They Know What's Best For Us

"They" would be former Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine and the Democrat & Chronicle editorial board.

Today's D&C has an editorial entitled "Rock N.Y.'s Boat". Here's a link to the online version, entitled "Gov. Paterson should lead rally for efficient N.Y. government". The editorial is the latest in the D&C's long-running push for metro government in our community.

I won't go through my usual rant against the false claims and overblown promises of benefit from local government consolidation. I'm saving myself for the debate that's sure to come in the next few years.

Today, however, I was struck by the anti-democratic nature of the Lundine Commission's recommendations and the D&C's thorough endorsement of them. One Commission recommendation is to convert certain elected positions into appointed ones. The D&C editorial calls this a "sensible strateg[y]".

Its "sensible" to take away our right to vote for the people who represent us and work for us? Who is going to "appoint" these officials who will we no longer be allowed to choose? Some more distant, more powerful, and, of course, more knowledgeable government official. You know, someone who won't be swayed by petty local prejudices of the kind we voters suffer from. Moreover, how does this sensible strategy save us any money? It seems that the officials will still be there; we just won't get to choose them.

Another recommendation is one of Lundine's personal favorites. That's the one that gives the State Education Commissioner the right to consolidate School Districts whether or not the voters in those districts want to consolidate. I previously noted Lundine's apparent disdain for the will of the voters on this issue as part of this post. Incredibly, (but, not surprisingly) the D&C editorial board finds this idea "radical but reasonable". Well, they were half right.

Finally, the board chides Gov. Paterson for his "lukewarm" response to the report. They state that Paterson should resist the temptation to avoid rocking the boat because its already beginning to sink. Well, they're half right again. N.Y. State is sinking under the weight of too much government spending and too high taxes. But focusing on local government is looking through the wrong end of the telescope.

I'm willing to agree that some consolidation of services and, possibly certain local government jobs or even government units themselves, may be logical. But eliminating all duplication and waste in local government will result in savings that are a drop in the bucket unless there is reform in Albany. Further, local government consolidation on the scale contemplated by Lundine and the D&C will result in major reductions in service levels to local residents.

The fact is that consolidation efforts serve two ends and purposes; thus the quick kudos given to the plan by the editorial board. For Lundine and State government officials, consolidation talk distracts voters from the fact that reform is needed in Albany. For the D&C editorialists, Lundine's Commission and its recommendations give credibility to their never ending quest to redirect suburban resources to the bankrupt City of Rochester, through metro government.