Why we'll never see fiscal responsibility in government.

[sophiaserpentia]

Pretend you are a member of Congress. You face re-election next year. The President is clamoring for tax cuts, but the budget is already in a deficit. So you must vote to cut benefits for one of the following. Which do you choose?

o Little old ladies on fixed incomes (and lose their votes)
o Medicare benefits for developmentally disabled children (and be depicted in the media as a cad)
o The military (and lose many, many votes)
o Subsidies for [insert industry of your choice] (and lose their campaign contributions)
o I don't like any of these choices. Let's just go with the tax cuts and leave the debt for Generation X to worry about. They're too busy playing with their X-Boxes to notice anyway.

Comments

[arcanum-dogma.livejournal.com]

me personally? i'd go against the tax cuts and end subsidies to oil, auto and drug companies.

actually, i'd like to end all subsidies and start over with kids, education and health services as priorites.

but then, what do i know.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

You'll never get elected with that attitude.

[alobar.livejournal.com]

You did not ennumerate what is probably the largest driving factor: that far too many politicians are owned by corporate interests whose agendas have nothing to do with fiscal responsibility.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Actually, government fiscal responsibility is not in anyone's immediate interest! Sure, it's essential for our long-term interest, but as long as the government is spending pretend money it makes us feel good right now!

I touched on your issue by mentioning subsidies to favored industries. My main purpose though was to illustrate why even an independent-minded member of Congress would find it extremely difficult to support fiscal responsibility.

Eventually we'll need someone to come along who can get us to "take our medicine" and deal with the consequences of reigning in the madhouse.