The government lost its luster for Art Krumm when he was in the Army. "I saw a lot of waste, a lot of bureaucratic stupid things," he now says. "That led me on the path to become politically involved."
When Ross Perot came along in 1992, Krumm was searching for a different kind of political leader. At 36, and as the divorced father of a 13-year-old, his faith in the government's ability to solve problems had continued to erode. The GI Bill helped finance his own higher education -- and helped him land a $35,000-a-year job designing alarm systems for jails -- but he still resents the folks he figures are getting a free ride. "If the money is just given out, it's a total waste," he says. "People come to expect it, and they give nothing back."
No change. Unlike some Perotistas, Krumm never grew angry enough to stop voting. He just usually voted for Republicans, although he was raised as a Democrat, and this year he is voting to unseat 15-term Democratic Speaker of the House Tom Foley.
Although he was a big Perot booster, Krumm gave Bill Clinton a chance at the start. His goodwill soured fast. "Clinton's campaign speeches about change represented everything everyone wanted to hear," he says. "We all have children, and we want our children to have better lives than we had. But now Clinton's in there, and we see the change he's trying to propose. It's not change: There are Capitol Hill battles and nothing gets done."
Krumm is among those fortunate enough to feel the impact of economic recovery. Given the nation's anticrime passion -- and the passage of Clinton's federal crime bill -- jail security systems are a hot commodity. "But at what price?" he asks. "We're lacking money for education. We're not teaching our kids how to stay out of jail. Instead, we're giving prisoners color TVs and weight rooms. The politicians have pulled one over on the people; they're real good at it."
Krumm says he would vote for Perot again. "He never got a chance," he says, and Clinton failed his. Not only did Clinton not control the deficit, but "character matters a lot. How can he send our military to Haiti when he's never done it himself?" Ronald Reagan may not have seen action, "but he didn't dodge."
For now, Krumm wants welfare reform at the top of the agenda. He's willing to pay higher taxes for things such as education and national defense: "I'd pay more if I knew it would mean my son is secure. Right now, we're being taxed too much to pay for greed." The politicians, he adds, "are representing themselves and their parties, but no one is fighting for us."
