Dependent or empowered
by Missouri Rep. Ed Emery (R-126 including the counties of
Barton, Dade, Jasper and Polk)
"Nothing is so galling to a people, not broken in from the birth, as a paternal or, in other words, a meddling government, a government which tells them what to read and say and eat and drink and wear." --Thomas Babington, Lord Macaulay
Two divergent political philosophies are increasingly contrasted in contemporary politics--dependency and empowerment. America's founders purposely designed and advocated empowerment because they had been enslaved beyond their tolerance by a powerful sovereign and his bureaucrat minions. They implemented government of the people, by the people and for the people and an economic system free from government manipulation and favoritism. They additionally guaranteed to every state a republican form of government (Article IV, Section 4). They had experienced enslavement by a government that limited their personal sovereignty and imposed its own.
Governor Nixon's 2010 State of the State address was a reminder of these two irreconcilable political philosophies. I was pleased to stand in support of many of his commitments: no new taxes, reductions in the growing bureaucratic morass of state commissions and boards, high ethical standards in public service (more in a future report), honoring the sacrifices of our military personnel. I was encouraged by his commendation of the character of Missouri families and communities during crises. However, the bulk of the governor's address was listing programs and policies to make Missourians more dependent on state government than ever.
The government dependencies worry me the most, but there was also the nagging question of how--in a year of decreasing state revenues and "no tax increases"--were we going to pay for all these new initiatives. State initiatives are funded by the private sector since we can spend only what we take from you. Do we expect government to grow businesses and jobs with money taken from those who have businesses and jobs? I do not. Serious tax reform can empower Missouri's economic engine, but an increasingly complex system of grants, tax credits, and business favors builds greater dependency not liberty or prosperity.
There were promises of government imposed tuition freezes, increased funding of K-12 education, more state support of "clean" energy projects (although with the debunking of negative CO2 effects we don't know what "clean" means - more on that next week), expanded high-speed internet services into low-usage areas, mandates on businesses, and possibly others I missed in my notes. Along with these increased dependencies came a promise to maintain Missouri's AAA credit rating. Let's see, lower state revenues, expanded state programs, a balanced state budget, and a solid credit rating. I must be missing something! Is it just me, or have we become that people "broken in from birth" Lord Macaulay described? Go Back |
