July 31, 2002
As the dust from the primaries begins to settle over the next few weeks, we need to take a long look at where we want to go in this state. There are those who will tell you that we have to be a ‘progressive' state. Beware. Make sure you understand what progressive means in their lexicon.
Progressive, to those who throw the term about to impress their friends at cocktail parties, means more government spending. Progressive means boldly going where no democratic government has gone before. It means unprecedented spending on projects that could be better funded by private enterprise. But without government money, you don't get government control and that's the point. Progressive to the wine and cheese set means more and more of your hard-earned tax dollars going to projects that have no business being funded by public money. With more government funding comes more government intrusion and control.
If you're a regular reader of this column, you know the Valentine Doctrine – The government is there to do what the private sector won't, can't or shouldn't do. Keep that in mind when it comes to government funding. You'll find that the government has its hands in all sorts of things it shouldn't. More and more people are looking to the government as the remedy of first resort rather than last. The narrow definition of what services the government should provide has been broadened to the point of critical mass. That's why most state governments found themselves unable to weather the recent economic downturn without either raising taxes or cutting services.
Here's another watchword: investment. When a politician says he wants to invest in the future, that means he wants to throw more tax dollars in that direction. That may be fine if it's something for which the government should be spending money. Investing in, say, a professional sports team is not an investment. It's a subsidy. Investing more in education without expecting accountability is subsidizing mediocrity or worse.
After the Great Tax Protests of 2002, the eyes of the nation are upon us. We have a great opportunity to take the lead in the nation and turn the tide of bigger and bigger government. Although the lobbyists and politicians managed to push through a sales tax increase and more pork project spending, the even deadlier state income tax was averted. Citizens across the nation are curious as to how we did it. They see in us their own hopes and aspirations for taking back their own state governments. We should not let them down.
As we look to November, we should be looking to those political aspirants who advocate that we beat back the ever-encroaching government beast. We need to elect people who understand that government can't do everything for everyone, nor should it try. We need to take the energy and power of the tax protests and translate that into relegating the lobbyists to their proper role as representatives of their constituency instead of rulers of the roost.
It's time that the people regain control of the political process and demand more bang for the buck. Tax dollars are not Monopoly money and those who violate the public trust should not be afforded a ‘get out of jail free' card. As the country focuses on corporate corruption, the issue of government corruption goes unchecked. It's time for that to change.
Progressive should mean more accountability. Investment should mean spending money wisely on worthwhile projects, not just throwing money at every problem. We've broken new ground in our quest to keep government small. We're a lighthouse in a choppy and dangerous sea of rising government intrusion. Let's not put that light out.