A few weeks ago, I wrote a post (Masters and Servants) saying that our nation’s forefathers had conveived a system that asked citizens to step up to serve the public. I complained that the original concept had morphed into a system characterized by the “servants” becoming the masters. I groused that our public servants had started out to do good and had ended up doing well. I suggested that it might be time for a change.
Perhaps we can examine that idea in a bit more detail. It seems to me that the people we send to the Nation’s capital to
write our laws and social programs ought to be participating in the program that they write. Somehow, we have decided to allow the servants of the people to assume ultimate superiority over the people. That makes no sense.
Let’s look at a few examples:
My “public servants” force my employer to take approximately 6% from my paycheck and send it to them for Social Security. They have effectively informed me that they are infinitely more capable of planning for my elder years, than I am – smarter and more financially sophisticated, I suppose. They say the program is good for me and I might be inclined to believe them, except for one thing. They have arrogantly exempted themselves from the system, opting instead for a system that is much more prolific and profitable. I will end up with retirement payments of less than $2,000 per month from Social Security. If I had been allowed to direct 6% of my salary into investments of my own choosing, I would have a retirement income well into six figures. I base this on the historical performance of a mutual fund that I have used for several years. But I can’t. They know best what is good for Americans, so it is illegal for me to manage my own retirement. On the other hand, members of Congress elected after 1983 pay into the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Those elected before that paid into the Civil Service Retirement Program (CSRP). Four hundred eleven retired Congressmen from the CSRP make an average of $55,788 per year in addition to the pensions triggered by their public service, which vary somewhat. Lawmakers retiring from the FERS program make an average of $41,856 in addition to pensions.
No Social Security for them – just me and thee. Public servant? Maybe not.
Congress recently passed the Healthcare legislation, even though a vast majority of Americans did not want it. No matter. They know best – smarter and more financially sophisticated, remember? Let’s take a look at what we end up with, compared to what our “servants” end up with.
- The new law will add trillions to the cost of government over the next ten years, even though Congress told us it would save us money.
- It leave 36,000,000 Americans uninsured, even though we were told it would insure everyone.
- It cuts Medicare provider payment rates, at a time when Baby Boomers are just getting into the system. As a result, several doctors and national drug store chains have already opted out of Medicare at the exact time that Congress says millions more of us will have access to medical care.
- The government now tells us exactly what our health care plan will include – no more of this pesky make-your-own-decision stuff. They know best.
- After 2019, a large share of the financial burden leaves the federal government and gets shifted to the financially overburdened states. They can’t afford it and they don’t know how they will pay for it. The federal government doesn’t care. They know best.
- It discriminates against low income workers by forcing a level of coverage that employers often cannot sustain. It is literally more financially responsible for the employer to drop existing coverage, than accept the new law. They have the right to do that and in many cases they will have to, in order to stay in business.
- It is probably unconstitutional.
I’m sure you can deduce from this list that I was not thrilled about the new legislation, but that isn’t even the point. The point is this. We were told over and over by the President and both leaders of Congress that this was a plan that was good for Americans. But at the same time, they opted out of the plan for themselves and their families. That’s right. They have their own plan, which is MUCH more attractive than this one. Why? Because they are special. So much for public service.
When Andrew Jackson left Nashville for his stint in the White House, he rode his own horse – not a government issued “special” horse – his horse. Last year, Congress appropriated tens of millions of dollars to the Air Force to purchase several business jets, so they could travel in comfort on their many junkets. Why can’t they use scheduled airliners?
Most Congressional leaders have access to private jets and have no compunction in using them at taxpayer expense, even though they felt comfortable taking a swipe at auto manufacturing CEO’s for using their own planes to travel to Washington, D.C. for hearings. A few weeks ago, it was revealed to us that the bar bill on Nancy Pelosi’s airplace was over $100,000 last year. Please. Why do we taxpayers need to cough up $100,000 to keep a public servant respectably “plowed” during the trip home from the office? It is nothing less than corruption.
On the other hand, as I think this issue through, I realize the plane ride from the East coast to the West coast is at least
five hours. If I were cooped up in an airplane with Nancy Pelosi for five hours, with no avenue of escape, I could probably pack away $100,000 worth of booze, all by myself. Perhaps I use a bad example.
James Madison said, “I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. ”
So what is the solution? Like so many issues that seem to both frustrate and elude the average citizen, when we speak of today’s federal government, the answer seems maddeningly simple. I don’t like Nancy Pelosi, but maybe you do. It doesn’t matter. We live in a democratic republic, so the people we send to Washington are probably never going to appeal to everyone. That’s the nature of the electoral process and I’m fine with it. It’s a great system and a great country. Here is all we have to do, fellow Americans. We have to tell these clowns (clowns come in both Democrat and Republican varieties) that this government is of the people, by the people and for the people. And they are nothing more than the “of the people” part, temporarily. They are not special – they are fellow citizens, who are temporarily serving the country. Nothing more. We have no royalty in this country. So in the future, there should be no royal treatment. Whatever laws they pass for us and whatever programs they install for us are laws and programs that apply to them, also. No exceptions.
