We can grow the country without growing government
At last, someone from the non-conservative side of the political spectrum actually choosing to engage. Thank you Diana C. Smith for responding so rapidly and forthrightly.
To clear the record, I’ve done my share of moving horse manure but I’ll claim an eighty-plus-year-old’s world of experience.
I agree that we have seen “progressive” proposals for a long time. Thank goodness the voters and elected representatives have successfully defended the United States from many of them. Not all of them have been bad ideas and this is what I mean by giving the electorate the opportunity to be involved. Sadly, new government programs have one thing in common: more government which means more people in Washington DC and that government grows less responsive to the people. We did not grow to be the nation we are by growing the government.
Mention is made of a few instances of Federal government programs that have been good although I do not see any connection between Viet Nam and Medicare. But each of those good ideas has become problems over the years as they have been twisted and manipulated, also simply because the nation has changed. When started, Social Security had something like 10 workers supporting each retiree. Last I read it is now 2 to 1 and getting worse as our nation’s birth rate declines. That’s not the fault of FDR and the Democrats who put it into existence but it is the fault of government in not doing a better job of stewardship.
Whenever I get to see a full Medicare bill, I am astounded at how Medicare chops the fees of the providers (this is not to ignore the likelihood providers will try to pad the bills to get around Medicare chopping). Again, this is government messing with the laws of supply and demand. I do applaud the FOI but I do not understand why it doesn’t apply across the whole of government.
As for Congressional limits on Presidential powers, that has been a hangnail of sorts ever since John Adams was President and it will continue.
The Federal government is just too big. An incoming president has about 1,100 jobs to fill. There is no way 1,100 people can effectively control nearly 2 million people. Go into any Federal office: you’ll see a picture of Mr. Trump hanging where the picture of Mr. Obama hung. You may also see the department or agency head but I wonder if when an administration changes if a new frame is used for the picture.
We have a wonderful and generous country. Let’s continue to grow the country. We can do that without growing the government.
Bernard J. Lyngdal
Tomahawk