Who needs a debt commission when White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is on the case?
He wants to allow federal agencies to redirect half of any unnecessary, unspent money in their budgets to other initiatives and half to deficit reduction. Currently, agencies must return all money they don’t spend, giving them an incentive to spend it all.
Blame Congress for that. The position of every president from George Washington through Richard Nixon was that Congressional spending authorizations were just that, authorizations not mandates. That was struck down by the Supreme Court during the Nixon Administration. The executive branch must spend what the Congress appropriates on the measures for which the Congress appropriates it. Blame Congress.
Next?
“Blame Congress.” Ultimately, blame the electorate. We do get the government we deserve. I think Mike Reynolds put his finger on the thing over at OTB: We’re really a nation of liberals who like libertarian rhetoric. It’s become a commonplace that while everybody is pissed off at Congress, their congresscritter is usually exempt from the general disapprobation. I’d bet it’s the same with overspending: Spending on those things, projects, whatever is over the top, but spending on my things, projects, whatever is different.
Under our current system of gerrymandered districts and enormous advantages to incumbents I temper my views of the responsibility of voters.
I also disagree with that characterization of American politics. I think that Americans are opportunists who like libertarian rhetoric. They’ll look for handouts and accept them when they’re available.
Consider the list of Congressmen for my district in Chicago: Annunzio, Yeats, Schakowsky, Emanuel, Quigley. My largely independent area has been gerrymandered for forty years with the significantly more liberal Lake Shore area of Chicago. If it hadn’t been I have little doubt that the district would have elected Republicans or even independents instead of the regular Democrats who are invariably elected. Precisely what am I to do? If I move to another district the story will be the same except possibly in reverse.
I still have a few hopes for Quigley. I’ll be writing him my first letter (I’ve written to every Congressman I’ve ever had, multiple times) soon.
“I think that Americans are opportunists who like libertarian rhetoric. They’ll look for handouts and accept them when they’re available.”
Fair enough.
Quod erat demonstratum or sumthin: