Activists need to stop acting like rock star groupies around elected officials and start holding them accountable!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

ARE WE PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN?

by Steve Fair

     A much debated subject today is what is the proper role of government? Some believe that government should provide for its citizens basic needs from the cradle to the grave.    Others believe the government should do nothing more than secure the borders, maintain a strong military, and punish those that do evil.  The vast majority of Americans fall somewhere in the middle.  Four points:

     First, America is a self-governed nation.  That means the citizens are in charge.  They determine who represents them.  They determine how much of their hard earned money is given to the government.  If America has bad government or if taxes are too high, the governed have no further to look than the mirror.  They have no one to blame but themselves.  Few citizens pay attention to what is going on.  It is estimated that less than 1% of the American people consistently pay attention to their government.    

     Second, government can’t give you anything.  Government produces nothing- it consumes.  In a self governed system, government can only give back to the governed what they have taken from it- minus a large handling fee.  Government doesn’t fund any social programs- taxpayers fund programs.  Government only administers the program and usually with more red tape than necessary.

     Third, there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch.’  Free does not exist in any economical system.  Somebody is paying the bill.  When the ‘government’ provides health care coverage for a citizen, other citizens are paying the bill.  The money to provide it didn’t magically appear like manna from heaven.  Often, the governed agree to the tax and are willing to be taxed to help their fellow citizens, but more often than not, they aren’t consulted.  The frightening thing about the last election is when Bernie Sanders can draw 25,000 millenniums to a stadium promising ‘free stuff.’  That is our future America- a generation who believes there is such a thing as free stuff.

     Fourth, the founders established a government with limitations.  The federal government was to be limited in its scope and power.  They put most of the power at the state level.  While that fact is largely ignored and ridiculed today, it remains a fact.  The federal government spends more than it takes in and has no chance of economical survival without major adjustments. 

      So are we past the point of no return?  Will those who want ‘free stuff’ and more government programs rule the day?  Maybe, but until then, it goes back to the governed taking equity in their government.  When citizens start showing up, the politicos will change.  When citizens start holding their elected officials accountable and GOP activists stop acting like groupies at a rock concert when they see an elected official, perhaps we will see true change.