Get government out of Washington

The long-awaited infrastructure bill finally gained Joe Biden’s signature, capping off a tumultuous first year for the president. Democrats are celebrating what they perceive as a victory, but, truth is, the train has left the station for what matters most, leaving Americans — all Americans — stranded on the platform.

To be clear, the bill was overdue, and should not have become the partisan affair into which it morphed, since both sides are responsible for America’s infrastructure neglect. While politicians were busy nation-building — constructing state-of-the-art roads, bridges and other infrastructure in farflung places that had zero return for Americans — the United States’ own framework deteriorated to dangerous levels.

So yes, bettering our broadband, bridges, and clean water is welcome. But the infrastructure improvement of paramount importance — that which, far and away, would best protect America’s physical and economic survival — was not even an afterthought. Unfortunately, it shows that Washington’s most powerful force isn’t Democrat or Republican, but inside-the-Beltway complacency that kills foresight and initiative.

Ronald Reagan might’ve, Bill Clinton could’ve, and Barack Obama, and especially George W. Bush, should’ve. Donald Trump had the tools, but ego got in the way. And President Biden, lifelong insider, simply doesn’t see the forest for the trees.

What is the pressing issue that our modern presidents failed to address?

Draining the “swamp,” literally. But we’re not talking politics. Much more important, that which needs to be drained and dissipated is government itself. It’s no secret that within Washington, D.C., which actually was a swamp, lies virtually every vital core asset of the United States’ government. The physical security of our capital has become untenable, so the idea of spreading government across the states makes perfect sense.

Massive de-centralization is the ultimate good-government policy. And while not political in nature, there would be massive political benefits to whomever makes it happen. Articulating why such an upheaval is necessary could well seal an election, or re-election, victory for a candidate trumpeting the theme of “Make Government Great Again.”

After all, just because something scores political points doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.

As working at home during the pandemic has aptly demonstrated, the need to locate government buildings and workers in the nation’s capital is no longer a necessity.

We live in an age where faceto-face meetings can be easily replaced by real-time data transmission and live-streaming video. And let’s be honest: Not only is conducting business from diversified locations safer, but much more efficient, since it reduces workers shooting the bull, repeating themselves 38 times in meetings, and making countless stops to the water cooler. Everyone should be at the top of their game, especially public servants responsible to taxpayers.

Millions want to serve in government, but for most, moving to Washington (America’s fifth-most expensive city) is not in the cards. Those in Madison, Dubuque and Santa Fe should not have to see their patriotic desires waste away simply because they can’t trek across the country. With America’s government spread across the “frontier,” millions could fulfill vital roles while maintaining their lifestyle at home.

The cost of living in D.C. is astronomical, a price tag largely shouldered by taxpayers who must fund vastly inflated government salaries and services.

Decentralizing Washington would be good stewardship of the people’s money, as government buildings could be sold at a premium, and salaries in the heartland would be a fraction of what they are in the capital. Operations would be more efficient and exponentially cheaper, building rents would be lower, and traveling government employees would be staying in Holiday Inns in Kansas versus Marriotts in Washington.

When facing disaster, private companies implement disaster recovery/business continuity plans by utilizing redundant facilities, resulting in near-seamless operations.

So why isn’t our government doing the same? It’s great that a top official is “safe” in case of the unthinkable, but who will he be communicating with if everyone, and everything, is either destroyed or inoperable?

If our government diversifies so that folks in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Mississippi can keep operations going, no matter what, we will have given our future generations a priceless gift: America’s survivability.