Since Hobbes over at Niagara Times blogspot has censored my participating on his site discussions, I continue to respond to his posts “worth” commenting on from my site.
Yesterday Hobbes took Elise Cusack, New York Power Authority board member, to task for failing to adequately represent Western New York. In spirit I agree with Hobbes. But his “critique” politically has much to be desired.
Let me explain. Firstly, why is it that a Board Member is assumed to be chosen to represent an area of the State? Is that the designated task of a Board Member? Or is that just what is expected traditionally in status quo “politics?” I don’t know how the job title reads, but it’s likely it doesn’t state that a Board Member’s first obligation is to his or her region. Possibly it should if it doesn’t say that. My guess is it states that the Board’s responsibility is to the well-being of New York State as a whole first and foremost. Even if it doesn’t state that, nevertheless, that is how the Board acts.
Personally I would prefer that each Board member did best represent the interests of his or her region. But then I’m a populist. Hobbes is a right-wing Republican who practices character assassination “politics” in the interest of power mongering for his party. Hobbes real interest in the prosperity of Western New York as a regional polity is doubtful at best. His interest in a new populist, regional politics is non-existent witnessed by his kicking me off his web site comment section. Any attempt I made while participating at his site to engender a meaningful political dialogue beyond his myopia was childishly mocked by him and his flock for the most part.
If Hobbes could think and see outside the windowless box he rants within, he could see that moralizing about “bought-off” would-be bureaucrats does not explain nor change the political situation of our region. He doesn’t see and is not willing to think about the fact that the bureaucracy and politicians function like a social class whose interests do not lie in maximizing the prosperity and abundance of the given region of the state that they live in. Their interests lie in doing what they have to do to continue to play a part in and personally benefit from the money monopoly which that virtual political class controls and defends.
However, all real politics starts at home and remains local politics. Hobbes hasn’t learned to define “home” in this proper political sense. The partisan power politics of “well intentioned” Republicans does not define our political “home.” “Home” means the communal value foundation and power base which is the source and purpose of any meaningful and effective politics for Western New York.
Cusack hasn’t “sold her soul” in taking the cushy well-paying "job" with NYPA. She simply has done what was necessary to benefit as a lackey of the political class. For such as her it’s not really even a matter of Hobbes-style partisan power politics. Yes, she has no political conscience nor integrity from my point of view. Surely, Hobbes was right in implying that her raison d’tre as a Board Member was the big payday at the end. Yet,it’s not even a matter of “playing politics.” It’s just a matter of playing the managerial game of the administrative wing of the political class. “Just call me Richie” Richie Kessel does it well. I saw his smooth moves from a front row seat during his last visit to the Niagara County Legislature. Kessel and Cusack are not really political people. They are messenger boys for the politicos higher up in the centralist hierarchy. They are the bought and paid for “votes” that keep money, wealth and power flowing out of Western New York.
Finally, Hobbes conclusion is sadly wrong. It’s not that the state of the Power Authority is a “sad, sad commentary.” His perspective and reasoning is the ‘sad, sad commentary.’ Moreover the people of Western New York have not "had enough" any more than Hobbes has. They will keep taking it, practicing their moral judgment and impotent resentment and hoping a political messiah will come along to take care of them. For the people it’s a tragedy. For Hobbes it’s a paycheck from the Republican Party for continuing to write such ultimately self-serving tiresome partisan tirades.
The state of our pathologically bureaucratically centralized and professionalized democracy is the real problem. Politics must be re-thought. The lines of political identity, belonging and purposefulness must be re-drawn. The radical de-centralization of power in the form of re-constitution of community and local democracy is the answer. Cheerleading for the phantom rebelliousness and threatening indignation of illusory “residents” of Western New York is tiresome and no one is buying it.
Back to the drawing board Hobbes!
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