Reader: Reduce government, increase happiness
In the 2016 presidential election, why did the voters, including substantial numbers of Democrats, vote for Donald Trump?
Because they know that the Democrat “tax and spend” policies don’t work, and that Republican tax cutting and free market economic policies do work.
And they were right!
The results have been phenomenal: Record high employment rates for minorities; record low unemployment rates; increased tax revenues flowing into the federal coffers, etc.
So, in the 2018 mid-term elections, why did the voters decide to put the Democrats back in power in the House of Representatives?
Could it be that they don’t believe it wise to have one party in full control of all the federal branches of government?
Or did they vote the Democrats in hoping that some of that revenue could be used to give them more free stuff, or to at least preserve existing spending programs. Not much chance of getting any new free stuff because of the Republicancontrolled Senate, and because there is not enough revenue coming in, yet, to even balance the budget.
Some people are complaining that because of the division between the two parties, nothing is being accomplished in Congress.
Others say that that is a good thing, that the less the federal government does, the better off we will be.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful, however, if congressional Republicans and Democrats, liberals, conservatives and independents would all get together and vote to get the federal government out of the welfare business and social services business, and let state and local government, charitable organizations, private businesses, corporations, unions, etc., handle it? Many private businesses, corporations and other organizations have employee benefit programs such as healthcare, retirement plans, etc.
Thomas Jefferson reportedly once said (something like), “The best government is that which governs least.” And Ronald Reagan, during the 1980 presidential campaign, said, “All problems should be resolved at the lowest level of responsibility possible.”
I think those two gentlemen would smile and nod in approval if the members of Congress moved to reduce the size and scope of the federal government and let the people of the 50 different states work out the solutions to problems and come up with ways to achieve the good life.
Robert Rakestraw Rome