Less Government
To the Editor:
On March 26, The Daily Signal published an article by Jeffrey Anderson, President of the American Main Street Initiative titled, The 5 Biggest Threats to America’s Principles and Way of Life. Anderson reminds the readers that back in 1838 Abraham Lincoln warned in an address he gave in Springfield, IL, in 1838 “that American citizens’ creeping disregard for the Constitution and laws risked exposing the nation to threats from talented but unscrupulous men who burn with ambition and would gladly tear down the handiwork of our founders to satisfy their dark desire for distinction.” Lincoln stipulated “that maintaining our freedom depends primarily upon three things: our general intelligence, our sound morality, and above all our reverence for the Constitution and laws, which he implores us to make “the political religion of the nation.”
Anderson added to Lincoln’s list the following additional threats: “the consolidation and centralization of power (in the hands of government or large corporations) and technological advances that have or threaten to have profoundly adverse effects on human industry, human worth, and even human nature.”
Anderson asked the question, “How are we doing?” His answer, “We seem to be getting stupider by the day.”
A headline in the Morning Bell on April 9 is an illustration of the current irreverence for the Constitution and the law: ‘Constitutional Zombies’: Lawsuit Alleges Bureaucrats Operating Outside Law to Target Trump-Appointed Investigators. We’ve seen judges dictating restraining orders beyond their jurisdictions crossing the lines of separation of powers.
We have witnessed lawfare that hasn’t solved anything; only exacerbated conflicts.
For the past four years the Biden Administration has exaggerated government inefficiency.
One example, the Biden Administration dedicated $42 -plus billion to create government broadband. Zero government broadband was created and zero people were connected to the internet. Due to excessive ‘red tape,’ the goal was never achieved and lots of money was spent in the effort. Trump’s DOGE committee has proven “government is too big, inefficient, and expensive.”
Texas is not immune to government inefficiency.
Grassroots America-We the People organization recently hosted fiscal hawk Jeramy Kitchen, President Texas Public Research who spoke on “The reckless, bloated Texas Budget.” Texas Scorecard News Digest has reported, “In a marathon session that lasted until after 3 a.m., the Texas House moved forward with its version of the state’s biennial budget, marking the largest budget in state history at $337 billion.”
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has provided a scathing review of SB 1, General Appropriations Act, (the budget sent to the House) claiming it increases spending without “enacting structural reforms and addressing inefficiencies.”
Craig DeLuz stated in a recent publication of The Daily Signal, “In the ongoing debate about the role of government in addressing societal issues, a crucial misconception often surfaces on one side: The desire to help others equates to a mandate for state intervention.
This reliance on government as the ultimate solution tends to obscure an essential principle: the freedom of individuals to choose how, or whether, to help.” He adds, “While people may be convinced of the altruism of their motives, it is crucial to expose the coercive mechanisms that such beliefs often entail. Liberty without responsibility fosters chaos. Allowing compassion to devolve into coercion threatens the very fabric of a free society. Continuous assessment of whether our methods align with our ideals is essential. True compassion does not impose; it empowers.”
Liberty means less government.
Cindy Rodibaugh Flatonia