Dropping Some Conservative Anchors
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the size of the Federal Government and the financial pressures it is putting on nearly every sector of our economy. Much of this was prompted by Paul Ryan’s alternative to the President’s crazy-spending budget plan (commentary on Ryan’s plan here and here. Opposition from the Democrats here and here).
In the end (which is right about this blog post), I’m convinced that we conservatives should lay down two solid anchors for any ongoing discussion of the Federal Budget.
- The size of government should never be greater than a certain percentage of GDP. Personally, I prefer something in the 10-12 percent range, but I could hear really good arguments for as much as 15-17.
- The government should not take more from a private industry in taxes as that industry averages in net profit.
The limits there are pretty obvious. Government can only get so large and when the economy shrinks, government shrinks with it, unlike the ridiculous growth of government we’ve seen over the past few years. What aren’t as obvious are the incentives for those who love big government to encourage private economic growth.
Thoughts?
Other Posts of Interest:
- In Federalese, “Sacrifice” Means “Two Percent Pay Raise”
- It’s a Contradiction Wrapped in a Fog, Inside a President
- Mitch McConnell, the Democrats’ Best Buddy (Update: BOHICA!)
Category: The Economy and Your Money, The Rise of the Nanny State
