MISSOURI WATCH: A LOOK AT THE EXCESS BAGGAGE OF PARTISAN POLITICS

It is not uncommon in this Era of Political Distrust and Discontent to hear the expression that our system of governance is broken, in a state of disrepair, beyond fixing and well past redemption. Such views are expressed when some outrageous, egregious act has been committed by one of the two parties or by any number of their leaders. Voters say they are "sick of politics," a somewhat shopworn term by now, not to mention the impreciseness of its language.

Webster defines politics as "the science or art of political government," while declaring the word political to mean "pertaining to or involving the state or its government." So when we say we're tired of politics, we are declaring our weariness of government. Actually, we mean something different than that, for we are really disillusioned with politicians and the various means they employ to ignore the needs of the general public.

Let's take state government as our principal example. Voters often use the term "politics in Jefferson City" to describe various tactics and actions of public servants who have committed, perhaps for the millionth time, some outlandish act that is clearly contrary to the public interest. That action may range from using taxpayer-owned equipment and supplies for the personal use of an official to the arrogant use of public funds to finance what amounts to be little more than a free vacation trip. Both have taken place in Jefferson City, and both have been viewed as "politics" by most Missourians.

If voters fail to make the distinction between the art of government and the willingness of some public servants to ignore and disregard ethical rules of conduct, it is not surprising that governance in general is viewed negatively by the general public. To respect government and recognize its potential as well as its limitations is an essential component of furthering the democratic process, while confusing the words political and partisan and indicting both with the same charge is not only fallacious but counterproductive to better government. As Descartes stated, to be productive, one must be precise.

As Missourians we have a constitutional right---and many including myself believe it extends to an obligation--- to criticize government when we believe it has erred, but we have a further responsibility to separate the machinery from those who operate it. Indeed, it is quite possible to trace the vast reservoir of public ill will toward government to the operators (i.e., the politicians) rather than the actual machinery (the process of governance).

Taking this argument one step further, might it also be assumed that if the machinery (government) were operated by persons judged for their competence rather than their personal political affiliation, we might expect a general improvement in the kind of work produced? It stands to reason that this would be the result, a conclusion reached by the voters of one state more than a half century ago.

In 1937, the citizens of Nebraska, in an effort to improve the kind of product turned out by government, declared that henceforth all enacted laws, all state programs and all other matters decided by their state legislature, would be carried out by public officials who were not identified by party affiliation. This is another way of describing what is called a unicameral legislature, one in which party affiliation plays no role, either in the member-selection process or the actual business of supervising state government.

Impossible, you say? Then tell me whether there is a Democratic or Republican plan for public education, higher education, mental health, corrections, highway construction, tax collection, public safety and economic development. Can any Missourian say with certainty that the Democrats have a better plan for running the huge mental health system of our state than the Republicans? For that matter, can any among us describe any difference? The answer to that is, since there is no difference, the administration of mental health hospitals, treatment centers and clinics is entirely devoid of party affiliation by both the policy-makers and those who execute their orders.

Missourians decided in their last Constitution that since improved government could only result when state workers were no longer employed on the basis of their personal party affiliation, that all previous political hiring requirements were to be banned. Voters decided that carrying out essential state programs, from education to conservation, was too important to be based on partisanship and thus was instituted a statewide merit system. The result was that virtually every state function was gradually improved, and personal abilities and professionalism became more important than whether the applicant was a member of the party that had received more votes in the most recent election.

The great dichotomy of the present political structure in Jefferson City is that laws are enacted and programs are approved by a partisan body (General Assembly), and the legality of the group's actions is determined by a non-partisan body (Supreme Court). The contradiction of the present system serves to enhance the public's disillusionment with the entire process, which in turn has brought about the widespread lack of respect that is so pervasive today.

Nebraska has made remarkable strides in several areas of state initiatives while achieving an even more remarkable record in state economy and efficiency. At least a part of the state's success can be traced to the absence of partisanship in its single-chamber legislature. By the same token, the major presence of partisanship in our own Missouri General Assembly has produced an unhealthy degree of government by special interests and partisan parochialism.

It would be instructive to determine just how many Missourians would favor a unicameral legislative body, free of partisan bickering and cumbersome political baggage. The number favoring such a reform might surprise those who have a huge stake in preserving the present state of discord in Jefferson City.

~Jack Stapleton of Kennett is the editor of the Missouri News and Editorial Service.