Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510270112
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: G3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAWRENCE L. SCHACK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Political scientists who favor cooperation, like Alan Rosenthal, believe the politics of cooperation benefit both the governor and the state. "If governors refrain from exploiting issues for electoral purposes," Rosenthal argues, "their chances of achieving results in a legislature controlled by the opposition party improve."
The competing strategy, the politics of conflict, forgoes the opportunity for present legislative progress in the hopes of drawing a wedge between the governor and the legislature, thereby promoting legislative gains and the promise of future policy successes.
Virginia Gov. George Allen has thus far championed the politics of conflict. Characterized as a go-it-alone ideologue committed to the conservatism he espoused as a gubernatorial candidate in 1993, Allen has shunned the "Virginia Way" of politicking described above, having shown little interest in coalition-building save for those areas where Virginia's legislative and executive branches shared a fundamental belief that reform is needed.
At no time was this disposition more evident than during the 1995 legislative session. On Nov. 30, 1994, ignoring the advice of two icons of Virginia's fiscally conservative heritage, former Gov. Mills E. Godwin Jr. and former U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr., a confident Allen put out the word that he would introduce a five-year plan to slash business and personal income taxes by a combined $2.15 billion, a move that required cutting state expenditures by $150 million to finance the first year of tax cuts in 1995. Both Democratic and Republican legislators were surprised by this announcement, partly because the state was already looking at a $300-million revenue shortfall but also because the proposal had been kept a strict secret.
Allen's divisive strategy set the stage for a showdown between himself and the Democratic legislative majority. Surprisingly, Democratic lawmakers did what nobody - not even themselves - expected. Democrats, reinvigorated by Allen's challenge and joined by some Republican legislators, dismembered virtually all of Allen's proposals, beginning with the tax-cut showpiece and ending with a complete restoration of all his proposed spending cuts.
Now the political showdown is upon us, and control of Virginia's General Assembly hangs in the balance. The governor's supporters argue that Allen has given the people of Virginia a clear choice - they can vote this November for a Democratic legislative majority made up of "obstructionists, fat cats, monarchists and dinosaurs," determined to hold on to power by any means, or Allen's own Republicans, fighters for hard-working, tax-paying Virginians.
Opponents decry Allen's electioneering tactics, maintaining that he is using his position as governor to further his own political ambitions rather than the good of the citizenry of the state. Consequently, this November's elections are said to involve more than simply control of Virginia's legislative branch, to involve the future of the Virginia way of governance.
Said one strident opponent: "If the electorate chooses to support Gov. Allen this November, then we might expect to see a repeat of 1995 for years to come both in Virginia and elsewhere. But if they choose to say 'no' to campaigning while in office, then the system of responsible governance which has served Virginia well over the years will have again been given electoral sanction."
Democratic leaders believe that the public will not reward Allen for championing future political gain over substantive policy initiatives, betting that the electorate will send the message that this sort of self-serving politics has no place in Virginia. On the other hand, Allen's supporters maintain that Republican control of at least one of Virginia's legislative houses is a distinct possibility because of the governor's legislative efforts.
The test of these competing conflict and cooperation strategies will come on Nov. 7. Democratic Lt. Governor Don Beyer and Republican Attorney General Jim Gilmore -1997 gubernatorial hopefuls - are watching and planning their strategies, as are Republicans and Democrats nationwide.
Lawrence L. Schack is a doctoral candidate in government at the University of Virginia.
by CNB