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Bush a true Conservative?
Not!
George W.Bush should outrage any Conserva-
tive worth his salt.
GW began his presidency speaking the rheto-
ric of limited-government and professing the
values of traditional Conservatism. He came into
office promising not to undertake the "nation
building" of Bill Clinton, while vowing never to
commit troops without a clear "exit strategy."
He was going to be the "compassionate con-
servative." He sold himself as a leader who would
be able to unite Americans and not divide them.
Instead, the country's now more divided than
anytime since the Civil War, and true conserva-
tives are finallyseeing Bush, not as the inheritor
of Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, but
as the radical right wing neo-con ideologue he
truly is.
With double-speak that would make George
Orwell blush, Bush has proposed policies based
not on what was best for the country, but rather
on what the polls suggested people wanted to
hear. A forest policy designed to give more access
to loggers was called the "Healthy Forests" bill,
while his effort to reduce air quality standards
was titled the "Clear Skies" act.
In fact, while Bush tries to talk the talk of
conservative values, the walk he has walked, with
the policies he and his Republican Congress have
implemented, has completely contradicted his
phony professed values.
President Bush may be many things, but a true
conservative is not one of them. A true conserva-
tive does not pursue a go-it-alone foreign policy
using preemptive military force to achieve regime
change in countries of the Middle East he doesn't
like. Such a policy, based on flawed and manipu-
lated intelligence, is arrogant and self-defeat-
ing, and only serves to enrage and motivate our
enemies while alienating our allies.
When GW entered office, he promised to reduce
the spending of the federal government. Instead,
what he did was to turn large budget surpluses
into record deficits. Amazingly,he has presided
over the highest rate of increase in discretionary
spending in 40 years. While calling the Demo-
crats big-spending liberals, Bush has proposed
program after program that primarily benefit his
corporate cronies while sticking future genera-
tions with mounting debt. This is hardly the work
of a true conservative.
An honest to goodness conservative does not
profess a belief in limited government and then
undertake massive increases in the power, size
and cost of government. With the president's
new poorly-crafted Medicare prescription drug
plan, we see the largest expansion of government
entitlements since President Johnson. With its
complexity and arbitrariness, the only one mak-
ing out with this program is the pharmaceutical
industry. Is anyone surprised?
A conservative is supposed to be about "conser-
vation." about conserving the best of the past and
the best of what we have. Republican President
Theodore Roosevelt understood that, and that
is why he undertook the creation of our national
parks system. Now Bush sees our parks only as
places where snowmobiles can roam free, timber
can be harvested, and oil can be drilled for.
While Bush has said we have an "oil addiction",
in reality, he has done nothing serious to promote
energy conservation, fuel-efficient cars, or the
development of renewable energy. Of course, he
won't do these things because they might upset
his friends in the oil business.
A true conservative has an abiding respect for
the rule of law, both domestic and international.
Not this president. Claiming the mantle of "strict
constructionist," GW has managed to be the first
president in our country's history to ask his law-
yers to find a method to get around the Geneva
conventions prohibiting torture. He's also found
lawyers to give him legal opinions that as com-
mander in chief he is well within his rights to "set
aside" laws he deems problematic. Whether it's
undertaking an illegal and immoral war in Iraq,
justifying torture, or spying on Americans in viola-
tion of the Constitution, George W Bush sees
himself as just simply above the law. Those are
not conservative propositions by any standard or
definition.
Whether it's William F.Buckley Jr., or former
Reagan official Bruce Bartlett, or any number of past
Bush appointees, conservatives of many stripes are
now coming to see Bush and his cabal of neo-cons
for the dangerous ideologues they are. These "true"
conservatives are beginning -finally -to see that the
damage Bush has done to the country is substantial
and will haunt Americans for generations to come.
As we approach the next election cycle, all Ameri-
cans, and true conservatives in particular, must
decide whether the status quo can continue. Under
Republican control, Congress has abrogated its over-
sight responsibilities and its duty to be the instru-
ment of fiscal and government restraint. Bush has
effectively cowed Congress and appointed only true
believers to the federal courts.
In effect, there is no check on this imperial presi-
dent. The country cannot afford to let this situation
continue. If the polls can be believed (and that's
certainly questionable), voters are prepared to vote
the Republican rascals out of Congress. For the sake
of this great republic, let us hope they do.
The unacceptable alternative is to allow the con-
tinuing consolidation of power, incompetency and
corruption by those who now run the country.
From Mm
By Richard Elrick
pgauvin@barnstablepatriot.com
Let law guide town
emp loyee speech
freedoms , not boss rule
There must have been asale on muzzles
at the pet store recently given the way
some town employees get lock-jaw when
talking to the media.
Several employees - in a nation that
prides itself on free speech - recently
balked at press inquiries under orders,
one said, to refer questions to depart -
ment heads. But that's like asking Bush
or Cheney what it's like to be riddled
with shrapnel on the front lines. They
don't know.
TomMcKean, HealthDivision director,
prefers health employees to refer media
questions to him "so that we are all on
the same page " He cites the example
of a flock of starlings killed on Route 28
about a month ago.
"Reporters wanted to know if we were
going to test the birds for cause of death.
We said we were not because they were
killed by impact." He said he wouldn't
have wanted the wrong information to
panic the public. That's understandable
given the international bird flu scare.
But few occasions in general information
gathering require bothering the boss.
Example: Atty. Christine Palkoski was
called at the new Growth Management
Department to learn what her job as
"regulatory coordinator"entailed,insofar
as it was a new position.
A clerk said Palkoski wasn't there and
that Ruth Weil, department head, was
at a meeting. The clerk said Palkoski
was at the other town hall in the former
Hinckley Building.
Palkoski was contacted there and in-
vited to outline her job description. She
asked instead if she could call back in
an hour. Certainly. Five hours later, Weil
returned the call, noting that Palkoski
was new to the job and that Weil would
answer the questions, and she did, nicely
explaining Palkoski's duties, sometimes
for the record and sometimes not.
Weil became agitated when she was
asked Palkoski's age, saying the press
had no right to ask. The press begs to
differ. It can ask public employees any
pertinent question of interest to the
taxpayers. Employees are not, for their
part, obliged to answer. Weil chose not
to answer.When asked instead what year
Palkoski graduated from law school, she
said she didn't know.
The questions were raised because
an announcement in the town newslet-
ter "Barnstable Bulletin" introduced
Palkoski as one who "brings extensive
trialexperience and in-depth knowledge
of the district court system to the posi-
tion."The press was attempting to gauge
what "extensive" meant as in the case of
another hire, Atty. Charles McLaughlin,
who, it was noted in the same newslet-
ter, "brings more than 31years of diverse
legal experience..." a clearer gauge of
accumulated legal acumen.
When the press asked human resources
director William Cole for Palkoski's re-
sume,he saidhewasn't alawyer anddidn't
know if an employee's resume was in the
public domain. He would check. He later
rendered an edited limited portion ofthe
resume to the press outlining schooling
and experience.
Meanwhile, acallto the registrar'soffice
at NE School of Law yielded a mega-fast
response: Palkoski graduated May 28,
2004 - less than two years ago - but the
registrar declined a date of birth. The
District Attorney's office said Palkoski
worked there as an assistant DA for 18
months.Wouldseasoned lawyersviewthat
as "extensive trial experience?"
Incidentally, Ms. Palkoski received her
bachelor's degree in 2001. Her job with
the town pays $56,000 a year (rounded),
according to the treasurer 's office.
In another example, a public works
division chief who had ready answersto a
situation said apologetically that he had
to refer the press to the superintendent,
Mark Ells, who was busy at the time but
who called back several hours later to refer
the press to other people the press had
already contacted in the meantime.
If this is the runaround citizens experi-
ence withthe municipal government,then
something'swronginRiver City. Gagrules
create the perception that somebody is
trying to hide or control public informa-
tion or that paid employees on the front
fines aren't qualified to answer simple
questions of fact relating to their work.
Meanwhile , reporters may want to
consider dental studies in the knowledge
that extracting information from public
servants is sometimes akin to pulling
teeth.
1C0RNER
I
_I
_ ¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ By Paul Cauvin
Clearing the decks
A few observations to get off my chest, as
the winter that never really was fades away:
Christy Mihos' third party run for gover-
nor appear s to be an exercise in ego, mixed
with a bit of revenge. Mihos would have
been a strong Republican candidate , and
may well have won a GOP primary because
unaffiliated (independent ) voters are al-
lowed to cast ballots, and those voters are
a natural constituency for the convenience
mart king. Instead, all he will do as a third
party candidate is ensure the election of a
Democrat. He also risks becoming a clown-
ish side-show; his first radio campaign tried
to be funny, but instead sounded inane and
amateurish. It seems that Mihos is angry at
the state Republican Party for something
(probably the way he was treated by party
regulars during his stint on the Turnpike
Authority) and is determined to teach it a
lesson. Unfortunately, the only lesson that
is likely to come out of his effort is how
dangerous state Democrats are when they
control all three branches of elected govern-
ment. Remember the 1980s? Hold onto your
wallet.
A question about a common phrase: if
shooting deaths caused by "gun violence,"
are stabbings caused by "knife violence?"
Are auto crashes caused by "car violence?"
Or is it rather silly to ascribe a human qual-
ity to an inanimate object?
Among the mourners at the recent funeral
of Serbian butcher Slobodan Milosevic was
Ramsey Clark. The same Ramsey Clark who
is advising Saddam Hussein's "defense "
team. The same Ramsey Clark who defend-
ed one of the bombers of the US embassy
in Kenya. The same Ramsey Clark who was
once....United States Attorney General, the
highest-ranking law enforcement official in
the land.Thank God the republic survived
that.
It's always good to keep a few old com-
munists around, for two reasons: some of us
need reminders of the evils of communism,
and old communists can be quite entertain-
ing. Consider Russian Communist leader
Gennady Zyuganov. He blames America for
the spread of bird flu. Why? Because "...it's
strange that not a single duck has yet died
in America - they are all dying in Russia and
European countries. This makes one seri-
ously wonder why" The only thing it makes
me wonder about is Zyuganov 's sanity. He's
searching for dead ducks? What a quack.
If you need a reason to be thankful for
being an American, consider three words:
freedom of speech. There's less of it in Eu-
rope , and there 's certainly to be even less of
it in the future because the European Union
may adopt a "media code" to avoid angering
radical Islamists (the kind who threaten to
murder anyone who draws a cartoon they
don't like). EU Justice and Security Com-
missioner Franco Frattini said "...we are
aware of the consequences of exercising the
right of free expression; we can and we are
ready to self-regulate that right." Wonderful.
Then there was the recent instance in which
Belgium's police were told not to arrest
rampaging gangs of Moroccan thugs who
were destroying cars and assaulting people
on the streets. They were even reportedly
told not to use their sirens because "...it
might provoke the Moroccans. " Ah, Europe ,
reacting to threats as it often has: by get-
ting on its knees.
More European follies: If you think silly,
irrelevant political correctness is bad in
America (and it is), try England. Cox News
Service reported that teachers at an Ox-
fordshire school have changed the words
of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" to "Baa, Baa,
Rainbow Sheep". They've done it, of course,
to avoid offending anyone. Again, Europe-
ans on their knees.
For those who don't want Arab govern -
ments controlling terminals operations
at American port s, it's already too late. A
company called NSCSA has an interest in
terminals at nine American ports, includ-
ing Brooklyn, Baltimore and New Orleans.
Large containers emblazoned with the
initials NSCSA are plentiful in those ports.
What is NSCSA? National Shipping Compa-
ny of Saudi Arabia. And if Arab companies
owning a presence in American terminal
operations constitutes a threat , how can
we allow Arab airlines to land at American
airports?
Speaking of Arabs, the world's most
popular religion - Islam - may need a refor-
mation (I can write that because this isn't
Europe). Why? Too many Muslims citing
their religionwhile happily sawing some-
one's head off. Too much rioting over harm-
less cartoons, while ignoring truly offensive
cartoons about Jews. Too many madrasses
carefully teaching Arab boys and girls how
to hate Westerners. Certainly a majority of
Muslims don't agree with the fanatics, but
too many of them do. Islam needs what
Christianity got. But as we know, such
religion-shaping movements take centuries
... which tells us how long the war on terror
might really last.
• .
From ik f iMT
By Steve Tefft M
Angst
The last thing we old folks need is
"Angst." You young people shouldn't be
reading this, but if you do, "Angst" is a
commonly used expression. It is the Ger-
man word for "fright ."
So, last week's Newspaper headlines,
Television and Radio announcements:
"Blood thinner medication Plavix and
Aspirin may cause excessive bleeding or
even death."
Now, for someone who has had a stroke
and needs these drugs,that alongwiththe
Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease and Osama
bringing us a present in a shipping con-
tainer is real "Angst." I called my Doctor.
He called back and said; "Youknow more
about this than I do." So, let's look at
this. Is it Freedom of Speech? If an au-
thor writes a book; "The Moon is made of
Cheese" and another writes; "The Moon
is not made of Cheese."
If both of these books got published and
sold, don't they both make money? When
there is very little news for the media to
report , wouldn't it be awful if there were
only commercials? So, how about a little
"Angst"? Well, I had to look at this a little
more seriously. The excessive bleeding. A
little while ago,I had an extensive extrac-
tion of my teeth. My Oral Surgeon, who
was very good, had no problems with my
staying on the Blood thinner. I had very
littlebleeding that night. I haven't,lately,
had any bruising.
Once in a while I get blue marks on
the back of my hands. But, they go away.
Rectal Bleeding; take a peek in the bowl,
when you are done. That should tell you
something. There is an old expression;
"Don't fix what ain't broke"! I am staying
with Plavixand Aspirin.Now,I don't want
some of you Seniors to take my comments
too seriously. You may have "excessive
bleeding." You might "die."
Klaus Guttmann
Marstons Mills
Airborne politics
Is anyone free to cause the death of
another person? If you don't want your
view to include turbines l/5th the size of
a toothpick do you have the right to aid
global warming, acid rain, and corrupted
air for all Cape Codders?
It has been public knowledge for three
A
years that the American Lung Association
and the Harvard School of Public Health
have found from 12 to 15 lives per year
could be saved if the windfarm were op-
erating. Will someone in your family or
neighborhood be in that number? Does
Sen.Kennedy,Mr.Yearly,or Mr.Koch have
a license to kill?
Environmental Defense has conducted
its 2005 survey of air pollution in America,
listing the 50 cities with the dirtiest air.
Boston ranked 15th. Since our Cape air
is twice as polluted as Boston's, where do
you reckon your town placed?
Per capita C02 emissions in America is
5.6 tons. One half of U.S.electricity comes
from coal-burning power plants,likeBray-
ton Point. A vigorous renewable energy
program could slow down climate change,
which affects every one of us, whether or
not you support the windfarm. Global
warming and acid rain are indiscriminat-
ing that way.So is it moral for opponents
to inflict these ills on others?
The Conservation Law Foundation re-
ports 33acres of Cape beaches wash away
yearly because of sea rise. This will only
increase if we don't do drastic reductions
in emissions from power plants and gas
guzzlers. Will this beach erosion affect
your lifestyle or property value?
Whose interests are being served by
Kennedy, Delahunt , Romney, Rielly, and
O'Leary? Are they benefitting from the
same source of cash as the infamous
Guy Martin/Don Young combo? Senator
Kerry, long a foot-dragger, has at least
condemned the underhanded Young
amendment. Perhaps that breaks hispat-
tern of subservience to our senior senator.
Many Massachusetts voters thank him for
that, and hope it's a long-term position.
We do remember gratefully Sen. Kerry's
long battle to increase gas mileage, and
remember his strong campaign pledges
on renewable energy.
Richard C. Bartlett
Cotuit
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