The most substantive mention of the Montana Governor's Council on Families in the Missoulian over the past decade came at the end of April with an article noting that Gov. Brian Schweitzer had decided not to extend its charter.
The only other notable mention this panel received in the Missoulian during its decadelong existence was in 1997, when we ran an Associated Press story out of Great Falls that began with this: "Gov. Marc Racicot's Council on Families is organizing a free party for Montana families, with ice cream treats and activities such as juggling and musical performances."
We took the time to dig up the speech Gov. Marc Racicot gave in 1996 in announcing plans to create the Governor's Council on Families. He wanted the council to "engage public and private interests in every possible way" and, among other things, to "review government programs and policies that affect parents and their children." He envisioned a panel that would "examine every issue that affects families, including economic development and the creation of meaningful employment opportunities, tax reforms that help families prosper and grow, juvenile justice policy that protects the law-abiding and addresses youth violence and the accessibility of health care. Š"
But that's not what the council wound up doing. As former council member Tom Burnett explained the other day in the Billings Gazette, "We decided to promote ideals." Not very effectively, either, if you ask us. Among the council's actions was handing out awards to an "Outstanding Family" and people with an "Outstanding Marriage." Oh, yes, and let's not forget the ice cream party.
Here's our take on all of this: The government doesn't have much to offer most families. There's almost nothing the government can do to effectively promote families and marriages. There are plenty of things the government can do to impede them. It's not bad to take a hard look now and then at what some of those government impediments might be, with an eye toward removing them. But the idea that such efforts necessitate new, permanent layers of bureaucracy amounts to self-parody of the problem.
The Governor's Council on Families never lived up to its billing from its creator, Gov. Racicot. That's OK. Not every idea pans out. But it's important to recognize the ideas that don't succeed and also to know when something has served its purpose.
Government boards and panels probably function best when they have focused, finite missions. Government itself is best when it sticks to the accomplishment of limited, tangible tasks - from paving potholes to defending the borders. With more limited, focused, effective government in general, there would be little need for high-level councils trying to count up all the ways that government gets in the way of families.
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