Posted by
Playful Walrus on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 3:07:51 PM
According to the Constitution, the Federal government is supposed to have a limited role.
The President is Commander in Chief of the armed forces. He can draw up or propose to enter treaties. He can pardon crimes and commute sentences, make appointments (judges, Secretaries, etc.), and sign or veto laws.
Congress may regulate commerce with other countries and between states, make changes to the naturalization and bankruptcy processes. It may coin money and establish standards of weights and measures. It may establish post offices and an accompanying transportation system. It may establish intellectual property protections. It may punish international crime. It may declare war. It may regulate the military. It approves treaties. It confirms Presidential appointees.
Nowhere does the Constitution require (or give permission to, for that matter) the Federal government to be responsible for our general public works infrastructure, such as bridges. The Federal government may build bridges to facilitate national defense and law enforcement. But it isn’t the President’s job to make sure that your commute to work is a safe and easy one.
Federal and state governments’ highest priorities should be national defense and law enforcement. Weights and measures standards are a way to prevent fraud and facilitate international trade, which is the next priority after protecting us from those who would harm us or our property.
We’ve allowed our Federal and state governments to take on all sorts of responsibilities beyond what the Constitution permitted. Some of us have begged our elected officials to do this. I’m not blind to the reality that our governments will continue to be involved in a lot more that it should.
If a government is going to overstep its bounds, though, it should at least have priorities. For us to survive, thrive, and prosper, we need some basic needs fulfilled (beyond the protection of our persons and property). We need energy, transportation, water systems (flood control, waterworks, sewer systems), and we need communications. Like so many other things in life, the free market can fulfill our needs in these areas, but if the state is going to be involved in extra areas, it should provide for these areas first and foremost after law enforcement and protection. If there is a single bridge that needs to be repaired or replaced, if there is a single road that needs to be extended, widened, or resurfaced, that should take priority over sports stadiums, health care, school lunch programs, public services announcements, diversity promotion, etc.
Why is a bridge more important? If you can’t get to a doctor in the first place, if the paramedics can’t reach you – what good is “free” health care? If you can’t get to the sports stadium, what good is it? If you can’t get your child to school, who cares if there is a lunch waiting for her there?
Our infrastructure is not suffering because our states aren’t collecting enough taxes, fees, fines, and assessments or because we’re in Iraq. It is suffering because our state governments are spending too much money on other programs that are either unnecessary or could be handled through private funding.
Our states should not have enough money to run public service announcements trying to get us to be less bigoted unless there isn’t pothole or traffic jam to be found on a state highway.