What is the "Tea Party?"

I have been busy lately facing a challenge to a Northern Kentucky institution called the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC). This organization resulted from a consolidation of many planning and zoning operations conducted by the dozens of cities and County governments located in northern Kentucky decades ago. A group of people that call themselves the 'tea party' are proposing that this organization be eliminated and that Northern Kentucky go back to the 1950s with every city having its own planning and zoning operation and its own set of zoning ordinances, creating a patchwork quilt like you have never seen before. Erlanger's city government does not use all the services that NKAPC offers, preferring to conduct some of the operations in-house. Nonetheless, Erlanger firmly supports the continued existence, the direction, and the services offered by NKAPC. In this day of tight government finances and strict scrutiny, consolidated planning and zoning services makes eminent sense.

As I worked my way last month through legislative committee meetings, late night budget committee meetings, the commission's regular budget meeting and Erlanger's City Council deliberations, I began to think about the meaning of the 'Tea Party.' In some respects, the Tea Party means all things to all people -  meaning it can be whatever you want it to be. It is obviously not a political party like the Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians and even Whigs. It has no set of principles, has no party platform that I am aware of, has no party discipline, and apparently no unified leadership. It has no candidates for office –they still belong to the traditional parties or are independents.

I always viewed the Tea Party as a movement, a way of thinking, a line of thought that opposes, in general, the massive spending by our federal government. Almost everyone that I talk to believes that our federal government is out of control, is beyond the reach of the average citizen , and needs a general overhaul. The 'best and brightest' the American people send to Washington can't seem to fix anything, probabl because they are not the best and brightest, but the most wealthy and well connected. I certainly agree with this. My dear cousin believes in this so passionately that she rode a bus to Washington for a Tea Party rally.

Locally, however, it seems to me that the tea party consists of a group of people, socially conservative and Libertarian by nature, that are opposed to everything that has anything to do with the government . They have set their sights on local governments which is ironic because local governments are the closest to the people and most responsive to the constituents.  Local governments provide basic services such as police, fire, rescue, snow removal and street repair . Federal and state governments provide no services such as these.  Perhaps these people feel as helpless as the rest of us do when addressing problems on the national level and do not have enough influence in Frankfort to address state concerns. In any event, I have seen them in meetings of local governments , the mayors group, and of the NKAPC, sitting in the back room like gargoyles on the walls of a cathedral . It may not be their intention, but they appear menacing and intimidating to some, irritating to others and a distraction to everyone trying to get something done in the meeting. I have personally never heard any of the local , self-proclaimed tea party members say they were in support of anything . I know what they are against – any form of government spending any public money – but I have heard no constructive criticism nor suggestion from them on how to do it better .

I feel very safe in saying that no local government elected official in Northern Kentucky seeks the position or fulfills the obligations of office for the money or perks. All that I know do it for the good of their community, always trying to do the right thing, sometimes failing, but always getting up and trudging ahead. The local gargoyles seem to me to believe that local elected officials are out to waste taxpayer money on nonessential activity, personal wealth and hubris. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am the first to say,and have said it on several occasions since becoming mayor of Erlanger , that I embrace out-of-the-box thinking and new ways to get the job done. Government has to be flexible , inventive and responsive to the needs of its constituents and I think that local government does does this the best. Therefore, if anybody, Tea Party member or atheist or even a Democrat, has a better way to get something done that Erlanger has to do , come talk to us and show us the error of our way and convince us of the merit of your way. Simply sitting back and criticizing , or silently lining the walls of meetings, does nobody any good and is a waste of time and effort. And perhaps talent! No one will know as the gargoyle remains silent!

In my humble opinion.

TLR
7.14.11