REMARKS OF ROBERT E. GRADY TO THEH MONIVIOUTH COLLEGE JULY 8, 1985

Transcription

1 REMARKS OF ROBERT E. GRADY DIRETOR OF OMMUNIATIONS TO GOVERNOR KEAN TO THEH GOVERNOR S SHOOL IN PUBLI ISSUES MONIVIOUTH OLLEGE WEST LONG BRANH, NEW JERSEY JULY 8, 1985 THANK YOU, JIM. YOU RE GRAIOUS TO INVITE SOMEONE WHO S SPENT HIS WHOLE WORKING LIFE IN GOVERNMENT ONE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FAING NEW JERSEY.

2 2 NOT EVERYONE HAS SUH A HARITABLE VIEW OF GOVERNMENT AS TO BELIEVE THAT IT AN SOLVE PROBLEMS. IT S LIKE THE STORY OF THE OLD HAPLAIN OF THE SENATE. WHEN HE WAS ASKED IF HE PRAYED FOR THE SENATORS, HE SAID: NO, I PRAY FOR THE OUNTRY. SERIOUSLY, I HAVE SPENT MY WHOLE WORKING LIFE -- OR WHAT LITTLE THERE HAS BEEN SO FAR -- AND SOME OF MY LIFE Q BEFORE THAT IN AND AROUND POLITIS AND GOVERNMENT, SO I HOPE THAT I AN BRING AT LEAST THAT PERSPETIVE TO TONIGHTS DISUSSION. JIM AND HERYL KEEN HAVE ASKED ME TO TALK ABOUT NEW JERSEY AS A WHOLE -- WHIH IS A SLIGHTLY UNWIELDY TOPI BUT ONE THAT MAY BE RELEVANT WHEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW GOVERNMENT APPROAHES PROBLEMS, AND HOW IT SUEEDS OR FAILS IN SOLVING THEM.

3 3 I VE SEEN GOVERNMENT FROM ESSENTIALLY THREE LEVELS. MY FIRST JOB WHEN I GOT OUT OF OLLEGE WAS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT -- IN THE U.S. ONGRESS TO BE EXAT, WORKING FOR MILLIENT FENWIK. FROM THE FEDERAL PERSPETIVE, NEW JERSEY IS EASILY SEEN AS A WHOLE -- IN FAT, IT S ONE OF FIFTY WHOLES, 50 STATES, EAH WITH ITS OWN ONERNS AND INTERESTS. IN A SENSE, NEW JERSEY IS ONE OF 50 ENTITIES MAKING OMPETING LAIMS TO THE LIMITED RESOURES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SOME OF THOSE LAIMS ARE MORE LEGITIMATE -- OTHERS LESS -- THE TRIK FOR OUR ONGRESSMEN, OR SO THEY SEEM TO THINK, IS TO MAKE THOSE LAIMS HEARD AND TO MAKE GOOD ON AS MANY OF THEM AS POSSIBLE FOR THE FOLKS BAK HOME.

4 4 THIS NOTION OF OMPETING LAIMS IS A GOOD ONE, I 4 THINK. I FIRST SAW IT SET FORTH IN THE FAMOUS ARTILE IN THE ATLANTI MONTHLY IN WHIH 0MB DIRETOR DAVID STOKMAN SAID ALL THOSE THINGS ABOUT THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION S FIRST BUDGET THAT GOT HIM IN SO MUH TROUBLE. BUT THE FUNDAMENTAL MODEL HE SETS OUT -- THAT THE JOB OF THOSE GUIDING THE FEDERAL BUDGET AND TAX POLIY IS TO SORT OUT STRONGER OR MORE LEGITIMATE LAIMS FROM WEAKER OR LESS LEGITIMATE LAIMS -- IS A VALID ONE. THAT S HOW IT SHOULD WORK. THE PROBLEM, STOKMAN RIGHTLY SAYS, IS THAT THE STRONGEST LAIMS DON T ALWAYS WIN OUT. THIS FEDERAL VIEW OF NEW JERSEY HAS ANOTHER PROBLEM -- ONE WHIH IS PERHAPS MORE FUNDAMENTAL AND STRUTURAL. ONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS ARE, MOST OF THE TIME, IN WASHINGTON.

5 5 THEY DON T ALWAYS HAVE THEIR EARS TO THE GROUND, AND THEY DON T HAVE THEIR HANDS ON THE ONTROLS. IN WASHINGTON, IT S MUH HARDER TO HAVE A SENSE OF HOW THE GRANDOISE SHEMES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE ATUALLY WORKING. SO INSTEAD, ONGRESSMEN FOUS ON HOW MUH THEY AN SEND HOME. THEY TYPIALLY WORRY ABOUT HOW MUH NEW JERSEY GETS OUT OF THE FORMULA FOR SOME FEDERAL PROGRAM - - NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE SOUNDNESS OF THE PROGRAM IN THE FIRST PLAE. THEY WORRY ABOUT HOW MANY NEW JERSEY BOYS ARE GOING TO BE SENT ABROAD IN A ONFLIT -- AND NOT NEESSARILY ENOUGH ABOUT THE WISDOM OF THE ONFLIT IN THE FIRST PLAE. THAT MAKES SENSE FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, AN INDIVIDUAL ONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR IS PROBABLY NOT BIG ENOUGH TO AFFET THE BIG PITURE -- TO REDESIGN THE PROGRAM OR STOP THE ONFLIT -- HIMSELF OR HERSELF.

6 6 SEONDLY, ONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS ARE OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN WASHINGTON - - OUR OMBUDSMEN TO THE LARGE, IMPERSONAL, AND SOMETIMES ONFUSING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS DIFFIULT, IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, WITH THOSE ONSTRAINTS, TO ONEPTUALIZE PROBLEMS IN THEIR ENTIRETY. INSTEAD, TOO MANY ONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS -- ALTHOUGH ERTAINLY NOT ALL -- ARE REDUED TO SO MUH BEAN OUNTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE AT HOME GET THEIR FAIR SHARE. LOAL GOVERNMENT HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF ONERNS. I VE BEEN PRETTY LOSE TO IT -- MY FATHER WAS A TWO-TERN OUNILMAN AND MAYOR, AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS HAVE HELD LOAL OFFIE. AT OUR HOUSE, IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL TO GET A ALL -- SOMETIMES LATE AT NIGHT -- ABOUT LEAVES NOT BEING PIKED UP, OR ABOUT SOMEONE S TEENAGER BEING PIKED UP BY THE POLIE.

7 7 THE ONERNS, RIGHTLY, ARE MORE IMMEDIATE, MORE PAROHIAL: ROADS, GARBAGE, SEWERS, TRAFFI. LOAL GOVERNMENTS ARE LOSE TO THE PEOPLE AND THEIR DAY TO DAY ONERNS. THEY GET INTO SOME BIGGER ISSUES -- SUH AS BUILDING SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS OR NEW POST OFFIES -- BUT, BY AND LARGE, LOAL GOVERNMENTS DON T -- NOR SHOULD THEY -- WORRY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS IN THE TOWN NEXT DOOR OR THE ITY 20 MILES AWAY. THEY DO WORRY ABOUT THE STATE GOVERNMENT OR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO THE EXTENT THEY NEED MONEY FOR BIG PROJETS OR WHEN THEY RE BOTHERED BY THE MANY AND SOMETIMES ONEROUS REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN THEM. SO, OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS NO SENSE OF NEW JERSEY AS A WHOLE IN THE ITY AND TOWN HALLS AROUND THE STATE. THERE IS A SENSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE -- IN MY TOWN, IN MY BAKYARD.

8 8 THE SENSE OF NEW JERSEY AS A WHOLE LEARLY RESTS, IN TERMS OF GOVERNMENT, IN TRENTON -- WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT. THIS IS ESPEIALLY TRUE WHERE I WORK -- IN THE GOVERNOR S OFFIE, AS OPPOSED, SAY, TO THE OFFIES OF INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATORS. IN OUR STATE, AND IN MOST, THE GOVERNOR HAS -- OR SHOULD HAVE -- A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT THE STATE. WHEN THINGS HAPPEN, IN APE MAY OR IN JERSEY ITY, GOOD OR BAD, THE GOVERNOR IS BLAMED OR ONGRATULATED. BUT HE MUST WORRY ABOUT IT. I SEE THIS EVERY DAY IN TOM KEAN. IF THERE IS A WATER SHORTAGE OR A PRISON RISIS, ASBESTOS IN OUR SHOOLS OR RIME IN OUR ITIES, IT IS OUR JOB -- HIS JOB -- TO FIX IT.

9 9 AND IF THE STATE DOES WELL, IF ITS EONOMY BOOMS OR ITS SHOOLS IMPROVE, IF ATTRATS A NEW OMPANY OR UNVEILS A NEW PROGRAM, IT S HIS TO ROW ABOUT. IN A WAY, THE SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A GOVERNOR IS LIKE THAT OF A PARENT. TOM KEAN, SOMETIMES, FEELS LIKE THE FATHER OF THIS WHOLE STATE. HE SHOULDERS THE ANXIETY WHEN IT FAILS, AND THE PRIDE WHEN IT SUEEDS. FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT -- AND BY EXTENSION FROM MINE -- IT IS VERY EASY TO SEE THE STATE AS A WHOLE. I EVEN SEE MAPS OF THE STATE DANING IN MY HEAD SOMETIMES. FOR ME, THERE IS A VERY REAL ONNETION BETWEEN BEAH EROSION IN APE MAY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW JOBS IN JERSEY ITY.

10 10 THEY ARE ALL PART OF THE ALULUS OF BUILDING A BETTER 0 STATE -- OF THE WAY WE IN NEW JERSEY LIVE AND WORK. I SUPPOSE THAT I HAVE A PARTIULARLY UNIQUE SENSE OF THIS WHOLE OF NEW JERSEY, BEAUSE PART OF MY JOB EAH YEAR IS TO REPORT ON THE ONDITION OF THE STATE -- TO WRITE THE GOVERNOR S ANNUAL MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE, OR, AS IT IS O0NLY ALLED, THE STATE OF THE STATE. 0 IN THAT MESSAGE, WHIH IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE ONSTITUTION, THE GOVERNOR REPORTS ON VIRTUALLY EVERY ASPET OF THE STATE S ONDITION, FROM ITS EONOMY TO ITS SHOOLS TO ITS AUTO INSURANE RATES. IF YOU INSPET THIS YEAR S ANNUAL MESSAGE, AND I HOPE YOU WILL, THREE THINGS EMERGE:

11 11 THE FIRST IS THAT NEW JERSEY IS DOING QUITE WELL RIGHT NOW --- BETTER, IN FAT, THAN IT HAS BEEN DOING IN QUITE A LONG TIME. IN THE 1970 S, WE LAGGED BEHIND OTHER STATES IN MANY AREAS. TODAY, WE ye SPRUNG AHEAD. OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, WHIH WAS ALMOST 10% JUST THREE YEARS AGO, IS NOW ONLY 4.7% -- ONE OF THE VERY LOWEST IN THE NORTHEAST. OUR SHOOL TEST SORES ARE GOING UP. OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LEANUP IS MORE ADVANED THAN THAT OF ANY OTHER STATE. OUR RIME RATE IS DROPPING FASTER THAN THE REST OF THE OUNTRY. AND WE HAVE MODEL PROGRAMS IN EVERYTHING FROM STOPPING DOMESTI VIOLENE TO INFROVING OUR STATE OLLEGES.

12 12 IN A WORD, THERE IS A NEW PRIDE IN NEW JERSEY. AND 0 THIS GOVERNOR IS VERY PROUD HIMSELF OF HAVING HELPED ESTABLISH IT. A SEOND THING THAT IS LEAR IS THAT SO MANY OF THE ISSUES BEFORE THE STATE ARE RELATED. THE ISSUE OF HOUSING -- HOW TO PROVIDE LOW INOME HOUSING IN DEVELOPING AREAS -- IS RELATED TO THE ISSUE OF THE ENVIRONMENT -- HOW TO PRESERVE FARMLAND. Q THE ISSUE OF JOBS IN THE ITIES IS RELATED TO THE ISSUE OF RIME IN THE ITIES. I OULD GO ON AND ON. BUT IT S LEAR THAT YOU ANNOT SOLVE PROBLEMS IN ISOLATION. THAT IS THE HALLENGE OF GOVERNING - - TO SEE ALL THE PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU AND HOOSE THE OURSE OF ATION THAT SOOTHES AS MANY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT EXAERBATING OTHERS.

13 13 OR, AS BISMARK ONE SAID, POLITIS IS THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE. THE THIRD, AND PERHAPS IRONI FAT, IS WHAT A DIVERSE STATE WE LIVE IN. IN FAT, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT NO LAND MASS OF OMPARABLE SIZE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS AS DIVERSE AS THAT OF NEW JERSEY. AND YET, FROM THE GOVERNOR S HAIR, ONE SEES THIS SENSE OF UNITY -- AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AS I SAID, THERE IS A SENSE OF PRIDE. HOW IS IT THAT NEW JERSEY PRIDE AN GROW AMONG AS DIFFERENT HARATERS AS RANBERRY GROWERS IN BURLINGTON OUNTY AND ITY DWELLERS IN PATERSON.

14 14 I THINK I HAVE AN ANSWER. IT S THAT THE DIVERSE, ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP OUR STATE LITERALLY FORM OUR STATE GOVERNMENT. TEDDY ROOSEVELT ONE SAID: THE GOVERNMENT IS US; WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT YOU AND I. IN OTHER WORDS, A GROUP OF PEOPLE LITERALLY THROWN TOGETHER BY IRUMSTANE AND HISTORY AN MAKE IT WORK -- IN ) A DEMORAY. THAT, IN FAT, IS THE STRENGTH OF A DEMORAY -- IT DRAWS ON THE PEOPLE --- AND HOPEFULLY, ALL THE PEOPLE. THAT S WHY -- DESPITE OUR PROBLEMS -- YOU DON T HAVE BRUTAL REPRESSION LIKE THAT OF THE SIKHS IN INDIA, THE TANILS IN SRI LANKA, THE BAHIAS IN IRAN, THE BLAKS IN SOUTH AFRIA.

15 15 IN THIS DEMORAY, WE VE DRAWN ON OUR DIVERSITY TO REATE A STRONG SENSE OF STATE PRIDE -- AND THE OUNTRY HAS DONE THE SANE TO BUILD A STRONG NATIONAL PRIDE. OF OURSE, THE QUESTION REMAINS: HOW IS IT THAT THESE INSTITUTIONS -- THESE UNITS OF ORGANIZATION -- OME TO DEFINE OUR IDENTITY. AND IS IT, IN FAT, THE BEST WAY TO DEFINE OUR POLITIAL AND SOMETIMES ULTURAL IDENTITY. THAT S AN INTERESTING QUESTION, PERHAPS ONE THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE UP IN YOUR INTEGRATIVE SEMINARS TOMNORROW. WE KNOW THE HISTORY OF HOW POLITIAL BOUNDARIES ANE TO BE. OF HOW STATE GOVERNNENTS, LOAL GOVERNNENTS, AND NATIONAL GOVERNNENTS WERE FORNED. BUT ARE THESE TEE BEST FORNS OF ORGANIZATION?

16 16 WHAT ABOUT INTERNATIONAL GOVERNENT? IS STATE PRIDE A GOOD THING? IT ERTAINLY SEEMS SO IN NEW JERSEY. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DESTRUTIVE SIDE OF PROVINIAL OR NATIONAL PRIDE -- THE KIND THAT AUSES, SAY, LATIN AMERIAN OUNTRIES TO GO TO WAR AS AN OUTGROWTH OF FIGHTS AT SOER GAMES.

17 17 AND, IN THAT THESE GOVERNMENTS EXIST, WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF GOVERNNENT HERE BEST ABLE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. I M PERHAPS NOW BIASED, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE EMERGING AS THE MOST EFFETIVE UNITS. THIS IS A PROESS THAT OURS OVER TIME -- AS THEY BEOME MORE PROFESSIONAL, AS THEY ARE GIVEN MORE RESPONSIB(ILITY. DWIGHT EISENHOWER SAID: OUR BEST PROTETOIN AGAINST BIGGER GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON IS BETTER GOVERNMENT IN THE STATES. THAT WAS IN THIRTY YEARS LATER, RONALD REAGAN ATED ON THAT BELIEF -- AND LITERALLY SOUGHT TO TRANSFER ALOT OF POWER -- AND RESPONSIBILITY TO THE STATES.

18 18 AND THAT AGAIN RAISES SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS: ARE 0 THE STATES UP TO THE JOB? IF SO, THEN WHY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRYING TO DO SO MUH -- AND TAXING SO MUH TO GET IT AOMPLISHED. WHAT ABOUT A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT I S ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR NATIONAL SEURITY? 0 OBVIOUSLY, WE RE A LONG WAY FROM THAT. BUT IN ASKING ABOUT THE TOPI OF NEW JERSEY AS A WHOLE, YOU BEG THE QUESTION -- WHAT ABOUT EAH STATE AS A WHOLE, WHAT ABOUT AMERIA AS A WHOLE, WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD AS A WHOLE?

19 19 NEW JERSEY AS A WHOLE IS DOING QUITE WELL RELATIVELY. WHAT I ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS HOW YOU AN HELP NEW JERSEY -- AND THE WORLD -- DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THANK YOU.