Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald Oct. 11, 2010

We seem to have a perception that the economy in our area is not so good but it is in reality somewhat better than other places in the United States. As of June the Texas employment commission reported that 11.7% of the workers in Cameron County were not employed. If we look back only to 2007 only 5.5% were unemployed. The last time that employment was worse was in 1992 when 16.9% were not working but at that time it was the norm. Then in 1994 came N.A.F.T.A. a big boost to free trade with Clinton as President and the Republican controlled Senate to ratify it.
The prognosticators are telling us that at least one house in Congress will change hands and possibly both. If that is so, could it not be that another economic improvement is in the cards?
Certainly there needs to be a change! Only 28% approve of the performance of the President and 43% disapprove. Worse yet the trends are pointing lower. Congress is abysmally lower.
President Bush at the worst had an approval rate of 32% in June 2008.
Strangely enough only 21% feel the economy is getting better, which might lead one to believe there is some correlation. Then we see that nationally 9.5% of all those willing to work cannot find a job. Statewide Texas is not so bad with only 8.5% unemployed. As of June the Texas employment commission reported that 11.7% of the workers in Cameron County were not employed. If we look back only to 2007 only 5.5% were unemployed. The last time that employment was worse was in 1992 when 16.9% were not working but similar statistics had been common until NAFTA happened.
If you consider the news reports from any source it would seem that the goal of the Obama administration is to be better than the Bush years. In reality though what can he really do?
The reality of national political success or lack thereof depends not on the Executive administration but on the legislature. The Congress actually proscribes what is done and how much the President can accomplish, which is in reality only to change the direction by saying no with a veto.
To attribute blame or compliments one must look to the control of Congress during the downhill periods. From 2007 thru 2010 the Democrats controlled both the Senate and the House of Representatives and in the last two years was not even mediated by political divisions. In fact President Bush began the excessive spending on credit in the last two years of his administration.
Our nation is in a mess, barely 21% of public approve and 71% absolutely disapprove of what the Congress is doing and the President has not gotten gold stars either.
From 2007 thru 2008 to the present of the Bush administration, the Congress was led by the Democrats and may well be blamed for today’s problems though the Republicans did little to slow the spending..
President Clinton 1993 to 2001 had a Republican Senate from1993 to 2001, and a Republican controlled House 1995-2001 which may arguably be responsible for the economic successes. At the very least it appears that when there is a contentious Congress the administration has better over all results or at least less economic problems.
So if you look backwards at the different administrations’ results “We the people seem to have fared somewhat better with a conservative Congress and a Democratic administration. I think it might even be better with some real negotiation as we might see with a Libertarian Caucus of Congresspersons to provide alternative ideas.
Thomas Jefferson provided an excellent guide for the nation to follow when he wrote, “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
In the two plus centuries the government has grown bigger and bigger to assure that some activity never causes trouble again or to fix things that are not broke or even control things that are the providence of the states or the people. If you go to the internet and search for A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies you will find hundreds of entities whose functions appear in other offices as well and are frequently duplicated at state and local levels not to mention the White House Czar Offices that provide the same function.
Consider just the issue of education and you find: Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), and the Education Department (ED). The education of our children is a function that is not specified in the Constitution and is therefore reserved to the states and the people. In fact it is dangerous for the central government influence what is taught to the folks thereby controlling our minds. Then there are government offices that just seem out of place. Do they really need an office just deal with on day a year like Veterans Day National Committee or such things as controlling Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Community Planning and Development.
Every new administration invents more and more government to fix things that were supposed to be fixed by several previous agencies.
Perhaps there is a reason but why not assemble a cross section of folks similar to those that began the original 13 states and start over with a new Constitutional Convention or at least remove functions like the education related federal agencies and other functions not specifically authorized by the constitution and let the states and localities manage their own responibilities. The money saved may well pay our debts in a short time.
Mr. Jefferson also hinted at future problems when he said To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Our nation is vastly conflicted as can easily be seen from the many polls described in the various news entities every day and the views diverge with every new daily crisis.
At the least we need a new crop of political leaders that will not continue to expand government and take on more debt. Save your future; vote in November.