Toothless bill is too little, too late
By Karen Kwiatkowski
Kwiatkowski is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel and cattle farmer in Shenandoah County. She plans to challenge Rep. Bob Goodlatte for the Republican nomination for the 6th District Congressional seat.
The Roanoke Times editorial "What would Goodlatte cut?" of Oct. 4 makes some excellent points about Rep.Bob Goodlatte's crusade. As a conservative Republican challenger for the 6th District House seat, I agree that his proposed balanced budget amendment is too little, too late and toothless. I agree that it is unlikely ever to be ratified, because so many states, like Virginia, depend upon federal outlays, federal spending, federal contracts, subsidies and loans to make ends meet each fiscal year. I also worry that the language of the bill will lead to even higher taxes on all Americans, something I oppose.
The Times asked what might be cut. To expect the 6th District incumbent who has consistently voted for increased budgets and more federal borrowing for almost 20 years to boldly go where he has never gone before is simply unreasonable. I am not a politician, and I believe in limited constitutional government. So here's my answer and you won't see the word "cut" anywhere in it.
1.) Implement DownsizeDC.org's "One Subject at a Time Act." This bill would require that Congress develop and pass legislation uniquely for each topic under consideration. For example, if the Patriot Act were being renewed, it will be done so in a single bill that is entitled "Patriot Act Renewal" rather than as Sen. Harry Reid did in May 2011 bundled as the fourth paragraph of a bill supporting small businesses, largely hidden from public view. "One Subject at a Time" will slow down spending, eliminate unrelated spending add-ons, earmarks and pork, and most importantly, allow constituents to see what their representatives are doing in time to stop them.
2.) Freeze 20 percent of the budgets, subsidy and grant authority for all federal agencies and departments. Departments and agencies would plan efficiently, knowing that they'd run out of their annual budgeted money in the middle of June. They would also know that the process to unfreeze their money would be up to Congress and subject to "One Subject at a Time" legislation. They will not count on their money, but neither will they whine about a government shutdown. Because they'd know it was coming, they'd plan for it. My 20 years in the Air Force, including nearly five years working military acquisition, lead me to believe that this type of proposal is entirely doable and about as painless as it can be. Cost savings will be discovered, boondoggles reduced, duplicative efforts consolidated, contracts shaved and employees retired. Repeat the next fiscal year, and the next.
3.) Audit the Federal Reserve. The activities of the U.S. Central Bank artificially controlled interest rates, bailouts and bailout allocations around the world, and creative bond sales have already been reined in due to recent public awareness and improved transparency. The Fed's ability to make money available to government on a wing and a prayer invites waste and abuse. "Free" money postpones the hard decisions this country must make to stop borrowing and get the Washington, D.C., financial house in order. It's no accident that the latest easing of credit (money creation and debt accumulation) out of the Fed is called Operation Twist. It's the Fed moving more carefully in its money manipulations than ever before, based on the fact that people are watching.
There's plenty we can do to get accountable government. These are just three ideas that would work, and all three could be implemented in weeks.
I've heard our incumbent tell the people of the 6th District that we need to make our voices heard.
Overwhelmingly, 6th District taxpayers indicated they did not want to raise the federal debt limit by more than $2 trillion last July. They wanted savings, not a super committee of long-serving, big-spending, not-from-Virginia senators. Instead, the incumbent agreed to vote "yes" to $2 trillion more, just as his friends John Boehner and Eric Cantor asked. In return, he was allowed his crusade for the balanced budget that he, in nearly 20 years, has never had the stomach or the backbone to fight for with the one thing he can control his vote.
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/299977 --
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