::::::::
As the demonstrations on Wall Street have been pointing out for the past few weeks, our federal government has failed to take proper action to deal with our dysfunctional system. Every day that goes by brings more dismal economic news which affects all of us, but in particular the poor and the disenfranchised middle-class. As the economic drivers of our nation, the beleaguered middle-class is the solution to our recovery, as they always have been. They could use some help, though, in organizing a plan to prioritize jobs instead of spending our time continuing to protect our failed status quo, which is getting us nowhere.
Unfortunately for these same unemployed members of the great middle class, we currently have the most dysfunctional federal government in our nation's history, which appears to be incapable of righting the ship. The more it attempts to regain balance and control, the more certainly it remains fixed on a course to run aground on the rocks.
Our federal government appears to be unable to fulfill its unifying function of forming a more perfect union, establishing more justice, insuring domestic tranquility, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for this generation. Rather than wasting more time trying to fix this failed union, why not make use of the fully-functioning state, county and city governments we already have in place?
Congress still has not understood the dangers of pursuing their dangerous course and has failed to protect the people of America after nearly four years of failed policy which has careened our national ship ever-closer to the rocks. They continue to protect the entities which created this national and global economic nightmare. Since four years has still not been long enough for the federal government to enact policies which steer a proper course, and since plans are again underway to elect further representatives in 2012, its time to return the authority to the states which granted power to the federal government in the first place.
Instead of bankrolling the federal bureaucracy, let's keep our revenues in the states, counties and cities where they can do the most good for all of us. By the way, do you have any idea how much money could be saved and used to run local, state and city governments if we didn't have to finance the federal government with its duplication of services, inefficiency and overlapping of jurisdictions? Our projected federal budget is $3.7 trillion per year. (Wikipedia) Our projected total state budgets are $1.7 trillion per year. (Deltek Information Systems) If that money were appropriately kept in state, county and city treasuries, what could they accomplish in terms of building infrastructure, training and preparing their citizens, and responding to our current economic challenges? The $3.7 trillion could be wisely and fairly apportioned, ensuring that all of our state, county and city governments would be able to meet budgets and there would still be plenty of money left to provide for national defense, emergency management and a rainy day fund.
Since we the people of our individual states already own the properties, resources and the truly vast real estate holdings that make up our federal government, we can decide how best to use, protect and preserve our property. We can greatly improve our international diplomacy, preserve our national currency, revenue-share our military, concentrate on our national guard, coast guard, and first-strike capabilities, improve our existing defenses, technology, testing, satellites, aircraft, improve our information gathering as much as possible, do it better than anyone else, and keep a close watch on the world around us and here at home, too. We can keep plenty of boots on the ground here at home and far fewer boots abroad. By building stronger relationships and using better diplomacy with our neighbors both in this hemisphere and throughout the world, we will have ready, willing and able allies when they are most needed.
Let's concentrate on improving our own domestic infrastructures, better-educating our citizens and creating larger markets for our goods and services here at home and abroad. Instead of exporting our ideas to countries with cheap labor, let's create, produce and service our own technologies right here at home. Let's improve the lives of all of our citizens by providing jobs and increasing wages and opportunities.
Unemployment, poverty and crime go hand-in-hand. Why would any nation perpetuate these evils by failing to act? Why should we here in the U.S. allow this to continue? We're a shipwreck just waiting to happen, unless we make some serious progress in these areas soon! If you want your own family to fail, a sure way to make that happen is to stop taking care of it. Why would it be any different for cities, counties, states and nations? We need to do more than cater to the wealthy and special corporate interests. We need to stop ignoring the problems and do the tough things necessary to improve the lives of American citizens so that they can in turn help to improve this country.
It is far cheaper and easier to fix a situation before it becomes a problem than to wait for a catastrophe. The time to prepare for a hurricane is while it is still developing. Once it arrives, it's too late! All that can be done then is to save those who are still living, to run, swim or drive away, if that is still possible, and deal with the cleanup when the hurricane is finally over. (If there is still any money left to do that.) Standing around wringing our hands and crying won't prevent the hurricane from coming, and ignoring it and pretending that everything will be okay won't work either. The time for action is now, while cooler heads can still prevail. Leadership must stop fiddling while Rome burns, instead of acting now to prevent a disaster.
