"When the Top .5 percent of Americans have over 90 percent of the wealth, the election process loses its balance and fairness."

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We lack confidence, doubt competence
By Byron McNutt, October 12, 2014

Voltaire warned us in 1764 when he said, “In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.”

We will be heading to the polls in just a few weeks (Nov. 4) and the wisdom of Maxine, of Shoebox Greetings fame, has never been more true when she said, “Voting is like choosing your favorite mosquito out of a swarm.”

A number of public opinion polls have shown that a majority of Americans have lost confidence in our government and question the competence of the senior leadership in most government agencies. Take the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Administration, Secret Service, Social Security, Medicare-Medicaid, and Obamacare for example.

We all know the world has gotten a lot more complicated in the last decade, or two. People have looked to our federal government for the answers, and frankly, most of the problems facing us today don’t have easy, simple answers. Therefore, problems are passed on from one administration to the next.

In any case, here are five statements we need to remember as we elect new representatives to state and federal offices.

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my friends is the end of any nation.

5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

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With another election cycle in play, it is a good time to revisit our dysfunctional campaign financing system. Attempts to fix the problems don’t seem to work. Those folks in a position to make changes for the good of the people won’t because they benefit from the mess.

Opponents of limiting campaign contributions say it violates the First Amendment. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts defended the decision by saying “it is not the role of the government to level the playing field.” Then, whose role is it?

Electing our leaders has always been the product of an unsavory process. Campaigning is a dirty business. Power is at stake and winning is the only acceptable outcome. No matter what the laws and rules are, the people who live and breathe the game will always find ways to funnel money to their favorite candidate or cause.

Maybe the amount of money spent in a campaign season wouldn’t offend us so much if political ads were required to be true, accurate and positive. Attack ads often make us squeamish and feeling insulted.

The Supreme Court recently voted 5-4 to lift restrictions on the amount of money individuals can contribute to federal campaigns. The McCutcheon v. FEC decision was an attempt to rein in out-of-control costs of campaigns.

Something doesn’t seem right when billionaires like the Koch brothers, George Soros, Tom Perkins, Sheldon Adelson (just to name a few), plus all the political action committees and unions, can use their vast resources to influence (attempt to buy) the representatives of government, and to affect the course of democracy.

Two years ago, the campaigns of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama cost $7 billion, according to the Federal Election Commission. When the Top .5 percent of Americans have over 90 percent of the wealth, the election process loses its balance and fairness.

Our frustration with government is as old as time. Following are a few memorable thoughts expressed by well-known people. These unfortunate truths apply to periods ruled by both republicans and democrats.

1. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. – George Bernard Shaw

2. A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. – G. Gordon Liddy

3. Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. – James Bovard

4. Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.  –  Douglas Case

5. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.  –  Winston Churchill

6. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.  –  Thomas Jefferson
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