“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” – George Washington
Wiry and of medium height with a long, grey pony tail, my middle-school art teacher was still one of the more intimidating teachers we ever had in school. He was also one of the most influential. If you did something wrong, Mr. Streed was on you like a rabid wolf on a rabbit. One of the things I remember most was his most famous saying. If a student did something to make his or her life more difficult and was asked why, the student often replied with a blank stare. Immediately, Mr. Streed would sarcastically respond, “of course, that’d be too easy!”
That statement is still relevant every day, and something I get to laugh about whenever I end up doing something the hard way or the long way. Less funny, though, is how applicable that quote is to our government.
According to an October Thompson Reuters report, our national health care system wastes between $505 billion and $850 billion every year. Of that, 22 percent, or approximately $200 billion, is comprised of fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks and other scams [1]. That means your average family of four is paying $2,400/year just to fund this fraud. And since we pay for it with borrowed money, the cost is even higher. With the numerous alarms going off about this problem, why is it part of a massive health care bill which may not even pass? Why not solve the problem independently? Why are we so silent on this issue that the government could not seem to care less? Because that’d be too easy.
Congress is again discussing yet another stimulus bill. Let’s get this straight: a stimulus should promote hiring and investment in the economy. Naturally, that can only happen if people have the money to do that. It’s been noted repeatedly that 64% of all new jobs in the last 15 years were created by small businesses [2]. In response, the government has: a) bailed out big businesses, not little ones, b) threatened to increase capital gains taxes, c) threatened to impose new health care costs, d) spent money on projects which won’t encourage growth, like $150 million on unused airports [3], and e) refused to reduce the federal corporate tax rate, one of the highest rates in the world [4]. Instead of scaring small businesses into inaction, why doesn’t the government just cut taxes on small businesses? Because that’d be too easy.
Our Constitution severely limits the powers of our federal government, in part to keep giant messes like the above from happening. Unfortunately, these days, our Constitution seems to mean little to those in Washington.
Today’s call to action: Read Article I of the Constitution to review the powers expressly given to Congress. You can find the document right here on the right sidebar under Resources.
1. “Heathcare System Wastes up to $800 Billion a Year,” reuters.com, October 26, 2009.
2. “Frequently Asked Questions,” sba.gov Office of Advocacy, November 12, 2009.
3. “Murtha’s Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft,” washingtonpost.com, April 19, 2009.
4. “Tax Rates Around the World,” worldwide-tax.com, November 12, 2009.
