Sometimes I fantasize about disappearing.
Not dying.
Just logging off.
Getting a job no one cares about.
Growing tomatoes.
Writing poems in the margins of a notebook no one reads.
Not as a failure.
But as a kind of freedom.
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HUGE FLIP: Democrat John Ewing Jr. just turned Omaha blue—defeating the longest-serving GOP mayor in the country and becoming the city’s first Black mayor in history.
Want Limited Government? Control the Spending! By Fred Birnbaum (12/31/24)
Congress recently funded the federal government for several months and averted a shutdown, but many Republicans, including Chip Roy and Russ Fulcher, opposed this kick the can down the road while adding more pork move.
As U.S. Representative Chip Roy thundered, “I am absolutely sickened by a party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility and has the temerity to go forward to the American people and say you think this is fiscally responsible. It is absolutely ridiculous.”
Author Birnbaum explains that while Idahoans might think the state’s budget is balanced and not growing exponentially, that would be wrong. He says our state spending still grows just as federal spending grows in D.C., and he provides charts showing that state spending has increased more than 50% over the past five years.
So, what solutions does he offer?
Legislative leadership must set state and federal (all funds) spending limits to a 0% increase in all funds appropriations from Fiscal Year 2025 to Fiscal Year 2026.
The plan will require tackling Medicaid’s massive growth and reducing the $551 million Medicaid increase request, for starters.
Continue separating spending into agency maintenance budgets and separate budgets for the enhancements. This improves the process, but spending discipline still is needed.
Set a “hard stop” spending cap, and then decide how to distribute the money across agencies.
Oppose the 22% pay raise for legislators. (Accepting a pay raise will make legislators less likely to restrain state spending because they won’t be leading by example.)
ED NOTE
Citizens also must start demanding fewer services from government and stop looking to the federal government as Idaho's piggy bank.
When citizens insist on LESS government and fewer frills, legislators will have fewer "customers" and (possibly) consider scaling back.
Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But all citizens must be careful what we wish for. Every wish costs MONEY, OUR MONEY!
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Jan 1
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