Business as Usual

 Too many Politicians serve their own interests, not the public.

When this Constitutional Republic was born, elected public service was never intended to be a long-term proposition. A sense of civic duty would compel those skilled in leadership and governance to serve their fellow citizens for a time and then return to their private lives. Professional politicians that made their livelihood on the public dole was never the founding father’s intent. Greed and power drives too many of these elected elites, not the selflessness necessary to be a servant leader. Those who have little or no personal experience outside of government do not possess the skills necessary to make the decisions crucial to better the lives of those they serve. Those who consider themselves better than those they are charged to serve do not possess the ability to put others above their own self-interest. Those looking to enrich themselves fail to respect the people who elected them.

Career bureaucrats not only want to maintain the status quo, they want to build upon it. There is little restraint when the belief is that, we the people, can endure unlimited taxation. Budgets will expand due to rising expenses, but overlook many government template systems that have not been updated for decades. New programs often overlap existing programs and end up being redundant, providing the same or similar services. Governments that fail to constantly assess and reassess programs that serve their citizens are doomed to continue to increase the size and cost of their government. And that is just fine for many government organizations. That also is a recipe for disaster, since taxpayers are not an unlimited financial resource. Milwaukee and other democrat run cities overtax for their incompetent, ineffective, and inefficient government, forcing businesses and residents to leave for the suburbs.

Those that bring a business acumen to government are often met with resistance, even though their solutions benefit the citizenry. Upsetting the apple cart, slowing, or ending the gravy train are hard pills to swallow for the entrenched bureaucratic “Deep State.” Well, friends, if government behaved more like the private sector, they just may become proficient in providing necessary services that are not only cost-effective, but also delivered efficiently and timely. There is no valid reason to not constantly and consistently evaluate better ways of doing business. Our friends on the democrat side of the aisle believe that big government knows better. why fix what they do not believe is broken? It is apparently better to continue with failed policies that inflate the bureaucracy. Unwarranted and reckless spending policies have driven inflation exponentially. Now comes the “Inflation Reduction Act” that will be like pouring gasoline on a fire. The drive to enact the ultimate solution to what ails us is enacting a new form of “Democratic Socialism,” though wherever socialism has been instituted, it has failed. Unfortunately, not all “new” ideas are beneficial.

Replacing a free market system with a government-controlled economy is foolhardy and dangerous. Capitalism works because it incentivizes ingenuity. Capitalism works because anyone can succeed with the right mix of ideas and diligence. Capitalism works because everyone has the same opportunity to be successful, no matter where they come from. Socialism fails because the State removes any financial incentive to think outside the box. Socialism fails because there is no reward since all are equally compensated, no matter what they contribute or how hard they work. Socialism fails because all end up equally miserable, except for those in government leadership positions. The free market works. Government needs to get out of the way and let the free market innovate and create solutions. When government intervenes and picks winners and losers, we all lose as the best and brightest ideas are too often ignored.

Government does serve a purpose. Most importantly, it is there to provide for the public safety. It is there to provide a safety net to help those who cannot help themselves. It is there to provide safe and effective roadways to facilitate the free flow of trade. It is there to enact legislation to positively serve the citizenry. Government has become bloated and self-serving. It is filled with people that have little or no respect for the office or the citizens they serve. It’s time that good people with real-life experience dedicate a few years of their lives to help make this country a better place. It’s time for career bureaucrats to leave the duties of public office to those who know how to lead a successful business. It’s definitely time to demand that candidates earn our votes by properly representing the values of the communities that they serve. And it’s time that we all become a better-informed and engaged electorate.