A LIBERAL VIEW OF THINGS: The mad rush to fiscal confusion
You have read in several of my columns laments about low-voter turnouts and subsequent events precipitated by those elected by a distinct minority of residents. I recently watched an old George Carlin video from 1996 that offered a different perspective.
It’s been said if you don’t vote, don’t complain. Carlin says he doesn’t vote and he will complain absolutely. He complains because those of us who voted put such inept, corrupt and stupid people in office and positions of power. He says we voters have no business complaining, because it is our fault things got so screwed up. He has a point. One of my recent columns complained about the shortage of capable people running for office and being elected.
Carlin’s snide comments start to make sense.
Our U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that temporarily kept the government from shutting down because the members of that body couldn’t agree on a budget. Soon, they’ll do it again.
This is from those we recently elected and those voted into office years ago. Carlin has a right to complain.
The Republicans in Congress want to cut about $60 billion from the public sector and social services agencies that try to do something good and positive for American citizens, like educate them and treat their illnesses.
A “conservative” estimate from the Management and Budget Office says these cuts will cost more than 700,000 jobs. Forgive my impertinence, but didn’t these people run on the “jobs, jobs, jobs” theme? We should complain, because we didn’t get what we voted for.
The Texas Legislature wants to cut social services such as public education and Medicaid so they can balance the budget against an alleged $27 billion shortfall. At the same time, the state Comptroller’s Office publishes a report that shows billions of uncollected tax dollars being exempted for one reason or another; about $22 billion from sales-tax exemptions alone.
Add to that a variety of energy-related deductions, and you see why we have a huge budget problem. Does the Republican-dominated Legislature want to do anything about these exemptions? Nope. They say that would amount to a tax increase, and they vowed not to do that.
If you’re having trouble following this, don’t feel alone. The way I understand this is that we have taxes on the books that would, if allowed, cover our deficit without cutting any services. This begs the question: Who is benefitting from these tax exemptions? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know I’m not on that list.
Carlin was right. It’s our fault. We elected the “representatives” who think like this.
Governors Rick Perry of Texas and Scott Walker in Wisconsin have much in common. They both want to deeply cut money that supports public education. They both abhor teachers’ unions. (Of course, here in Texas, those unions are barely on the radar.) Perry refuses to accept $700,000 from the federal government to educate our children. Walker wants to destroy unions so he doesn’t have to pay respectable wages. This happened after he gave away the state’s surplus in tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. Sound familiar?
Perry doesn’t want to be held accountable that the education money must go to education.
American citizens actually elected these “public servants” to look after us and our governments. We all should complain.
This sudden burst of budget hawking and fiscal “responsibility” is amazing in view of the great tax cuts that were supposed to create jobs, but didn’t; the giveaway of a $200 billion surplus to the richest; borrowing trillions on a Chinese credit card to fight wars for no truthful reason; and no end in sight. Why does nobody blink at spending $800 billion per year on defense and allow education and health to suffer as a result? Why do we spend $100 million on high-stakes testing of our children while their national scores plummet?
Carlin is right. We are electing the wrong people to do the wrong things at the wrong time. We only have to look in the mirror to see who is responsible. At the same time, we will see who can fix the problem.
Turner is a retired teacher and industrial engineer who lives near Marble Falls. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company. "The Voter’s Guide to National Salvation" is a newly published e-book from Vern Turner. You can find it at www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks.He can be reached by e-mail at vtgolf@zeecon.com.