Saying so not always the answer

There are signs of good economic news. The stock market has continued rising and has hit record levels in recent weeks. Banks and other institutions that received taxpayer bailouts during the nancial crisis are repaying their debts with interest, and this is helping to bring the federal de cit down much faster than expected.

“Overall growth has rebounded from a soft patch at the end of last year, consumers have continued to spend in the face of tax increases, and employers added 165,000 jobs in April, easing fears that the U.S. was entering yet another ‘spring swoon,’” according to an article in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month.

There is certainly much work to be done before the economy is truly healthy, but it appears we may nally be on the mend after plunging so far down during the mortgage crisis.

One of the biggest drags on the economy today is the uncertainty that exists about public policy. A Journal columnist recently wrote of an “uncertainty tax” putting the brakes on prosperity:

“We estimate that since 2011 the rise in overall policy uncertainty has created a $261 billion cumulative drag on the economy (the equivalent of more than $800 per person in the country),” wrote Bill McNabb, chief executive of cer of the Vanguard Group.

Part of the blame for this uncertainty is political leaders who “just say no” to everything. In politics, the easiest thing to do is be against everything. When that occurs, nothing happens. That is certainly no recipe for prosperity.

When you see people in public of ce who “just say no” to everything, you should ask them: What are you for?

Roads and bridges, schools and colleges, hospitals, police and re departments … these are public services that we cannot do without. Quite often they can be expensive.

I dislike wasteful government spending as much as anyone, but these are things we deserve and must have to keep us moving forward.

It is entirely appropriate to feel strongly about an issue and take a stand. That should be encouraged. I would be a hypocrite if I were to deny someone that right.

But when you hear someone talking in absolutes, suggesting every public service is a waste of money or describing government as some type of “beast,” you can be con dent that person has no answers to the problems we face.

It used to be that people on the extremes of the political spectrum were dismissed as cranks and fools. They de ned the edges of the debate and had little in uence.

Now, fed by the nonstop demands of 24-hour TV news channels and countless Internet sites, extremists on the fringes of debate command our attention with their unyielding positions. They would drive our democracy into the ditch if we allowed them. If you seek common ground and practical solutions, you can be shouted down or dismissed as a compromiser.

Making matters worse is the recent Supreme Court “Citizens United” decision that removed limits on political spending by corporations and unions. What had been a serious and chronic problem of expensive political campaigns dominated by special-interest or wealthy candidates has become an epidemic of corporate attempts to sway voters and “buy” elections. The effect has been to remove the independence from election candidates and transfer the power from the people to special interests.

If I have learned anything from my experience in government, business, farming and family, it’s that you cannot be extreme and accomplish much. Most Americans, in my view, are practical in that way, and they want their elected representatives to seek solutions that build up society rather than tear it down.

It is easy to just say no, to cast doubt and to tear down ideas and institutions. But this country was not built by doubters and naysayers.

The political stalemate in Washington is unacceptable. Republicans cannot find anything good in Democratic positions and vice versa, even though there are good ideas from both sides. What the partisans neglect is the voice of the people, which gets smaller and smaller. This should trouble everyone.

I am for people being more involved in politics, not less. But the last election in Caddo Parish brought less than 7 percent of the electorate to the polls. Seven percent of the electorate decided on school tax renewals raising $58 million a year. If campaigns were more positive and people could see more in government besides bickering, they would be more likely to get involved and vote. But as campaign spending increases to record levels, the role of people shrinks and special interests gain power.

It is my hope that we can find ways to work together to put the interests of the people over special interests. Otherwise, we risk our economy and the downfall of our democratic system.

Foster Campbell of Elm Grove is the North Louisiana representative on the Public Service Commission. He served in the Louisiana Senate from 1976 to 2002. He can be reached at 676-7464 or [email protected].