The Real Reagan Revolution

During the Reagan funeral a few weeks ago, most of the television and press coverage emphasized the former president's personality and endearing charm. His achievements in ending the Cold War were superficially examined, but what was glossed over by the major networks and press was his transformation of the Republican Party into the party of the working class. This was the real Reagan Revolution. The idea of less government, lower taxes, job creation, and a strong defense may have galvanized the rest of the nation into examining other political allegiances but not here. Unfortunately, New York City was left largely untouched by the Reagan Revolution, and the working class here never got the message that their needs were finally being addressed by a political party for which they have long refused to vote. In spite of the tremendous gains that Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki have made in making this a safer, better place to live and work, the electorate that dared to elect these Republicans always fails to vote for Republicans in the City Council or the state Assembly and in recent years, Congress. My colleague, Jack Newfield, recently made the case that we need term limits in the Assembly, which he calls a "Legislature of scandals, paralysis, noncompliance with court orders, and dereliction of duty." He noted that the latest Quinnipiac poll showed that 47% of the people think that the Legislature is incapable of reforming itself. They are right. Newfield also calls for a nonpartisan, independent commission to professionally re-draw district lines, without regard to politics or careers. I have an even better suggestion. Let's vote them out. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is up for re-election in November. He has far more money in his campaign chest than his announced opponent, the untested Kristin Grundvig of Battery Park City. What possible chance does she or any of the other candidates facing longtime Albany legislators have? The answer lies in whether the people take the trouble to look at the issues and determine if they've ever received satisfaction for their previous votes. Last Thursday, a group of urban rebels held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to announce their candidates and details of the Urban Republican Coalition. Their platform, based on core Republican principles, clearly addresses issues that are of major concern to working class families, and it deserves some attention, which the mainstream press will probably not provide. The basic principles are: placing parents before bureaucrats; placing people before government; remaining vigilant 304 326 447 338in the fight against crime; abolishing barriers to the creation of new, affordable housing, and fighting for good, responsible, and responsive government. Details on how the movement hopes to achieve these aims are listed on their Web sitewww.urban-republican.com. There have been many theories on why the Republicans do not do well with African-Americans and Hispanics. It's not a complicated answer. They simply have no idea what the GOP stands for. Republicans have allowed themselves to be misidentified by their opponents and the mainstream press. Rarely have I ever seen a Republican campaign in my neighborhood. Rather than holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall, the Urban Republicans should have held it in front of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Surveys show that most minorities want school vouchers, which the Democrats do not want but the Republicans do. New Yorkers will never have any choice in the matter as long as we have the Blaine Amendment in our state constitution. We need legislation to change it. That will never happen because the teachers union, which donates heavily to the Democratic Party, will never allow it to be changed. Who loses? Throwing money at failing public schools seems to be the only answer that the Democrats have to offer, but New York City children deserve better choices. Why aren't the Republicans holding town hall meetings in the ghettos and barrios and explaining that tax cuts are good for everybody because they lead to jobs? The Republicans need to stop apologizing for those tax breaks for the rich, because when the rich pay less taxes, they spend more. This is good for every industry. The working class needs jobs, affordable housing, and better education for its children. It will never hear what the GOP has to offer if the Republicans never show up in the poorer neighborhoods. Although this is a presidential election year and turnout is liable to be slightly heavier than normal, it is highly unlikely that city voters are paying attention to local candidates. Most voters do not even know who represents their state Assembly or senatorial district, and that is a shame. I've spoken to some new candidates and will be sharing their positions with readers in upcoming weeks. All New York City voters have a civic responsibility to get involved, even if it's only paying attention to the upcoming election ad campaigns. Pay attention to the ones that offer viable solutions to the problems. Dismiss those that just point out what the problems are. Pay particular attention to ads from politicians who have been in office for years and haven't done anything about these issues. Check their records, not their promises, and if they're not impressive - vote them out.