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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > December > 24
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Editorial: New year needs new political tone
In this season of peace to man, political compromise is in the news.
In Washington, the Democrats pushing President Barack Obama’s health care plans had to compromise so much with other Democrats — often called “moderates” — that they engendered a revolt on their left.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown got caught up.
From the time of his election, he has been seen as a darling of the liberals. He has supported not only the health care bill in general, but the public option, a federally run insurance plan that people who don’t have insurance at work could buy into.
The public option hit a political brick wall. At that point a lot of liberals turned against the broader health reform bill. Talk show hosts, bloggers and former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean left. But Sen. Brown, like the other liberal senators, stuck in there.
He’s right. The health care proposal is still historic and progressive. Moreover, the liberals simply don’t have control of Congress. And a senator’s job is to make things happen. To start all over now, as some have suggested, would almost certainly mean nothing would happen. (The part of the compromise that gave special gifts to Nebraska was unseemly, though, and should be rescinded.)
Meanwhile, in Columbus, five Republican votes were needed in the Senate to pass a budget-balancing proposal. The proposal made sense by any nonpartisan standard, but was identified with Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. It entailed delaying part of a tax cut.
At a time when states and localities all over the country are raising taxes, and when Ohio has already cut spending and payrolls sharply, it should have been the easiest of measures to get agreement on.
But getting the five votes took forever. And they turned out not to include Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering.
That’s a shame. He has courted the image of a get-it-done guy, rather than a rigid ideologue or partisan. He should have been there on this one.
(If Sens. Brown and Husted are being compared, perhaps it should be noted that Sen. Brown’s compromise was within his own party.)
After the first of the year, the general matter of compromise could move to center stage locally. After eight years of being wholly Democratic, the Dayton City Commission will be joined by a non-Democratic mayor.
City Hall has had a lot of problems this decade, but lack of cohesion hasn’t been one of them. Teamwork has prevailed. Some might say that the benefits to the city have been minimal. But people who have seen dysfunctional legislative bodies know how much worse things could be.
Federal, state and local politicians should make a general New Year’s commitment to compromise, meaning that they reject the politics of polarization that prevails in Washington, of playing primarily to their most fervent supporters.
President Obama, Sen. Brown and Sen. Husted need to let the fire-breathers in their parties breathe their fire at them. Dayton’s leaders need to focus on the broad community, not the loud voices.
The most important player is, of course, the president. He has not fulfilled the promise of his pre-presidential rhetoric about how the words “blue” and “red” don’t capture who the American people really are. He has not been a healer.
But 2009 was a peculiar year. He needed to pursue a bold economic stimulus and to finally make good on the pursuit of universal health care. There was probably never any chance of getting Republican support on either.
But not all issues need be so divisive along party lines. The time is near for him to turn a corner — and to be followed.
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Martin Gottlieb, Miami Valley Politics, National Politics, Ohio politics
Daniel J. Curran: Expansion of UD can turn loss of NCR into solid gain
(This piece was written by Daniel J. Curran, president of the University of Dayton, a position he’s held since July 1, 2002.)
The University of Dayton’s purchase of NCR Corp.’s world headquarters and 115 acres of land is both a good investment for the university and an exceptional opportunity for the region.
This is a transformative moment.
Our acquisition of the landmark facility provides significant room for UD to grow, underscores our position as a national Catholic research university and ensures the facility will remain an asset and resource to the Dayton region.
While the departure of NCR is a significant loss, UD is pleased that our investment in the property turns that loss to something positive.
The region has had its share of economic challenges, but good news is emerging. Caterpillar Logistics Services Inc.’s plans to build a $65 million parts distribution facility in Clayton is a recent example.
In the past decade, UD has stepped up our involvement in the revitalization of the community. Working with many partners — and consistent with our Marianist heritage and commitment to community — we engage in some of the most important issues facing the region, including environmental cleanup, urban education and neighborhood revitalization.
Our purchase of the NCR property will help boost the region’s economic revitalization and can mark a new era of collaboration.
This region faces challenges that will require both leadership and partnership as never before. As a major community anchor and the largest independent university in Ohio, we look forward to working with our partners to leverage this opportunity.
As a private, Catholic university in a state with shifting demographics, we have had to think differently about how we recruit students and conduct research, becoming both more strategic and aggressive to diversify and bring resources into the region.
Those efforts are bearing fruit. Last year, we received a record number of applications and saw a significant increase in out-of-state students. Sponsored research has nearly tripled in the past decade to almost $100 million.
The University of Dayton Research Institute was just awarded the largest contract in its history to help develop jet fuels and combustion technologies for the U.S. Air Force. The former NCR world headquarters will house some areas of the expanding research institute and provide a home for new research partnerships.
It will give us needed space for graduate classes and, by establishing a new alumni center, give our alumni both locally and around the world a place to gather and celebrate their proud heritage.
Recently, the state designated the Dayton region as Ohio’s Aerospace Hub for Sensors and Materials. UD was named lead partner because of our strengths in aerospace-related research and technology-based economic development, as well as the success of the university-led Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology (IDCAST).
IDCAST will continue to lead the sensors work while much of the aerospace materials work will be centered in the new facility.
We’ll be seeking partners and opportunities throughout the region and beyond to accelerate the pace of innovation, building on our research momentum and reputation in areas such as high-performance materials.
Now is a pivotal time for the Dayton region, requiring innovation and bold action. We hope that our purchase is seen as a tangible renewal of our historic commitment to this community and its revitalization.
This is a time of great possibility. We have faith in this region’s future and its immense potential for economic growth, and we look forward to working together to seize these opportunities.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Economy, Guest Columns, Local Business
