Trust is the cornerstone of our republic democracy.
Whether it be the delicate social contract embodied in our Constitution or the transactions that we engage in every day – trust is the fabric that ties it all together.
The debate over the relationship between government and the governed is not new. From the Old Testament to the age of Greek philosophy, from the New Testament to the Middle Ages – history is replete with tyrannical, obtrusive and inept examples of government at the expense of everyday citizens.
The U.S. Government Accountability office recently concluded that more than $2.4 trillion worth of avoidable errors have been rendered over the last 20 years. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
BIDEN SIGNS DEBT CEILING BILL, AVOIDING GOVERNMENT DEFAULT
A big part of the disconnect between the government and the citizens it was created to serve stems from the lack of responsibility and sense of urgency in better stewardship over public funds. The U.S. Government Accountability office recently concluded that more than $2.4 trillion – that’s trillion with a “t” – worth of avoidable errors have been rendered over the last 20 years.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently noted that Congress has failed to reauthorize 1,118 appropriations that expired before the beginning of fiscal year 2022, while still spending $461 billion this year on programs that have expired authorizations. Sadly, $203 billion has been appropriated for programs that expired over a decade ago.
Credit rating agencies agree with Americans in recent downgrades of the credit worthiness of our U.S. government’s ability to reduce annual deficits and contain overall debt growth. A recent survey indicates that over eight in 10 Americans believe that both Congress and the president should prioritize this unsustainable liability we are imposing on future generations of citizens.
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The undeniable truth is that close to half of all of our spending is related to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Without a substantive discussion on reforming these programs, we won’t ever get close to the goal of reining in escalating costs of maintaining government – namely the interest payments on servicing debt, which is projected to exceed national defense spending by 2028.
We must remind our fellow Americans of our unassailable rights to scrutinize, demand and expect efficient and effective government. We need more courage from candidates and elected officials to fearlessly champion new approaches to reduce the size and scope of government and reform bureaucracies that make America less competitive.
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