Do We Have Fiscal Responsibility in Government?

What is it about the term “fiscal responsibility” that our Republicans in power just don’t seem to understand? I really don’t like the idea of talking partisan labels, but with all the partisan political game playing today, we just can’t escape it. 

First, let’s take it from our most local level of government. In Barnegat recently, our local Township Committee chose to label their work for the town as “full-time” so as to maintain and collect full health benefits from we, the taxpayers. Here’s the backstory: 

Following many years of expensive health care costs and extreme pressure from the public at Township Committee meetings (primarily by Jake Taylor), Barnegat, with this year’s 2011 budget (again – not yet approved as we enter the eighth month of 2011), finally succumbed to having the township employees join the state’s health care plan. 

However, our illustrious Township Committee attempted to keep the existing health care plan for them (most of whom have health care benefits supplied elsewhere – but choose the Township’s plan instead). As it turns out, they chose to maintain the old plan because the state’s plan requires that the benefits only go to full-time employees (Township Committeemen are part-time employees).

This scheme was only exposed again, because pressure was exerted by a township taxpayer, Howard Effron. The Township Attorney verified that we could not have two separate plans (one for Township employees and one for the Township Committee) and that the Township Committee had to go on the state’s plan as well which only covers full-time employees.

So now we have “part-time” Township Committeemen collecting “full-time” benefits and espousing at the one and only Township Committee Meeting in July that they do indeed work “full-time.” 

What a joke! Again, I say to these Committeemen – how arrogant can you be?Do they think that we, the residents and taxpayers of Barnegat are that stupid? This argument isn’t over.

Now let's take this “fiscal irresponsibility” argument to the national front. I don’t know about you, but these days, I dread listening to the news each evening. Our Republican leaders are choosing to take us to the brink of default in this country.  They just don’t get it. The President is trying to force a compromise – to come up with a balanced approach to reduce the budget deficit and raise the debt ceiling. 

Taxes have to be part of the bargain. Revenue and expense are the core ingredients to any budget, whether it be the private sector (sales) or the public sector (taxes). 

Even the “god” of the Republicans, Ronald Reagan, raised taxes several times during his administration. The President is not talking about raising taxes for the middle class (us) – he just doesn't want to extend the Bush tax cuts for the extremely rich in this country. 

The argument that the extremely rich create the jobs is a fallacy and just doesn’t hold water any more. Small business is the creator of jobs – and they aren’t among the extremely rich. These tax cuts for the rich go way back to the beginning the Bush administration – and we have not had any explosion in job creation. Again, I say, do these politicians think that we, the taxpayer, are stupid? 

Wake up America – we have one of the lowest tax rates among the developed countries in the world. Call Congressman Runyon and demand that he do the job for which he was elected and is being paid – to govern and not participate in all this political posturing. As the President said yesterday, we can’t let the public become “collateral damage to Congress’s political warfare.”

Stand up and be heard!