RECENTLY ELECTED REPUBLICANS ARE DAMAGING THE COUNTY

  

The transformation of Washington County from an overwhelmingly Democratic jurisdiction into one where a majority of the voters are registered Republicans has been a swift and total sea change. In the 2021 general election, 10,000 more Republicans cast ballots than in 2017. This gives Republicans a clear majority at the polls and ensures that Washington is as “red” a county as many of its rural neighbors to the east and north. The recent voting trend reverses a period of Democratic majorities and governmental control that predates the 1930s depression.

In the latest elections, Republicans have easily captured the majority on the Board of Commissioners, in addition to the offices of District Attorney, Sheriff and Controller. Beginning this January, all of the Row Offices (Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds) will be held by elected Republicans. In recent state and national elections, Democratic candidates have not fared well in Washington County. The effort to elect a bipartisan Government Study Commission went down in flames because certain elected Republican officials fought vigorously against it.

It will take a well-trained team of political scientists to analyze the data and determine the reasons for this abrupt change in voting patterns. Westmoreland County is undergoing a similar transformation; so, we are not alone. It is not clear how many Democrats switched their party affiliation or how many are new voters. I suspect that the nativist appeal of Donald Trump has caused many chronic non-voters to take an interest in local government for the first time. Whatever the reason, elected Republican officials will be in charge of all non-judicial county functions as we begin this new year.

Since the Republican transformation began several years ago, it has become obvious that winning elections is a whole lot easier than governing Washington County.  Early on, rash decisions were made in the Row Offices to replace long-time knowledgeable employees with partisan Republican supporters who had no experience. Without a transition plan to train new employees in how to conduct critical clerical functions, many of the Row Offices made mistakes and could not keep up with their responsibilities, as defined by law.  The problem was exacerbated by the pandemic. This forced the courthouse to close and caused already challenged offices to be short staffed.

Unfortunately, rather than working with other county officials and with the courts to solve problems as they occurred, the newly elected row officers chose to say a lot, while knowing little. The rhetoric was and continues to be full-throated attacks against any elected Democrat still in office and against their nominal political leader, Republican Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughn, who helped get them elected.  Yearly audits designed to correct clerical and accounting deficiencies before they got worse were labeled “personal vendettas by Democrats.” Administrative court orders to cure deficiencies or to turn over records and files were publicly criticized and resisted.

Republican officials made up new rules on the fly in direct contradiction to their statutory authority or chose to ignore administrative orders issued by the President Judge. In short, long-established nonpartisan clerical functions, designed by law to ensure the orderly functioning of the county judicial system, became partisan political battlegrounds. In true Trumpian fashion, these officials attacked the messenger who pointed out deficiencies rather than dig in and resolve the problem for the betterment of the voters who placed them in office.

No one can recall the mundane Row Offices being front-page news until a Democratic Clerk of Courts stole funds from the office and his Republican replacement, (with little to do since several functions were removed from her jurisdiction), began spending her time seeking media attention.  She has filed more appeals from court orders and sued more individuals for a variety of offenses in a matter of weeks than the Clerk of Courts office has undertaken in decades. In the process of avoiding a contempt hearing scheduled against her for ignoring court directives, she has attempted to become the aggrieved and persecuted figure in the eyes of her many social media followers and the evening news. While it is all interesting theater, the embarrassment to the county and disruption to judicial processes has been vast and immeasurable.

The tragic figure in all of this has been Chairman Commissioner, Diana Irey Vaughn. She realizes that the opportunity for her party, now finally in control of county operations, is about accountable leadership and not partisan rhetoric.  Irey Vaughn was a minority Commissioner for many years and knows what good government looks like.  She has no interest in tearing down what works or in supporting witch-hunts into corruption that does not exist. Her responsible position has drawn the ire of the new breed of Republican leadership who want to replace her with one of their own.

The newly elected Republicans should be careful what they wish for. If they replace Irey Vaughn, all of their imagined dragons will be slain. There will be no one else to blame for damaging missteps as Washington County slips into mediocrity or worse. Without knowledgeable officials in key positions, the county’s municipal bond ratings will go down and surplus county funds will disappear. In addition, businesses will lose confidence, and taxes will increase. Living or working in Washington County will become undesirable.

The only good news for county residents is that in time, voting patterns will again begin to change.

 

A FALL TRIP TO THE SOUTHERN LOW COUNTRY

This autumn, we were looking forward to a November trip to Portugal when the ongoing pandemic convinced us to reconsider. Rather than struggle with masks and constant testing while traveling through this beautiful country, we postponed our plans until March of 2023. We had not been away all summer and were eager to travel, but where? Sedona and San Diego were on the list but in the end, my spouse was set on returning to the low country in the Deep South. Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head, South Carolina became our destination.

Expect the unexpected when flying over the next six months.  The airlines drastically cut back their operations because of COVID. They have struggled to replace staff to meet the growing demand.  We scheduled a 6 A.M. flight to ensure the plane would be on the ground (it was) so that we would make our DC connection to Savannah (we did not).  

Mechanical difficulties delayed our flight and we arrived in DC just as the connecting flight was boarding. Our luggage made it on the plane and we were directed to wait until late the next day to continue our trip. Not to be deterred, we immediately booked a flight to Charleston, two hours from our destination. Upon landing, we found a one-way rental car at an outrageous price and drove to the Savannah airport to pick up our booked rental car and luggage.

For the rest of the week we were treated to beautiful November weather, small crowds and outstanding dinners. The old town in Savannah features many fine Hotels situated in renovated warehouses near the river.  The famous moss draped squares are within walking distance as is the old town walking market, featuring hundreds of small shops.

We spent a fascinating afternoon at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, with exhibits from the great era of Atlantic trade. Of special interest were the descriptions of naval encounters during both the American Revolution and Civil War. A new exhibit presented a multi-media depiction of the middle passage that brought African slaves to the Deep South. The message was clear that the slave trade was a massive crime against humanity.

 Our third day saw us on the road, heading north to Hilton Head. For some reason, this barrier island has developed a reputation as more sophisticated than its more pedestrian neighbor, Myrtle Beach. The only evidence of this was the more exclusive Sea Pines Plantation that charges a toll to enter this exclusive enclave.

The Resort fees and lodging on Sea Pines are more expensive than the rest of Hilton Head. Sea Pines is the home of the beautiful Harbour Town and its iconic lighthouse and golf course. At the end of this portion of the island is the world famous Salty Dog Café where one can lunch overlooking the harbor and buy merchandise of every description.

We booked one of the many resort hotels outside of Sea Pines. The off-season rates were reasonable and the location was only blocks from a well-kept beach. Upon our arrival, we made dinner reservations at several interesting restaurants. Each day started with a light hotel breakfast where we made plans for the day, on either the beach or exploring the island.

Our day trips included a morning at the small out of the way Audubon nature preserve. It provided a pleasant walk around a small lake with numerous songbirds indigenous to the South, serenading us. Our next stop was a picnic lunch at the Costal Discovery Museum that featured a restored family home and outbuildings.  The exhibits described Hilton Head in the laid-back days before a bridge connected the island to the mainland. Surrounding the homestead were miles of hiking trails.

Before departing the island, we took in one of the many boat tours that provide guaranteed encounters with the local bottlenose dolphins. We photographed Harbour Town and the lighthouse on our cruise around the bay. Our final dinner was an early meal at the marina as the sun went down.

The next morning we traveled back to Savannah where we would spend our last day before an evening flight to Pittsburgh. The weather was sunny and warm, the perfect opportunity to tour Old Fort Jackson, a National Historic Landmark only minutes from downtown Savannah. An enthusiastic young woman, garbed as a confederate soldier, gave us a tour of the complex, the oldest brick fortifications on the East Coast. She demonstrated many of the armaments adorning the fort and the smell of gunpowder was heavy in the air.

Our flight back home was uneventful and gave us time to reflect on how nice it would be to live in the Deep South during the fall and winter months. However, upon arrival, the blustery Western Pennsylvania weather felt about right for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday.d, water, and living things to gain more environmental awareness. Explore history, culture, 

BE THANKFUL FOR A “GLASS HALF-FULL” THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

As the fall and winter holidays came and went last year, celebrations were few, and the mood was dismal. There was uncertainty about new vaccines and how they would be utilized. 2020 was dominated by the news of how COVID-19 spread across the globe. 2021 focused on ending the pandemic through vaccine distribution.

During this holiday season, vaccinated families are able to plan for safe gatherings unthinkable in 2020. In the White House, sanity has returned to America, and a dystopian attempt to bring down the democratic electoral process was defeated. As a country, we celebrated the first Veterans Day in two decades when we were not engaged in a military conflict.

While the media remains focused on President Biden’s declining poll numbers, the real story on the first year of his administration should be the lack of bizarre tweets and over the moon chaos, so common under the leadership of Donald Trump. We have gone through a year when foreign dignitaries were not insulted, autocrats were not praised, government officials were not fired for expressing their opinions, white supremacists were not encouraged and minorities were not demeaned. Whether one agrees with Biden’s policies or not, it is gratifying to have qualified adults running the government.

The glass is only half-full because of the new challenges of a reopening world economy that has sparked inflation and bottlenecks in the supply chain. As oil prices rise to fuel the reopening economy, gas prices also rise. As large numbers of long delayed container ships leave their Asian ports full of Christmas merchandise, American ports cannot process the large volume in an orderly manner.  The surge in sales for electronic devices during the pandemic created an outsized demand for semiconductors that was further aggravated by Asian factories closed because of COVID. Now a shortage will last well into 2022.

The above challenges of transitioning to a new post COVID economy with both feet in the information age are real, but temporary. Next year will see prices stabilize and bottlenecks resolved.  Moreover, the Democrat’s new infrastructure legislation has provisions to build domestic semiconductor plants to end reliance on foreign supplies.

The pandemic continues to be a glass-draining event. Despite President Biden’s aggressive offensive against the pandemic, following the advice of his public health officials at every turn, COVID-19 has proven to be a persistent adversary.  As of November 27, 2021, 454 million doses of vaccine were administered for Americans, beginning at age 5. Efforts have been hampered by misinformation and anti-government hostilities that have encouraged more than 120 million citizens to refuse vaccinations.  New variants of the virus have been able to gain a foothold and spread rapidly among the unvaccinated.

The battle against the pandemic has been exasperated by confusion over changing policies as new data is analyzed. This requires updated public health directives over masking, testing and booster shots. We all want the virus to be gone and a return to a pre-pandemic world. This result is not realistic, and we must adjust as the virus becomes endemic (here to stay, but under control).

So how is it possible to claim that the glass is half-full and filling up?  For starters, the stock market is higher than it ever was under President Trump, and the S&P 500 has hit more than 50 record highs in 2021.  More than 5.6 million new jobs have been created in Biden’s first nine months in office. Under his leadership, unemployment is down to 4.6% from an estimated 10%.

Wages for middle class workers have increased in 2021 at the most accelerated rate in decades. Overall wages are up 6%, and hourly wages are up 11% this year outpacing inflation by 3x overall and 5x for hourly wage earners.  Economic growth is on course to hit a healthy 5% this year and 4% in 2022.

Democrats have passed an infrastructure bill to secure broadband internet and better roads, bridges, electric power and drinking water for all Americans. Despite fierce Republican opposition, Congress is within striking distance of securing better child-care assistance, free pre-kindergarten and lower drug prices, as well as requiring the ultra-rich to pay more in taxes.

Unfortunately, Republicans have done their best to keep the glass from filling up. Their efforts over the past year have focused on the lie that Democrats stole the national election. They label initiatives designed to ensure American excellence as socialism. They criticize the withdraw from Afghanistan, negotiated by Trump, while opposing the resettlement of Afghan refugees. They complain about too many business “help-wanted” signs in a booming economy. Lastly, they oppose vaccine mandates that would shorten the pandemic.

On a personal note, I was reminded that the glass is half-full and that gratitude is in order as I sat in Heinz Hall last weekend listening to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Older patrons trooped in with masks on faces and vax cards in hand to view the magnificent Christmas tree and to take in the return of live concert music. We were treated to a 40-minute Nicolo Paganini violin concerto featuring an 18-year-old Spanish prodigy, Maria Duenas. Her performance was beyond words.

There is much that is good in this world, and the glass is slowly filling up. I hope we all experience some uplifting moments this holiday season to remind us why the journey is worth all the trouble.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEW DEBATE ON RACISIM

 

Since the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020, the debate on racism in America has changed. It has morphed from an emphasis on identifying racist attitudes into a social conflict to regulate “unacceptable” speech and behavior. The issue is no longer whether white privilege and systemic racism exist (which indeed they do), but what the proper response from a white person should be.

A host of books, essays and podcasts has tackled both ends of the debate. The first wave tried to identify passive racism and instruct white Americans who would listen on how to act to repent for their sins. The newest wave has fought back against this trend by pointing out that there is great danger in employing white privilege as a sledgehammer to attack white behavior. First, this approach assigns white people the task of becoming the saviors of Black America. Second, it turns many whites who are not “woke” and ready to assume the mantle of “racial sinner” into becoming defensive and less inclined to support racial progress.

In recent months, this new debate has expanded into our schools. Here the issue is not changing behavior, but changing the American history curriculum to include an honest presentation on slavery, reconstruction and civil rights. Because of the confusion over the new language of racism, I will begin by describing some of the important misunderstood and misapplied watchwords. I will end with my thoughts on how to address the new debate on racism.

Black Lives Matter: BLM is a decentralized political and social movement protesting against incidents of police brutality and other racially motivated violence against Black people. BLM employs non-violent disobedience and has had a positive effect on diversifying police forces and improving community relations.

Woke: To be woke originally meant to be alert to racial prejudice and discrimination. As the cultural wars exploded, it came to encompass a broader awareness of other inequalities such as sexism. Conservatives have placed negative implications on woke by attacking woke positions which they believe degrade traditional white culture and revise American history.

Cancel culture: Conservatives have invoked this negative term to describe the practice of excluding somebody who is “unwoke” from social or professional life because they have said or done something that woke advocates believe is racist or sexist. Conservatives believe that cancel culture is prevalent in academia, the media and the arts.

1619 Project: The 1619 Project is the New York Times’ historical analysis of how slavery influenced America’s political, social and economic institutions. The 1619 signifies the date that Africans were first brought to America against their will. Conservatives have criticized the project for negatively revising American history in order to place guilt on white America and to promote an ideology that is unpatriotic. In fact, teachers and students who were offered the 1619 Project material were universally enthusiastic in teaching/learning more about the role slavery and Black Americans have played in our past.

White privilege: White privilege is the relative advantage racism affords to individuals identified as white, whether the individual recognizes the privilege or not. The inexhaustible list of privileges includes the presumption of innocence, assumption of intelligence, opportunities available from a white network, policy-making power and access to inherited wealth, better schools and the ability to vote without impediments.

Systemic racism: Governments, businesses, schools or any institution with power that favors policies that perpetuate racial inequality are said to practice systemic racism. This would include any process that is chronically a disadvantage for African Americans.

Critical Race Theory: The central idea of CRT is that racism is ingrained in America’s history, legal systems, and policies. It is an academic construct that rejects the idea that racism is simply caused by prejudiced individuals. CRT incorporates the ideas of white privilege and systemic racism into a theory that racism is inherent in many aspects of American life, and it supports policy decisions to improve equality for African Americans. CRT has never been taught in public schools.

It is important to understand that the above terms are haphazardly being thrown around in the new debate on racism. White privilege, systemic racism, cancel culture and being woke are easily misapplied for bad motives. A few examples follow.

Many disadvantages like poverty and drug addiction affect white as well as Black people and are not illustrations of white privilege. Building roads and lowering interest rates are benefits for whites but are not systemic racism. Cancel culture does not include fact checking erroneous information or publicly “calling someone out” for spreading falsehoods on social media. Urging the defunding of police is irresponsible and not a requirement to be woke.

I believe that once Americans begin to understand the parameters of the new debate on racism, real progress can be made. In education, a majority of parents will have no objection to their children learning about slavery and its influence if the presentation is a fair representation of our history. The key is to present lesson plans that are balanced with adequate explanation.

I will end where I began with the new excesses of woke culture seeking to regulate speech and behavior concerning gender and race. For me this conduct is a kind of collective anxiety of Salem witch trial proportions. Let us not fall into the Trumpian trap of insisting on one way of thinking about race in America.

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DIVERSITY IS THE KEY TO DEMOCRACY

 

The historical linkages between the various English peoples that founded America and our present political and cultural conflicts have always fascinated me. It is naïve to believe that modern hostilities result solely from Donald Trump, social media, and/or radical cancel culture views on racism and women’s rights.

Many of the issues we argue about each day are spawned by our history.  In fact, a trail of tribal breadcrumbs goes back 300 years when America was in its infancy.  Understanding our initial colonization can help us to comprehend modern America.

The premise discussed in this commentary is hardly original. Credit must be given to the classic historical work by David Hackett Fischer, Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America, 1989, Oxford University Press. In addition, a recent Joe Klein essay, Why the Past is Never Past that appeared in the Sunday October 17, 2021 NYT, revived my interest in Fisher’s important study. For those readers who are not familiar with these sources, I will summarize and comment.

The Joe Klein essay has its eye on the map of our nation during the pandemic when he observes “the daily graphs of COVID-19 cases and vaccinations-the diagonal slash through Appalachia and the South from the Ozarks and Texas, where cases soared; to the high vaccination rates in New England, make it clear that the divide between maskers and anti-maskers, vaxxers and anti-vaxxers is as old as Plymouth Rock. It is deeper than politics, it is cultural.”

To get to this conclusion, we must return to Albion’s Seed which tackles the question: Why do certain regions in America have different cultural characteristics? Fischer identifies four original folkways that were radically different, each contributing an essential strain in shaping modern America.

New England.  First, the great migration of English Puritans, middle class Englishmen ruled by an elite of Puritan ministers, populated New England in the 1630s. Relative homogeneity, stable families and a balanced gender ratio marked this conservative folkway. It sought strict piety by instituting harsh institutional control and regulation over all manner of domestic living.

Tidewater Virginia.  Second, Royalist Cavaliers, pro-crown and Anglican, came from the elites of Southwest England. They were actively recruited to lord over large Virginia estates where 75% of the population were in the first place indentured servants and later African slaves. Society was hierarchical.  Liberty included the right to rule over others and the freedom to be unequal.

Delaware Valley.  Third, Quakers from Northern England counties settled the land surrounding Philadelphia.  The Quaker culture valued commerce, industry and a pluralistic society of equality over Puritan unity or Cavalier hierarchy.  The acceptance of different views encouraged political parties. Religious liberty, non-violence and antislavery prevailed in the Quaker folkway.

The Southern Backcountry.  Last, a large impoverished group of immigrants from England’s Northern borderlands and Southern Scotland sought refuge in the hills along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains. The folkways they brought with them were structured around a culture of retaliation and retribution. Politics were marked by independent “men of influence” like the future Andrew Jackson. The Appalachian conception of freedom stressed personal autonomy and distrust for governmental authority.

When one considers the New England ethic to “follow the rules” and its contrast with the Appalachian culture of “there are no rules,” it is no small miracle that we have made it this far as a nation.  Moreover, after reading the best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (who is now running for Congress as a Trump supporter), it is clear that these folkway differences are alive and well. Puritan organization predicted the New Deal and “freedom from want.” The Scots Irish wanted no part of this bargain if it meant curtailing individual liberties.

Likewise, the call for social and economic equality espoused by the Quakers was never accepted in the South.  Instead, the Southern folkway that championed an aristocratic hierarchy would lead to white supremacy and systemic racism following the Civil War.

I would add a fifth and sixth folkway to the four developed in Albion’s Seed that help explain why we have not experienced continuous civil war. The fifth would be the emancipation and citizenship afforded to Africans brought to America against their will. The sixth and last is the immigration of citizens from Southern Europe and later from ethnic groups from around the world.

Once America became more diverse, the fractious folkways of the original British migration had less influence. Each original folkway was more concerned with protecting its ancestral turf than establishing control over the country as a whole. The continuing diversity of culture and new ideas made our constitutional republic stronger over time.  

In support of my observation, I would point to those countries that have  remained ethnically homogeneous. Germany and Japan before WWII, Russia and China since the war are examples of nations with little cultural diversity. Each of them fostered authoritarian regimes based on ethnic supremacy with total control over their populations.

When I read the latest issue of Pittsburgh Magazine and reviewed the 2021 award winning class of “40 under 40,” the accomplishments and diversity of the candidates was impressive. Among these young adults are several from small villages in India, Pakistan, Africa and the Far East. Each is making a difference with their unique creativity.

As long as new folkways continue to be introduced into the American landscape, our democracy will remain a gloriously messy business but it will thrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A FAIRYTALE WITH A HAPPY ENDING

The excellent book, The Constitution of Knowledge, Jonathan Rauch, The Brookings Institute, 2021, inspired this commentary

Once upon a time, the country of Acadia was established. The new nation’s founders believed in a democratic form of government. They wrote a constitution to guarantee that both individual liberties and the rule of law would govern the new land. This binding legal document imposed checks and balances on the elected leaders.

As the country grew, disagreements developed among the different tribes that lived within the borders of Acadia. The large land mass was very diverse in language, ethnicity, religion and cultural practices. The citizens who lived in the large cities came to value knowledge, merit and the diversity of many different tribes. However, the rural tribes became distrustful of city dwellers and feared that the rustic way of life was being both ignored and threatened. Moreover, rural tribes, immigrants themselves, were opposed to permitting foreigners the right to immigrate into Acadia to share in its vast resources.

Despite the disagreements, the constitution of laws allowed strong governmental institutions to develop, and Acadia thrived for many years. Leaders with moderate liberal views were elected, often followed by the election of moderate conservative leaders. At times, radical political tribes sought power, but they were quickly absorbed into the moderate political parties. The political and social changes that took place were adopted slowly, with vigorous debate and compromise by all interest tribes. The democratic struggle between the state and the people was healthy. It never gravitated toward the twin evils of authoritarian state authority or into political chaos brought on by mass rebellion that plagued other nations.

Over the years, Acadia was slowly transformed from an agrarian society into an industrial one. The conflicts between rural tribes, who remained fixed in an agricultural culture and the urban areas that adopted an industrial way of life, became more pronounced. It became difficult for the constitution and the democratic institutions to keep a moderate elected government in place. There was increasing pressure for the state to move sharply to the right or the left. Thankfully, Acadia was equally split between voters on each side of the debate. This helped to maintain the appearance of order.

In addition to the traditional conflict between rural and urban citizens, conservative tribes attracted Christian citizens with what became known as a “family values” agenda. This platform wanted Acadia to become a Christian nation that would ignore the constitutional mandate of the separation between church and state.

The deathblow to Acadia’s long running system of democratic government was the dawning of the Information Age. Within several decades, access to and control of information became the defining characteristic of society. This was initially thought to be good for democracy because all the tribes would have a vast store of knowledge equally available to them. In fact, the information age fostered social media where each citizen could express opinions that would go viral and be viewed by millions of others. Untrue diatribes that encouraged negative emotions of hate and distrust replaced vetted facts on which all could agree.

Unscrupulous politicians began to run for office using social media as their path to victory. The message was about the individual leader. The leader was adept at communicating untrue authoritarian “us against them” themes to his followers. Acadia was politically and socially split in half.  Knowledge became irrelevant, and the constitutional institutions began to weaken.

Many thought that civil war was inevitable and that Acadia would become a failed nation.  Finally, wise citizens, both conservatives and liberals, gathered and convened a second constitutional convention. The goal was to develop a new “constitution of knowledge” that would serve as a defense of truth and avert the coming storm.

The constitution of knowledge was designed to manage disagreements among the tribes.  As in the original constitution, speech was free to flourish. What changed was a system that vetted speech before the tribes accepted it as knowledge. The constitution of knowledge became law following a national referendum.

Under the new constitution, views or opinions that an individual wanted to be accepted as knowledge were submitted for peer review. The medical professionals vetted medical questions; legal scholars the legal disagreements; respected sociologists the social issues; and religious leaders and philosophers the moral dilemmas. However, the constitution of knowledge was not limited to professionals.  It also included journalists, law enforcement, election administrators, union officials, corporate leaders and any other evidence- based group where theories required testing and justification from different points of view. Everyone was still entitled to his or her own opinion, but the community as a whole agreed on what constituted knowledge.

When a proposition was finally given credence as true, it was always subject to change as the facts supporting the proposition changed. In this way, the proven scientific method that existed for centuries was adopted to manage disagreement among the tribes. There was now a welcome, level playing field for conflict, which rejected misinformation and provided a defense for truth.

The constitution of knowledge became widely utilized in Acadia. The nation became ruled by its values and common practices that were fair to all of the tribes. Disruptive trolls and divisive politicians who previously thrived on hate, fear and disinformation disappeared from the land.  The information age became a positive force that propelled Acadia forward into many years of peace and prosperity.

 

DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS MUST FOCUS ON ELECTION LAWS AND VOTER’S RIGHTS

 

President Joe Biden and the Democratic controlled Congress are intent on getting legislation passed before their political support evaporates following the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats have reason to worry because their congressional majorities is slim, and typically, the party in power loses both House and Senate seats in the midterms. By January of 2023, the Democrat’s opportunity to effect meaningful change may be over.

Unfortunately, “going big” with the Democrat’s proposed “Building Back Better” (BBB) legislation is only possible with the vote of the 50^th senator. Because all Republicans and Democratic senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have objections, the President’s package of new social programs cannot cobble together 50 votes. Moreover, these same two senators are not prepared to change the Senate cloture rule—which requires 60 members to end debate on most topics and move to a vote. The reality on the ground is that today’s Congress simply does not have the large Democratic majorities that permitted Presidents FDR in the 1930s and LBJ in the 1960s to pass groundbreaking social reforms.

It is time for the White House and the Democratic Party to stop seeking improbable, time-consuming legislative wins. Smaller victories are preferable to drawn out policy battles that offer little hope for success. The only issue that should be non-negotiable for Democrats is preventing Donald Trump and/or “Trumpism” from regaining the presidency. This alone is the largest threat facing our democracy since the Civil War.  To prevent a Trump resurgence, Democrats must step back and reset priorities leading up to the 2022 midterm elections.  Events that have transpired since President Biden took office must be part of the calculations moving forward.

First, Democratic legislative plans were upended this summer when the Delta variant of the pandemic swept across the country, again making COVID-19 the President’s number one priority. The White House was correct to devote additional resources to getting more Americans vaccinated in order to avoid a second public health crisis. The confusion over school openings and booster shots, as recommendations change week by week, makes the pandemic a slippery advisory of undefined duration. The pandemic resurgence could not be avoided, and legislative expectations must now be revised.

Second, Democratic moderates and progressives have been unable to compromise on the final architecture of the massive BBB legislative package. House moderates are eager to move forward with the “hard” infrastructure legislation, already passed by the senate, with a reduced version of the “soft” 3.5 trillion dollar BBB social package.  Progressives are insisting that BBB is non-negotiable and that it is impossible to make policy choices between child-care, the elderly, education, the climate crisis and immigration reform. In addition, Democrats cannot agree on a proposal to increase taxes to pay for the social package.

Third, the hope that following his defeat Trump would lose his political dominance over the Republican Party has not materialized. Trump has held his coalition together by finding enough loyalists willing to perpetuate the “big lie” that Democrats stole the national election. Trump has demonstrated enough influence to guarantee that his handpicked candidates can win Republican congressional primaries throughout the nation in 2022. This will be the springboard for him returning to national office in 2024 with an agenda of rewarding liars and punishing truth tellers who disagree with him.

Last week a well-known conservative, Robert Kagan, published an essay on the state of American democracy that sent shock waves through the political establishment. (Opinion: Our constitutional crisis is already here, Washington Post, September 23, 2021) Mr. Kagan believes that Donald Trump and his allies are willing to go to any length to ensure his victory in 2024 and that he must be stopped to preserve democracy.

Kagan believes that the Trump game plan to flood state legislatures with loyal supporters willing to change election laws, giving partisan Republicans the power to overturn election results in the next national election is already in place. Kagan writes, “The Trump movement is less about policies than about Trump himself. It has undermined the normal role of American political parties, which is to absorb new movements into the mainstream.” All citizens who value our system of government should read this well-reasoned commentary and be prepared to work tirelessly to defeat Trump.

The Democratic majority in Congress is razor thin. If a Democratic senator dies in a state with a Republican Governor, all bets are immediately off. The White House and Democrats in Congress should obtain the best deal they can on infrastructure, resolve the debt and budget issues as quickly as possible and move on to the real crisis - Republican attacks on election laws and voter’s rights. Republican leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear that his members will vote against every Democratic proposal. It is time to stop negotiating with Republicans and move forward with vigor.

President Biden wants to bring all of his campaign promises to fruition in one grand legislative package. However, even if the Democrats are successful, a Republican takeover of Congress in 2022 followed by a Trump victory in 2024 would quickly reverse many of these gains.

This must be the year to assemble a national legislative firewall around the state election offices to insure full and fair voting in both the 2022 mid-terms and 2024 national election. Without accomplishing this goal, democracy will lose the constitutional crisis that is already upon us.

 

 

 

 

MAKING SENSE OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Washington County citizens have reason to be overwhelmed by the flurry of initiatives launched by the Commissioners in recent months.  The three major projects are unique but easy to confuse. First, an election referendum to adopt a Government Study Commission; second, an expansion of human services functions in Washington County; and third, approval of an automated case management system for the county courts, have all been introduced.

To make matters more confounding is the misinformation being circulated by certain parties to derail the most deserving of these plans. This commentary will attempt to explain each the above initiatives, how they are related and how they differ.

Government Study Commission. This summer, the concept of a Government Study Commission progressed from a good idea (one that I have advocated for several years) to an actual ordinance placing the referendum to adopt the Study Commission before the voters on November 2. If Washington County ultimately adopts a Home Rule form of government, it would enhance the ability to make decisions based on local needs. Washington County would no longer be forced to follow a one-size-fits-all state code that is decided by state legislators.

In August, those interested in serving on the commission had a brief window to gather signatures on a petition backing their candidacy. On Election Day, voters will decide whether to adopt a Government Study Commission and on the same ballot will select eleven commissioners from among 51 candidates.  They will only serve if the vote to form the Commission is in the affirmative. 

The decision by the Commissioners to fast track a Government Study Commission was no doubt influenced by the deteriorating relationship between the Commissioners and the Washington County court system on one side and the Republican officials elected to administer the clerical Row Offices on the other. It is true that the Study Commission could advocate for elimination of these offices. One professional administrator, appointed by the courts and the commissioners, to perform these clerical functions, would replace partisan elected officials. However, it is important to keep in mind that an elected Study Commission would be tasked with examining all aspects of county government, not simply the future of the clerical Row Offices.

The process in adopting a Home Rule Charter is purposefully deliberate and involves public/voter input at all phases of the multiple stage proceeding mandated by state law.  Public meetings to solicit ideas will be held, research on other Pennsylvania Home Rule Counties conducted, and all options discussed. The Study Commission may decide to retain the existing governmental structure in which case the project is concluded. If the Commission drafts a new plan, only the Washington County voters can approve the proposed Home Rule Charter.

It is baffling to me that the Washington County Republican Party has mounted an all-out campaign to convince voters not to appoint a government study commission. In 2019, Republicans campaigned on the deficiencies in local government and the theft in the Clerk of Court’s office. Now that Republicans are in the majority in Washington County, they have the opportunity to play a meaningful role in developing a governmental structure that addresses their concerns. Instead, local Republicans have elected irresponsible officials to several of the Row Offices and refused to participate in a democratic process to improve local government.

Expansion of County Human Services. With a bipartisan decision at a recent meeting, Commissioners Diana Irey Vaughn and Larry Maggi delayed any move to reconfigure the county’s department of Human Services.  Commissioner Sherman, who proposed the unneeded and costly expansion, was not in agreement.  The plan for the new Human Services Department would include the hiring of eight new employees at an additional yearly cost of $544,000.00.  

In addition to the cost, the other well-founded criticism of the plan is that it is not needed and would disrupt years of building efficient human service organizations outside of county government. These non-profits (drug/alcohol, elderly/aging and others) have flourished under their independent leadership and have met the needs of Washington County residents.  In the sage words of recently deceased District Attorney, Gene Vittone, “Service delivery is working in the area of drug and alcohol. An old adage is applicable here. ‘If it isn’t broken don’t fix it.’ Let our team continue our good work.”

Automated Case Management System for the County Courts. The commissioners have approved the purchase of a comprehensive case management system that will integrate all court employees and courtrooms, including the functions of the clerical Row Offices, into one system. The county can utilize pandemic relief funds received from the federal government to pay for the installation. The federal courts and several forward-looking Pennsylvania counties have installed similar systems that have proven to be a significant cost reduction over time. Fewer clerks will be needed to process paper documents and storage costs will be reduced.  Litigants in the court system will save on legal fees because lawyers throughout the region will be able to file legal pleadings electronically.

In connection with the above county initiatives, I would like to make two observations.  First, the misguided attempt to reconfigure Human Services should be a topic reviewed by the Government Study Commission. This would give independent elected citizens the opportunity to make recommendations. Second, the court case management system will have a profound effect on the clerical Row Offices, whether they are replaced or remain in effect as elected offices.

 

GOOD THINKING IN AN IRRATIONAL WORLD

When Republicans are prepared to challenge every decision made by President Joe Biden, often before he announces a course of action, this thinking process is irrational. To a lesser extent, when Democrats support the President before thinking through the ramifications, this is not a rational exercise. In both cases it is easier and more emotionally satisfying to stick with the party line rather than modify a long held belief.

 

The number of partisan Republicans and Democrats comprise a large portion of the voting population and are relatively equal. Wide majorities in both parties – 75% of Democrats and 64% of Republicans – say those in the other party are more closed-minded than other Americans.  With these hardened battle lines, there is little room for a rational “peace table” to flourish.

 

How can it be that as humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding and information sharing it also appears to be losing its mind? How can our society that developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery and political conspiracy theorizing?

 

Given the fractured condition of the American polity it should come as no surprise that a rash of books on rationality will be published this fall. Steven Pinker, the best-selling author who has written extensively on human behavior, has released Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (Viking). His thesis is that we actually think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives. However, we fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning that are part of the human condition. These tools include logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation, causation and optimal ways to update beliefs. He concludes that developing these tools should become a standard part of the education curriculum to foster rational thinking at an early age.

 

Two philosophers have checked in on rationality with the recent publication of When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves, by Stephen Nadler & Lawrence Schapiro (Princeton) This book reviews philosophy’s tools for better reasoning. The authors remind us that conspiracies and misinformation are not new and that some of our best strategies for dealing with them are not new either.  For example, epistemology (which addresses the nature of belief and knowledge) and ethics (the study of moral principles that should govern our behavior) can reduce bad thinking. Moreover, the book summarizes why philosophy’s millennia-old advice about how to lead a good, rational, and examined life may be the key for escaping our current predicament.

My favorite recent study on rationality is The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't, by Julia Galef (Portfolio). The author finds the best description of motivated reasoning as: “When we want something to be true we ask ourselves ‘Can I believe this.’ When we do not want something to be true we instead ask ‘Must I believe this’ searching for an excuse to reject it.”

This book keeps things simple by identifying two types of people. First are the “scouts” who achieve success by not defending one side of a contentious issue over the other. The scout method is to go out, survey the territory and come back with an accurate map. A scout must recognize when he/she has gone down the wrong road, be prepared to uncover blind spots, test assumptions and be willing to change course.

The rest of us have “soldier” mindsets.  From tribalism and bias to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, loyal soldiers are driven to defend the ideas they most want to believe—and shoot down those they do not. Making scouts out of soldiers is equivalent to making independent thinkers out of Democrats and Republicans. It is the process of turning untrue opinions away from a soldier’s fear of negative defeat into the scout’s positive decision-making.  It is the open minded task of constructing the map of life with accuracy and fulfillment.

At the end of the day, there is little possibility that a majority of Americans will 

take to heart the advice in these books and reach a consensus on the major issues 

of the day.  One rational approach would be to stop arguing with those “soldiers” 

who are committed to irrational opinions and to stick with a positive message of 

well-developed and vetted facts in our public discourse. As time passes, reason 

and content that is true should win over public opinion.

I have found several sources of news to be above average in delivering rational, 

unbiased information. First, The News Hour with Shepard Smith on CNBC at 7 

pm is straightforward without the one-sided opinions found on other cable 

networks. Second, POLITICO is an online news source that covers American 

politics with excellent journalism that does not favor one party over the other.

There is no magic bullet that will cure us of bad thinking. Like weight loss and 

procrastination, we often identify the problem but choose the easier road of 

sticking with our routine. I will close with the advice of English philosopher John 

Locke: “It is ambition enough to be employed as a laborer in clearing the ground a 

little, and removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way to knowledge.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A WEALTH OF TALENT IN WASHINGTON COUNTY

 

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

— William Shakespeare

I was recently on a search committee to assemble a “dream team” of independent individuals to run for the Government Study Commission in the general election on November 2. This commentary will not focus on the Study Commission or the Row Office debacle or the pandemic. During our committee discussions, the array of talented individuals who live and work in Washington County overwhelmed me. Our county is truly a unique community that has reason to be proud of its citizens and their accomplishments.

What is most evident when one takes inventory of our local leaders is the number of qualified women who are responsible for all aspects of Washington County’s, political, legal, social and economic enterprises. While not quite the Amazon community of Greek mythology, Washington County women match their counterparts in skills and experience. Women are leaving their imprint on every endeavor throughout the community.

A few examples will highlight my point. At the head of the female pack is County Commissioner Chairman Diana Irey Vaughn. She has grown into her position as the most visible political figure in Washington County. While I often disagree with her conservative philosophy, there is no denying that she is willing to govern in a non-partisan fashion to improve Washington County. Her appointments to County Offices including Chief Clerk, Human Services and the law department, among others, have been women.  Most of the officials in the county’s clerical Row Offices are also women.

In the Washington County Court of Common Pleas, Judges Valerie Costanzo, Traci L. McDonald and retired Judge Katherine B. Emery continue the tradition of females in the judiciary.   At the Washington County Bar Association, Director, Kathy Sabol has transformed the WCBA  into a dynamic organization, often singled out as among the best in the Commonwealth. The WCBA is comprised of 480 attorneys and Judges, and 25% of its members are women.  Many of them contribute to organizations throughout the county.

Betsie Trew has served first as Executive Director and now as President  & CEO of the Washington County Community Foundation since 1998. Under her leadership, the assets of the Foundation have grown from less than $250,000 to more than $50 million. One of her goals is to help women advance through the ranks of nonprofit organizations and philanthropic giving. The present board of directors of WCCF includes eight dynamic women, all dedicated to helping those in need.

No local institution is more challenged and yet more important to the wellbeing of Washington County than our own Observer Reporter. No woman works harder than Executive Editor Liz Rogers.  Her staff insures that we receive a print newspaper each morning.  Ms. Rogers joined the paper in 1982 and worked her way “up the ladder” before assuming her present demanding responsibilities.  In addition to the OR, she oversees two other daily publications. In an era of reduced readership followed by major staff reductions, Washington County is among the few privileged communities still receiving a daily print newspaper.

In the field of education, women rule in Washington County. Until recent retirements, both Washington and Jefferson College and California University had female presidents. Many school district superintendents, principals, school board members and teachers are women.

In the area of nonprofit human services organizations, women abound in Washington County. The Drug and Alcohol Commission, Citizens Library, Teen Outreach, Commission on Aging, Food Bank, Communities Health Services, Literacy Council and the Symphony all have women directors or presidents. There are many other examples of dedicated female Washington County leaders who help insure that the health and welfare of our citizens remains in caring, competent hands.

While I have chosen to highlight female leadership within the county, of course many exceptional men have dedicated their careers to local public service as well. For all who make a commitment to serve, the pay is meager, and the hours are long.  The number of appointed local leaders who are at the top of their professions and yet decide to remain in Washington County is astounding. Many of them could easily leave for higher paying, more prestigious positions in larger communities.

At the municipal level of county government (mayors, supervisors, and council members), community volunteers (firefighters, nonprofits, schools and religious organizations) and commerce (business owners and their employees) are hundreds of Washington County residents who care deeply about their community. Few of these individuals receive the accolades they deserve.

Volunteer activities are especially noteworthy for providing a network of relationships and communications that influence good government. Without them giving freely of their time, Washington County would be a far less desirable place to live and work.

The more engaged communities are collectively, the healthier they become.   One of many examples is the willingness of Commissioners Diana Irey-Vaughn and Larry Maggi to let the voters decide on our form of local government at the general election on November 2.  This process is participatory, accountable, transparent, efficient, inclusive and is one that respects the rule of law.

Helen Keller once said: "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."  The local leaders and volunteers of Washington County, many with an impressive feminine footprint, give meaning to this thought for all of us.

 

POLITICAL POLARIZATION IS CAUSING THE BREAK-UP OF SOCIAL TRUST

Social trust is defined as trusting strangers we encounter in our day-to-day lives to follow certain social norms or fundamental moral expectations. With experience, we come to beleive that others will perform their appointed tasks with integrity and will not steal from us, not lie to us and not defraud us. Social trust is the glue that permits 333 million Americans to live together in a complex, diverse community. Unfortunately, in today’s society, many believe that social distrust of long established institutions and of our fellow citizens is the greatest threat to democracy in our nation.

Factors such as political corruption, racial/ethnic differences and economic inequality have always threatened social trust. What is new is the degree to which political polarization has also become a threat to social distrust, making it impossible for a healthy democracy to function.

Every day we observe out of control political polarization in action on cable news. On July 27, 2021, MSNBC and CNN were highlighting the emotional testimony of the capital police at the first Congressional hearing convened to determine the facts behind the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The witnesses described deadly attacks against them precipitated by the words and actions of then president Donald Trump.

At the same time, FOX NEWS and NEWSMAX were accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of causing the Capitol riot. They also featured segments attacking the Justice Department for ignoring the criminal rights of the Capitol rioters, who were labeled political prisoners by the commentators. 

These two political views could not have been further apart in addressing an important national issue. Neither political tribe trusts the other to present the facts accurately or to understand the other’s position. What is new and frightening is that we not only distrust politicians from the other party, we distrust those who voted for the other party.

As evidence that political polarization has a growing negative impact on social trust, consider three necessary careers in America that have been transformed from non-controversial employment into partisan lighting rods. Two years ago working as a public health administrator, an election official or a middle school history teacher guaranteed that one could perform a mundane public function while remaining out of the public eye. Since the pandemic, all three positions have been vilified through political polarization, thereby increasing our social distrust.

Public health was the first occupation to be politicized.  In the early months of the pandemic, Rick Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, was removed from his federal position when he rejected pressure by Department of Health and Human Services officials to make hydroxychloroquine, touted by President Trump as a possible COVID-19 treatment, "widely available." More recently, a Missouri county health director left her job because of threats she received over measures put in place to curb the coronavirus pandemic, including a mask mandate. There are many other examples of trust in conscientious public health employees being challenged for partisan political motives.

Next to come under the public spotlight were state and local election officials. This occurred after the former president, while still in office,  attacked these government employees for refusing to disobey court orders and decertify election results. Public confidence in our elections often comes down to trust in nonpartisan election administrators. Since the 2020 election over 145 bills proposed by Republican state legislatures would reassign various powers of election officials to highly-partisan legislatures. These “legislative seizures” could threaten social trust by allowing elected lawmakers to overturn the will of voters and determine their own preferred winners of elections.

Lastly, public school history teachers recently became the political target of political polarization. Many educators want to present a balanced view of the history of American slavery, reconstruction, the Jim Crow era and slavery’s continuing impact on racism. Many parents who follow Republican talking points find this view of American history offensive. They are fighting to prevent this curriculum from being taught in the public schools, thereby perpetuating distrust in America’s story.

What is to be done to end this cold civil war we are waging against one another that has disintegrated social trust?  Primarily, we must confront the emotional urge to interpret all actions by the other side, political and non-political, as misguided. Thankfully, most social interactions are apolitical. We must not let our communities devolve into separate enclaves where citizens only live, work, shop and educate their children with members of their own political affiliation.

The one bright spot in promoting social trust has been the economy. Despite unprecedented high levels of political polarization, trust in capitalism and the American financial system has never been higher. After the recession, the progressive economist Joseph Stiglitz was quoted as saying: “It is trust more than money that makes the world go round.”

The supply of money has more than doubled since the recession and yet gold hording and other signs of economic mistrust are minimal. Economic expansion is fueled by trust in everything from on-line restaurant reviews to dating apps, car sharing and home sharing.

At its core, social distrust is sustained by the inability of many to accept a non-white majority in a country that once enslaved black people. We can only hope that this multi-generational prejudice can be offset by the move toward an open, sharing economy that views diversity as an asset.

 

WHY WE SHOULD SUPPORT A GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION

  

County Commissioner Chairwoman, Diana Irey Vaughan, is to be commended for working with Vice Chair, Larry Maggi, in placing the important issue to adopt a government study commission before county voters on November 2, 2021. Her decision demonstrates leadership beyond partisan politics. In addition, the willingness to join forces with Common Pleas President Judge, John DiSalle, to solve an ongoing intransigent crisis in county governance (as detailed in Irey Vaughan’s recent op-ed) is exemplary. Moreover, if voters ultimately adopt a Home Rule form of government, the rewards will broaden far beyond solving the present intragovernmental dilemma.

Change to existing institutions, no matter how outdated or ineffective, is never easy. The Pennsylvania counties that have done the hard work and adopted Home Rule have been rewarded with the independence to formulate their own local form of government. They are free from the constraining cookie cutter requirements set forth in antiquated Pennsylvania statutes that often impede progress in Washington County. 

For a variety of reasons now is the time to establish a commission to study and recommend a form of Home Rule government in Washington County. While Republicans and Democrats may disagree on the final provisions of a Home Rule charter, the bi-partisan consensus to form a government study commission is encouraging.

Even under the best of times, the patronage-driven offices for civil filings (Prothonotary), criminal filings (Clerk of Courts), real estate filings (Recorder of Deeds) and wills and estates (Register of Wills) have long outlived their usefulness. Unfortunately, these are not the best of times. As pointed out by Commissioner Irey Vaughan, since assuming office in January of 2020, several Row Office officials have turned their benign clerical domains into political flashpoints with an agenda to disrupt the court system and impede the collection of county fees. In addition, the prior Clerk of Courts was accused and convicted of diverting a large sum of office receipts for his personal use.

Because these officials were elected, there is little that the Commissioners could do to rectify each situation.  A thief stayed in office until the end of his term.  Clerical operations were run like political fiefdoms. Row Office officials terminated competent employees to hire patronage hacks. These same officials ignored directives from the President Judge they were elected to serve.

It is important for voters to know there are three categories of Row Offices in Pennsylvania. First, are the clerical offices described above that exist solely to support the court system and serve no “check and balance” function in county government.  The public expectation of these offices is simply to perform their clerical responsibilities by processing the flow of legal documents necessary to keep the court system functioning.  Since January of 2020, these clerical offices have performed miserably and taken no action to improve.

Under a Home rule form of government these, court based, clerical, Row Offices would be replaced with a new Department of Court Records. This county function would be organized in accordance with best record keeping practices.  It would save money by eliminating overlapping functions and expenditures. The administrator of this new department and all clerical employees would be retained or hired based on merit.

The second category of Row Office includes the elected Coroner and Sheriff. Some will argue they should remain as elected positions in Washington County. In my view, both should be eliminated. The Coroner position should become the office of a modern appointed medical examiner, qualified to perform forensic pathology. The Sheriff should be a law enforcement official with extensive administrative experience, appointed by the Commissioners and the courts.

Lastly are the Row offices of District Attorney, Controller and Treasurer that should remain as elected positions. Each of these offices serves as a check and balance on county government. This independence ensures that criminal justice, county audits and the receiving and disbursement of county funds remain self-sufficient functions.

In addition to the above, a government study commission will have the opportunity to consider whether to recommend replacing the three-commissioner system authorized by state law with a single elected chief executive.  Under this model, adopted by Allegheny County and others, a countywide council would also be elected to work with the executive in conducting county business.  The executive would be a single voice and the council would reflect the very different needs and priorities of Washington County’s diverse communities. Of course, when the review is completed, the study commission could recommend retaining the three-commissioner system.

Lastly, a government study commission can assemble Home Rule recommendations that would make Washington County less dependent on state government in other important respects. The county could be given greater control in addressing:  a) economic development needs; b) the demands on county government for local services; and c) the ability to invoke a rapid response to address unique problems without waiting for Harrisburg to take action, including public health issues like the pandemic.

Sometimes it takes a political crisis to precipitate long overdue change. The citizens of Washington County should be dismayed at the former illegal activity and present unconscionable high jinx, taking place in the clerical Row Offices. Conversely, citizens should be heartened that there is a bi-partisan effort to resolve the problem.  Now is the time to take action and begin the process to adopt a modern, more efficient, form of government.

 

TRUMP SUPPORTERS, CULTURAL WARRIORS & THE MIDTERMS

To be a moderate in today’s political playground is difficult. Anyone who attempts to begin reasonable dialogue while playing in the partisan sandbox is likely to be attacked by bullies from both right wing Trump nativists and left wing cultural warriors. It is safer to stay at home (away from social media) and hope that the extremes cancel each other out before they burn down the public park.

Democrats and Republicans are experiencing a similar problem of vocal extremists seeking to control each party’s messaging. On the right, traditional conservative Republicans are being “primaried” out of office by neophyte candidates with few political credentials other than their loyalty to Donald Trump. These candidates do not understand or care about public policy. Their forte is energizing the Trump base and attacking all others.

On the left are cultural activists who have replaced the normal push for incremental cultural change with an accelerated cultural agenda. Under this trend, Democrats are judged not only by the public policies they support, but also by the extent they are “woke” on important social issues. This includes the call to defund the police, the recognition of white privlege and institutional racism and embracing the extreme element of the Me Too movement.

What is different about the two political extremes is that most Republicans have welcomed the gravitation to Trumpism as a Faustian bargain designed to win back Congress in 2022. The Republican Party is laser- focused and will tolerate little dissent among its leadership on the road to gain short-term political advantages.

Conversely, all Democrats are not equally sold on the cultural wars. While activist progressives are proud to have pushed the Democratic Party toward the left, a more measured opposition wants to slow the process down to keep moderates and Independents under the Democratic tent. 

In today’s political climate, the extremist dilemma is a greater obstacle to gaining and keeping political power for Democrats than for Republicans. By refusing to exercise moderation, Republicans have kept their coalition together and gained strength among voters who are against one or more progressive cultural positions. On the other hand, when the Democratic Party moves further to the left, it turns off voters afraid of being labeled left-wing extremists or socialists. Better to be considered a patriot in favor of God & Country than to have the neighbors believe you are a closet communist.

In my view, winning elections remains the ultimate prize, not changing social mores faster than the average American can absorb. I am in the same camp as the journalist Kevin Drum, a long-time writer for the ultra-liberal publication Mother Jones. In a recent article, he wrote: “Being personally happy means nothing in politics. What matters is what the median voter feels and Democrats have been moving further and further away from the median voter for years.” (If You Hate the Cultural Wars, Blame Liberals, July 3, 2021)

Mr. Drum does a back of the envelope analysis to conclude that “Despite endless hopeful invocations of ‘but polls show that people like our positions,’ the truth is that the Democratic party has been pulled far enough left that even lots of non-crazy people find us just plan scary.” Moderate voters feel uncomfortable that “their entire lives are being held up to a spotlight and found wanting.”

The recent NYC Democratic Primary has provided an interesting snapshot of the status of more moderate Democratic politics. During the campaign, the progressive leanings of the present mayor, Bill de Blasio, or the firebrand Bronx Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were nowhere in evidence. Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, won the primary. His campaign message was moderate and straight forward, based on recovery from the pandemic and controlling violent crime rates.

The midterm elections in 2022 will determine whether the Biden administration is able to effectively govern in the last two years of his term. Democrats cannot forget that the flood of new voters who helped power Obama to his two historic wins fell away in the midterms.  This permitted Republicans to control Congress and functionally end Obama’s ability to pass legislation.  For Biden to avoid this result several factors are important.

First, it is impossible to win in 2022 without the Democratic base fully engaged. Accordingly, Biden is correct in honoring his commitments to his progressive base. However, he should emphasis those policies, like infrastructure, that least offend moderates and Independents.

Second, Democrats must turn the anti-democratic, anti-immigration and anti-equality messaging of Trumpism to its advantage with the same fervor as when Trump was in office. The more successful Trump is in recruiting unqualified candidates in Republican primaries the better Democrats will do in the general elections.

Third, Democrats must turn Republican attempts to limit voting into a central campaign issue so that young voters and voters of color have a stake in overcoming any voting impediments to prove that their voices matter.

Fourth, analysts believe that Democrats will need to capture about 52% of the national popular vote to maintain a House majority. This can only be accomplished if many of the marginal Democratic voters who participated in the 2020 election remain in the electorate.

Republicans have learned that extremism can win local and state elections.  Democrats must counter by moderating their rhetoric on sensitive social issues. Keeping moderates and Independents engaged is the key to maintaining Democratic control of Congress in 2020.