A new idea at last

D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has a revolutionary idea that, if followed by him and other politicians, could turn politics on its head and improve government functions.

Speaking on a local radio station last Monday, Mr. Williams vowed to either improve the dreadful city public schools or resign. Later he qualified his comment, saying he would relinquish control of the schools and “consider” resigning his office if there are no improvements.

I like the first promise. Call it ultimate accountability. Suppose voters required their elected leaders to sign a pre-election pledge that if their taxing and spending ways, or their legislative proposals, do not produce the results they claim, they will resign from office.

Like certain court proceedings that require someone who sues to pay for the defendant’s legal fees if he loses, a promise to resign from office should one’s ideas prove a failure would make for better, less expensive and more effective government and would get more people involved in the political process from which too many remain cynically separated.

We could give politicians standards for a number of “strikes and you’re out.” Senators would be allowed five mistakes per six-year term. House members, who serve only two years, could be allowed to make two to three mistakes.

Here’s how it might work. Politicians who vote for more education spending but can’t demonstrate that academic performance improves proportionately would be charged with one mistake. Those who claim funding for abstinence programs won’t reduce premarital sexual activity and are proved wrong get charged with a mistake.

Since there is so much waste, fraud and abuse in government, this kind of accountability would ensure that if politicians wanted to keep their jobs they would start spending our money wisely, as if it were their own.

Consider the $15 billion in the fiscal 2004 budget for farm subsidies. This program was created to protect farmers from low incomes caused by low prices. Farmers who plant the most crops receive the largest subsidies.

As the Heritage Foundation’s Brian Riedl notes, farm subsidies lower prices further. Low prices are caused by an oversupply of crops, and farmers seeking large subsidies must plant more crops, which leads to lower prices and more subsidies.

Three-quarters of all farm subsidies go to the wealthiest 10 percent of farmers. Ninety percent of all farm subsidies go for just five crops — wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans and rice. Farmers of other crops manage to stay in business without subsidies. This is a failed government program, and members of Congress who support it would be charged with one mistake.

Then there’s the $6.7 billion Head Start program, created in 1966 to provide grants to school districts to increase “readiness” of disadvantaged children through comprehensive medical, social, educational and mental health assistance. But, according to exhaustive studies, the program does not show definite evidence of long-term benefit. Another mistake.

Remember President Clinton’s promise to put 100,000 police officers on the street? That cost $1.2 billion in the fiscal 2004 budget, but the program never provided that many officers, failed to reduce crime and had no coherent strategy beyond adding bureaucracy. Furthermore, communities experiencing the most crime don’t always get the most money since funding is linked to population, not incidence of crime. Big mistake.

Federal anti-drug advertising costs about $180 million annually, but there is no evidence the campaign reduces drug use. With a federal program, failure means never having to say you were wrong.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) costs $94 million this fiscal year. It was created in 1965 to fund economic growth in 13 Appalachian states through transportation access and community, business and human development.

But there is no convincing evidence ARC has provided long-term growth in jobs or capital investment in its 39 years. Among its many faults, the program is duplicative. There are 342 economic development programs across government.

Imagine the money we would save if failed programs like these were buried for good. Maybe the only way to make sure we get the government we’re paying for is to take Mayor Williams up on his offer and have voters require it of every member of Congress.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist.