Bipartisanship is essential to America’s progress

By Bill McCamley

The recent passing of President Gerald Ford reminds many of a time when partisanship was not the all-encompassing force that it is today. He described an era when, as minority leader of the House of Representatives, he could have intense discussions with his counterpart from across the aisle while maintaining a relationship when those discussions were over. This allowed them to work on the things upon which they agreed to better America.

Why is partisanship so damaging? As George Washington put it, it is harmful because of “the alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge.” Today, it is political strategy rather than pure revenge that drives most partisanship. The extremes in both parties gain from pushing issues that appeal to their bases, because that turns out those most likely to vote for them.

Because partisan bickering disgusts many people in the middle, they are then less likely to vote, and that increases the power of the extremes even more.

Whether caused by revenge or strategy, partisanship is extremely damaging to the nation. In the short run, it makes compromise and progress harder, and it weakens our democracy in the long run.

As we enter a new year, every one of us in government at all levels should redouble our efforts to work with those on the other side of the aisle and focus on things that can be solved, rather than only targeting issues that accentuate the red-blue split in our nation. Examples can be found at the local, state and national levels.

Here in Doña Ana County, one of the topics that officials from all backgrounds and philosophies should be concerned with is the establishment of a growth plan that will allow development in a smart, organized manner. Every day there are stories about constant housing construction and the development of new retail centers. This growth contributes to the economic health of our region, but it also strains our resources, threatens our beautiful environment and is forcing us to re-examine our agricultural heritage.

Local representatives will be dealing with this issue in detail during the upcoming year. It is an issue on which people from all walks of life must come together to form a solution.

At the state level, the establishment of a comprehensive health insurance program should be a priority. Without insurance, many New Mexicans are terrified of visiting a doctor for their own problems or those of their family members. Business owners are having problems paying to insure their employees. The result is an ailing public and a health industry that must take care of problems in emergency rooms, after health issues that could have been prevented at an earlier stage have grown into critical (and critically expensive) problems.

Last year, the Republican governor of Massachusetts worked with a state legislature that is 85 percent Democratic to create a program that insures all state residents. Their model may not work for New Mexico, but the lesson is clear: Partisanship was put aside to develop a plan that will help solve the problem.

For the nation, the most pressing issue is one that both Democrats and Republicans have emphasized: the controlling of our national debt. In their 1994 “Contract with America,” Republicans promised to pass a balanced budget amendment. In his second term, President Clinton actually delivered a balanced budget several times.

Now that the Democrats have recaptured control of the House and Senate, current party leaders are saying very similar things. However, the question remains: Can members of both parties follow up on their rhetoric and pass a responsible, fair tax policy while reigning in government spending? The results will help determine the future of our nation’s economy for generations.

There are many other projects that can be worked on if government members resolve to address problems that affect us all. It has happened before, and it can happen again. Success in the New Year will depend on officials who compromise to move issues forward and a public that supports those officials who reject blind partisanship.

Bill McCamley is the District 5 Doña Ana County commissioner and an occasional columnist for Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics.