THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9411300113
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Freedom, dear friends, isn't free. That message was delivered - loudly and clearly - as national Republican leaders, biting at the bit to save the nation from overburdensome government, met last week in Williamsburg.
Despite all the talk of new federalism by Virginia's Gov. George Allen and others, despite all the talk by national leaders about changing the way government works, the bottom-line question became: at what price?
So the states want fewer federal mandates? Oh, sure, the feds can step out of a lot of programs the states believe they should be handling - or that nobody should be handling. But, by the way, there'll be no extra money for the states to take on new responsibilities.
So Americans believe they should pay lower taxes, spend more on defense and hack away at the national debt? Sure, but the money has to come from somewhere. The states' pockets, maybe?
Gov. Allen says it would acceptable to lose a good chunk of federal money if the states could just be free of all the bureaucratic red tape that binds the money; they're just tired of distant government fat-cats who decide what Virginia must do but provide no funding or inadequate funding. Good riddance!
Interesting that the governor should bring that up. Will he and members of the Virginia House of Representatives and the Senate take the same stand when the General Assembly meets next year? Will they remember that localities also get strapped when the state dictates all kinds of things, but leaves it up to them to pay?
When Suffolk drew up its wish list for state legislators, it included a request that they ``not add the hardship of additional mandates upon localities unless state appropriations are made to fully cover the cost.'' It's a wish likely to be included in every Virginia localities' legislative agenda.
The message of localities to the state, then, is the same as the Republican leaders' to the federal government: back off; don't give us another job unless you've got the money for it.
That gets to a theme that was popular in the just-over elections - that all politics are local. If localities such as Suffolk can stop imposing costly regulations on citizens, if Virginia can stop making demands of Suffolk and if the federal government can keep its hands off Virginia, then the nation can begin addressing problems that certainly haven't been remedied by a surplus of mandates on every level.
While the mandates have flowed downstream, money has kept flowing upstream. If the Republican-dominated Congress can construct a dam, more power to it.
Just as there's considerable skepticism that the less-government movement will bring true federal revolution, there's doubt that the commonwealth is ready to be more hands-off.
A growing city like Suffolk must be allowed to find innovative ways to pay for major public projects. As long as unfunded mandates come from above, though, municipal priorities will remain at the bottom of the list.
This new federalism could be interesting and beneficial. MEMO: Comment? Call 446-2494. by CNB