Bucks
Fitzpatrick Interview Civility Abolish Pensions
Dear Friends,
Good morning. When I sat down with Congressman-elect Michael Fitzpatrick the other day, one of the first things we talked about was civility…or the lack of it. American politics have become bitter and uncivil. The midterm congressional and governor elections were embarrassing for their lack of civility and high cost.
Fitzpatrick told me that the price tag for the Fitzpatrick/Murphy election campaign exceeded $10 million! Fitzpatrick said that in January [2010], he challenged Congressman Patrick Murphy to spend no more than $1 million [each] for the election…but Murphy wouldn’t agree.
“Will you offer the same campaign limit to your opponent in 2012,” I asked?
“Yes,” Fitzpatrick answered, “as long as I can trust the other candidate.”
We turned to civility. I told him about my rowing friend, Rob Fleming, who is on the board of directors of an organization, which is dedicated to promoting civility. “Build community through conversation” is the Wallace Center of Iowa’s mission statement.
“I think about civility all the time,” Fleming added. “I’m dismayed by the lack of it.”
I showed the following press release to Fitzpatrick: “It’s only 32 words,” the story began, “yet only two sitting members of Congress or governors have signed the civility pledge…which reads:
I will be civil in my public discourse and behavior.
I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them.
I will stand against incivility when I see it.
“In May [2010], Lanny Davis, my friend and co-founder of the Civility Project and I sent a letter to all 535 members of Congress and 50 sitting governors inviting them to sign a civility pledge,” Mark DeMoss wrote.
DeMoss is a conservative Republican and an evangelical Christian. Davis is a liberal Democrat and Jewish.
“Six months later, the only two responding were Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.),” De Moss continued.
Recent studies by the Center for Political Participation at Allegheny college found: Two out of three Americans consider a general lack of civility to be a major problem for the country; 72 percent think this poor behavior has gotten worse in recent years; More than two-thirds said Americans should be ashamed of the way elected officials acted during the health care debate; 83 percent said “people should not vote for candidates and politicians who are uncivil.”
Nearly half of all Americans surveyed said they are “tuning out” government and politics. And to prove that incivility is a bi-partisan issue, 71 percent of Democrats view Republicans as uncivil, and 74 percent of Republicans view Democrats as uncivil. The margin of error makes it a statistical tie.
I showed the Civility Pledge to Fitzpatrick and asked him if he’d sign it?
“Yes,” he answered emphatically.
After that beginning, I turned to a few points that he’d raised a few weeks ago. Fitzpatrick believes that all congressional pensions should be eliminated. How will he approach that topic? Fitzpatrick understands that Congress has to come to grips with the federal deficit. How will he approach that vexing problem? He thinks that America is over legislated.
Fitzpatrick knows that his idea of eliminating congressional pensions won’t be popular with his colleagues. I told him that I could hardly wait to read his bill that would change how Washington works. I wonder whether Fitzpatrick will get other congress people to sign up?
As to attacking the deficit, he opposes new taxes and believes that the Bush tax cuts, including cuts for America’s wealthiest, should be maintained. Won’t that deny billions to the federal treasury? Fitzpatrick says that growing tax revenue through pro-business legislation will save the day. He also will support measures to reduce wasteful spending and will vote to close federal agencies that have outlived their usefulness.
Fitzpatrick opposes raising the retirement age for Social Security. And he would ban “Ear marks,” which most of us call “Pork.”
I asked him about the federal bailouts, which saved the auto industry and Wall Street. He opposed all of them saying that allowing them to fall into bankruptcy would have been the wiser choice.
Fitzpatrick opened new ground when he told me that congress has over legislated. “All the congress should do is to create an annual budget and provide oversight for federal programs,” he said. Fitzpatrick was especially critical of congress’ lack of supervision of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mack).
“We have enough laws on the books,” Fitzpatrick told me. “We should enforce the ones [laws] that we have.” He thought that immigration is a perfect example of not enforcing existing laws.
Fitzpatrick believes that congress should be part time. My father would have liked that notion. Father used to say that air conditioning ruined the country. Prior to 1950, congress and state legislatures used to meet every other year. Father reasoned that it was too hot and humid to remain in session during the summer. But when air conditioning arrived, legislators could remain in Washington and Harrisburg all year long…inflicting damage on us poor taxpayers.
But I stray.
Here’s one last thought from Fitzpatrick about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He believes that gays should be able to serve in the military but not while America is fighting two wars. That sounds rather like the 1940 arguments about African Americans and women in the military. We’ll have to wait and see.
Michael Fitzpatrick told me that there’d be 100 new members in the next congress. He’ll have his hands full when it’s sworn in next month.
By the way friends, you can sign the Civility Pledge. Just type “Civility Pledge” on the Internet. A screen pops up and you can sign it. I did.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith