European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Real change still lies in hands of bureaucrats it was 10 hours before Bill Clinton would step into the chamber of the House of  to deliver his first presidential state of the Union address the atmosphere in room 2358 of the Rayburn House office building just across Independence Avenue from the Capitol had none of the excitement and anticipation and theatrics of the great state occasion that would come later. Where Clinton spoke of the urgent need for a a change and Quot new direction Quot Davids. Broder everything in room 2358 proclaimed tradition and continuity. The House appropriations subcommittee on labor health and human services and education was holding its first hearing of the year on the spending plans of the Gigantic department of health and human services whose $591 billion in outlays in the current year Are double the size of the next largest department the Pentagon. For All the drama and publicity that attended Clinton a address in the end he can Only propose. The men and women in room 2358 symbolized the much larger less visible Power of the permanent government the longtime members of Congress and career bureaucrats who ultimately decide what gets done in Washington. It is their inertia that Clinton must try to overcome with his invocation of americans Quot Youthful Energy and daring spirit.�?�. No to cameras were in the White walled committee room. A single print reporter listened. The remaining chairs were filled by representatives of organizations dependent on has programs. An atmosphere of insider club Biness prevailed. At the Center of the committee table sat rep. William h. Natcher of Kentucky Gray haired and Sharp nosed virtually unknown to the Public but probably More powerful than a president when it comes to spending decisions. Natcher 83, is chairman of both the full appropriations committee and of its most powerful subcommittee. He has been in Congress 40 years a Long enough he said in a reminiscent aside to see the budget of the National institutes of health increase from $73 million to $10.3 billion. His philosophy of spending is straightforward. Quot we believe on this subcommittee a he said Quot that if there is any peace dividend from the end of the cold War this is where it should come.�?�. Next to the elderly Democrat was the subcommittees ranking Republican rep. John Edward Porter of Illinois. Partisanship is frowned upon in appropriations and after six terms Porter like Natcher is a member in Good standing of the permanent government. T at the witness table sat Dennis p. Williams a baldish Man with a bristling Gray Mustache who carries with quiet dignity the title of has Deputy assistant Secretary for budget. But to members of the subcommittee he was just simply  like his three colleagues also testifying this Day he is a career government employee. Clinton a few has political appointees a subcommittee Veteran whispered do not know their briefs Well enough yet to come before the appropriators Williams biography recapitulates the history of Liberal government a the peace corps in the mid-�?T60s, the anti poverty office of economic Opportunity after that and then a series of increasingly responsible budget jobs at has capped by nine years in his present Post. Unintentionally but inextricably Williams and his colleagues showed Why it will be so hard for Clinton a or anyone else a to tame the Federal budget or bring rapid change in government. With Pointer and charts Williams reminded the members of what they already knew that Only a tiny 6 percent slice of he so huge by act can be Cut or increased at the discretion of the appropriations committee. The rest goes to social Security medicare medicaid and other mandatory entitlements. In his address that night Clinton would talk about Steps to trim waste and improve efficiency in government. But Williams noted that in the last 12 years despite an increasing caseload manpower in has had already been Cut 20 percent. And another witness he so principal Deputy inspector general Bryan b. Mitchell 27 years in the marines and now 25 years at has spoke with world weary resignation. Quot there Are Long standing problems in reconciling the internal Revenue services and the social Security administrations data on something As Basic As the amount individuals have paid into the social Secu Rity Trust fund he conceded. Quot but in a not sure we re going to get that  and so it went. Clinton was to offer a variety of proposals to lift the Burden of poverty from the nations youth. But Howard la Rolston director of policy and evaluation in he so administration for children and families a one time professor of philosophy at Georgetown University and 17 years a career Man at has offered the Stark reminder that illegitimacy is what really traps children into poverty. While "80 percent of children in two Parent families will never be poor a he said "61 percent of those born out of Wedlock will five in poverty at least seven of their first 10  and Clinton offered no solution for the moral and social dilemma of increasing illegitimacy. The message from room 2358 to the new president was Clear when the last Echo of your speech has faded the permanent government will still be Here. And so will some intractable problems. C the Washington Post to opinion Daipra Atad in it column and cartoon on Mil Page print Thoa of the author and a in no Way to a Cona darod a  the Tawa of Tho Star and strip or the in Ltd St Toa  should drop class rhetoric to sell plan Between president Clinton a first economic speech and his second two Days apart something important turned up missing. The Best thing that could happen to Clinton and his chances of becoming a successful president would be to keep it missing a the divisive class conflict tone that ran through parts of the first speech. That talk laying the ground for the congressional address carried too much of the old dreary left Wing cant that implies that making Money is inherently Nasty that people who had worked hard to earn More could be taxed painfully without a by your leave and that Quot special interests Are All evil unless of course they turn out to be your own Cabinet members. After having voted once for George Bush i decided that was plenty and cast my vote for Bill Clinton. So i knew i could expect More taxes and should be prepared to put my Wallet where my vote was. Like Many others of my dark ilk a americans who after a lifetime of work Are earning More than the $100,000 a year that now is the economic Mark of Cain a i believe that the United states can Bear up under Mfd taxes. I do not believe that makes me a Patriot As Clinton said folks think Back where he comes from. But i will not be Happy if my Epa lets Are stripped from me by the president if i do not agree with the justification for this tax or that new spending. And however arkansans define patriotism i am sure they Are also brought up to say a a please and thank you and to talk straight. On monday Clinton said that the $100,000 Rich Folk were going to pay 70 percent of the Rise in income taxes. He did not bother to say Quot please or that he hoped they would think about it and see the necessity. Treated without contempt they just might. And then there was that strange bit about How higher taxes were justified because of tax Breaks the upper income people got in the 1980s. But those who received tax Breaks had not committed any crime for which they should now be flogged. And the president must know that a lot of people did not even attain the $100,000 punishment level until the �?T80s and then Only because of years of risk taking and fruitful work not tax manna. And he might have had the Good humor to acknowledge that $100,000 is not All that guilt Laden an income if you do not have free government housing limousines weekend retreats jogging tracks and household help a know what i mean . Rosenthal but on wednesday Clinton just about dropped _ e pleasant to funds about business and actually asked the $100,000 pariahs the class struggle tone. He said some pleasant for support. Nice polite. Also he dispensed with that time honoured Arkansas patriotism test that he had just invented. Good for you wednesday. We have weeks to examine the Clinton program. Long and groundbreaking As it is Clinton will have to put considerable flesh on it for certain americans. We Are the people who arc ready to pay More even painfully More provided we also know More a about where the new Money is going and what it will do to reduce what we detest most. In his speeches Clinton barely mentioned it a the daily violence of life coming from race hatred aids crime drug addiction. During tue Campaign America acted As if the world did not exist. Fantasy time is Over. So How will the new taxes help America fulfil its International role if at All does no to seem too much to ask for the Money. The same Man created and gave both speeches. This is a complicated Man this Young open faced president of ours a As Are most people of great achievement. Many people Are struggling for his mind a and he is one of them. So his tone and rhetoric Are extremely important. If he cannot rid himself of divisive us against Lem if he echoes the left a eternal paranoid suspicions about business Success Endeavor and visions of America other than its own he will hobble himself and be unable to Lead the country to the fullness of his Talent and energies. One Clinton mind or another will have to prevail or a rational and candidly explained Compromise Between them. He has it in him to Lead but not if he sets one tone on mondays another on wednesdays. C the new York time