John Webster

Business conservatives often preach that the state should run its affairs like a business. But they appreciate sleazy politics when their selfish interests are at stake. Consider, for instance, the attempt by business predators to sabotage plans for a state office building in Spokane. State agencies rent office space here, at scattered locations. The state believes it would save money by moving some of those agencies into a single, state-owned building. That is a reasonable belief. Ownership's an investment; rent throws money away. Also, in a consolidated building common areas such as meeting rooms could be shared, reducing costly space requirements.

It's the final game of the World Series. Bottom of the ninth. The pitcher's falling behind in the count. The bullpen's empty. Who ya gonna call, coach? Congress? The president?

Amid a tremendous uproar about the potential cruelty of it all, Republican lawmakers are contemplating proposals to cut welfare benefits. Under a proposal in Washington state, teen mothers under age 18 could not obtain welfare. Older moms would lose welfare benefits after two years. Meanwhile, a study unveiled this week finds that day care centers often fail to meet the needs of children. So, if there already is a shortage of decent day care, what happens when the government cuts off the cash that enables welfare moms to stay home with their kids? They would have to enter the work force - and find day care. What sort of care would they find, and how would they afford it with a low-paying, entry-level job?

Picture the Pacific Northwest's economy and its tattered environmental heritage, fighting on a tightrope high above the spillway at Grand Coulee Dam. When you read about restoration of the salmon runs, you're reading about a high wire act that makes the spotted owl fiasco look like a walk in the park. Nobody wants either the economy or the salmon to take a header. But the battle's so intense that both are in jeopardy. What the region needs is a compromise, not a fight to the death.

Liberals spent the last 30 years using the power of government to mold society. Now it's the Republicans' turn. Those of us who realize pendulums can swing too far consider a change in direction healthy. The regulations liberals imposed, on the business sector and on local governments, could use a rollback.

House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed the national press corps the other day, claiming it serves as a willing accomplice to his Democratic foes. Gingrich has a point. But the problem is more than bias, though bias is evident. It's sheer laziness and lack of perspective.

Why do Americans still revere the name of Teddy Roosevelt? He was a conservative with vision, the creator of national parks and forests, his gift to the future. Some of his successors had more mercenary motives; their portraits hang in history's doghouse. Contemporary politicians do well to think, from time to time, about the legacy their service will leave. That's what County Commissioners Skip Chilberg and Pat Mummey did a year ago when they approved the conservation futures program. Funded by a property tax of 6 cents per $1,000 valuation, it provides money to purchase land and set it aside for public green space, wildlife corridors and parks. The county held hearings on the program and with the help of enthusiastic citizens identified a score of properties worthy of acquisition. The first major piece purchased was the old-growth cedar grove at Liberty Lake, threatened with logging and beloved by generations of Boy Scout campers. Now, it's county parkland.

A few people watch the Super Bowl for the game. More of us watch it for the commercials. Tune in Sunday, for the answer to the question all America is asking: What will O.J. do this year, now that he's too busy to help with the coverage? Race through the airport on his way to the getaway car? Anything could happen. If American business invested as much ingenuity in products and services as it invests in Super Bowl commercials, Japan's economy would wither overnight.

Washington state's health care reform law is going to be changed. It should be changed. But it shouldn't simply be repealed. Repeal would mean a return to the, uh, good old days: Doubledigit inflation in health care costs. Dwindling availability of health care coverage. A system focused on treatment of the sick rather than on the promotion of wellness.

"We're from Olympia, and we're here to help you." In business circles, those nine words are a joke. In government circles, they're a motto.

Who's at fault when a juvenile is arrested, convicted and incarcerated for committing a crime? The police? The prosecuting attorney? The judge? C'mon, you say. The criminal is responsible. And since the criminal is a juvenile, the offender's family most likely shares in the responsibility. When families fail or when children reject their values, the community must step in to pick up the pieces.

Can the U.S. Department of Energy afford to cut spending at Hanford? Yes. Can the public interest afford to let Hanford contractors decide how to implement the cuts? No. Nor can the public have much confidence if the cuts are made by others in the close-knit Richland community - such as Energy Department administrators who have slumbered through abuses by their friends and neighbors on the Westinghouse payroll.

If bean counters ruled the world, we'd all live in utilitarian houses, drive utilitarian cars, wear utilitarian clothes, worship in utilitarian cinderblock churches. Thrift is not the ultimate virtue. The proposal to end federal funding for the arts illustrates what can happen when you seek leadership only from the narrow minded. Or from the demagogues. A handful of ill-advised grants have been blown out of proportion, jeopardizing the existence of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The people have spoken: We hate government. Cut it back. We hate taxes. Cut them, too. We hate city life. We're headed for the country, where the government won't bug us. But we have a right to quick fire protection, fabulous public libraries and other government services, whether we pay for them or not. My, these neo-conservative westerners are naive, aren't they? Maybe we needed that conservative revolution more than anybody realized. Maybe the federal government's deficit spending fooled public opinion into thinking folks really are entitled to something for nothing.

"Conservative" is the wrong term for the new Republican team in Congress. They're not out to conserve, they're out to change - radically. Now that this unexpected political revolution is under way - and after 40 years of Democratic Party dominance, it is a revolution - reasonable minds must respect the judgment of the voters and look for good in the country's new course.

Who's in charge of Washington state government? The newly elected legislators, soon to unpack their bags in Olympia? The voters who sent them there? Neither. The real power increasingly has belonged to (A.) Olympia's permanent residents - agency budget and regulation writers. And (B.) to a handful of legislative and executive power brokers who write the final version of key bills behind closed doors, then ram them through the Legislature just before adjournment. Next week, a transformed Legislature will convene amid high expectations.