Courtesy Hartford Courant,
Josiah H. Brown
All content is copyrighted and may
not be republished or distributed without permission.
Published: |
Tuesday, April 18, 1995 |
Edition: |
STATEWIDE |
Page: |
A9 |
Type: |
OPINION |
Section: |
EDITORIAL |
Source: |
Josiah
H. Brown |
Column: |
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Series: |
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SMALL
TOWNS BENEFIT FROM BIG GOVERNMENT My eastern Connecticut hometown,
Hampton, seems a perfect foil for the government excesses and social decline
politicians typically condemn. Settled in 1712, Hampton has roughly
1,500 residents. It's a village where folks chat at the general store and
gather to watch their children march in the annual Memorial Day parade.
There's a neighborly spirit in this community, which is said to have the
lowest incidence of crime in the state, despite the lack of a single police
officer. Volunteers largely run things, from the fire department to the
school board. The part-time first selectman is also a full- time dairy
farmer. Even as the electorate becomes
increasingly suburban rather than rural, such small towns remain potent
symbols of qualities including thrift, industriousness and responsibility. In
1992, Bill Clinton campaigned as the candidate from ``a place called Hope.''
House Speaker Newt Gingrich recently recalled his boyhood in Hummelstown,
Pa., as ``an idyllic `Andy Griffith Show' small town.'' And some members of
Congress -- decrying unfunded mandates and unbalanced budgets and calling for
welfare reform -- contrast rustic virtue with urban, bureaucratic vice. There is government waste, and some
laws are ill-advised. But in the crusade for devolution, we should remember
that our towns are not blissfully self-sufficient, and that the economic
pressures they face cannot be attributed simply to inordinate taxes and
regulation. It's wrong to view places such as
Hampton in a vacuum distinct from the region, state and nation. With the
burdens of larger government entities come substantial subsidies and protections
as well. Moreover, some local shortcomings can best be addressed through
centralized policy. Directly or indirectly, Hampton
benefits significantly from state and federal money. Residents who appreciate
highways, education, Social Security and Medicare all rely on our town's
links to the outside world. Were it not for public roads, Hampton
residents wouldn't be able to commute to jobs in Hartford or New London --
jobs that, in this state, still disproportionately result from federal
defense dollars. If not for government appropriations, the nearby University
of Connecticut couldn't survive as a source of employment, enlightenment and
social uplift. And without entitlement programs, Hampton's elderly residents
would suffer. Taxes clearly bring tangible rewards,
not just pain. The relationship between localities and their state and
federal masters is one of mutual dependence. Overall, though, most of the
difficulties that communities such as Hampton confront are inevitable or
indigenous. Hampton has fights over school budgets
and tensions related to development. Even in Hampton, some teens use drugs,
drive drunk or get pregnant, and a few families endure domestic violence. Certain problems would be worse if left
to local isolation. Food stamps alleviate Hampton's pockets of poverty, for
instance, and a new state law encouraging racial integration in education may
eventually help to improve learning and diminish prejudice. These are examples of how central
governments can implement thoughtful standards of decency and equity. If left
to the mercy of local whim, these goals might be neglected -- especially if
property-tax increases were needed to offset losses in state or federal aid. Generally, there is a deep resistance
to any proposal limiting a community's power. This position, however, can be
counterproductive and expensive. Broader regional solutions deserve wider
use. Regionalism promises important efficiencies and economies of scale. No matter how quaint our village or how
virtuous our neighbors, we live in a multi-layered, dynamic society -- a
nation of interdependencies as well as independence. While cherishing Hampton and similar
locales, we should realize that even they can't escape problems that exist in
various forms anywhere. We should also acknowledge that they can't solve
those problems by themselves. When politicians exalt the glories, values and
autonomy of small towns, be skeptical. A more complicated web of reality
belies the familiar myths. |