NEW
YEAR WAKE UP CALL
As you travel back and forth to Denver, as you climb the
mountains to the ski resorts, a nagging question doesn’t let go: is it true
that some want to “keep CS lame”? Given the dominance of military retirees in
the city (ranked second in the country by the Military Times), around 100,000 (20% of the population), so is the conservative
ideology they embody. If this is true, what are the implications here and now?
There are two strains that characterize conservative
ideology, an economic and a social. Economically this means neoliberal market-capitalism
with competition as the engine that drives this train, without government constraints.
This also means balanced budgets and the integrity of the business world,
transparent and accountable, profit-maximizing with efficiencies that eliminate
waste.
Consistency along this conservative conviction would mean
that government policies should not interfere with businesses, so locally this
would mean no bloated government entities like the city-owned utilities or all
the military bases that are government-funded.
This also means absolute freedom to pursue one’s economic
dreams of prosperity, no matter how they might affect the rest of the
community. Forget about controlling pollution or regulating hazardous materials
in the air or waterways; forget about telling people what to eat and drink,
smoke or listen to. Residents are consumers whose tastes and preferences ought
to be left alone by public servants.
When it gets to social matters, the conservative line
observed in the 2016 election cycle means laws about abortion, the
death-penalty, and reversing whatever social services have been available since
the New Deal, privatizing Social Security, abolishing Obamacare, and finding Supreme
Court justices that will undo liberal initiatives.
Since most of these concerns are federal, we are left with
narrow windows of government intervention into our local social choices, from
recreationally smoking pot to letting businesses serve their customers on
Sundays (some are state laws, some city).
So, as another year ends and new one is upon us, what
direction will city leaders take? And, more importantly, who are our city
leaders? Are they the elected officials, from the mayor to city council
members, or more widely understood as those with large real-estate holdings and
family wealth? Perhaps both groups should think about their roles not to “keep
CS lame,” but turn it around into a vibrant metropolis.
To begin with, decide if CS is the Soviet Union or a modern
capitalist city: if it’s the latter, sell the utilities enterprise the way you
sold Memorial Hospital. There are experts out there who can run it better and
not make us sick from pollution. Besides, with a hefty endowment, you can
afford to take care of our infrastructure without raising taxes.
Second, as true conservatives, reduce local regulations,
from building codes to recreational pot shops. Let businesses thrive because
there is consumer demand, and don’t tell people what they should or should not
do. 1984 was a dystopian novel, not a
blue-print for CS. Big Brother is still dictating who prospers with the kind of
secret “double-speak” Orwell would find amusing.
Third, when old oligarchs of yesteryear still call the
shots, when retired military personnel and wealthy enough people run committees
and the council, how can young entrepreneurs expect to succeed? Guess what,
they move to Denver. Who takes care of training the future leaders of CS? Unfortunately,
CS Chamber & Economic Development Corporation is more concerned with the
low-hanging fruit of the military-industrial complex than nurturing small
businesses.
Fourth, the military-industrial complex has been good to
CS, perhaps too good. It’s time to realize that under a new federal
conservative regime, military budgets may shrink and waste will be curtailed.
What is CS’s contingency plan for decreased military funding? What have we done
to cater to those in uniform who live here and are looking for an exciting
environment beyond bars? We can’t even fund the Olympic Hall of Fame or a
stadium downtown to demonstrate our commitment to athletes, soldiers, and the
outdoors.
Finally, if we plan on getting out of the “lame” category with
which young people mock our city, perhaps all we need to do is look northward
to Denver, a dynamic metropolis with more diverse industries than here, with
greater percentage of young people in its population, and with a greater sense
of open-mindedness and youthful energy. What’s their secret?
Two things stand out: first, leadership with a vision
(beyond low taxes), and second, recreational pot that has less to do with
smoking marijuana than with a mindset that is open and inviting, that lets all
citizens, young and old, military and civilian, feel that the city supports
their interests. Isn’t this what conservatism stands for?
Raphael
Sassower is professor of Philosophy at UCCS. He can be reached at rsassower@gmail.com See previous
articles at sassower.blogspot.com
