Reich speaks on economy's toll on family

By Louie Meizlish

Daily Staff Reporter

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich made a stop yesterday at the Business School to tout his new book, "The Future of Success." Reich, who served from the beginning of former President Bill Clinton's administration until soon after his reelection in 1996, focused mainly on the effects of the modern, fast-paced economy on families.

Reich opened his speech by describing politics as a composite of two words: "poli," meaning "many"; and "tics," "small, blood-sucking insects."

He later admitted, however, that his Cabinet post was "the best job I ever had and probably the best job I ever will have."

He described an incident just prior to the 1996 presidential election when he had not been home in the previous five days. About to leave for his house, he received a phone call informing him of a meeting with the president that he could not get out of.

When he called to tell his son that he would be home very late, his son asked him to "just wake me up," - even if it was very late. Reich said that he was reluctant to do so (it was a school night) and asked his son why he needed to be woken up. His son responded, "Because I just want to know you are home."

"I knew at that moment I had to leave," Reich said.

Situations such as his were common, he said, citing figures that showed some members of the working population spending 16 to 17 hours a day at work.

The former secretary went on to ask rhetorical questions like, "If the economy grew so rapidly, why is it that a man and wife were putting in so much time at work?" He added that it what was almost being forgotten was the increased amount of time people now spend commuting to work and talking on cellular phones regarding work-related matters.

"We, in our personal lives are discovering that there is less and less space for being human ... for having personal relationships."

Asked about President Bush's nominee to head his old department, Elaine Chao - who is widely expected to be confirmed by the Senate today - Reich said, "The question is whether or not she will vigorously enforce the labor laws."

He predicted that, under the new administration, "there will be some relaxing of labor standards because the business community does not want to bear what it considers to be the high cost of regulations. I hope I'm wrong."

JEFF HURVITZ/Daily

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich speaks yesterday at the Business School on his new book "The Future of Success."