The purging of Joan Wolfgang from the NCCC Board of Trustees was an egregiously blatant elitist act of political nepotism disguised as legislative process. After 25 years of highly commendable service Wolfgang was ousted at the obvious behest of Henry Sloma who wanted his girlfriend, Bonnie Gifford, to have the job. But why? Why throw 25 years of experience down the drain? Just because he can? Now we know why the vast majority of Niagara County citizens have given up on democracy in Niagara County. This power play was a brazenly unabashed and elitist flaunting of the power of money over reason. Whatever Sloma’s real personal reasons for this power play are, they must undoubtedly be sufficiently petty to not deserve the light of day. Because he’s not talking. And the cow towing cowardice of the Niagara County Legislature enabled this travesty of democracy, good sense and concern for the public trust to be flaunted in the face of the people.
Without even making an effort to appear convincing, Legislator Updegrove, reportedly “justified” this totally unjustifiable purging of Wolfgang as necessitated by “their management philosophy.” He claims that NCCC is going in the right direction. I’m not sure if that is now because Gifford is on board or because it has already been going in the right direction before the forcing of Gifford into Wolfgang’s position. Since NCCC has been going in the right direction actually for some considerable time why this unprecedented and arbitrary flexing of “political” muscle? Updegrove might consider that this regretful action on the part of a much too obviously solicitous Legislature is analogous to an equally reprehensible action that might hypothetically take place in law. Imagine that after an unchallenged law which remains on the books as established precedent for some considerable time is suddenly reversed without good reason, justification or explanation. This would upset a fundamental tenet of legal reasoning. In like manner, what changes or events have transpired that now legitimate Wolfgang’s tenure being invalidated? This is nothing but rule by fiat, brute and viciously indifferent power which has no respectable authority and imparts no convincing let alone enlightening truths.
And what exactly is this management philosophy, that is political philosophy, that required an unethical compromise of the working integrity of the NCCC Board of Trustees? And what is the “right direction” that NCCC is going which is now so pleasing to Updegrove? We will never know because the Republican power block doesn’t feel obligated to enter into discussion with the people. If the Ethics board is not brain dead and still represents any sense of the good, the true and the just, this escapade needs thorough investigation. What happened in Lockport on Tuesday evening does not pass the smell test and is stinking up the whole county.
And why exactly is Bonnie Gifford qualified to replace Joan Wolfgang? As a former member of the nursing faculty apparently she qualifies. I fear however that if the model that the nursing division of NCCC provides to the college is her criterion, then the college also needs to beware. As a professor of philosophy the only time I ever see a nursing student in my classes is if some advisor mistakenly registers one for a philosophy class or they get lost. The only nursing student I can remember who did take a class from me plagiarized a paper. When I confronted her, she broke down crying and admitted her brother wrote the paper for her. The Nursing division at NCCC is successful, competent and replete with awards and recognition. My problem with them is that they probably should be a college all by themselves. I don’t see them structuring their curriculum such that their students are freed up to explore and experience other dimensions of reality. If on the other hand Gifford’s selection is a sign that they want to push NCCC toward a greater jobs oriented curriculum, then the business folk better start providing some jobs. On the other hand, what we really ought to be concerned about as patriotic Americans is creating a curriculum in the community college that produces competent citizens who can still practice and care about practicing democracy. A business model of political practice is the death of the American political ideal.
When such power as displayed at the Niagara County Legislature two nights ago arrogantly abrogates any reason that might pass public scrutiny even at the lowest conceivable standards of persuasion, we are all in trouble. When money can buy votes, the deliberative and discursive dimension of democracy is dead. These actions smell of a witch hunt mentality, a virtual paranoia, that harks back to the Nixon administration seeing enemies everywhere or possibly to the Stalinist regime that imagined traitors around every corner.
Niagara County is surely in a sorry state economically and socially with the welfare rolls increasing daily. But now our political state of affairs is of immeasurably greater concern. The people are demoralized and angry if not merely cynically indifferent. Open discourse, criticism and inquiry is repressed as witnessed in the ousting of Tom Christy from the Republican dominated airways of LCTV. The Legislature feels little compunction to honor the intelligence of the people and explain the reasons they have for what they do. Platitudes, vague generalizations and shoddy rationalizations won’t do. This is a vile state of affairs and gives rise to the only meaningful conclusion. The “leadership” of NC is a cohort of cronies who preponderate toward interests, attitudes and actions that reflect the fact that they aspire to be a part of a new social class in America. I call it the New Class. Their interests are not that of the average wage earner. They reflect the interests of the state bureaucratic consort whose strings are pulled by Washington incumbents, lobbyists and the Washington “wannabees.” Crony capitalism is the rule of the day in Western New York. Tax money for business investments smells like socialism to me. Socialism for the capitalists. Welfare and workfare for the “people,” a term which itself no longer indicates any coherently self-conscious group of citizens who are aware of and capable of affirming their self-interest. In Niagara County the reservation doesn’t stop at Smokin’ Joes. All the people are on “the reservation.” The problem is that “the people” haven’t understood themselves as a de facto social and therefore political class. So for the foreseeable future, it’s life on the reservation. Six packs, cynicism and a part time stint at MacDonald’s, or if you’re lucky, the new Family Dollar opening up at a corner near you, courtesy of the IDA.
The Niagara County Legislature does not represent Niagara County. Henry Sloma’s actions are a direct unapologetic insult to the social and discursive norms of any community. What Marcy Cole is to alcohol, Henry Sloma is to power. Given this man runs economic development in Niagara County we can only hope that greed and vulgar displays of power are good for business. If we have learned anything from this fiasco, it is that the old cliché is no cliché: power corrupts and you know the rest. What the cronies can’t accomplish for themselves, the state Authorities will do for them.
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