`wow!' Explores Hospitals, First Aid 
`wow!' Visits Mercy Hospital Sunday 
A New Episode Of ``wow!'' To Air Sunday Will Focus On Hospitals.

Anita Truskowsky 
Jan. 24, 1996 
Anita M. Truskowsky Of Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming, Died Wednesday At The Highland 
Manor Convalescent Home, Exeter.

Friday, January 26, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





`Smart government' not `no government' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Two years ago, Newt Gingrich politicized a murder case by blaming Democrats
for creating a rotten moral climate in America. Critics pounced on his blind
partisanship -- and they were rightBut with the mud still wet on the boots of
rescue workers, those same critics now are politicizing disaster recovery
efforts in Pennsylvania. "Aha!" they're saying. "See? Government can do good
after all, as even hypocritical Republicans are admitting!" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To which a sodden citizenry can only answer, "Give us a break." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There's something cheap about exploiting tragedy for partisan gain. The
tactic made people wrinkle their noses when Gingrich used it two years ago. It
still smells sour today, especially because it's based on equally gross
distortions of political opponents' records. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Take this quote for an example. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Some days, that ogre of a federal bureaucracy Republicans are trying to
tame doesn't look so bad, even to conservatives," wrote Associated Press
columnist Walter Mears the other day. "Not when their constituents are buried
by a blizzard or swamped by flooding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "That's when they join the line seeking help from Washington." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The smug I-told-you-so tone of such remarks is based on a fundamental
misstatement of Republican goals in Washington. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Republicans and conservative Democrats never vowed to get rid of the
federal government. Governors, congressmen and party leaders to a person
accept the need for major federal roles. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They simply want the government to focus on fewer and more fundamental
roles than it does today. National defense would be counted among those basic
roles. So would minding the national parks. So would controlling immigration. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And so would maintaining a system of disaster relief. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After all, "insur(ing) domestic tranquility" is a Constitutional role of
the federal government. That's why the FBI, the Secret Service, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency and other guarantors of the public order have not
been the focus of much debate in Washington: Their role and effectiveness have
not been questioned. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead, conservative critics of Washington question the federal reach into
such areas as judging textbooks, redistributing wealth and paying for
questionable art. The critics also insist that if the public demands
entitlements such as Social Security, then government must respond in a
fiscally responsible way (such as with a balanced budget). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Argue those points if you will. Demand tax increases, not spending cuts, to
pay for burgeoning entitlements. Declare that government does have a role in,
say, giving money to the poor. Persuasive and honorable arguments along those
lines certainly can be made. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But don't accuse Republicans of doing something they didn't do. And
declaring "When disaster strikes, then tough luck, America, 'cause you're on
your own" is something not even the devil Gingrich himself has done, is doing
or will do. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`smart Government' Not `no Government' 
Two Years Ago, Newt Gingrich Politicized A Murder Case By Blaming Democrats 
For Creating A Rotten Moral Climate In America. Critics Pounced On His Blind 
Partisanship -- And They Were Right.

`smart Government' Not `no Government' Two Years Ago, Newt Gingrich Politicized A Murder Case By Blaming Democrats For Creating A Rotten Moral Climate In America. Critics Pounced On His Blind Partisanship -- And They Were Right.