This election year marks the first time in recent history where mainstream Americans have actually felt the sense of urgency to change government many of us have had for many years. Loss of homes, jobs and savings will do that.
Federal bail-outs for fat cats at the expense of mainstream Americans highlight the corruptness of a system out of control. The failure of either political party to demonstrate restraint in spending has eroded confidence that they are capable of doing so. Americans have seen their government collecting and spending record levels of tax dollars with no end in sight with little consideration to the return on our investment.
“Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist.” – Edmund Burke
Failure to follow the Constitution is even more discouraging.
The fact that citizens had faith that their elected officials shared their values lulled them into a false sense of security. Inattention allowed the government to steadily erode our liberty and our property rights, but more importantly government has been undermined by questionable ethics and morality and certainly a lack of religious faith.
The idea that the government can solve all our problems has conned us into allowing government to take over our lives. The “welfare state” is on the threshold of enslaving our country.
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
Bureaucracies have mushroomed at every level of government in the name of progress. At the same time, you have to wonder what contribution those bureaucracies make to the quality of service or product delivered. What contribution does the Department of Education make to the quality of education? How does the Department of Health and Human Services improve your health? How about the Departments of Energy, Interior or Agriculture? The list goes on and on. The bureaucracies consume billions and billions of our tax dollars without actually delivering a quantifiable service to any of us. Certainly these federal agencies are guilty, but state versions are no less so.
“Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
The downturn in the economy has been devastating to many, but in spite of the damage done the resultant exposure of flaws in government systems, policies and laws may turn out to be a rare opportunity to redefine government priorities both at a national and state level. We can re-establish public policy based upon Conservative values widely shared by most Americans rather than liberal progressive values that are bankrupting our country stripping away our American identity. In this case the lesson we must learn is that without vigilance and dedication to preserving our liberty on an everyday basis, our liberty is at risk.
“But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.” – Edmund Burke
We need to have elected officials who are proud to be Americans and are willing to fight for the Constitution of the United States.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” – Ronald Reagan
We have the opportunity in this election cycle to change our representatives to more accurately reflect the values of most Americans; values like smaller government and lowering the federal deficit, but more importantly values of a moral and ethical government guided by our faith in God regardless of religion.
“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
Separation of church and state does not mean elimination of faith as a driving force of our government.
“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” – Ronald Reagan
At the end of the day, Vigilance by every citizen will be the only protection for the American way of life as visualized by the founders.
“All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
No Loss for Words 
What is the Proper Regulatory Role for Government?
by Steve DanaAs a professed Republican, I have to admit that our party has been at times rabidly pro-business without articulating a proper regulatory role for government. The impression we leave is that we don’t either believe government has a role or that we don’t trust government to be fair.
Then we have a disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Like most right wingers, I listen to FOX News and I have say, their constant attack on President Obama suggests that his administration is responsible for the catastrophe. Their fervor is going way over the top. I am a little uncomfortable with the rhetoric.
I didn’t approve of the left wing attack on President Bush for his alleged failure in coming to the rescue of New Orleans and the surrounding area in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I believe there was a protocol for getting the federal government involved and mobilized to help in that emergency just like there is a “plan” in the FEMA handbook for the current one.
The problem is that the scope of an emergency is not always evident in the first days following an accident. Then, amassing the resources to remedy a problem takes additional time. The result in both disasters was the perception that the government failed to act in a timely manner.
There is no denying that I believe Obama is not a president that will be good for our country. His vision for our country is opposite my own in almost every instance.
But I am certain that every party involved in the Gulf oil well disaster (including President Obama) is doing everything they can to stop the carnage. This is not a partisan political disaster.
The attacks on the President need to stop!
Let’s solve the immediate problem first and stop the oil from gushing into the Gulf, then develop a plan to mitigate the damage while we sort out the blame. Finally, we can grade the participants on their performance.
The time for sniping will come, but this is not that time.
For me, the issue of “Regulatory Role for Government” is a huge one that needs the scrutiny of the Congress, state legislatures, the press and the pundits. The past two years have exposed the failure of regulators in too many sectors. We need to take the regulatory agencies to task for their failures and hold their feet to the fire. If anyone needs to have a “boot on their neck” it is the regulators charged with enforcing existing rules that have failed so miserably. Extending the metaphor, I wouldn’t advocate that regulators adopt that strategy with regard to their clients.
In light of the volume of existing government regulation, I doubt that we need more, but we should evaluate the efficacy of the current body and go from there.
The disaster in the Gulf may have started out as an accident, but the finger pointing in the aftermath exposed a failure of the government regulators to provide adequate oversight. We probably don’t need more regulations; we do need confidence that the ones in place are followed.
If folks want to be angry at the President for failing to adequately protect Americans, it’s clear that the Gulf oil disaster is just the tip of the ice berg. The question is whether we can raise the alarm before the next disaster so we can prevent it from happening rather than wringing our hands in the aftermath.
Let’s be proactive!
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