New York Rep. Charlie Rangel has stepped aside from the House Ways and Means Committee. Under fire the past two years for various ethics and tax controversies, Rangel is likely at the end of his political career. To put him in proper perspective, Rangel is the first black to hold a seat on Ways and Means, has been a representative since 1971 (assuming Adam Clayton Powell Jr.’s seat), and is 79 years old. A Korean war veteran, attorney, and champion of civil rights, he has had a tremendous impact on the social fabric of the United States. A lifetime of public service, now embroiled in controversy that overshadows even his role in the Nixon impeachment proceedings.
Congress critters are now busy looking for his replacement on the committee. Their actions are somewhat funny, reminding me of “The Sidestep” song and dance Charles Durning performed as the Governor in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Their prancing about can be understood—as Ways and Means is one of the most powerful committees in Congress. It is responsible for creating all of the taxation and revenue raising policy for the federal government, and oversees things like Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and most federally funded welfare programs. No small potatoes.
Rangel is not the first chairman to run off the tracks—many will remember the horrid comedy of Wilbur Mills and stripper Fanne Fox. A hopeful parallel here is that Mills went off to a successful private career of working with alcoholics and practicing law. He too had been in office for 38 years and chairman for 18 years (compared to Rangel at 39 years and 3 years, respectively). Folks, that’s just too damned long for anyone to be in elected office.
Age is playing a profound role in finding a replacement for Rangel. The first suggestion was to put Rep. Pete Stark in Rangel’s place. Stark is 78. Unfortunately, he should be better known as “No Show” Stark, for he has missed over 250 votes in the past year and is suffering from some illness of old age. Of the leading Democrats on Ways and Means, only one is under 70 years old. Eyes have turned to Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, who in only 61. This is thought to perhaps create a “generational change” in the leadership of the committee. The only bright spot that this writer can see with this possible appointment is that Neal will probably not need to wear Depends for at least another 10 years. This is important, because whomever assumes the chair will sit there until such time as an ethical skid mark appears in their underwear, they die, or are unseated in an election. Again, this is too damned long.
Thomas Jefferson had the quaint idea that a citizen should only serve a term or two doing what they could to further public interests, and then go home and be a resource there. For a great part, this admonition has been disregarded, and political office translated into a lifetime career—as long as the gravy is poured liberally back home and the ability to power broker remains strong. Instead of true democratic representation in a federal republic, Congress and various state houses have become oligarchies, and with the tremendous corporate money influence, are busily becoming plutocracies. Which brings us to election finance reform and term limits.
Robert Michels was a German sociologist who believed that all modern democracies eventually become oligarchies. In his “Iron Law of Oligarchy”, he made the observation that there are but minor differences between those who hold political office and power—and that these representatives keep a tight control on what is considered politically respectable and acceptable in terms of action and policy. These denizens depend upon private economic systems for support and direction, and are positioned by the “media elite”. Sound a little bit familiar? A variation of this is the corporate oligarchy, also called Corporatocracy. The elite in commerce and banking call the shots—with little regard for regulation, constitutional law, or the interest of the common citizen. Gee, this sounds like what helped get us into the economic and social mess that we now face.
As a result, we get a disproportionate number of “public servants” who have garnered too much power, become intoxicated by it, and stay in office so long that the halls of legislation begin to resemble St. Petersburg Florida in the 1960s. While growing older does not mean that one becomes unaware or inept in understanding the effects of a rapidly changing technological, social, and economic world—it does mean that belief systems forged in another time and place rule the thinking process. Whether we like it or not, the world has become a roller coaster ride of change and interaction—what writer Thomas Friedman termed “Hot, Flat, and Crowded.” As America begins to lag behind and accrue more economic and social problems, these “lifers” and the “new blood” bent on their own dynasties simply do not seem to get it.
It should be pretty obvious that these people are not going to impose term limitations on themselves, nor limit the bulldozer fed piles of money given for seeking and retaining office through campaign finance reform. The Supreme Court recently made one of the worst decisions regarding this matter by eliminating most controls over corporate investment in buying “the right stuff” to inhabit the elected stratosphere of the new corporatocracy. The common citizen rarely notices—as we seem much more concerned with how many loose ends will be explained when Lost concludes. Those that have lost their jobs, homes, savings, health care, and security in the “new American deal” are paying a bit more attention.
For it will ultimately be the citizen that demands that term limits be put in place, that mandatory retirement from high level government posts—elected or appointed—be applied just like for any other federal employee. That age is 70. If it is considered that it is not safe for someone to fly a commercial airliner after age 60, why should it be appropriate for someone to determine the fate of a rapidly changing nation at age 80?
It would be a real shame to have the new chairman of Ways and Means be some wet behind the ears, immature green punk of 40 take the helm. Maybe someone that age might actually understand that no one—a government or individual citizen—can keep borrowing to pay for things without raising adequate revenue. The bill always comes due. Let’s start putting people in these positions that realize the consequences will come due before they pass on—and then send them home every 4 or 8 years and let another pick up the torch in a responsible chain of action. Nah, on second thought let’s just worry about those Lost episodes, and cheer when the old farts of government shout “you damned kids get off our grass…”
© 2010
