For a Better Year

While 2005 was not such a bad year, what do we need to do in 2006 and beyond to greatly improve the results?

By Robert E. Freer, Jr., President of The Free Enterprise Foundation

2005 has come and gone, and ready or not 2006 is upon us. As I thought about what to tackle for this week’s column, one wag suggested I write on what I don’t know about the fairer sex. Both my editor and I, given my vast ignorance on the subject, quickly rejected that suggestion as requiring volumes, not just the limited space of one column. I am not sure just how, but that did lead to a discussion of how our nation might do better this year than last. Not to say that 2005 was terrible economically; the Dow went down by 8 points; the workforce grew by nearly 3 million jobs, and while the Christmas sales figures are somewhat spotty, consumer confidence is ebullient. So what ought to be on the nation’s list of resolutions? How can we improve? Well here is my list. I invite you to send me your own, and I may share your suggestions in a future column.

First: stay the course in Iraq. It is the right thing to do and is in keeping with our national responsibility and our own security. The new Iraq will be a work in progress for some years. It will continue to be messy, but the emerging country will be a beacon of democracy in the Mideast. Arabs of different ethnicities and traditions are learning it is better to make political deals than kill each other. They are being drawn into the democratic process in record numbers. By late spring we should have a lawfully elected Iraqi government to cede the responsibility for the protection of Iraqi citizens. While no figure anyone wants to talk about is available, the feeling grows that a substantial number of our troops will either come home or be withdrawn to established bases in the region before the end of the year. Loyal opposition beware: oppose the president on this issue at your peril.

Second: adopt a realistic budget that aligns obligations with resources. Not long ago the national debt was in the billions. It now tops 7 trillion. Folks get a grip! We have to be able to do better than this. Our representatives are only bringing you what you are asking for. If you want sane balanced budgets, then you have to let Washington know that balancing the budget is paramount to our future and our children’s future. We ought to conduct a national series of “town meetings” on this issue. Government revenue and its creation are fundamental to our security as a nation. The government does not produce wealth. It spends what we give it. How much of our hard earned dollars does the federal government deserve to spend? I continue to believe that we can spend our dollars locally and more effectively with less bureaucracy, but I certainly don’t want to create an excuse for leaving those most in need without recourse. I have been in favor for some time to limiting the portion of our GNP allocated to the federal government. If that were done, then regional compacts, states, and localities would need to look closer to home to find solutions for what are homegrown challenges. All allocated revenue ought to be raised in a straight forward and fair manner. A national flat tax, which provides at least limited credits for charitable donations and basic housing expenditures, should be agreed to. Congressman Armey’s proposal from some years ago didn’t tax a family of four until it received almost $45,000 in income. HR 25 is somewhat similar and ought to become the vehicle on which hearings can be held and a workable solution agreed to.

Third: meaningful lobby reform that breaks the cycle of legislators spending all their time chasing money and lobbyists chasing legislators has to be adopted. Lobbyists are an important part of the legislative process. I have done my fair share of lobbying over the years, but my company was very conservative in its approach and the campaign donations of our executives would barely cover donuts and coffee, yet legislators were always happy to hear from us because our corporate units employed a significant portion of their constituents. We always knew more about the issue on which we lobbied than anyone else, couched our contacts in terms of the interest of the community we served and sought only competitive fairness. I think most legislative specialists take a similar approach, but the magnitude of the dollars flowing in the political arena today is scandalous. The spectacle unfolding before us corrodes the respect for our government.

Fourth: get control of our borders. We periodically reorganize, and we spout rhetoric but nothing has changed. Last year an estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants pored into our country and joined our society. Thousands more were caught and sent back in an endless revolving door. No effective control will be adopted until employers identify their self interest with successful enforcement. The President’s proposals deserve close and respectful attention as a point of departure to look at our need for the skills and labor of these immigrants. We must balance that need against the lawlessness we encourage with our current ineffective program and implement a solution that can be effectively administered.

A final suggestion: while President Lincoln suspended Habeas corpus during the Civil War, we should not encourage that sort of action by any president. Our liberties are too precious. My sense of the current controversy regarding the U.S. wiretaps that came out of 9/11 and the state of war in which we find ourselves is that no matter how quickly we need to act, the special court that has been set up to grant broad wiretapping authority to the president must be involved in the process. If the president truly has a problem, and I take him at his word that he does, the Patriot Act in its renewal should include an effective provision that assures that this wire tapping will be done in a way most consistent with our traditions.

Copyright © 2007 by Robert E. Freer, Jr. All rights reserved

About the author: Robert E. Freer, Jr. is President of The Free Enterprise Foundation. He is a Visiting Professor, at The Citadel and elected in 2005 to be their first John S. Grinalds Leader in Residence. A regular contributor to the Mercury, He can be reached by E-mail at The Citadel . Copies of his earlier columns can be found The Free Enterprise Foundation.

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