Government Spending Priorities Needed

High priority functions of government include roads, bridges, sanitary sewers, water treatment plants, water distribution systems, reservoirs and dams.

Government now spends tax money on everything and it’s time for that to change.  Governments must sit down and figure out their priorities.  Examples of high priority tasks not being done is legion.  Rio didn’t fix their sewer system over the years, but they did host the Olympics while their sewage continued to spill on to their beaches.  Flint Michigan failed to replace the lead pipe they used to carry their drinking water.  The obvious answer is to identify what spending is critical and what spending is inappropriate. 

At the top of the list is the federal government overreach and unconstitutional departments, agencies and programs.  The US Constitution (as written) limits the “enumerated powers” the States granted to the Federal.  These usurped powers need to be tested by the Amendment process starting with the granting the Federal the power to deny secession by the States, followed by granting the Federal the power to hold Federal lands. The rest of the Amendments would include granting the Federal the power to add the long list of powers it has usurped, one function at a time. 

The Federal has not yet won the power to have anything to do with national banking, education, healthcare, labor, energy, housing, transportation, environment, retirement etc. These Amendments would require the ratification by the States. If they fail to pass ratification, each category that fails would be removed from the Federal and assigned back to the States and the People according to the 10^th Amendment.  All of these Amendments would probably fail.

Those categories where we have failures, poor outcomes and high costs should be transferred to the States or Counties and the People.  Many categories that are “nanny state” items should be transferred to “the People”. Families would once again be responsible for family members, not the taxpayers. Churches could help.  Voters should determine who should be responsible for functions transferred to the States and the People.

Transportation would leave the States, counties and cities responsible for their own highways, roads and bridges. Public transportation and harbor operation would be privatized.  States would handle the environment and determine sensible, affordable regulations.

Healthcare and education should be privatized and given back to the People to set up private savings plans to pay their own expenses.  Students should have the right to homeschool and self-study and sit for exams to pass through the grades. Tutors would be used and paid by the students. Healthcare would be paid by the patient.

The costs of healthcare and education would settle down based on the law of supply and demand. The free market needs to reengineer these two industries.  You will be surprised how rapidly methods change and prices drop.

The Federal Reserve should have its printing press taken away and let the free market determine the interest rates.

Social Security needs to be phased out eventually and replaced by converting to private accounts that are owned by each employee.  You will be surprised that your account balances will be triple what they would have been under Social Security.

Energy sources should include all that are economically advantageous like, hydro, coal, natural gas and nuclear.  For rural areas, private homes could use thermal, wind and solar, but they will need to pay the cost for them.

Air Travel expenses should be paid by the carriers.  They should own the airports.  All employees like air traffic controllers would be paid by the carriers.  No tax dollars would subsidize this form of transportation.  The same goes for passenger rail and freight.

Professional Sports stadiums should be owned by the teams who use them.  No tax dollars would subsidize this form of entertainment.

Farmers, ranchers and timber companies should own or lease their own or land.  They would pay for their own crop insurance.

Corporations should be free to do business without Federal or State government “help”.  No tax dollars should go toward “economic development” or corporate and industry subsidies.

States, counties and cities need to sort out how to handle their environmental requirements and eliminate lots of regulations that conflict with the free market and owners’ rights.  All work contracted by government should go to the lowest bidder, but should include a “performance bond” to reimburse shoddy work.

Federal courts should only hear federal cases and should allow State Supreme Court opinions to stand.

Trump won’t be able to accomplish all of this Constitutional restoration, but will give us a good start and should close the federal department of education, EPA and others.

Trump will reinstall the rule of law, lower taxes, balance the budget, end the corruption, end excessive immigration and the Muslim invasion and do the other things that will make us safer and more prosperous.  Unlike most of our politicians, Trump actually understands and believes in the free market and the US Constitution (as written).

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader