Part I
We cannot place the full blame of America’s ills on corporate America. Capitalism, entrepreneurship and the freedom to pursue those entities are what has made this country the most prosperous in the world. The poorest among us still have a better lifestyle than the majority in many countries.
No one is balking at paying taxes for necessary government services. What are unsustainable are a federal government that spends more than it takes in, year after year, an ever-decreasing number of taxpayers paying into the system, and an ever-increasing number of Americans taking from the system. We will hit bottom soon if these trends are not reversed.
Instead of addressing the need for more job creation in the private sector, President Obama now wants to raise the tax burden on “wealthy” Americans–the same Americans that are responsible for job creation. If the tax ceiling is raised to 40% on those making over $250,000 per year, the federal government will realize an additional $83 Billion in annual tax revenue. That sounds like a lot of money but not when you consider that our government spends that much money every four days. And the additional burden will further hamper the small business owner from creating more jobs and decrease the spending power of those so-called “wealthy” individuals, thus doing much more harm to our economy.
The solution is, and has historically been, not raising taxes, but decreasing spending. Our government is bloated with non-essential spending, much of it created by non-essential regulation, and frankly, much of it related to unconstitutional laws.
Of course lower wages benefit employers. But when the unemployment rate is low, the competition becomes NOT for jobs–as it is today–but for employees. Thus, when the economy is doing well, companies must compete for the best employees with higher wages and better benefits and incentives.
Today, the looming threat of higher taxes, new, burdensome healthcare mandates, the implementation and maintenance of new stifling regulations (Frank-Dodd on the banking industry, for example, new, stricter environmental regulations, such as the endangered species act and the cultural resources act, etc.) tie up millions of dollars and have hog-tied companies’ plans for expansion and growth. When you factor in that consumer spending is down because consumer confidence is low and unemployment is high you have an economy that is in a quagmire.
Let’s Fix the Problem, America! Part II
Government has a vital role in our society. However, when it begins
encroaching on the future prosperity of individuals and corporations, when it
starts picking winners and losers (heavily unionized industries, like the auto
industry receives bailouts, Green industry receives stimulus funds, homeowners
with underwater mortgages receive government-backed re-fi’s, while the coal
industry faces impossible, expensive new regulations), government is
overstepping its constitutional boundaries.
The federal government has no business performing unfair practices that include propping up certain sectors of the economy and punishing others. In a free society, the free market decides the winners and losers. Some government regulation is necessary to protect consumers against price-gauging and monopolies. But our government today is operating far outside their constitutional reach.
Our founders were no dummies. They knew that a government that governs best is one that governs least. Today, governance rules our lives and personal liberty is no longer a guaranteed right to all but a privilege for the few.
I would rather be poor and free….at risk and free…sick and free…than be at the mercy of an overbearing, all-controlling government. It was sentiments such as these that led our ancestors to break away from Great Britain. Sadly, too many Americans do not see the similarities between the days preceding the American Revolution and the situation our nation finds itself in today.
But unlike our revolutionary ancestors, we already have a form of government in place that guarantees our freedoms so our battle to restore those freedoms, restore capitalism and restore confidence in our economy and our future can and should take place at the voting booth.
It is imperative that we elect representatives, senators, governors, state houses, local officials and a president that don’t just mouth the words about defending our constitution but actually take their oaths seriously.
President Obama and a majority of congress have proven by their actions that the constitution is an annoyance they would rather not be bothered with. And far too many Americans either doesn’t understand what they are giving up or don’t care. In a free society, you are free to be ignorant. And ignorance is not a disqualification for voting. So we keep electing leaders that do our country harm.
The answer is education. If the threat to personal freedom is not a concern, perhaps the threat that the welfare/social security/government housing/food stamps/disability checks are threatened will make voters take notice and demand that our elected officials adhere to the principles of smaller government.
Lest voters worry that smaller government may translate to smaller entitlement checks, we can take a lesson from our current administration and congress and kick that can down the road a bit. There’s no doubt that all entitlement programs need serious reform.
But the fact that the money just won’t be there for entitlements is looming, stuck in the road, and can’t be kicked any further
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