Category: national politics & policies

Categories
Accountability judiciary national politics & policies

Broken Contract

Politicians say Social Security is a solemn contract between government and the people. Well, a contract is enforceable in court. And in our litigious society it’s not surprising that someone did take the government to court to get what he said he was owed from Social Security.

The case, Flemming v. Nestor, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. After paying in year after year, care to guess what the High Court says you are entitled to from Social Security? Is it (a) a set monthly payment, (b) at least 10 percent of what you’ve paid in, © whatever is behind door #3, or (d) whatever Congress says you get? The court’s answer was (d) whatever Congress says you get. Some contract.

The politicians are charging us over 15 percent of our income, but not guaranteeing us any specific benefit. You could die without ever getting back a dime, and your family wouldn’t get a dime either. Politicians have broken the contract on Social Security. They admit we must fix the System, but do nothing. They’ll simply wait until the money runs dry, blame others and then raise your taxes, slash benefits, or both.

Term-​limited Representative Mark Sanford has a different plan. He says take Social Security out of the hands of politicians and let Americans control their own financial futures. Sometimes tough problems have pretty easy solutions.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
incumbents national politics & policies

Without a Vision

Close your eyes for three seconds — not if you’re on the road right now though — and imagine what you would do if you were in the Congress. Fight for new legislation? Repeal misguided old statutes? Block pork-​barrel spending? Combat corruption?

Our dreams shape our horizons; they’re an inspiration and a challenge to do our best. That “vision-​thing” is important. If we don’t envision it, we don’t attempt it. Now, I don’t want to start preaching, but the Bible itself says, “Without a vision, my people perish.”

Take Senator Trent Lott from Mississippi. He leads the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. Asked by reporters what he hoped to accomplish this year, Lott replied: “We don’t have to score a touchdown, we just have to control the clock.” Huh? Republicans have the ball, and they ain’t exactly winning out there on the field, and all they want to do is run out the clock?

Lott and those like him would rather stay in Washington twiddling their thumbs than take a political risk to advance the issues they claim to care about. Commentator Robert Novak says, “They lack courage because they are professional politicians. They are much more worried about the next election, about keeping their majority, about keeping their seats, than they are about having the courage do the right thing.”

Good point. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win elections. But to junk your agenda simply to hold on to power? 

Power to do what?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
Accountability national politics & policies

Character

George W. Bush seems a likeable guy. Some politicians aren’t exactly the kind of people you’d want to spend time with casually. But I’d have no fear stuck next to Mr. Bush on a long flight. He’d be fun.

I like that, but it isn’t enough by itself to qualify him to be president. In a president, and in any elected official, the most important quality is character. Not “a character” we get our share of those. As Will Rogers said, “The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.”

No, I mean real character. With character comes the courage to fight for one’s beliefs. The courage to have beliefs in the first place. With character comes integrity. Bush has talked about character and restoring dignity to the office of president.

But his actions in campaigning for two Republicans Tillie Fowler of Florida and George Nethercutt of Washington State fall short. At issue are their term limits vows to step down from Congress after this term. Bush not only campaigned for them, he encouraged them to break their word to the voters.

Mr. Bush, don’t look the other way at dishonesty; don’t promote your party and its politicians “right or wrong.” Be for what’s right, for keeping promises. Tell Fowler and Nethercutt that you stand for character and integrity and that they should too.

If it’s okay with you for Republicans in Congress to break their pledges to voters, how can we trust your word? Character counts. Especially in a president.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.