What government dollars spent on you would you cut?

The reason this nation has a 14 trillion dollar deficit is that we want low taxes and we want the benefits we want...no cuts to me!
by Mark Vogl
(conservative)
Monday, August 1, 2011

Today I was driving through a small town near where I live doing some chores. I pulled into a business and got out to find a close friend there before me. We shook hands, exchanged greetings and smiles and started talking. It didn't take too long before we came to the crisis ongoing in Washington.  My friend listed off quickly a number of programs he could support cutting or eliminating.   I agreed with all his suggestions. But then I realized that if we cut all those programs it really would not add to a drop in the bucket of deficits we run every year. Further, none of the programs we had discussed affected either one of us.

So I suggested a cut in a program my friend and I support.  His face turned first to surprise, than to disappointment, and then to a sterner "No" look.  He energetically and forcefully explained why his cause was legitimate and should be funded.  He was adamant.  Interestingly, right now the government doesn't spend much on my friend's program.  And we are still deficit spending, but he honestly believes his choice has to be funded.  And, no new taxes. ( By the way I support no new taxes, and I believe all spending should be supported by tax revenue when it is orignally discussed and considered. Candidates should have to say through their votes which things they will say yes to taxing for. )

So here's the reason for the deficit, the 14.5 trillion dollar and growing deficit.  How much are you willing to accept government spent on you be cut?

Let me give you a personal example.  I am mid-fifties.  I am lower middle class.  I have no rich uncle's, and don't really expect any windfalls.  I have not saved for my retirement.  But even with all these conditions I would be willing to give up every cent I gave to Social Security if all the dollars I earn for the rest of my life are not taxed for Social Security, and no other taxes increase...not income, not sales, not property...and no new taxes.  I would give up any claim to any dollars I paid into social security.

Now this isn't an answer to eliminate the national deficit.  But it does point out what I think each of us has to do.  We have to turn away government money spent on us, individually...meaning me and you.

Another example would be the support of Israel.  Many, many people, Christian and Jewish, support our expenditures on behalf of Israel.  I have been told Israel is the nation which receives the most foreign subsidies of any nation on the earth.  And many of the people who support sending money to Israel are the wealthiest in the nation.  And many many of the people who support Israel attend Christian churches.  So how 'bout this; end US foreign subsidies to all foreign nations, and allow those who support Israel to send the money directly to them.  It knocks out the expense of the middle man of the US government and simultaneously removes a conservative spending priority which is used as leverage when other groups, who dont care, about Israel want to play budget politics.  It forces compromise when compromise is bad for America.

So let those who want to support Israel donate to their church, get the tax write off, and the churches send the money to Israel.  Alot less government interference on everyone involved.

The government has over committed. Like a teenager with their first credit card the government just spends. It may do it to be beneficent, it certainly does it for the individual political needs and wants of all the senators and congressmen and presidents.  But the bottom line is they are spending on the credit card to meet all our demands on the system; 40 cents of every dollar!

If you want to know how hard this is going to be, consider what you could give up?  A pension?  Health care?  Paying for your education, paying for your food?  Do you work for a government contractor?  Are you a teacher?  A cop?  Did the state pay for your child's college education?  Do government subisidies positively affect your business?  How bout your parents, are they seniors?  Medicare?  Social Security?     

Also realize that if two people are in a room, one of them does not now pay income taxes!  One out of two.  So if you are paying, the other person isn't.

Each of us has a dependence on government.  Once our dependence has tenure, once it appears safe from being cut, than we become conservative and call for cuts in all the programs we don't benefit from.  And if we fit into certain classes, we pay little or no tax, so we are liberal and feel really good about charity towards others, in supporting spending we don't pay for, to help all the poor people we dont know.

There are things that government should not do.  That was one of the central messages of the Founding Fathers.  That changed with the Civil War.  After the Civil War the federal; government began expanding its responsibilities, expanding its tax and revenue base.  By the time of Franklin Roosevelt the government proclaimed itself the social center of the nation.  Millions of poor people happily accepted the government beneficence and the first dependency classes were created. These were the senior citizens and to some extent the poor. Lynden Johnson's Great Society was the next great expansion. With the end of the Cold War, Bush - Clinton - Bush expanded federal responsibilities even further...all the way to Africa and funding a huge anti - HIV campaign.  And recently President Obama and the Democrats created Obama Care, (I predict this will become the most expensive program ever created by the federal government)which was not even discussed during this recent debate about America's deficits and debts.

Folks I am not running for office. I have no reason to promise things to you which you want, or anger you by saying things you don't.  I am simply reporting what I have observed.  No special interest, no group or individual of consequence is proclaiming publicly, "What you spend on me, keep."  And so we are headed to fiscal disaster in the long term, higher taxes and debt in the short term.

When you condemn Congress for the mess... think of it this way. You are standing in your bathroom lookin' in the mirror.  You point at the mirror and say, "boy is he ugly," but I am not ugly.  That's right, all Congress does is reflect the selfishness of all of us.

Did you like this article?
If you did, Thumb It!
11 thumbs so far

Facebook Share: Share

Share on Twitter

©2011 Mark Vogl, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Monday, August 1, 2011
Last modified: Thursday, August 18, 2011

The views expressed in this article are those of Mark Vogl only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Mark Vogl is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.

Report violation by Mark Vogl of Nolan Chart LLC's terms of use policy.