President Reagan observed in his 1981 inaugural address that the government was not the solution to many problems- it was in fact the problem. Fast forward to 2023, and a recent Gallup Poll shows people of all political ideologies think the main problem in these United States is the government. Mr. Reagan’s observation is even more relevant when one considers this was immediately after the fiscal polices of Mr. Carter had left us with high inflation- that period of time became known as the “great inflation.” History has shown the cause of this inflation was federal fiscal policies that resulted in massive budget deficits. Sound familiar in 2023? Anyone that has bought anything in the past couple of years should see this. Congress has been spending far more than it takes in for years. Also from the 80’s was a musical group called Missing Persons. While not widely known, one of their hits was called “Words.” A section of the lyrics went “What are words for when no one listens anymore?” I can relate to this, as time and again I’ve seen problems and offered solutions at the local and state level, and it’s like yet another line from that song: “I might as well go up and talk to a wall 'cause all the words are having no effect at all.” Politicians find it easy to ignore just one person on an issue.
Trying to talk to a member of Congress about fiscal responsibility- even those with an r after their name- is futile. Only a handful of Senators- such as Rand Paul- understand the proper role of the federal government, to include spending. Our state legislature is much the same- I skipped going to the annual legislative delegation since my ideas such as gun control (locking away felons caught with guns vs punishing gun owners) and spending money in rural counties on roads and not landscaping fell on deaf ears. Then there is our Board of County Commissioners, who would rather spend over $20,000 for a consultant than save $200,000 to reign in solid waste spending.
Another relevant fact from the Gallup poll was that the people concerned about how the government was operating only amounted to less than 20% in each group. As dependence upon government grows, to include items such as “free” housing and now broadband, this will only become worse. A democracy over time operates in this manner once people realize they can vote monetary benefits for themselves. Our founders placed guardrails in the Constitution, but democrats and republicans alike have crashed through them. I don’t have a viable solution to that problem.
Paul Henry