June 30, 2009

Can America's greatness be bailed out or subsidized?
By Rep. Bill Hinkle

Every society that has lived for the moment has lived to regret it.  Without the foresight to plan for the future, societies' indulgences lead to inevitable downfalls.  Is this what we're seeing in America today?

The Obama Administration's efforts to spend us out of our national recession will bind our children and our grandchildren for generations to come.  The level of government spending we see today in the guise of "stimulus packages" is not just unprecedented, it is downright scary.  The printing presses are working 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to print borrowed money – money borrowed from you and me, the taxpayers.

And what is the Obama Administration spending that money on?  Billions to bailout the auto industry, billions to bail out banks, and soon, billions to bail out the state of California and possibly the credit card companies.

The federal government is even spending $10 million of your tax dollars to improve education in Cambodia!  I know there are a lot of schools in my legislative district that could use that money.  And don't get me started on the $100,000 being spent to breed Wyoming toads.

But how much is enough?  Where does this reckless and frivolous spending leave us two, four, ten, 20 years down the road?  Perhaps a better question is: do you care?  Have we as American citizens embraced abject cynicism and selfishness to such a degree that we're willing to throw away the future of the generation that comes after us?  For the first time in our nation's history, will the next generation actually be worse off in terms of financial security and provision?

The events of the last year have left me to ponder how America became great.  Was it through government control?  Was it through oppressive bureaucracy?  Was it through entitlement programs and expectations?

No.  America became great because of hope.

People were willing to risk life and limb, their life saving, being ostracized by friends and family, all for the HOPE of being able to shape and mold their own destinies; for the HOPE of being rewarded in accordance with their efforts; with the HOPE of making a better life for themselves and their children through hard work, accountability and justice.

People used to come to America for the promise of a better life.  Now they come to America for the promise of American subsidies and entitlement programs.

In President Obama's efforts to bring us up out of the economic turmoil we're currently in, I wonder if we’re pushing down the true American spirit.  I wonder if the true definition of hope – with concrete results and solid principles of accountability – has been replaced with a sound bite of "yes we can."

As we celebrate our nation's independence from tyranny and oppression this month, I sincerely hope we remember that the driving force behind that movement – hope in the American spirit – cannot be bailed out or subsidized.  It may be waning a little these days, but I believe it is on the verge of a tremendous breakthrough.  And it will once again be we the people that lead us back to greatness, not the largess of our national government.

(Rep. Bill Hinkle represents the 13th District. He is the House Republican Whip and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.)

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