It's fun to reminisce about the way things were. It's interesting to go back and look at all the starry eyed kids thinking about how our government was going to work and how everything was going to be as it was supposed to be. It's funny how your perspective changes as you struggle to understand why you continue to pay increasingly more taxes on what's supposed to be your income. As I read and study about what our government has done and is trying to do with our money it really becomes not funny anymore. I go back and see things that have looked good on the news and feel right where you might get the feeling that they really mean business this time.
It was just a few short months ago the Republican Party stood on the cusp of a historic night where they won back the House and the Senate. A new day was coming they said. We have heard the American people they said. We are going to fix all your problems they said. They might not have mentioned that last sentence but to listen to them you would have thought the savior had arrived and was going to change skunk scent into perfume. It reminded me of that scene in Animal House when all looked like it was lost, Bluto stood up and said that we needed to make a statement that no one would ever forget, so the good guys rushed out and finished destroying what was left of all held sacred by the town they were in. The groundswell of public opinion rose up and swept these modern day knights into office where they promptly fell to the entrenched monies interests in a battle that was lost before they had even opened their mouths. Does this seem like you've heard it before.
The 1994 elections resulted in Republicans gaining 54 House and 9 Senate seats. When they gained this majority in the 104th Congress it was seen as a triumph and vindication of policy proposals. This "Contract with America" was to be "revolutionary in its commitment" and represented the views of conservative Republicans on shrinking the size of government, promoting lower taxes and greater entrepreneurial activity, tort reform, and welfare reform. Require all laws apply to Congress also. Audit Congress for waste, fraud, or abuse. Cut the number of House committees and staff by 1/3. Guarantee honest accounting. Some of these seem like common sense things that should be in action but there it was on paper for all to see. PT Barnum couldn't have put on a better show.
It's almost laughable to think that we the people truly have a voice. With all the major news outlets, PACs, big business, political parties, and anyone else with an interest in seeing that government continue doing business the same way aligned against individuality, to stick your head up these days is to chance getting that dreaded alphabet disease. Our governments increasing propensity for violence against its citizens is almost to the point where one begins to think suspiciously when you read about conspiracy theories. All violence isn't of the physical kind when you think of the dread of the IRS by the citizenry. It has become my belief that a vote for anyone that has already served in national office has become a vote for things to stay the same.
A mere 5 years after this "Contract for America," the combined budgets of the 95 major programs that were promised to be eliminated increased by 13%. It's been 16 years since that accounting and there is nothing funny about multiplication when it comes to tax dollars spent frivolously. Do you still think they want your vote because they are looking out for you? It's why when I hear people urge me to Republican this or that I feel cold air up my back.
Until next week. ags.
