Private vs Public Questions

Last saturday was the Davis County Republican Convention in Kaysville.

I tried to arrive early because I had a really important question that I wanted to ask the candidates...but to no avail I could one find one of them...so I wandered around refusing signs and literature and sickers from all the candidates ..I'm not into looking like a billboard and resorted to reading my book in the auditorium.

The beginning was a lot of policy and procedure...ratifying constitutions, motioning and seconding, dabating and redebating changes, people only worried about getting done on time. And then we heard from Senater Hatch and a few other politicans who are not running for re-election. Then we split into districts and heard the local politicans give their speaches and then we voted.

After the voting I finally got to ask my question. One of our local senators was asked to "fill" in the time while the vote was counted and so after a short speech he took some questions and answers...most were on education, health care, the 10th ammendment, ethics, etc. I decided I would ask him my question.

"My question is an economic question....It has come to my attention that 58% of all the working population in Utah are employed by the Government..state or federal. This is not including people who are on social security or on medicare or receiving welfare assistance threw the government. How do you expect 42% of the population to pay for the other 58% of the popluation as well as their own families and others who need assistance?" His response "This is a good question. I wish more people thought about that question."...next question

The man next to me started up a dialogue though...he is on the base appropriations committe and he said...well, those numbers are a bit skewed because of the base and the irs in Ogden. I said yes, I agree and then he said and do you know what it would do to us if the base was closed...yes and I am not saying we should not have a military. What I am saying is that we do not need a base in Italy and Japan and England to defend our borders. We do not need 100 people doing a job that 10 people could do. There is definately some fat in our system...at the state level, the federal level, the local level, in our schools, in our public works, in our land management. We need to privatize many things so that the tax dollar is not paying for it. (see my post..what is seen and un-seen, when I finish it that is :) )

For example recently a small town in northern Utah seeing a problem with their budget decided to close a school. They decided to close the oldest school in the town and to try to relocate the teachers and students to other schools. There was a public outcry and so they held a meeting where the people voted to keep all the schools open. Some of the public's reasoning was....my family has attended this school for five generations and I want my children to be able to receive their education there.....if you close this school my child won't be able to walk to school....if you close this school it will cost us money to bus them other places, etc. So they voted and for nostalgic reasons...and nonsensical ones, they decided to keep open all the schools...despire the budget issues. To borrow a saying from a friend of mine THINK MEN THINK! Are emotional resons, exercise reasons and busing issues really worth going further into debt and spending more of our tax dollars toward?

I am not trying to point fingers at anyone who has a job that is paid for by the government. What I am trying to point out is that there is a HUGE problem and that if we don't take a good look at it we are going to have some serious ramifications....ever heard of indentured servants?

Now add to that the fact that when they created social security there were 5 workers for every 1 claiming social security benefits. Now there are 2.8 workers for every 1 social security recipient. Within the next 20 years there will be 2 workers for every 1 social security recipient...this is not even mentioning how we will pay for medicare, obama care, or our trillion dollar national debt.

stepping down from the soap box...

At the conference we also got to hear from candidates running for the Senate and governor. I am all for the guys who say I will not take a salary nor will I take a retirement from the government. I have made my fortune working in the private sector and I was to serve...hurah! My favorite of the day though was our current senator Bennett who said...it's not about the money, it's not about the constitution (it's not?), it's not about who's right and who's wrong, it's about who can get the job done. BOOOOO....I don't really boo people I think it is rude but I wanted to shout out loud...I DISAGREE!

On a positive note...the guy I didn't want to win lost! Hurray my faith is restored in the people. And the underdog...the guy I liked the best...WON! There is Justice and Truth in America. And I must admit I learned a lot being a delegate. It is a great way to get involved and learn about the process. Getting involved is the only way we can have a voice and strive to make a difference.