And that’s the problem

Rather than explain how a department under her control could spend hundreds of millions of dollars more than needed on COVID-19 test kits, Gov. Kathy Hochul instead insisted the purchase was a good idea, proclaiming she would “do that all again” if given the chance. This response is alarming, arrogant, and displays a complete lack of situational awareness.

Weeks ago, the Albany Times Union reported Charles Tebele, the CEO of Digital Gadgets, and his family donated $300,000 to the governor’s campaign and hosted an in-person fundraiser for the governor. Soon after, New York State began purchasing $637 million worth of COVID-19 test kits from his company. Hochul’s campaign then hired the son of Charles Tebele between donations. We have also learned the state of California bought the same test kits elsewhere for 45 percent less than New York did.

These details alone reek of impropriety, but then when you consider New York had previously purchased similar tests for much less than the roughly $12.25 per kit that the New York State Department of Health paid to Digital Gadgets, it becomes more troubling. We also know the no-bid, non-competitive deal was made possible by the governor’s own decision to extend her emergency powers well beyond any actual COVID-19 emergency. It’s all just a little too coincidental.

As such, our Assembly Minority Conference has called on Assembly Democrats to initiate investigations into the matter. So far, there has been no effort to get to the bottom of the transactions, and recently, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins refused to offer her thoughts on the millions of dollars wasted padding the pockets of Tebele and his family.

Upon intense scrutiny of the deal from good-government groups, state officials and the media, Gov. Hochul simply replied, “They did what they did,” when pressed about the state Health Department’s decision. Well, what they did was incredibly wasteful, irresponsible and potentially illegal. That explanation is unacceptable. 

While it would be politically convenient for the governor if everyone would just ignore the matter, the taxpayers who funded the purchase, especially at a time when inflation is destroying family budgets, do not have that luxury. Their money is gone, and no one seems to be willing to offer any explanation of what happened. Until all legislative leaders push back against this blatant abuse of power, the people of New York will continue to be an afterthought to the governor’s ambitions — and that is not how a representative democracy is supposed to work.

Gov. Hochul was able to orchestrate this deal in part because the legislature’s oversight was limited during the COVID state of emergency. That emergency declaration has finally expired and proper oversight has been restored. Democrats need wake up and start acting like it.        

William (Will) A. Barclay, 53, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which currently encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. 

It sometimes seems that Americans are hopelessly divided by politics, but I believe it will take politics to make our country work. More specifically, it will take political skills. We need elected officials with the political skills to bring together diverse factions and address America’s challenges.

What are political skills? They include communication, not just persuasive speaking but listening and understanding what people are trying to say. Political skills also include an ability to forge consensus among constituencies with different viewpoints. And they include the capacity to pull people together to focus on problems — one of the most difficult tasks in politics.

These skills matter because they are essential to the functioning of our representative democracy. It takes real political skills to translate the will of the people into a functioning government.

The good news is that many of the skills needed for governing are the same ones required to win elections. Politicians often think they can get elected by firing up their base, and sometimes that works. But if they want enduring success, they need to build coalitions and appeal to a variety of voters.

Communication skills are at the heart of what every politician does. We tend to think of communication skills as the ability to rouse an audience with words. Ronald Reagan, an experienced actor, was known as the “Great Communicator” for his skill at delivering a phrase. Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. were known for their inspirational oratory.

But communication also includes listening, and that’s a rarer skill. Truly skilled politicians have a knack for paying attention to every individual, focusing on what they say, and making them feel that their ideas matter — and following through on what they hear.

Following through and getting things done in our democracy usually requires bringing people together and creating consensus. These political skills are often overlooked in today’s polarized and hyper-partisan environment. It’s easy for politicians and advocacy groups to find wedge issues that will divide the public. It’s much more difficult to bring people together.

Doing so requires establishing a rapport with people of different backgrounds and political persuasions. It entails recognizing that our political adversaries deserve respect. It usually takes compromise. It means remembering that we all have an interest in addressing our nation’s challenges, whether it’s inflation, crime, economic inequality, immigration, climate change, or national security. Most of us, regardless of party, share the same values, including civility, freedom, and opportunity for all.

I have been fortunate to work with some gifted political figures. Lyndon Johnson was hugely energetic and intensely focused. He wasn’t a great public speaker, but he knew the workings of Congress intimately and used that knowledge to get things done. Sen. Birch Bayh, from my home state of Indiana, possessed legendary interpersonal skills. He authored two successful constitutional amendments, more than anyone else but James Madison. Bill Clinton was very good at connecting with audiences. I wrote in a recent column that Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, had excellent political skills that would have made him successful in a political system like ours.

The skills that are needed to govern at home are also important for effective foreign policy. Communicating, listening, understanding, and respecting others’ views, building coalitions: these are the essence of diplomacy. The U.S. has awesome military power, but that alone won’t make the world a safer place. We must have diplomatic skills that match our military might.

Political skills aren’t easy to learn and develop, and they aren’t always valued in this partisan era when compromise can seem like a dirty word. But they are essential to our representative democracy. We should cultivate and celebrate them at every opportunity.        

Lee Hamilton, 91, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.