Welcome to the Political Soup Kitchen

Everyone is lining up with a case of the 'Gimmies' and the Governors David Paterson, Deval Patrick, Jon Corzine, Jim Doyle, and Ted Strickland are at the front of the line. The governors from New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Ohio are asking the federal government for a $1 trillion bailout package, including $250 billion for education and $150 billion in middle class tax cuts.

Paterson of New York said his state's budget deficit has surged to $15.4 billion currently from $5 billion in April 2008. "The assistance would be manna for us," Paterson said. As I am sure it would, but unlike manna...this would not be paid for by God...it will be paid for by the American people, only some of whom live in New York.

Doyle of Wisconsin said the plan would allow states to maintain essential services at about the current level until 2010. Without federal aid, Wisconsin faces a record $5.4 billion shortfall.

"We aren't crying wolf," Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said. "These are real circumstances, unprecedented situations we are facing." Ohio's budget deficit could grow to $7.3 billion even after $1.9 billion was cut from its current budget.

The governors said that level of federal aid is needed to deal with unprecedented state budget shortfalls in 41 states and Washington, D.C.

In reality, there is little linking the current economic crisis to the problems in these states, the states are not losing billions on bad mortgage loans, nor a depressed auto market. The problem was present in these states prior to the economic downturn and will be there well after it is gone. The root of the problem lies in the fact that American politics has become a simple popularity contest, a duel between spin-doctors and media backers. The problem is it seems, while most American politicians are quite adept at politicking...they seem to be quite inept at governing and handing them billions is little more than slapping a band aid on a hemorrhaging artery.

Not to be cruel, but if the people of New York are dissatisfied with their 15 billion dollar deficit, and the people of Ohio are upset that they find themselves 7 billion in the hole, well the people need to elect governors, not politicians. The requisite skill set for effective governance is not a pretty face, a smooth voice, and a bevy of monied backers... it is a demonstrable skill set of management of budget and personnel with a little good old fashioned leadership thrown in.

What we have, and need to break away from, is an unending circle of bribery... Politicians spend more than they take in in order to fund projects that appeal to their constituencies in order to to get reelected. It was summed up brilliantly almost 2000 years ago by the Roman poet and satirist Juvenal: Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.

We need to stop selling our vote in exchange for bread and circuses... we need to get back to the basics of governing and that simplest rule of basic economics, spend no more than you make. Deficit spending is like savings... you can't spend it forever and expect it to last. The problem is the mindset that you can defer the cost forever... without change, sooner or later we will all be like the grim gentlemen in photo above. As bitter a medicine that the truth is, we need to stop governing beyond our means.

~Finntann~