As legislators returned to
work in Washington this week the Democrats came out with their first move;
more money for education and no cuts in overtime pay for workers. While in a
perfect world both of these things would seem reasonable to champion we do
not live in a perfect world. With budget spending going into deficits and
commitments made overseas that cannot be compromised it is certainly time to
tighten our belts here at home. Herein lays the political Catch-22.
If business as usual spending continues in Washington the Democrats will
have their programs and will be able to bash the administration for the
increased deficits they themselves created. This is very convenient going
into an election year.
The American people have to realize that the Executive Branch of our
government only proposes the budget and gets but a bit of discretionary
spending. The branch that spends our money is the Legislative Branch and
they do that quite well. They do it as they point their fingers at each
other for spending that is considered "pork” even though every one of them
does it. While some issues are ludicrous, such as rodeo museums and $600
hammers, all overseen by the various legislative committees, others are
simply "me first” projects that ease the burdens of responsibility for the
individual states through federal funding. From real issues to incredible
wastefulness, it is the Congress that spends our money, not the President of
the United States.
Now
Congress has come back from break and decides that in the shadow of a
massive budget deficit caused by an incredible amount of pork spending
between 2000 and 2003 from both sides of the aisle, that we need to spend
more money on education and preserve the law, as is, requiring employers to
pay overtime to their workers who are eligible. Both of these issues are
good issues, no doubt about it, but they are very conveniently timed to
bring to the spotlight in light of the upcoming 2004 elections. If anyone in
Congress or from the Bush Administration objects to increased educational
spending they will be sacrificed at the alter of politics during the
festival of the Presidential Elections as not caring about the future of
America. If no one says anything then the budget increases and the Democrats
have an excuse to inappropriately place the blame at the president’s feet
for massive deficit spending. If anyone from Congress or the Bush
Administration talks about overhauling and restructuring long overdue pay
scales for businesses plagued by unions they will be tied to the stake of
political ridicule as anti-worker and set afire with the matches struck by
the mammoth overlord that is the AFL-CIO, special interest superpower. If
they say nothing, costs rise for corporate America, which will toy with the
economic well being of the country giving the Democrats the opportunity
again to inappropriately lay the blame for an economy in peril at the
president’s feet.
President Bush has said it time and time again but it seems to
only fall on the deaf ears of those in Congress and to the wayside of apathy
with the American people, we need to be fiscally responsible. We cannot
continue to spend beyond our means. If we, the people of the United States,
are urged to live within our means then we collectively have to require our
legislators to do the same. As much as it would be nice to increase spending
for various programs we must be able to trust our legislators to say that it
cannot be done at this time. It is time to prioritize what is important for
satisfying the basic needs of our people on a federal level, not to mention
the state level. It is time to secure the basics first without having
legislators interjecting pork into needed legislation just to look good on
the home front.
One way to decrease the addiction to pork spending in Washington (and
assorted state capitols – listen up California) is to require that every
bill stand alone when going before a vote, that no other piece of
legislation be attached to another. This way we could eliminate the behind
the scenes "you vote for my bill and I’ll vote for your bill” mentality that
exists in Washington and in many of the state capitols. This way we would be
able to see, in a much clearer and purer manner, the way that our
legislative representatives vote on each and every issue. It is a first step
that needs to be taken in this quest for accountability.
So, while we go about our monthly tasks, trying our best to stay within our
personal budgets while striving to live the lives we would like, we can make
it a bit easier if we choose. Let’s require our legislators to do the same
thing with the money they extract from us every pay period that we have to
do monthly. Let’s demand that they spend within their budgetary means. The
first step to seeing how they act is to require each piece of legislation to
stand-alone. The second would be to place the responsibility of the budget
mess where it belongs, on the Legislative Branch and not on President Bush
and his administration. That would require the third step to be in place,
making sure that we all pay attention a little more closely than we have
been.Frank
Salvato is a political media consultant and the managing editor for
The New Media Journal.us. He is a contributing writer for The Washington Dispatch, GOPUSA,
OpinionEditorials, Men’s News Daily, Canada Free Press & AmericanDaily. His
pieces are regularly featured in Townhall.com. He has appeared as a guest on
The O’Reilly Factor, The Kevin Matthews Radio Show (Chicago) and The Brad
Messer Radio Show (San Antonio). His pieces have been recognized by the
Japan Center for Conflict Prevention and are occasionally featured in The
Washington Times and The London Morning Paper as well as other national and
international publications.
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