Whether at the gym, the post office or the grocery, Iโve answered questions, received criticism, and in some cases even praise, over my decision to leave the Democratic Party. The strength of many of the reactions has caused me to wonder about the deep partisan gulf that divides us as Americans.
When I was in the state House, I remember that there was a Republican Liberty Alliance
rating that came out every term, ranking legislators on their stance regarding the size of
government. Letter grades ranged from A for the most libertarian to F for the least. At
the urging of a colleague, I recently looked up the current rankings. I was surprised and
dismayed by the lack of centrism. Plenty of Upper Valley Democrats ranked F and
plenty of libertarians ranked A, but there were only a handful of Cโs, even Dโs. Where
were the moderates?
Iโve always been proud of my own voting record. I balanced the demands of labor with capital, the public versus the private spheres, and corporate interests that bring needed jobs as well as Mainstreet small businesses. Admittedly, some of my votes put me at odds with my Democratic colleagues, but I voted in ways that I thought were fair, and not just for constituents who had voted for me. In the past few years, Iโve noticed that even Sens. Shaheen and Hassan voted against the federal $15/hour minimum wage. They rightly understood that it would hurt small businesses that operate on such a tight margin.
In my nine years at the county, Iโm most proud of this bipartisan approach. Beginning with my first term as chair, colleagues and I worked to get the budget as low as it could possibly be while still delivering smart, effective government. We rooted out needs from wants, and indeed, even discussed a zero-based budgeting approach. We were able to deliver a fiscally conservative budget over to the Delegation for another nearly unanimous bipartisan sweep.
Iโm often asked why I became Republican rather than Independent. Itโs because I donโt believe in the Democratic agenda anymore. Iโve always been results driven and pragmatic. I believe government spending should be peeled back if there are signs of ineffectiveness. I believe that American jobs should be intended for American workers and that we should free ourselves from the economy of cheap goods and cheap labor, whether itโs immigration policy or corporate interest โ and, of course, itโs both โ that sustains it. Letโs remember, too, that ostensibly humane concerns often veil monetary interests.
I believe that COVID era federal programs should be trimmed back to pre-COVID levels, and I think that taxpayer funded assistance should go to those who truly need it. And I think the effort should be made (on both the federal and state levels) to determine who truly does need it. As the parties are currently constituted, and through my research and experience, I believe this makes me a Republican.
My wish is that we would become more united, less emotional and more reasonable. To do that, I think we should broaden our reading. I suggest that we read writers who have shaped the terms of the current debate. Read Adam Smith (father of so-called laissez-faire capitalism), but balance him with Marx. See if there are any cross over concerns. Read Edmund Burke (progenitor of modern conservativism) but re-read Thomas Paine. My hope is that we might see the incredible potential of our country, as well as its flaws, and that we might understand what may go horribly wrong if we donโt recognize each other as Americans.
Wendy Piper is a Grafton County commissioner. She lives in Enfield.