Chief
02-25-2008, 08:03 PM
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/columnists/callaghan/story/291458.html
PETER CALLAGHAN; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: February 24th, 2008 01:00 AM
Incrementalism.
It must be hard to get the troops to rally around a goal of taking steps, no matter how small, as long as they are forward.
But that’s where the Legislature’s Democrats find themselves. Despite having the largest majorities since the late 1970s and a healthy budget surplus, most big ideas get broken down into the smallest possible increments and adopted one or two chunks at a time.
Meanwhile, constituent groups are asked to be patient.
A family leave program that would pay up to $250 a week while new parents stay home with new children? It was created last session with funding to come this year, so far without success.
Civil unions for same-gender couples? Ten of the estimated 485 rights and responsibilities that come with legal marriage, such as hospital visits and inheritance, were granted last year. More are being added this year. Still, Democrats argue that this isn’t gay marriage.
Democrats were proud last session of the first funding of all-day kindergarten. But only 10 percent of the poorest districts got money, with a promise of more to come. Now there’s talk of putting it on hold.
Transportation improvements have moved from statewide gas tax increases to regional funding plans and tolling. Yet, this year’s tolling bill doesn’t set any tolls; it only creates a method for setting tolls at some future time.
Health care? Steps are hard to see unless you’re in the industry.
But the issue of health care reform might explain why Democrats are so cautious. Democrats’ sweeping program in 1993 was used by Republicans to win back control of the state House in 1994. Pragmatists like House Speaker Frank Chopp, unrivaled in his skills at building legislative majorities, does not want to give the GOP powerful issues like that again.
So he moves slowly and deliberately. Democratic majorities move just fast enough to let liberal and labor groups see movement but not so fast to draw heat or trigger big debates about big issues. Republicans, desperate for campaign issues to reduce the large Democratic majorities, are left to point out huge spending increases in the current budget and to worry about future deficits.
Ironically, that new spending – what Democrats always call “investments” – is what the majority proudly uses to refute claims that the party isn’t moving fast enough with this once-in-a-generation numerical advantage.
Gay marriage – I mean, civil unions – is a case study of how the strategy works. Legislative leaders would never have allowed a full debate on marriage. Instead, the bills that reach the floor take smaller steps. Last year’s version wasn’t even enough to motivate opponents to collect signatures on a referendum.
Family leave is another case in point. The legislation that passed last year to much acclaim set up the idea of paying for leave, but not the means. A task force (an increasingly common tool of the incrementalist) met for months to figure out how to pay for it, but even it punted on the toughest decision.
Rather than impose a payroll tax, the family leave task force suggested taking the cost for the first few years out of the state’s surplus of tax revenue. Gov. Chris Gregoire said no to that and then declared that any tax must go to a vote of the people.
But a penny-an-hour payroll tax is still a tax. No wonder no funding plan has emerged from Olympia so far. Maybe next year.
Incrementalist philosophy states that sometimes the wisest step is to wait until the political footing is more secure. A lack of movement can sometimes pass for progress.
Sorry to sound like an old “Kung Fu” rerun, but throw in the fact that this is a 60-day session in an election year and the Washington Legislature sometimes resembles political tai chi.
Peter Callaghan: 253-597-8657
peter.callaghan@thenewstribune.com
::)
PETER CALLAGHAN; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: February 24th, 2008 01:00 AM
Incrementalism.
It must be hard to get the troops to rally around a goal of taking steps, no matter how small, as long as they are forward.
But that’s where the Legislature’s Democrats find themselves. Despite having the largest majorities since the late 1970s and a healthy budget surplus, most big ideas get broken down into the smallest possible increments and adopted one or two chunks at a time.
Meanwhile, constituent groups are asked to be patient.
A family leave program that would pay up to $250 a week while new parents stay home with new children? It was created last session with funding to come this year, so far without success.
Civil unions for same-gender couples? Ten of the estimated 485 rights and responsibilities that come with legal marriage, such as hospital visits and inheritance, were granted last year. More are being added this year. Still, Democrats argue that this isn’t gay marriage.
Democrats were proud last session of the first funding of all-day kindergarten. But only 10 percent of the poorest districts got money, with a promise of more to come. Now there’s talk of putting it on hold.
Transportation improvements have moved from statewide gas tax increases to regional funding plans and tolling. Yet, this year’s tolling bill doesn’t set any tolls; it only creates a method for setting tolls at some future time.
Health care? Steps are hard to see unless you’re in the industry.
But the issue of health care reform might explain why Democrats are so cautious. Democrats’ sweeping program in 1993 was used by Republicans to win back control of the state House in 1994. Pragmatists like House Speaker Frank Chopp, unrivaled in his skills at building legislative majorities, does not want to give the GOP powerful issues like that again.
So he moves slowly and deliberately. Democratic majorities move just fast enough to let liberal and labor groups see movement but not so fast to draw heat or trigger big debates about big issues. Republicans, desperate for campaign issues to reduce the large Democratic majorities, are left to point out huge spending increases in the current budget and to worry about future deficits.
Ironically, that new spending – what Democrats always call “investments” – is what the majority proudly uses to refute claims that the party isn’t moving fast enough with this once-in-a-generation numerical advantage.
Gay marriage – I mean, civil unions – is a case study of how the strategy works. Legislative leaders would never have allowed a full debate on marriage. Instead, the bills that reach the floor take smaller steps. Last year’s version wasn’t even enough to motivate opponents to collect signatures on a referendum.
Family leave is another case in point. The legislation that passed last year to much acclaim set up the idea of paying for leave, but not the means. A task force (an increasingly common tool of the incrementalist) met for months to figure out how to pay for it, but even it punted on the toughest decision.
Rather than impose a payroll tax, the family leave task force suggested taking the cost for the first few years out of the state’s surplus of tax revenue. Gov. Chris Gregoire said no to that and then declared that any tax must go to a vote of the people.
But a penny-an-hour payroll tax is still a tax. No wonder no funding plan has emerged from Olympia so far. Maybe next year.
Incrementalist philosophy states that sometimes the wisest step is to wait until the political footing is more secure. A lack of movement can sometimes pass for progress.
Sorry to sound like an old “Kung Fu” rerun, but throw in the fact that this is a 60-day session in an election year and the Washington Legislature sometimes resembles political tai chi.
Peter Callaghan: 253-597-8657
peter.callaghan@thenewstribune.com
::)