 The safety and security of our country is incredibly important, but
taking the education of our nation to a higher level would perhaps
produce soldiers and pilots who could win a war without that extra
bomber.Ideally, both education and our military should have the
lion's share of our tax dollars. Instead, nearly half of our tax
dollars go to propping up individuals and families who are not able
to support themselves. Perhaps if all Americans had a better
education, we would be in a better position to vie for jobs that
would support ourselves or have the tools to create our own
businesses.
Simple economics shows, of course, that presently, there is a
lack of jobs at which people could work. Again if more of our tax
dollars were used for education, there would surely be more jobs for
teachers and anyone skilled in any industry that produces
educational material: textbooks, software, school supplies, desks,
whiteboards and the construction of new classrooms and schools. The
more jobs that open up, the less money would be needed to prop up
those without an adequate means of support.
Now, I am not a mathematician or a politician. I don't even watch
the news very often. But just a quick tally of the number of people
in the nation multiplied by the amount of tax dollars I pay, is
enough to convince me that there is a severe money leak somewhere in
the government coffers.
If the powers that be really want to find the money for something
as important as education or security, they must simply put a woman
who has lived through the '50s and '60s in charge of the budget. She
was raised by survivors of the Great Depression. Typically, her
husband would give her a stipend of $30 each week that was supposed
to feed four children, put braces on their teeth, feed a dog her
husband insisted on and buy clothes for all of them ... except the
dog. Even taking into account the inflation since then, that was an
amazing feat.
My mother did that. For many years. She was a model of
self-sufficiency and self-discipline at that time in our lives. I
honestly don't know how she did it.
[to top of second column] |
 Mom grew her own vegetables rather than importing them from other
countries ... er, farmers. She cut every unnecessary expense like
designer sneakers and "bridges to nowhere." She never used credit,
because if she couldn't pay for it today, she knew she couldn't pay
for it tomorrow. (Do you know that the U.S. has steadily carried
more debt every year of its existence except for 1834-1836, when
Andrew Jackson was president? We had zero debt then.)
Mom put what little money she had where it would do the most
good: raising her country ... er, family ... into healthy,
intelligent, self-supporting Americans.
Much of the waste in this country can be attributed to the "pork"
that goes into every bill that is finally passed. Many senators
won't vote for a bill unless he or she gets some pet project paid
for in the same bill. The writer of the bill will make that deal
with the devil because he or she knows the bill will not pass
without those votes. That's called pork ... and blackmail. It should
be illegal.
Can you imagine if my mother was given that $30 from my father
with the understanding that she would buy a pork roast for his
mistress first? I can assure you that didn't happen. Not in my
family and not in any other family. Otherwise the men wouldn't have
lived long enough to reproduce. The money was for food, clothing and
braces only -- no pork. She made sure of it.
Now that I think of it -- move over, Obama and Romney ... Mom for
president!
[By LAURA SNYDER]
Laura Snyder is a nationally syndicated
columnist, author and speaker. You can reach her at
lsnyder@lauraonlife.com
or visit www.lauraonlife.com
for more info. |
