Shawn_Coleman's Blog

Personal responsibility and taxes. 

   In our great nation these two issues are fundamental. We cannot have a great society without personal responsibility nor can the society flourish without a mechanism by which we can provide law and order. One cannot with sincerity believe in the values of personal responsibility and decry taxation. It is perfectly valid to question the tax burden, and reasonable to be suspect of which services taxes pay for. Any reasonable person wants to know they are getting value for their dollar. Any thinking person will contemplate if services are being delivered efficiently. However it is simply disingenuous to say that the provision of social services is not a worthy sacrifice for all members of our society.

  In an election year the debate invariably erodes to two false choices. One party accuses  the other of dereliction of duty to the least among us. They say that the abandonment of social programs is reckless and inhumane, they argue that a vote for the Republican party is a vote against our common responsibility to ensure opportunity for all Americans. 

   The other party conversely contends that a vote for the Democratic party is a nod to socialism. They argue that government is incapable of efficient provision of services. They state that Americans ought fear taxation. They convince many that our very freedom is threatened, and personal responsibility impossible should the Democratic party be given the ability to tax with reckless abandon.

      These false choices are the reason that we as a nation have become more divided, and less capable, of having an honest dialogue about how we should move forward as a nation. These curtains blind us from practical discussion about what is the role of government in our democracy and how can we best set the stage for personal responsibility.  But most dangerously for the common good, as a result of the false premiss  assume that the issues of personal responsibility and social services are incompatible, and that equitable taxation and economic prosperity are mutually exclusive. 

 Senator Barack Obama in his acceptance speech spoke to the issues of personal responsibility. He said that no government program can replace good parenting. He spoke to a reasonable tax burden when he said he will look for government programs that don't work and remove them. He said "this election was never about me, it is about you . . ."  The objective listener got the message. 

   The change Senator Obama wants as President is an America where her citizens are actively engaged in her politics. An America where all her people sacrifice for her in equal measure, yet question her government when it goes astray. The message in short is that Americans must change. We must reinvigorate and value personal responsibility in our politics as well as our lives. And we must work together to ensure that when hard times come, and misfortune happens we have a safety net.

     The opposition only took away a few sound bites from which they can trumpet their standard lines of high taxes, and moral bankruptcy. They actively pursued missing the point.

    John McCain in his acceptance speech, which was excellent if understated, talked about energy independence in way that the only substantive difference between his plan is the amount of domestic oil drilling. In terms of  clean coal, wind, solar and nuclear the two Senators are nearly identical. He spoke of our commonalty as Americans when he said "after this election I will reach out to any willing patriot to begin rebuilding our nation". He talked about the role of government when he said "that government should stand by your side, but not stand in your way" He spoke about education calling it "the civil rights of our day". While Obama talked about personal responsibility in primary education in terms of parental participation i.e. reading and helping their children with their homework and turning off the T.V. McCain talked about parents being able to choose which school their child should go to. Both Senators are right, and if we could combine the two we have a chance at being a leader in education again. Senator McCain's response to Obama's call to end failing government programs was that wasteful spending will meet his veto pen, and he will make famous the proponents of the legislation. Again if only we were willing to listen to each and incorporate ideas across the aisle, but instead the false choices of election years translate into each party dismissing good ideas in favor of partisan victories for the other 3 years.

   While the objective ear took away from McCain's speech  a man prepared, at least in rhetoric to take the best ideas and share credit across party and ideological lines, I'm sure the opposition will take away the few sound bites that will allow them to trumpet the standard lines of a policy of low expectations and failure.

   Both Senators gave Presidential speeches. Comparing the two there are more similarities in policy than substantive differences when it comes to the "three E's" of education, economy and energy. Yet for the next 62 days we will hear almost exclusively how different we are as a people. 

  For the reader of this, I want to truly impress upon you a key point. The beneficiary of social programs is society as a whole. I want you to understand that because regardless of the outcome of this election it will be incumbent upon us in the public to guide leadership. The beneficiary of a social program is society at large. Some tax dollars go towards programs we benefit from directly, national security, roads, and general infrastructure. Others the benefit is indirect, like education and health care, where the investment in these programs is more efficient and cheaper than paying for the mitigation. Jails are expensive and sick people are unproductive. Taxes when levied equitably and used for the common good are a good thing and we all must do our share. A free society is dependent on law and order. And law and order in the broad sense requires taxation to pay for it.

  I learned an important lesson about zealotry recently. It's inevitably crippling. The Republican party's zealotry to low taxes is  misguided. My myopic views left me one the side of the road, I hope that the myopic view that taxes are always bad does not leave America stranded. 

   With so many objective similarities between the two tickets, I am convinced that the minor differences make the Democratic ticket the best for our country today. The Democratic ticket is the ticket of civil liberty and fiscal responsibility. I arrive at that conclusion because the Democratic ticket arrived at their platform because they believe it, while the Republicans arrived at their incredibly similar platform because the Democratic platform played well. The Republican party had 8 years and they failed. McCain is right, the Republican party lost it's way, and I believe McCain at his word that he is a Republican in the traditional sense.

    I am however simply unconvinced that the Republican party is as enlightened as their standard bearer. And for that reason, I urge you my fellow Americans to think carefully about the failures of the past years and the promise and optimism of what lies ahead. Who can best make opportunity out of our challenges. The Answer is Barack Obama, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. Let's be unified in the big picture until November so that come January we can get to work on the details. 

  This is simply a matter of personal responsibility.

and just for fun enjoy this video of me becoming a victim of my own zealotry!