Posted on 08/31/2004 9:05:24 PM PDT by calif_reaganite
The Greedy Hand of Government
As I was waiting to ring the NASDAQ opening bell on Monday with Congressman Dreier and several other members of the California delegation, I realized that only in America could an honor of this magnitude be bestowed upon me. Indeed, we are fortunate enough to live in a country where if someone is willing to invest hard work into the pursuit of his objectives, there is no limit to what he can achieve.
Our free market system epitomizes the nature of America as the land of opportunity. The freedom to make deals with others without undue government interference is a fundamental God-given right, absent which, no free society can exist as such. Governments that reject free markets universally bring about poverty and oppression to all but themselves and rarely last long. This is precisely why my fellow Republicans and I are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with a President who is firmly and unequivocally committed to the free market system.
We have witnessed our very own state being brought to the brink of a fiscal abyss by an irresponsible and insatiable state government. Overtaxation coupled with bloated bureaucracies and innumerable and oppressive regulations caused countless Californians to leave the State for good and likewise exiled our businesses or choked them into outright collapse. Many more reforms are needed to restore our State to its glory days, chief among them being a spending cap firmly tying government spending to the rate of population growth and inflation, thus curbing the voracious appetite of California Democrats for the taxpayers’ money.
President Bush understands the basic principle that the money earned by taxpayers belongs to them and not to the government. With this assumption in mind, the President embarked on an ambitious agenda to provide real tax relief to all Americans. Despite the rhetoric of the Left, the President’s commitment to tax relief and economic liberty, such as reducing federal regulations, quickly ended the recession that he inherited and put our country back on track to a booming economy.
In fact, since the President’s tax cuts came into effect, there have been 11 straight months of job gains and the unemployment rate dropped to the lowest it has been since October 2001. Consumer confidence is at its highest level in two years and the national homeownership rate stands at almost 70% - an all time high.
To the gloom and doom spewing Left, however, statistics are meaningless as they deride the President’s commitment to economic freedom. Most of these individuals stand behind Michael Moore – a vicious anti-American traitor and a guest of honor at the Democratic National Convention - who still insists that life in Saddam’s Iraq was almost paradise. No wonder reality is unconvincing to these folks.
Over two centuries ago, Thomas Paine remarked that, “We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute.” His words, unfortunately, ring true to this day, as the ever-insatiable politicians look for a variety of ways to tax and regulate.
It is truly refreshing, however, to know that the Republican Party along with President Bush stand behind the free market system, upon which rests the very essence of this country. As Convention goes on, further parallels will be drawn between the President and his opponent and I don’t doubt that the interests of liberty will once again prevail over the greedy hand of government.
IGOR BIRMAN is a member of the California delegation. He is a 22-year-old law student from Oakland.
It's easy to spend someone else's money. What's hard is spending someone else's money wisely.
Pretty words, but it doesn't match the reality.
The spending under Republicans is completely out of control... or hasn't he noticed.
"The spending under Republicans is completely out of control..."
Maybe, when taken out of historical context. Remember, we are fighting a world war these days. If you compare current spending levels to the levels in the previous 2 world wars, Korea, or Vietnam we're actually doing ok.
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