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Budget

Managing federal finances is hard, but it does not have to be.

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The subject of the economy, jobs, taxes, spending, and the federal budget is far too large a topic to cover in depth at this location. There are of course nearly limitless details to account for when spending trillions of dollars in the federal budget. And limitless more details when discussing the economy, which is simply a study of the actions and decisions of our millions of fellow citizens. So, this writing will attempt to cover in broad strokes the philosophy of governance that is best to maintain a healthy economy in our country, and the guiding principles that will lead to the wisest choices in our shared federal budget.

Like the broad strokes of this writing, which will establish a framework and foundation on which the house of details will be most soundly built, the Federal Government should be doing the same thing in terms of its own budget, and its care and governance over our economy. My belief is that an organization as large as the Federal Government will never perform in a nimble, responsive, citizen-centric, or efficient way on any project it attempts to accomplish. Thus, we need to keep to a minimum, the amount of things it attempts to do. Like our Founders, I believe that a balance needs to be struck. Having the Federal Government try and accomplish too little will lead us towards Anarchy, which reduces individual freedom and opportunity. Having the Federal Government try and accomplish too much, will lead towards Tyranny, which reduces individual freedom and opportunity. Finding that sweet spot of activity for the Federal Government that will maximize the freedom and opportunity of We The People, allowing us live our lives in liberty and pursue our happiness, should be the goal.

I think that our Founders struck that balance very well. Not perfectly. But very well. Thus, my starting point for determining what activities the Federal Government should be pursuing are our Founding Documents. If our Declaration or Constitution do not delineate that an activity is in the purview of the Federal Government, then my belief is that activity should not be pursued by the Federal Government. Now, I certainly recognize that times change, and that our world today is vastly different than the one Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and the rest understood at the time they wrote those Documents. And fortunately for us, those divinely inspired Documents themselves provide the method for changing them as necessary to adjust to the differing circumstances each generation will be surrounded with. We need to follow this method to collectively change the guiding principles on which we pick the activities our Federal Government will try and accomplish. Not doing so will lead to legislating from the bench, an increase in corruption of our politicians, and an increase in the wasting of our resources that we all worked so hard to produce, among other deleterious effects. None of us would want to play a game where the rules were not known to all, and applied the same way to all participants. When our actions and choices in what projects the Federal Government will attempt to accomplish deviate from the written and clearly understood expectations, we create such an environment. Where the players, aka We The People, cannot make sound decisions on what will best promote our life, liberty, and happiness, because the foundational framework on which we are building our life houses is a shifting base. This will never allow for a solid life house to be built.

Currently today, our Federal Government is way outside of the bounds of the tasks our Founding Documents give for it to attempt to accomplish. Our society’s foundation and framework are far outside of the needed balance. And the scales are clearly tipped much too far to the side of tyranny. The Federal Government is trying to do too much. Thus, my goal in office will be to begin to move us towards a more balanced approach. This does mean that eventually the Federal Government will no longer participate in educating our children, saving for our retirement, or providing for our healthcare. I want to emphasize the word eventually. For many generations now Americans have grown accustomed to their Federal Government being involved in these areas of their lives. Thus we have built our life houses on the poor and shaky foundation provided. To remove this foundation, in spite of its poor design, too quickly would be worse than the shaky foundation itself. Misery and suffering would ensue. That would be cruel and unacceptable. However, we must not shrink from the fact that it is ultimately necessary for us to remove the Federal Government from these roles. A measured and thoughtful process will be needed. Wisdom will be required. Great care must be exercised as we move down this path. Yet, we will move forward confidently and persistently, knowing that our goal is proper and noble. Understanding that our aim will provide our citizenry with the maximum joy of liberty and opportunity. Proud of establishing for ourselves and our posterity a foundation and framework that has proven to be solid and sustainable.

For the Federal Government to be able to perform even the limited duties our Founding Documents give for it to try and accomplish, funds will be necessary. And our Founding Documents provide the power of obtaining those funds. Taxation. However, even the raising of revenue needs to always be looked at through the lens of maximizing the freedom and opportunity of individual citizens. It is also important to ensure that the taxes levied are simple to understand, easy to pay, and collected in a method convenient to the taxpayer, but without creating such a separation from the tax paying process that it invites apathy from the taxpayer – (such as today’s automatic deductions from our paychecks). The tax code we currently live under is none of these things. We The People have never desired a heavy-handed, distant, and impolite taskmaster who forcefully takes from us a portion of what we produced. And the tax code we currently live under is all of these things. This must change. Our 16th Amendment is unarguably now part of our Founding Documents. And thus, must be followed. However, I believe it should be repealed. Taxing the income of our citizens is not the wisest way to collect the needed funds to operate our National Government. I am personally in favor of a national sales tax, in combination with the correct levels of tariffs and import duties on goods being brought into our country. However, a flat tax, or fair tax, or even the idea of taxing only businesses rather than individuals at all, all have merit. A healthy debate over which route is best to obtain the money we must have in Washington D.C. in the least obtrusive manner possible will be beneficial to our culture. One thing for sure, most of the current methods and institutions for collecting taxes need to be done away with.

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