Glenn Beck, Bootstrapping, and Smaller Government

As a future President of the United States, I think it is important to listen to the pop culture of the day, so I can stay in tune with the public.

One of the icons, naturally, is Glenn Beck. Surprised? Well, in spite of my liberal leanings, I do have some conservative values. Glenn Beck speaks to those values. I do get offended, frequently, at some of his positions - (more oil drilling? are you kidding? do you really want to defer our energy problems and global warming to your kids to solve?) - but for all his wrong-headedness, there are times when he makes really valid points.

And, he is real. He was talking today about some of the truly tough spots he has been in - alcoholism, foreclosure, losing everything but his name, and even that he felt he had sold at one time.

You have to admire a man who can fall down and pick himself back up again, and be willing to speak about it. He is honest and forthcoming. Wrong on some of his positions, but if he should ever come to me, as President, requesting I seriously consider a policy change, I will certainly give him my full attention. It is not easy to listen to someone with whom you frequently disagree, but when that someone has the courage to make a mistake, admit it, and correct it, then he deserves respect and a fair opportunity to state his case.

Glenn Beck promotes a smaller government. On this, we agree. Our federal government was never intended to be this large. FDR expanded it greatly, creating jobs in a time when our country desperately needed them, but the result has been a dependence on government not just for jobs, but for everything.

America's principles originally were based on a bootstrap mentality. Every person who could work, did work, and raised families and built industry with their own two hands - not depending on government to shoulder their burdens. There was pride in that. Where did that go?

Well, it began with FDR. Not intentionally - he was a bootstrapper himself in many ways. I don't think he realized the long-term consequences of creating bigger government. And every presidency has added to the growing pile of agencies in some way, until now it is so bloated and inefficient that its debt has exceeded its ability to pay it down.

Under an Ameriga Columbus administration, government WILL become smaller. More power will go to the states, and along with it, more tax revenues. Tax revenues should not be taken and spent at the federal level - they should be passed through to the states and localities. Bootstrapping begins at home. For emergencies, we should all pitch in. Yup, for natural disasters, each state should put something in to help the one that's been hit, rather than depending on the feds to rush in to the rescue.

Interstate commerce, treasury, foreign policy, national security, postal services - these are federal. I'll take a close look at every other agency and see how much can be closed down and shifted to state responsibility. Most states have their own departments of health and energy and education, etc. It is duplicative to have them at the national level as well. If anything, the national level of those agencies should be focused on research: how does our education compare to other nations? how can we best support health research? what are our national and global energy projections? That kind of research can support the states to make good decisions on education and health, etc. Federal level agencies are best as clearinghouses of information, not as regulators and mandate enforcers.

I think Glenn Beck would applaud the reorganization and shrinking of federal government, and the corresponding reduction in taxes to everyone as a result. Not that I'm seeking his approval - he is completely wrong on energy policy - but he has made valid points about the way the feds spend taxpayer dollars and the bloated, inefficient nature of our federal government.

I will change all that. Not yet - it's going to be Barack Obama's turn beginning January 2009 - but he can't be President for more than two terms. I'll be here, celebrating and challenging him as the case may be.

Onward and upward,
Ameriga