After a while we get numb to the numbers: The amount of money the Federal and State Governments spend on programs that may or may not be in our best interest. If you think about it, what’s really annoying is, the politicians aren’t just spending our hard earned money - they’re spending money WE HAVEN’T EARNED YET. In fact, if this KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD approach to reckless deficit spending continues, they’ll be spending money that hasn’t been earned because the people who’ll pay for it - or at least have their dollars confiscated by the IRS to service the debt - haven’t been born yet. And those precious children and grandchildren of ours are going to be saddled with a lot of money problems, unless things change. Wonder if President Obama has had that little chat with his daughters, as the First Family stroll the beaches of Hawaii on a multi- million dollar, all expenses paid by the taxpayer vacation. You want to argue that Barack Obama was behind the 8 ball when he walked into office early in 2009? OK - true, the Bush years ended with a ten trillion dollar deficit. But what has the incumbent done to bring that down? Nothing. Aided and abetted by the schizophrenic 111th and 112th congress, The Obama First Term has pushed the deficit UP 60%. It’s now at last count, about 16-and-a half trillion dollars. Even if you take a bargain interest rate of 1%, servicing the debt alone is hundreds of billions of dollars each year. So now there’s a quote - “new” congress in Washington. But give or take a hand full of newcomers in each chamber, it’s essentially the same folks - and I doubt in the last 48 hours they’re decided to change the way they do business. The rhetoric is amazing. We hear the democrats say once they get the deficit matter settled, they’ll move on to tackling the important issues like immigration and jobs and the environment. But here’s the classic catch 22: anything the government tackles costs money. Before there’s legislation there’s fact finding and surveys and research and when the laws are passed, there’s the cost of publication and enforcement, new layers of bureaucracy.
Here in California it’s a microcosm of Washington. I don’t believe any of the numbers. One day we’re billions in debt; the next day - because of a tax that was enacted 4 days ago - we’re flush with cash. Eight hundred seventy-six new laws are on the books this year – 876 - and there are more on the way. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, the champion of gay rights, doper’s rights and more or less the progress of any left wing cause - is eager to spend more money to further dilute our quality of life. Basically he wants to make a law that would compel everyone to leave the homeless alone. Let them get drunk, crawl in to dumpsters, leave their garbage and body waste anywhere they choose. Just forget about shelters and food programs and the quality of life the rest of us try to maintain. It’s not a crime to be homeless, but under Ammiano’s bill it would be a crime to do anything to help or restrict those that are. The state has agreed to raise the gas tax, which this summer will cruise past seventy cents per gallon: highest in the country and the board of equalization makes no bones about using the proceeds for projects other than road repair. How’s that for taxation without representation?
We don’t need any more democrats or republicans in Sacramento or Washington. We need accountants and bookkeepers, bankers who would rather have pins in their eyes and drink castor oil for breakfast than preside over any red ink. Our current elected officials are arrogant and indifferent when it comes to spending. Do they truly represent you?
