| More Money and No Cuts
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, a freelance writer from the Midwest and the Managing Editor for www.TheRant.us. He is a contributing writer to The Washington Dispatch, OpinionEditorials.com and AmericanDaily.com. He has appeared as a guest panelist on The O’Reilly Factor and his pieces are regularly featured in Townhall.com and occasionally featured in The Washington Times as well as other national publications. He can be contacted at contact@therant.us.
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