Have you ever had the pleasure of going to the local Department of Motor Vehicles? How about the Employment Development Department. Maybe you have applied for some kind of permit. Were you satisfied with the service? Who would you rather send a package through, UPS or the Postal Service? I don't know anyone who likes dealing with government agencies, or thinks that they provide good service. So why are so many people willing to increase the size of the government? Do you really want your next doctors visit to resemble a trip to the DMV?

In most cases people answer no to the above questions, but when the politicians come around with their hand out taking more money for more wasteful programs, we the people line up and say yes. I don't understand it. I think the main reason is that Americans tend to be compassionate and generous people. But throwing our money into the black hole of government waste is not helping the people we are trying to help. Few people realize that many large government programs get automaticspending increases that are far greater then the growth of inflation or the economy. Every now and then a politician comes along and suggests that we should reduce the rate of increase. Boy does the media howl when this happens! All you hear about is how people will be dying in the streets because someone wants to increase the budget by 5 percent instead of 7 percent.

However, rarely do you hear anything about government waste and fraud, how to make government more efficient, or the best way to reduce government spending. These are questions that must be asked. Our government is on a runaway train that is gobbling up more and more of the nations wealth. I believe we can find ways to provide services to the needy without breaking the bank. But the same tired old methods we use today will not work.

- Thomas Paine 2

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