Almost everyone I talk with lately is concerned about our economy, the burgeoning debt, widening trade deficits, and the shaky geo-political situation. I will grant you this could simply be the people I hang around with, but I do not think so. Talk of increasing taxes, whether local, state or federal, abounds.
Every form of tax, fee, license or exemption is being scrutinized to determine if it will generate additional revenue for government entities. I do not hear much talk about curtailing government spending, mostly I just hear how we, the taxpayers, need to pay more. Maybe it is time for different answers.
For example, consider the flawed supposition that the U.S. government, shaped by the past, should be the government we will need or can even afford in the future. A recent investigation of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) employees found some were spending up to eight hours a day surfing the web and watching porn. That makes my blood boil, yet, the President"s budget calls for adding SEC employees to clean up Wall Street – how ironic is that! I realize this is just one example, but after having spent part of my career in state and federal government, I observed similar questionable spending first hand. It is not a large leap to speculate similar waste is occurring elsewhere in the federal government.
And what about local and state government expenditures? Can it we accomplish the same tasks with fewer people and less money? Take St. Louis as an example, since that is where NAEDA is headquartered. There are literally dozens of small municipalities that make up the St. Louis metropolitan area. Then there is the City of St. Louis and a separate St. Louis County government. Each has its own police and fire departments; city council; mayor; levee, sewer and drainage districts; etc. You can probably point to similar scenarios where you live. It is an expensive undertaking to support duplicative, overlapping and often inefficient government. It would be far better to strive for new simplified and efficient models at all levels to guide us toward the future.
If we can not fix matters through our current political process, maybe it is time for a modern-day-version of political decision-making. It appears our current political leaders are focused more on their own political careers and personal gain than our collective needs … where the fox is in charge of the chicken coop. So, my thought is to employ modern technology and radically cut the cost of government by using secure Web sites to each cast our own vote for the type of government we want. We cast our own vote for American Idol and Survivor… why can’t we do it for our country and just eliminate Congress?
I am only partially serious, but want to make the point that the supposition that government can be all things to all people is outdated, unattainable and frankly, unaffordable. I was shocked to learn recently that only about 50 percent of the people in the United States pay any income taxes … that is not sustainable! It is time to make certain our elected officials steer us on a sustainable path. We do not want to be the next Greece, Italy, Spain, or other country teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Remind your elected officials that you hold the one thing they cannot buy or disregard … your vote.
It is time for a new order of government that is more focused, accountable, efficient and, oh, by the way, more affordable. If our current elected officials can not produce these results with our precious, hard-earned tax money, we have no choice but to find people who can. In other words … let"s put the chickens back in charge of guarding the chicken coop! And that"s the way I see it.
PAUL KINDINGER is president/CEO of the North American Equipment Dealers Association. The association provides educational, legal, legislative, and financial services to approximately 5,000 retail agricultural, construction, large property, and outdoor power equipment dealers in the United States and Canada.