The High Cost of Hypocrisy

by

Ed Dedelow

Hypocrisy in government is not new, but, it has grown to mega proportions. There is a multitude of groups clamoring for power, profits and government subsidies. Politicians take up the causes of these groups for no other reason than to gain power. Once in power, they either shower these groups with government money, change legislation to favor their groups or just completely ignore them. This hypocrisy is paid for by the masses. Worse yet, many major media sources, covering this debacle on TV and in the newspapers and magazines, are closing their eyes to the misery being inflicted on the masses so as to empower a liberal government. If newspaper pundits ponder why viewers and readers are being lost, they need look no further than to the students who cannot read yet, graduate, and to the drop in discretionary income of the masses caused by excessive taxation.

This kowtowing to special interests has caused our government to expand to a point that the private sector can no longer support it. In one egregious act by Congress, intended to help the poor, an artist was paid tax payers money for placing a plastic cross in a jar of his urine. This is merely one example of the hypocrisy in our government. Wasteful spending by Congress and the plundering of consumers through laws motivated by special interests could more than pay for everyone's medical treatment and still allow for tax reductions.

Government is too big and the change demanded by the public is not more government. The following are examples of what Congress can do to make changes. As you read this, keep in mind that any cost of government is built into an investment and that investments in the private sector must be profitable to be practical.

Limit Class Actions and Other Lawsuits.

An unseen tax on virtually everything we buy stems from the high cost of malpractice insurance and settlement payments for lawsuits. In 1966, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were revised to allow attorneys with a single client to represent thousands in a class action lawsuit simply because potential claimants did not opt out. Although settlements for the clients often range from coupons to pennies, attorneys receive millions in fees. Businesses are often forced to settle regardless of their liability, to avoid costly litigation. Despite some relief from the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, legal fees and malpractice insurance costs raise the cost of our consumption by 6 cents for each dollar spent. The media has, for the most part, steered clear of the subject. I assume this is to avoid their own entanglements. Meanwhile, tort and other attorneys contribute millions of dollars to political candidates to enhance and defend laws that improve their livelihood.

Stop Funding Private Unions with Tax Dollars and Educate Members to Fight Big Government.

Many private unions are unable to adequately represent their members. Instead of protecting the industries from which union members derive their incomes, union leadership supports costly taxes, litigation and unnecessary regulation. The example of the declining auto industry should be lesson enough. Union leadership wants to regulate membership by denying potential members a secret ballot while seeking government funding to support their dying industry. Millions of dollars have been paid in political contributions over the last several decades to empower union leadership rather than to protect members.

Stop Government Unions from Making Political Contributions.

When Unions make political contributions essentially they are voting for their boss. Think about it, what if those in private industry could vote for the candidate who would be their boss? Would promises of increased wages and benefits be a consideration? If your teachers, police, firemen or any government employee union endorsed a candidate, would they not endorse the candidate who promised to increase wages and benefits and to protect union employees? Therefore, the union officials who gain power are those that make the greatest demands on the public purse.

The difference between a public entity and a private business is that the public pocket is seemingly bottomless whereas, private businesses falter when costs are too high. Wages and benefits for federal employees are twice those in the private sector according to Investor's Business Daily and, The Business Pundit reported that in New York City, 700 + teachers sit in empty classrooms waiting disciplinary procedures for months, even years, while being paid their full salary of $70,000 plus. (1) These are the kinds of wasteful things that result from being able to choose your own boss through political contributions.

End the Power Structure in Congress.

So, you believe we have equal representation? We do not. The seniority system and rules upheld by Congress place enormous power into the hands of the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority leader. This robs you of you right to equal representation, because these leaders designate who committee chairs will be. Voluntarily accepting term limitations would only turn power over to representatives who will not accept. Committee rules give the committee chairman dictatorial powers. These rules allow lobbyists to focus their efforts, their campaign contributions and, often, their legal or business contracts on a handful of representatives or related entities so as to obtain favors and benefits from legislation. Power over your representative is ensured with use of the pork barrel through which he or she can receive recompense for a vote.

When the Constitution was written, the individual who planned and sanctioned its creation never intended for there to be seniority or a power structure in our government. Consideration and equality of all individuals and the states was engrained in the Constitution with the intended result that no group or individual was to be given advantages over another.

There are other actions that can be taken to bring government under control and to rid us of the power of the special interests. Unfortunately, the media keeps hammering on the rich, on business and on private citizens while giving anyone who supports their socialist agenda a free pass. Unfortunately, the media really believe it is the right thing to do. The rich, however, will keep getting richer and the poor will continue to get poorer until they realize the wrong they are committing.

(1) http://www.businesspundit.com/700-ny-teachers-paid-70000-to-sit-in-rubber-rooms

Think about it.