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It’s impossible these days to turn on the news and not be angry at the federal government that is digging our country deeper into a recession and piling up debt. The billions that were just spent on the most recent stimulus bill make the entire war in Iraq look like an everyday expense. The stimulus, not to mention the interest it accumulates, will cost every American alive today more than $30,000 each. AIG spent money in ways Congress did not intend, which comes as no surprise to me.
Our federal government has shown its true colors and irresponsibility, but the mainstream media is failing to be critical of it. I am not outraged at the AIG executives who are getting bonuses. It is their business and last time I checked, America was a nation where you could run your own business privately. I am outraged by the fact that more people aren’t screaming mad at what the party in power is doing. Thankfully, people are starting to come around and see what is really happening in Washington. The sad thing is all of us will be the casualties. There might be a small recovery thanks to the bailout, but because the treasury is printing more money to pay for part of these bailouts we can expect to see another unnecessary recession as the inflation caused by the devaluing of our currency sets in.
I am also mad that Obama’s fix to the problem is to raise taxes on top earners. Robbing Peter to pay Paul only creates a sore Peter. I work hard to get the money I earn, and so do the fortunate people in America. So why is it OK to reward those who don’t work hard with other people’s money? It’s like telling the student that gets a 4.0 grade point average that he has to share and give away some of his A’s to the student who gets a 1.0. Why would the failing student want to study when he will get a 2.5 for doing nothing? And why would the 4.0 student study hard when he can slack off and still end up with the same grade? They both will suffer from lack of production, and that has been the result of every experiment with socialism and communism.
In anticipation of their votes for the stimulus bill, I wrote Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe to stand with their party and vote against the stimulus. I received a letter on Monday from Snowe defending her vote. She mentioned how she negotiated to get $55 billion of non stimulative pork removed, and explained benefits of the bill. In the end, she admitted that it was an imperfect bill, but she voted for it because there were some good things and inaction wasn’t an option. The University of Maine must not have taught her that markets, when left alone, correct themselves. In the end she said she valued my opinion, but obviously not because she voted the way she wanted. I think her letter wasted 42 cents and printing costs – more of our tax dollars. It demonstrates the fiscal irresponsibility for which I am most outraged at the federal government.
Jonathan Zappala is a junior psychology student.
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