With Mike Morrell: The Effects of Progressivism Part 3

ALL>> When asked about President Barack Obama’s 2,000-page health care law in 2010, then-Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi said, “…we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it....” Perhaps few other words spoken by an elected official so accurately capture the outlook of progressives and the way they choose to govern. Essentially, they are saying, “We know better than the American people. Take our word for it.” However, that way of thinking is simply wrong. The people are more capable than politicians and bureaucrats in deciding what is best for themselves, their families and their livelihoods. Yet, progressivism tries to consolidate more authority and financial resources in a centralized government. The Founders never meant for power to be concentrated in the hands of a few. That is why our government is structured with checks and balances, from school boards and city councils to state legislatures and Congress. Authority and responsibilities are distributed so that one single entity in the government does not become too powerful and stifle growth in the process. We can see the reasoning for this born out if we consider Jimmy Carter’s presidency of the late 1970s. The top tax rate reached as high as 70 percent to pay for more government. Inflation was at 18 percent. Interest rates on homes neared 20 percent. His successor, Ronald Reagan, a champion of the free market and limited government, lowered the top tax rate to 28 percent. Inflation also fell and interest rates decreased. As a result, businesses were more profitable with owners able to invest and grow their enterprises, hiring more employees in the process. Their new workers received checks, going out to make big purchases like homes and cars, which in and of itself spurred further job creation. All in all, just by lowering taxes, 21 million new jobs in the private sector were created under Reagan’s tenure, and America experienced one of its largest expansions of wealth. Individual giving increased more than 60 percent as compared to the previous 25 years. Through cutting taxes and letting the American people decide how to spend their money, the standard of living rose for everyone. This governing philosophy is in line with the principles that formed the basis of our nation’s founding, and which are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They place the individual before the state and put government in its proper place as the people’s servant and not its master. It is supposed to work for us, not against us. It comes down to freedom and allowing individuals the ability to thrive on their own terms. As former Senator Jim DeMint of the Heritage Foundation put it, we want “opportunity for all” while showing “favoritism to none.” In his observations of society, Aristotle described politics as putting people over us who tell us how to live our lives. If you do not like how they are telling you to live your life, the only way to fix it is through change, and the only way change comes about is through voting. We must upgrade those we serve to represent our interests. Even better, perhaps, you should consider running for an elected office. We need to seek out those who want individuals to thrive and are interested in putting the power back in the hands of the people. The answers do not lie in progressivism – they lie in returning to a free market and constitutionalist way of thinking. Senator Morrell represents the 23rd State Senate District, which covers portions of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties.