Our economic woes; a reality check, hockey style!

A second economic depression on it's way??? Probably not, but our Country is in SERIOUS economic trouble and you could say i'm a little freaked out now. The stock market's nose dive this week is just a preview of the wild ride to come. Yes it has alot to do with people living above their means, buying more home that they can afford and racking up some serious credit card debt, but there's alot more to the problem. So what gives??? Well, our government for one; it gives, and gives out millions of dollars in a never ending wastethon. I could go on and on, but the short version is that the government has promised FAR more than it can ever afford, and it all boils down to a massive distortion in the division of responsibilty. It's a simple concept really, In fact we're teaching it to our kids right now with the kittens we got for them and with a chores for allowance program. Kids take out the trash and cat litter, clean their rooms, do the dishes, and we pretty much do everything else. In reality, the division of labor is like 1% kids, 99% Mom and Dad (even though in their minds we're brutal slave drivers breaking half a dozen child labor laws). My point is, problems quickly arise when people disagree on who is responsible for what. It happens on the family level and there are a few arguments and door slams, it happens on a national level to the extreme over decades, and we have an economic crisis. I'm afraid too many citizens see themselves as the kids in the example, and the government as the parents, and even worse, many in the goverment see it that way! In essence we live in an entitlment society, and it could just destroy us. I'm not saying the government shouldn't be there to help people, as long as it's helping us help ourselves. If we lean on Uncle Sam too much, the complacency can turn dangerous. This was made manifest in the Katrina disaster. Thousands of people suffered horribly, and the government really REALLY screwed up the rescue effort. Obviously no one in that situation deserved any suffering they went through, it just concerns me that the media and seemingly everyone else focused ONLY on what the government did or did not do. Let me explain it this way; my family lives on a tropical island that is pretty much guaranteed a devastating hurricane every 5 years. On base here, they make many recommendations which are largely adhered to. For instance, having a modest food AND water storage, mobile 72 hour kits, cash on hand (as ATM's are out of order), and owning a portable generator w/ fuel supply just to name a few. As far as we know, every neighbor of ours follows these guidelines. As a result, the people here are a little uncomfortable for a couple weeks without power, including air conditioning, running water, and other luxuries, but they avoid any true crisis. Now some of you reading this now might be thinking i'm a big heartless jerk who "shouldn't talk cause I wasn't there", or say that Katrina was far worse than most that hit here, but if so then you miss my point. It's true that all the preparation and boy scout like lifestyle couldn't have saved everyone in New Orleans, and the government should of course respond to it's citizens in peril, but it MUST be acknowledged that a HUGE amount of the suffering was due to people taking virtually no personal responsiblity to prepare as mentioned above, and evacuating despite ample warning. It's like a kid playing in the street with a car's headlight's shining on them thinking to themselves "Mom will get me if it's not safe." I mention this not to harp on the victims there, most of them are great people who suffered a horrible tragedy. I mention it because a similar tragedy is happening to our whole country in a slower, less dramatic, but just as dangerous way. As a nation we need more than just a tax cut here, or cuts in a program there; we need a fundamental attitude adjustment on what the government is really responsible for. To simplify it, let's explain it in a simple yes/no format. For starters: Protecting us.........YES. The military is one place budget cuts should NOT be made. As always we need to spend smarter, and adjust with the times and threats, but spend we must in this category. Student Loans....sure, because it's a LOAN, not a handout, so the government will get the money back PLUS it's a good investment in that the education will likely lead to a higher-taxpaying citizen with a better job. Healthcare.......NO WAY. I don't need to even expound on this because we have plenty of fellow western nations who've already played guinea pig for us and embarked on this disasterous road to provide all the evidence we need. Retirement.....absolutely not. Anyone of even modest income working for 25 years with just basic economic discipline can fund their own retirment. Social Security should of course not be cancelled on those receiving it now, but people my age, 30's and younger, do not need Uncle Sam to pay for our sunset years.

Another symptom of this overspending disease is manifest in the blatant disregard for the sacredness of money known as pork barrel spending. Democrats and Republicans alike are involved in this disgusting behavior. For example: The pork going through one Senator alone, Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) totaled 47,326,000 including: $12,733,000 for Western Arctic Parklands; $7,000,000 for Alaska conveyance; $4,000,000 for a visitors center at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge; $1,100,000 for the Matunuska-Susitna Borough; $750,000 for the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park; $450,000 for the Bering Sea Fisherman’s Association; $400,000 for the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center; $150,000 for the Alaska Whaling Commission; and $98,000 for the Alaska Sea Otter Commission. (Source: Citizens against government waste). The government has spent, and promised, so much more than it can ever afford it's ALMOST beyond repair. TAKE 10 MINUTES AND GOOGLE "comptroller general glenn beck" and watch the You Tube Glenn Beck's interview w/ the US Comptroller General David Walker explaining the true scope of the problem. I'm talkin' Halloween on steroids scary.
The answer? As mentioned above, the most important step is getting out of this entitlment mentality, but there are other important steps. For starters, we need a President who will stop the wasteful spending and treat the government more like a business, a business with the responsibility to balance the books. For that reason most of all, and others, Mitt Romney has simply got to win the White House this fall. It's not all on the president though. Joe Q citizen is definately doing his/her share to lead us all down the slippery slope. Buying homes we can't afford with interest only loans that a kindergartner should know are bad news..."get out your crayons class and color your flags red." Living beyond our means for year after year can only last so long. The market will always have to correct and correct it will. Limited government, living financially responsible lives, and voting Romney. All right, that's enough...for now.