Tom Foley has a plan

'You Don't Know Where You Are Going, You'll Probably End Up Somewhere Else," is the title of a self-help book advocating the benefits of having a plan.

David Campbell authored the book in 1974 that some believe is the genesis from which an entire industry of advice books was spawned. Oprah, Suze Orman, Steven Covey, Anthony Robbins and hundreds more have followed in Campbell's footsteps to help us find out where we are going and how to get there.

Sadly, for the last decade it has become very clear that Connecticut's political leaders never read Campbell's book. Neither has virtually any of the bakers' dozen or so individuals running for governor, except perhaps Tom Foley.

The former ambassador to Ireland, Bush fundraiser and successful businessman has broken from the pack of gubernatorial wannabes with "A Plan Forward for Connecticut."

Foley's plan is boilerplate and certainly not drafted with the same detail that is part of any business plan he has developed to resuscitate one of his companies. He advocates reducing the size of government but doesn't single out any program or agency. The age-old Republican line of reducing taxes is listed, but again, no specifics.

The dean of Connecticut columnists, Chris Powell of The Journal Inquirer, put it this way: "Which tax policies are bad? Which spending is too much? Which tough decisions will he make?" Foley's plan doesn't say. Powell's lament is correct but I'm inclined to give the Foley team credit for the effort.

Richard Allen, National Security advisor for President Reagan, wrote last week in The New York Times about Reagan's plan; "Family, Neighborhood, Work, Peace, Freedom. The plan was written with the purpose of creating an agenda for the Reagan administration from day one." Not a great deal of specifics but it set the tone.

The Foley plan can be summarized in four words, Let's Get to Work. True, it is rhetoric but it does give voters something to review and then query Foley on the specifics. "A Plan Forward for Connecticut" sets the right tone.

Although he doesn't have a plan, the new Republican in the race, Oz Griebel, has offered a specific idea: defined benefit plans (401ks) over state pensions. I am confident the Griebel effort will soon have more specifics, more numbers and more flow charts than a Microsoft tech meeting.

One would think that since the Democrats last held the governor's office 19 years ago at least one of their candidates would have PowerPoint presentations and PDFs flying out of their Web sites with ideas on how to correct years of Republican ruin. Thus far it's the same old, same old of helping working families. Problem is, with an AWOL Republican governor and a far left Democratic legislature our state has fewer and fewer working families to help. And, as a result, we need to help more non-working families - which costs much more.

Foley expects to be an activist governor. His plan calls for ambitious actions on the development of Connecticut's core industries in health care, alternative energy, medical devices, biotech and financial services.

"I will reach out personally to targeted companies and dedicate a significant portion of my time to bringing businesses to Connecticut," said Foley.

Seems simple enough, but it certainly hasn't been done in many years.

On the stump Foley has been characterized as somewhat patrician and not ready for prime time. His announcement that he was switching from the Senate run to the governor's race was a disaster. Ever the executive, Foley understood that and has hired former John Rowland communication's man Dean Pagani. In the Rowland administration Pagani's calm, studious and competent counsel was an island unto its own; he is a good addition.

A "Plan Forward for Connecticut" leaves many questions unanswered. Still, Foley seems to understand that without a plan we will end up somewhere else. And that's not a good place to be.

Ben Davol is a veteran of numerous local, state and federal political campaigns. Once a Republican organizer, he is now registered as unaffiliated.