Walk The Walk

This morning, while getting ready for work, a local radio program provided a wonderful example of why changing the status quo may be nearly impossible.  The morning talk show on KCPS featured a question and answer time with Senator Chuck Grassley.  One of the topics was a GOP move to eliminate much of the "social" spending in Washington.  A caller, known for being conservative, even more libertarian, told Grassley that cutting spending was a great idea; however, he encouraged the senator to use discretion and not touch some "re-employment" program that is well-used in Southeast Iowa.  Translation: cut the pork, but not our pork.

This is what American politics is.  We elect people to go to Washington and bring back the goodies.  For example, Grassley's counterpart, Sen Harkin thought that "Cap-And-Trade" was a great policy to save the planet, something that all should embrace...wait, not everybody.  The farmer's livestock in Iowa produce huge amounts of methane.  Cap-And-Trade, according to the Iowa senator, needed exceptions for his voting base.  Translation: its okay to raise costs on business in other states, but not on my state.

Conservatives, Tea-Party members, libertarians, many of them talk a good game, but only when it doesn't affect them.  There is always the program that touched a family member's life, and because of one anecdotal instance, it is necessary government spending.  Everything else needs to go.

For change to happen, we must be selfless.  If I'm going to cut someone else's program and clamor about the bloated nature of our nanny-state government, I have to be willing to have my program defunded.