The Liberal paintbrush...the Conservative truth

The Liberal paintbrush…..the Conservative truth

 

With a few strokes of the Left wing paint shop, I can be described to hate people, to hate children, to be for taxing the poor and granting relief to the rich.  This is the type of errant rhetoric that has been perpetrated by the media and in turn seems to be believed by the masses that swing to the other side of the spectrum.

Myth number 1:  Because I do not want to pay more taxes to the Federal Government I must not want a Federal Government and the help it brings to people in need.

The fact that I do not want to grant the Federal Government any more of my property does not mean that I am against the Federal Government.  It does not mean that I oppose everything it stands for and do not want it to exist.  As a “liberal” friend of mine says, “if you do not want to pay any more taxes, then you must want to live in Somalia!”  This is his version of a country with no Government and hence his perceived utopia for my sovereign land of “not paying more taxes.”  This person actually believes that I want no Government.  As if I do not believe in and adhere to the Constitution, as drafted and signed by the Framers in 1787.  As if I do not like having laws that protect my rights and property, as if I do not enjoy the clean water and the relatively safe food supply.  As if I am sorry that they put fire escapes in buildings and have minimum safety standards to protect us.  This is simply not so.  This is an attack made popular by the Left and has become a mantra for the democratic voter.   This is such a farce and twisting of reality for the gain of political sway that it amazes me that it actually gets played and believed by the MSNBC crowd.

First, to understand my position let’s clear a few hurdles before continuing on the march of truth.

Income and wealth are different.  Income is the amount you make in a year and it is what Federal income tax is based upon.  Wealth, is the amount of property and cash that a person has.  A person can have a huge amount of wealth and yet no income.  If you stuff your mattress with money and use it to buy what you need, you have lots of wealth but no income.  You can also have an income but very little wealth.  If you live pay check to paycheck (like most of us in the Obama recovery) you have income and pay taxes on it but you do not have any wealth.

Second, during the last four years, the Government has spent a little over 1 trillion dollars more than it has taken in to its coffers.  It spends more than it receives.  You will hear that this has always happened because of Reagan!  Well, it has been happening longer than that.  A little known truth is that this country has carried a debt since its creation, in some form or another.  Even less well known, even though President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich balanced the yearly budget (deficit) and created a net positive revenue, the debt continued to rise; it has always gone up, even under the helm of Mr. Clinton, for the most part over the last 100 years, with a few tiny exceptions. 

Long term debt: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm

So we have this issue, the debt is going up, this is the long term debt held by the country.  The deficit, the year to year budgeted amount vs. incoming revenue is in the red, at the moment by an amount over 1 trillion dollars.  Hard to pin down since this congress, the Congress of Obama, has yet to pass a budget in four years; 4 years!  Our Federal Government, designed to operate and run the country to support the Constitution and its citizens, has not produced a budget in 4 years!  Democrat and Republican alike, nothing.

Year to year deficit: http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_deficit_chart.html

I look at this information.  I look at it like a fiscal Conservative that I am, no social implied; fiscal only, and I ask, “how much more does the Federal Government need?”  The democrat would say, “we need more revenue to fund the Government.”  I say, “we need less Federal Government spending.”  I do not confuse the democratic view with wanting Communism but I have to ask why is restricting the size and scope of the federal Government such a bad view?  Why am I attacked for thinking it is spending that is out of control?  Why is a person or household or city or Country living within their means wrong?

This is the Conservative conundrum that leaves me wondering why am I seen as the evil rich guy that wants to abolish the Federal Government?  Why was Mitt Romney or any Republican attacked for wanting to reduce the spending of the federal Government?  Joe Biden called me draconian.  President Obama called me unpatriotic.  Why?  Paul Ryan suggested slowing the growth of spending, not cutting, but slowing and he was attacked for it.  They tied him to the idea of wanting people to starve and die.   Did you know the Government has built in increases in spending every year?  Already done, this percentage more next year.  Mr. Ryan only suggested to slow this increase or, most evil of all, freeze the spending level.  And he paid a handsome price for wanting to save the country.

The Federal Government has a few enumerated powers, well documented in the Constitution.  I see the need for and support the use of these powers to have a Federal Government.  I do not see the need for more Federal Government than outlined.  I do not see the need for more spending and more programs and more over sight than currently exists.  This does not mean that I do not want a Federal Government or I do not want the safety nets in place to help those people most in need.

Stop confusing my beliefs with a left wing brush stroke.