It has become that time of year again. Politicians are making television, radio, and stump appearances. Some are hinting at their running. Others are being far more coy than that. Others still have thrown their hats in the ring of candidacy. So, I have also decided to throw my name in with the rest. Unlike my esteemed colleagues, I am not going to tell you why you should vote for me. I am going to tell you all of the reasons I can think of as reasons you should not vote for me or elect me as President of the United States of America.
I think the most stand out reason why you should not elect me President is I cannot think of anything too controversial about me.
I was born at the old Naval Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. The city, the county, the state, and the US Navy can all validate that. So, that is out. I am ‘legit.’
I am not sure what a ‘community leader’ is so I do not know if I have ever been one. I have been President of my homeowners’ association, active in my church, involved with my son’s high school athletic booster club, helped support and promote local involvement in city elections, and once ran for Congress on the premise that elected representatives should report back and represent those who elected them. (I still do not hear from my US Rep)
My outlook on government is simplistic. Government is a vehicle for interface. Locally, government allows for oversight of basic services and the orderly interaction of the populous. County government allows for oversight of a larger area. States perform the same function but add interface with other states and representative voice to the national government. The national government gets a little more complicated because the national or federal government interfaces and mediates for all of the states, convenes the representative body to have oversight and mediate local concerns nationally, provides a singular voice and face to the rest of the world.
There are necessary expenses for each of these levels of government; however, the expenses anticipated and budgeted by the respective levels of government are limited to the income. The income comes from tarrifs, fees, and taxes; not borrowed from banks or foreign nations. The catch and caveat to anticipated expenses and budgets is this: it’s gotta be within income, only.
I have read our US Constitution (perhaps another reason to not elect me) and several state constitutions. I did not find anything that supports a lot of the legislation and taxation misspending that we currently see in the US. In my thinking, it is rather simple. Find out how much came in, negotiate an equitable debt repayment, and argue over how to spend the rest until the money is gone. Require managers in government to be accountable or fired or prosecuted for mismanagement of the public trust.
Come to think of it, the best reason to not elect me President is I am too simplistic. I keep a simple thing simple instead of over complicating it with ‘modern ideas’ or older continental ideas that do not work.
More to follow.
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Link to part 2
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