Better government isn't the goal; less government is
Better government isn't the goal; less government is
EDITOR:
Many letters have appeared in your paper concerning the responsibilities of voters to the people that they have elected to public office. The essence of one letter was that our various governments were the makings of the voters since our votes decided the leaders and their policies. As such, we should be satisfied and supportive of these governments.
Such a viewpoint needs to be discussed. You see, we shouldn't be satisfied with bad government or inefficient government or wasteful government. Would anyone agree that bad governments are desirable? But, more than that, we shouldn't like good governments. We shouldn't be happy with efficient governments. We shouldn't want governments without waste. What we really need is less government. Governments, by their very nature, provide very little for the needs of the populace, and it does this at a greater than normal expense. It also creates a class of people, known as politicians, who become parasites of the population. These politicians feel their status places them above the ordinary people who support them.
In historical Europe and in some modern countries these people have taken this status to the extreme and called themselves kings, monarchs, princes, lords and nobles. As such, they expect the support of the people as their "divine right".
At the end of America's Revolutionary War, many Americans wanted to declare George Washington the king of America. Washington reprimanded them, saying that America should never tolerate a nobility class or have a king. He and the framers of our constitution wanted a representative government of very limited powers, where governmental representatives performed their jobs alongside merchants, farmers, doctors, clerks, and workers of all kinds performing their jobs.
We do not have that type of government today, either at the national level, or at the state level, or at the local level. Our present governments tell us how much of our hard-earned income we can keep. They dictate who can be hired at your business. They dictate your retirement plan. They assume the right to take your home and property from you.
The politicians who run these governments set their own salaries and tell you how important they are. They expect us to be grateful for their "public service." They expect us to follow where they lead us. If we question this leadership, they will often question our "commitment to the area" or our patriotism.
I'm sorry, but we, as voters, deserve better. This system is not what we voted for. The system was in place when we cast our votes. The only choices given us were with whom and in what way the system was to be perpetrated. Thomas Paine (1737-1809) may have said it best when he stated that "Government is a necessary evil." Let's follow his philosophy and reduce government to only the level that is necessary.
DONALD BUTLER
Warren
The writer is secretary for the Mahoning Valley Libertarian Party.
Sales tax is vital to area
EDITOR:
It is extremely important that the citizens of Mahoning County support the half-percent sales tax. This is a "user tax," assessed only on purchases. It is a half penny, yet critical to the future of this Valley. That is why the officers and members of the South County Democrats are endorsing the sales tax.
There are not many candidates or issues on the ballot this primary, so please make the effort to get out and vote. It is that important.
LINDA MODARELLI
Youngstown
The writer is president of the South County Democrats.