouths to serve their own special interests anyway? Do we get special interests too? hahahahahahahahaha...[primal scream]

What do I like about the U.S. government? They make pretty money. Has anyone seen the designs for the new Sacajawea dollar coin yet? Go check out the U.S. Mint website...

Well, it's *something* :)

What is my biggest dream for the government? To quit treating us like we're too stupid to come in out of the rain. I mean... what do you suppose the average IQ of this group is? lol

MajorBob, I agree on the privacy issue... I refuse to carry credit cards for that reason among others.

ah well, that WAS a rant :) More later, maybe... if you don't hear from me in a long time, I've probably been picked up by the secret police. lol... I'm just fed up, not crazy....

6. government
Wed, Dec 23, 1998 - /EST
niasis

what I dislike the most -

Its too big, inefficient, and it does not focus on the right issues at the right levels. Its too intrusive, yes. But most scary is that it is simultaneously dis-associated from the people and it dis-empowers the people - what is the voter turn-out?, look how people immediately look to the Federal govt. for assistance during physical disasters, the enormous dependence on social security for retirement, etc. At the (NY) state level, there is inconsistent prioritization and allocation of resources to address health, education, environmental, fiscal, and economic policies. It continues to be an over-taxing, over-regulated state that is driving away both companies and workers (retirees!) Pataki is schizophrenic about the necessary emphasis on education, he passed an environmental bill that essentially went out and borrowed more money, increasing the state debt further!...and the legislature is more likely to pass a bill that increases its own salaries than to pass the budget this year!

what does it do well today?
I generally approve of the US national defense policy, the space program, free-trade, policy in the israel/palestine.
ny state govt. has not acquitted itself to me yet.
Mayor Guilliani has peformed some miracles in NYC, though. Five years ago, I would never have dared to take the F train up to 116th and Amsterdam (my sister teaches at Columbia) after 8 pm...today I feel no trepidation. Amazing!

Rochester, the city where I live, is still reeling from the exodus to the burbs... our mayor is trying to bring about economic revival through a sense of historic pride, urban renewal, and focus on crime... promising to-date.

Whats Ideal?
Federal Govt.s should have little to do with anything other than national defense, international relations (dept. of state), international trade (trade policy and interaction w/ WTO etc.) It plays a role in doing nation-wide and international benchmarking on health and education standards and best-practises. Its also responsible for preserving the integrity of the constitution. And get this, the president CAN take the bully pulpit on social and moral issues in order to influence public opinion (e.g., war on drugs, not me, not now, unity in diversity, etc...)

12. Living inside the beltway, looking out
Thu, Dec 24, 1998 - 9:35 AM/EST
Chrisj

This is a very interesting thread and here are my thoughts:

1. I agree that our politicians, once in Washington, seem to lose touch with the rest of the nation. There is definitely a Washington culture that feeds upon itself. When polls showed that the rest of the nation didn't appear to take much interest in the Lewinsky scandal, the politicians and Washington media were puzzled and even indignant. Inside the Beltway, people thrive on this kind of stuff. After all, politics is the main industry and sex is the juiciest part of politics. The rest of the country - the computer programmers, metal workers, retailers, office workers, all of us - we were working, paying bills, picking the kids up from school, worrying about our retirement, and trying to live a happy life. Some time ago, James Fallows wrote a wonderful article, published by the Atlantic Monthly, that spoke about the incestual nature of Washington. Check it out.

2. Having said that, I'd like to separate the political part of government from the bureaucracy - the part of government that, once legislated by our elected representatives, provides us with a whole bunch of services which, depending on who you talk to, no one needs and everyone needs. Let's face it. Of all those special interests out there that you complain are ruining our government, how many do you belong to? I am sure more than you're willing to admit. Are you a farmer? Thank god for the Department of Agriculture. Do you live in Long Beach? Then you must love NASA and the Department of Defense. Are you retired? Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Do you live in Seattle? Then surely you appreciate the U.S. Export-Import bank gave Boeing. Your town, city, or county can't afford more police, firefighters, or teachers? Fortunately you can apply to the Feds for help. If you live in Georgia, that order of C130s the Airforce doesn't need and doesn't want may help keep food on your family's table for the next couple of years. I can go on forever, but my point is this: When you think of a smaller government, are you thinking about a government that serves only your needs?

Government's job is to provide us with things that we could not provide on our own; it protects from a word that is often cold, bare, and unjust.