This probably isn't what our Founding Fathers had in mind

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

There's something in common among Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett and President Obama, Speaker Boehner and Senate leader Reid down in Washington.
They're all jerks.
Anyone with a fourth-grade appreciation of American governmental structure understands that the Founding Fathers abhorred absolutism. They wanted nothing to do with anything resembling a king.
What is the essence of kingship?
It was captured beautifully on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" by the character of Captain Piccard. When he wanted something to be done, he said, "Make it so," and, behold, it was so.
Corbett stupidly said "No new taxes." Now, leaders of Pennsylvania's government are looking stupid as they try to invent new words, or assign new meanings to existing words, because Pennsylvania clearly needs a severance tax on Marcellus shale gas extraction and Corbett would officially look dumb - as opposed to his current status, unofficially looking dumb - if he acknowledged the reality.
As for Obama, his determination is to restore Clinton-era tax rates, regardless of whether the country goes to hell in a handbasket. Reid is right there with him.
Boehner and the tea party adherents pulling him rightward want no new taxes, a la Corbett.
It makes perfect sense to end farm subsidies to agribusinesses and oil companies, and to increase taxes on people whose incomes exceed $250,000 a year.
But the Republicans remember when Ronald Reagan enthusiastically led a charge to cut taxes, because he knew, he just knew, that Democrats led by Tip O'Neill would never keep spending high and increase federal deficits ... would they?
O'Neill cheerfully kept the spending high, and why not? Since 1994, he has been in his grave, and the deficits he spawned would be the next generation's problem (fast-forward: It's now 2011, and we are the next generation).
So Obama, Reid, Boehner and Corbett twiddle and twaddle while the nation sinks toward default.
The United States, once the greatest nation in the world, is quite close to becoming a welsher, a bum, a country that doesn't keep its promises and doesn't pay its debts. The Republican tea party adherents make all sorts of nice sounds about "restoring America," but the reality is that we owe the money that was borrowed to pay for past spending, wisely or unwisely, and to default is to cheat investors of their promised income.
As for the Democrats, they don't get it: The American people will agree to some higher taxes, but we are finished with going along with deficit spending.
So, we need new people in office next year, to preside over what's left of what was once a great nation.