A great example of this is what happened this week when I worked on Barb's Bike. Her rear tire went flat so I took it to the bike shop to have the tire replaced and the bearings in the wheel greased. It takes a special tool to take off the gears and I didn't possess the right tool. When I put it back on the bike, the quick disconnect that holds the wheel on was closed around the derailleur cable. (My error) The bike would shift up but the spring didn't have enough force to let it go to a lower gear. The unintended consequence was that it seemed to work OK but in fact would only shift down when she hit a bump.
I think there is a lot of this kind of thing going on in Washington. I think there have been tons and tons of things done to help make our lives better for whatever reason. The sad part is that if there are unintended Consequences of those actions, the people that made the initial action seem hell bent on keeping that action alive and unchanged. It is that rigidity that causes me the most distrust in the system.
Our laws are based on Old English Law, but as times change, so have the laws. There was a time when you would be put in stocks and put on display is you did something really stupid. Now we hardly want to put people in prison for serious things. First time offenders are often given probation or diversion for fairly major crimes. If that is an example, we know how to change. Now, back to the central theme. Lets look at Social Security. It was clearly a give away a lot like a Ponzi Scheme for the people in the program early. The were able to draw much more that then put in or their money would have earned if they lived ling enough. Now that the Baby boomers are retiring in droves as well as the number of workers on the decline, the system is projected to run out in 2033. Actually, there is only enough money to pay 75% of the amount needed. Clearly there needs to be something done to restore the program. Thanks to the AARP and the threat of not getting elected next time, the congress seems unable to make the needed change. Pay more into the system or less in benefits is the solution. Do you think there is a solution in the works. Hell NO!
I guess as an old retired Army Guy, I have seen changes come and go and while I have a tendency to want things to be stable, I understand that the world changes. It is the change that is supported and that is allowed based based on the amount of trust we have in our leaders. What has anyone in Congress done that restores our faith that they have a clue what is wrong let alone how to fix it? What are the major things you think are in need of work? here is my short list:
- Spending needs to reflect not only the need to match income, but a payback to the amount we have in the hole to cut the cost of funding that debt. Clinton got a lot of credit for balancing the budget but he didn't have any debt payback in there so all he did was move in the right direction not solve our problem.
- National Identity Cards would go a long way to helping our Government know who we are and what we do. It is one of the back bones of the Military and I think that it should be the basis for support anyone gets or gives to our Government. The funny part is that I can't see how any kind of Health Care legislation can work without a centralized controlling card. It would help control voter fraud, immigration (both legal and illegal) and eliminate the need for a Census as the government would know up to date who is here and where they live. Tie the Post Office, Social Security, the Phone Company and the utility data bases together and bingo, everyone would need to be on the grid. I think we are a heck of a lot more tied to the government than anyone wants to admit right now.
- Change the way we tax. Base it on all sources of money paid and focus on the payers not the payees. Take what you need and leave us the hell alone. If the system already knows what I make, why would I have to file every April? Why would someone that buys a big old house benefit more than a person that lives frugally? (More Frugal, cheaper) If it costs the government 13 cent, or any cents, of every dollar, take it up front and let me decide what to do with what's left over. Close the loopholes and make everyone pay on any money they get from anywhere. Investments, savings, welfare, income from work or anywhere it comes from, all pay a little. No big shot exemptions no little guy escaping Scott free. I saw a bumper sticker once that said, "Ass, grass or gas, no one rides for free."
- All Legislation should have a cost/benefit analysis attached and a sunset provision. Trust me, if something is good enough an idea, it will come up as needing saved. Gold Medal winners have a countries worth of fathers and bastards often are left out of the family will.
- One third of the Congress's time should be spent on where do we want to go, 1/3rd of their time on where we have been and 1/3 of the time on figuring out what it all costs. I think they charge forward blindly and lack a clue on where we have been. With a 14 Trillion Dollar national debt there is no doubt that they think money is free and don't know how to pay for the new stuff let alone pay the old debts.
MUD
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