In Minnesota we supposedly have a balanced budget amendment to our state constitution. This means that we have to either fall in line with spending, cut spending or sell bonds to spend more money.
But, that being said, we need to be more proactive, on the federal level, to set a budget, using the money we have, and work toward paying off our national (read internal) debt.
So easy it sounds, scholars, economists and, worst of all, politicians can't seem to do it. I think it has more to do with a corporatist approach to governance where corporations have too much say in the fed and they get their way until the governing body gets to look as sickly as it does today.
How did our government, of, for and by the people, get to be so whipped? How did it go from representative of the common person to the concerns of the business class? Because, frankly, it is easier to say "yes" to special interests rather than doing the hard choices of being a responsible government.
But this has caused some major league problems in that our government is slowly destroying itself. We can go out in the streets, have parades and wave flags, have fund drives and "go shopping" all we want but the reality is that we need something far more drastic: An overhaul.
First off, we should take some quality time off because work is going to be a bitch. Congress would have to be in session for about one year straight with no breaks. During this one year we would basically throw off all the pork and favors and lobbied ideas. Gone would be such institutions as would distract from the task of governance like perks. I got sick of the idea that working as an elected official is like being set for life. We pay these people way too much to do as little as they do. And, if they want to gripe about this year, we can always put them into the places in the world where the idea of clean drinking water is a luxury and see how they like the view. (Well, that is how I would shut my future children up when the griped that they didn't get the PS5).
Once we have all of Congress doing their job then we give them all the money situation. We show them exactly what they have and then tell them to get to work. They can start by cutting out all the pet projects. Sure, it will be drastic but it is wholly necessary.
Next they get to take a long, hard look at some of the spendiest things they fund. Health care, military, subsidies and education are a few that come to mind. Out can go the dead horses that should have gone out a long time ago. Follow that with realistic looks at what we fund and why. The military could use a really, really big trimming. I figure that we spend way too much on defense spending. Projects that don't work, equipment and vehicles for fighting bigger wars that don't exist and even changing the way we pay our military need to be considered.
Eventually these now stressed out members of Congress would have to start making big decisions. Maybe they cut out the crap we, the people complain about all the time. Maybe they even throw out so much stuff that they actually get back to the business of governing.
I could go on and on and I think I am beating a dead horse but I think I got a good idea what our government needs: A good, swift kick in the ass. The privilege of governance is that you get to represent all of the people, whether you truly like them or not. You get to look out for their best interest, even if you don't make a penny off of it.
It shouldn't be a glamorous job and it shouldn't be a popularity contest like its become. It should be about doing the best job we can and lead us into a better world, not just a privileged one.
No comments:
Post a Comment