Ad Lib(ertarian)
Thanks for the feature ["The Book on Paul," June 28, 2007] depicting Ron Paul, "not your typical Republican presidential candidate." I wonder if Phil Maymin ever saw the movie About a Boy, in which the lead character, played by Hugh Grant, always seems flush with cash, lives in an upscale gated community and has really nice stuff, yet never appears to work. This is the kind of imaginary world the Libertarian lives in.
But when trolling the Paul interview for cogency, it's hard not to stumble over the kicker: he'd eventually eliminate Social Security and Medicare. Particularly noteworthy is his nebulous idea of "offering" "market-based" solutions as "options" for younger people. Translation: Gen-X and Gen-Y-ers could "choose" from "competing" "health" plans (while being forced into purchasing them — just as here in the Bay State under the draconian Chapter 58). Young people could then, in effect, be serfs in the "managed" care Leviathan — and a very important cash cow indeed for privatized "health" care — free from all those fussy government regulations. After boomers drain the "entitlement trough,"Gen-X and subsequent retirement hopefuls can always throw their after-tax earnings to the whims of Wall Street's Gordon Gekkos. After all, they won't have a choice, will they? Ah, yes, the sweet smell of "liberty": the "freedom" that comes from knowing that your "disposable" income will be utilized by greedy private enterprises rather than "Big Government"!
Dave Hopkins
Colrain
Picking on Walsh
The editors of the Springfield Republican are picking on [City Council president] Kateri Walsh again. The editors think Kateri is "out of touch with fiscal reality." However, in the same edition of the paper Mayor Ryan admits that the Control Board's fan club "could meet in a phone booth." Apparently, "fiscal reality" is a lonely place.
The Republican editors are unabashed boosters of the Control Board. They have consistently demonstrated an inability to look objectively at the board's work. While it is clear that the control board has "righted Springfield's financial ship," it is very unclear whether the political costs of their work will exceed the short term financial benefits. They had access to $50,000,000! Even the intellectually challenged editors of the Republican could have restored financial stability to Springfield with that kind of cash. Walsh understands the delicate balance between efficiency and accountability in public administration and has bravely and consistently championed the need for public accountability at City Hall
The last line of the Republican's assault on Walsh reads, "Walsh's thinking is too parochial. Let's keep the professionals in charge until the job is finished." Arguing that Walsh's faith in the people of Springfield is parochial is positively absurd. Allowing elites to run a city for the benefit of elites (temporarily, we hope) is a good way to make the trains run on time in the short run, but somebody has to keep the people of Springfield engaged and informed so that when democracy returns to our fair city, they will be willing and able to govern themselves again.
Jerold Duquette
Associate Professor of Political Science
Central Connecticut State University
