Balancing the Budget

Upon being interviewed about the federal government’s bailout of the auto industry, a forty-five year veteran of the industry remarked only about the curbing of his perks. He had no insight into a re-tooling of his industry, because the “Car Tzar has yet to be appointed. Evidently the automotive industry, just like the years since the Energy Crisis of the l970’s, has no idea what is going on in America. To comment only on his own personal losses was meant to be humorous, but it just reinforces the common sentiment of Wall Street CEO’s. They have no real interest in the philosophy of American life. They have no real interest in the people to whom they sell cars. Really they are only interested in themselves, and what they have. This particular man now has to stand in line at the airport to check in and fly. No more corporate jet travel. He has to stay at a budget level hotel. There are no more bonuses. It seems the good life is over for him, at least until he can come up with better ideas for a green America. “Why can’t things stay the same? Why can’t we keep going on making cars the way we always have? Why does the wealth have to be redistributed?” The answer is because humankind is killing the planet, and one’s own selfish monetary needs are subordinate to that of saving the earth. To have one’s head buried so deeply in the sand of socialite wealth could be a common perception of the Republican National Party. That does not have to remain true, although a few bad apples do destroy the barrel. Generally things do sink to the lowest common denominator. The RNC desperately is trying to redefine themselves in the midst of huge Democratic political victories. They are finding more African-Americans in their ranks, and it is reaping favorable rewards. It seems two distinct ideologies of the Republican Party are not bad, but they have become stealth in the wake of so much Wall Street economic corruption. Conservative in spending used to be the mantra of the RNC, but outgoing President George W. Bush changed that dramatically. His socialist program, TARP, was the largest bailout of the private sector in American history. It seems his Republican ideology didn’t prevent him from changing party views. He came in as a Republican, and is going out as a Socialist or Democrat. The Republican party always has run under the ideology of conservative spending. Achieving a trillion dollar national debt doesn’t coincide with Republican ideals, so party ideology has become greatly skewed. Although not well publicized in the media, there was a conspiracy theory circulating that consider Barack Obama a Republican plant in the Democratic Party. It was widely asserted that wealthy Republicans ran Obama as a Democrat later to capitalize on his loyalty to them. His decisions regarding his financial stimulus package will prove whether there could be any truth to this theory. Simply giving away the remaining 350 billion dollars of the TARP money would be a clear indication that it was true. Luckily in today’s headlines it was reported stricter guidelines were being introduced to make the money accountable to the American people. Still Republican ideology could be useful at such a time. If there was no accountability for the first half of the TARP money, throwing 350 billion at unknown recipients will not be effective in jump starting the economy. Responding immediately to private sector financial needs may not solve the problem. “Your procrastination, or in this case irresponsibility, does not make our crisis.” Careful methodical study of the mistakes made only will prevent them from being made again. With more transparency it seems Obama’s stimulus does differ from Bush’s previous tax cuts, which is good. As many a pundit has stated, a trillion dollar deficit, a War in Iraq, out-sourced industries, and a crumbling financial market are not tools to promote consumer spending. Eventually, as was the case when Bill Clinton left office, the budget is going to have to be balanced or this thing that we call American currency will have no value at all.