Dear George...Budgets have changed a great deal since you were President Mr. Washington. I know you think that something as simple and basic as a budget should be straight forward and not debatable. No such luck in the 20th and 21st Century, sorry...
So, where have I been for most of September? Well...finishing another book - then venturing away from my desk and bouncing around various hotels that did have free WiFi, but not secure WiFi which is another Blog topic...
That aside...I had started three Blog topics, but this morning, the televised testimony by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell before members of [our] Congress on CNBC business channel - caused this spontaneous Blog to rise in priority.
For some reason the majority of elected members of our Congress and Senate feel the need to raise America's Debt Ceiling - again! Wait a minute - wouldn't it be a treat for all of us to simply raise the credit limit on each of our loans and credit cards because we wanted to spend more. Yes it would - and it might work too if we had six or eight kids living at home we could pull from school then send to work to support our expanded spending program. No problem...We could keep the kids happy and distracted with more cookies and toys and movie nights. In that way our kids might not notice that we were spending their future opportunity for an education and career and independence.
This morning was another artificially created urgency of [last minute] timing with the political tried and true tactic of fear [eg. seniors might not get there Social Security or the military might not get there pay or retired bureaucrats might not get their pensions] blah blah blah. Each of the answers Yellen and Powell provided reminded me of the scripted questions to which other public officials have responded. Not impressive - because in point of fact there is no Debt-Ceiling...Since 1995 there seems to be only open sky.
We-The-People understand fiscal reality [we also recognize actual inflation] so why isn't there an Amendment requiring those who spend our taxed-dollars to set a true Budget that identifies set costs and fluid costs? The budgets I've seen over that last two decades haven't looked like a budget at all, but more like the Christmas wish list I left on my parents bedroom dresser when I was twelve. However, the people who hold public office are not twelve nor are the people they appoint to cabinet positions and committees, though their level of maturity would suggest arrested-adolescent-development.
Instead of a Debt-Ceiling America needs a regulation that requires an actual Budget with fixed-costs in one column subtracted from Income then flexible-spending in another column also tied to income. From the flexible side perhaps oh gosh - cutting back on hiring and raises and waste? Just a thought, instead of treating voters like an unlimited resource of working offspring who can be distracted by child-tax-credits, extended unemployment benefits and artificial social division between the 1% and the 99% or between those of various ancestry!
People holding an elected public office are in fact our 'peers' - though after a couple of terms some would have many voters believe their office is now entitled with an importance that rises above ours.
Historically from Africa to Europe in the corners of every castle [and church] to the rise of peasants seeking a voice that evolved the British parliamentary system into the House of Lords and the House of Commons - money and favors became the ruling norm to gain authority and influence. However, it's now late 2021 and the accumulated centuries of butt-covering-government has truly reached critical mass. Too many of those in elected positions - who intern appointed those [we did not elect] to whom they owed favors - treat our taxes as a bottomless pit.
However, Fellow-Travelers one would think that since we're no longer spending an average of 51.3Billion a year on a 20 year war in Iraq and Afghanistan - we could start living within our means. One would think...Except the proposal on the table is an amazing 1.2Trillion Structural Infrastructure Bill [see Blog; Infrastructure In America] along with a 3.5Trillion Social Infrastructure Bill.
1.For Structural Infrastructure the breakdown is: 110Billion for roads, bridges & related -and- 105Biliion for public transit, passenger and freight transportation -and- 73Billion for power/internet technology;
2.For Social Infrastructure the list includes: 10Billion for a Civilian Climate Corp -and- 20Billion to Advance Racial Equity and Environmental Justice -and- 175Billion in Subsidies for Electric Vehicles -and- 213Billion to Build/Retrofit 2million Houses and Buildings -and- 100Billion for New Schools and Green School Lunch Programs -and- 12Billion for Community Colleges -and- ???Billions [undisclosed] to Eliminate Racial and Gender Inequities -and- 100Billion to Expand Broadband Internet with Government Oversight -and- 25Billion for more Childcare Programs.
I saw nothing allocated in the Social Infrastructure list that address the immigration crisis or targeted our homeless, particularly homeless teens who aged out of the foster care system or our homeless veterans, maybe it's part of Environmental Justice?
Perhaps DC seems too far away and too complicated. Well folks - our State Legislatures are much closer and less daunting and easier to protest or call or email. Better still our Constitution 'gave' sovereignty to each state. In our Constitution the Federal Government was never intended to override or overrule the states by intimidation or threats. However, somehow over the decades the Federal Congress and Senate has managed to enhance its authority.
https://medium.com/@BraveNewFilms.org/heres-how-to-contact-all-535-members-of-united-states-congress-call-email-tweet-20b8a1c54195
Sherrie Todd-Beshore is a mystery-suspense novelist and former journalist...
via amazon.com or patchworkpublishing.com
Suspense-Thriller--"THE RULE OF THREE"
Suspense-Thriller--"24 SUSSEX DRIVE"
Government spending waste is not limited to the US, they all do it. Canada just wasted 600+ million on a un-needed Federal election because of our useless PM thought it was a politically opportune time. The results were almost identical to before the election another useless minority Government with the same jackass in power! The political Elite are narcissistic, sociopaths (all of them) they don't care about you, your children or anyone else but themselves. I am just surprized the wheels haven't fallen off the whole economic, mess, because it will with these asses running the show. Each of use must prepare accordingly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for continuing to read my Blogs - but so sorry other governments are also dysfunctional...
Delete