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Show THE VOICE OF BUSINESS Block granfls: linchpin ov vEie Reagan rebellion By Richard L. lusher, Pres., Chamberof Commerce of the I niled States A basic American principle is that the best government is the government closest to the people. To reaffirm that principle after 50 years of unbridled growth at the federal level. President Reagan has proposed that some 84 health. education and social . categorical aid programs be con- solidated into six block grants for states and localities to spend the wav they see fit. As you can imagine, this proposal has evoked howls of protest from members of Congress, Washington bureaucrats and professional welfare lobbyists who view themselves as the wisest judges of what is best for the rest of us. Yet. not only does the block grant concept represent a long-overdue reversal of decision-making authority away from Washington, it would allow a more efficient delivery of government services ser-vices to those citizens who depend of them. Each time a new social program has been enacted at the federal level, a now-federal now-federal bureaucracy has sprung into existence to grind out the rules, regulations and paperwork associated with that program. States and localities have then been forced to respond in kind by spawning bureaucracies of their own to comply with those federal mandates. The result is not surprising: By the time each layer of bureaucracy skims its share off the top of the federal aid dollar, there are but a few cents left to help the citizen for whom the funds are intended. By consolidating dozens of such programs into block grants and cutting many of the strings that Washington has attached to them, the federal layer of bureaucracy now governing those programs would become a dinosaur ripe for extinction. That means more dollars will reach the end of the aid pipeline and provide actual serv ices for people-instead of red tape for one Wircaucracy to create and another to untangle. States, cities and local governments would be given greater authority to decide how the allotted funds could best be spent to meet their particular needs. Sounds sensible enough, doesn't it? Nevertheless, specific block grant proposals have already been defeated in various Congressional committees, and the outlook for the administration's "new federalism" is uncertain The most frequent criticism of block grants is that worthy programs and their needy recipients would be neglected by callous, wasteful state governments But isn't there something else In-hind Congressional opposition to block grants'' After all, playing Santa Clans :!tV days a year with billions of dollars of federal aid is a role few politicians are willing to relinquish-especially relinquish-especially to another politician Many a Congressional career is being perpetuated per-petuated by the ritual of dispensing grants and aid to a thankful constituency. con-stituency. Never mind that it is the constituency's money in the first place! Americans recognize a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate, and the suggestion by block grant opponents that this commitment would dry up and disappear the -r ! Washington stops mandate: : nonsense Those who are :r ' terested in delivering the best p; social, health and education', ser e to our citizens should recocts ;'' officials at the state and lod e have the potential to be lit : responsive to the needs and pr.:i their area than does a bureaucrats in Washington c Do we need any further illurui-fc this than the ' Departs-Education's Departs-Education's bilingual educiiivr last year Until the courts t-xi-down, this ruling required i' with 25 students speaks i :'r language had to teach thosesvx?: the subject matter in thai Ur tc rather than teach them E.if l.1 . f: cannot conceive of 50 states n. such a silly decision as that Sc'.f for the w isdom of B.g Brother' c Budget control, tax redx; x : regulatory relief are all r.jr.B parts oi President Reagan's pr." reduce the role of big porrr" ' our economy and our ewryii; c Yet. in an important sens. '.! : !: grarMs stand at the center of "-; I conservative rebellion in this ft1-" 1 all about I By eliminating a direct feocn.' ( dozens of aid programs, the K.vk; approach represents a potent ' c in the fight to control the " budget But more imperii" -enactment of block grants &i:L the beginning of the end to -paternalism ami a reaffirm J people's right and ability to rr-k -own divisions affecting thfrr.se'1 f their communities It's about" ': r |