On Educated Congressmen: Essay for December 3, 2011

The monthly jobs report came out this week and it reflects an increase of 140,000 jobs. Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? Well, 140,000 jobs is less than this economy requires every month to offset the new job hunters that enter the marketplace. So, how did the unemployment rate go down then? The sad truth is that 315,000 people decided to stop looking for jobs. By the way, new jobless claims topped 400,000 for the last month but that data is not included in this month’s unemployment figure.

The economy is in a mess and increasingly we turn towards Congress to divine a solution. But who are these people to whom we turn? What are their qualifications to transform an economy? Where are their credentials to lead in business? How have they earned the right to speak with authority on the subject of directing our economy?

Let’s take a look at a few of the Congressmen in Massachusetts who have been self-proclaimed defenders of the economy; the fathers of economic recovery. There is Richard Neal, a 23 year incumbent who made his way to Congress via the City of Springfield as Mayor, as City Councilor and assistant to the Mayor. He has a degree in political science. He has taught some high school courses early in his career but I can’t find any evidence of experience that might provide insight into running a business, even a corner bodega. Verdict: career politician.

Then there is Congressman Jim McGovern. His career has been completely contained within politics. He has a degree in Public Administration. He was active in the Presidential campaign of Senator George McGovern (no relation). He was a Congressional aide to Joe Moakley of Massachusetts and successfully ran and won election to Congress in 1996. I heard Mr. McGovern speak this week before a council of manufacturing executives. He said he originally campaigned as a proponent of manufacturing in the state and the country but admitted that when he actually went to DC, he had no idea what he was talking about. I suspect that he has no better idea today than he did in 1996 or he would not have supported the legislation that has wrought havoc on the economy. I have no evidence that Jim McGovern has sold lemonade from a roadside stand no less understands the complexities of global enterprise. Verdict: career politician.

One more favorite is surely Barney Frank. He earned his degree in law at Harvard but never seems to have used it. He was a political aide then a Massachusetts legislator before ascending to US Congress. That is 40 years of politics and, again, there is not a hint that Mr. Frank has developed even the tiniest bit of business acumen during that time. Verdict: career politician.

Perhaps you are detecting a pattern here in the Commonwealth that we value our elected officials as politicians. And why not? They bring home the bacon, don’t they? Think Big Dig, that pet project of another famous Massachusetts politician, Tip O’Neill. He parlayed a $2.8 billion dollar project into something big and hideous that will cost, according to the Boston Globe, some $22 billion dollars. Tip O’Neill got involved in politics at age 15 when he campaigned for Al Smith. Verdict: career politician.

The Massachusetts democrats have a very long history of grooming its politicians seemingly from political puberty. What it has got us is a group of careerists bent upon advancing themselves politically at any cost and without any business experience. Nor is there is not a veteran among them. They know well how to service constituents with benefits but they know not about service to a higher cause. We don’t need another Big Dig or a highway repaving project to get us out of this mess but that is the usual litany of public works projects proposed to stimulate the economy. It is formulaic of old school politicians; formulaic of ways gone by; formulaic of failure.

So what is the new formula? It must include people who have lived an American Life: a life filled with trial and tribulation with a job that requires them to add value every day. I want them to know what it is like to take a position of financial risk. I want them to have a sense of sacrificial service to country. In short, I want to send a person to Congress who is more like you and me than like Richard Neal, Jim McGovern or Barney Frank.
There is a golden opportunity in Massachusetts to put in a career citizen in the new Fourth Congressional District, a person like you and me. That seat will be open when Barney Frank retires next year. When the New Age of Massachusetts candidate emerges they will require a full court press from people like us to put people like us, career citizens, into Congress from Massachusetts.

Press On.