SAFETY'S COST IS STAGNATION AND LOSS OF FREEDOM

SAFETY ‘S COST IS STAGNATION AND LOSS OF FREEDOM

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

“We are fast approaching the stage of ultimate inversion: the stage where the government can do anything it pleases while the citizens may and can only by permission.” Ayn Rand

Americans have been a courageous people who came here for freedom and opportunity. First the Pilgrims came seeking religious freedom. Then adventurers came wanting to be part of building a new nation. Then those from all over the world came in search of a better life. They did not come in search of security but to improve their lives. Each was more than willing to pay the price to get what they wanted.

Benjamin Franklin once said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

The US at this time in history is at a crossroads. Some people want the new status quo with many guaranteed benefits and others seek to better themselves in the Spirit of Americans who built the greatest nation on earth. This country was not founded on government guaranteeing people what they wanted. Instead they allowed citizens to make their own choices without government restrictions and permission. The free marketplace determined the economy of the nation.

People with “money,” capital determined on their own to risk their resources on a venture. They decided on salaries they were willing to pay for an employee to do a specific job at a certain salary. It was a contract between employee and employer. The risks of the enterprise fell solely on the capitalist and the dangers of performing the job on the employee. The more difficult, time demanding and potentially dangerous the job the worker had to decide to accept or reject the compensation on the word and reputation of the owner. It was a contract that had to be agreed to by both parties. The risk had to be worth the reward. When the position was essential to the operation of the business, the salary increased to attract workers.

Many of the positions were highly demanding and risky especially in projects that tried man’s imagination. These were never done before. The intercontinental railroad, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Panama and Suez Canals, oil exploration industry and skyscrapers were a handful of endeavors that tested man’s courage and perseverance. Everyone who accepted the job thought the rewards outweighed the liabilities. Safety issues were decided by the worker every time he performed his responsibilities. Anyone who did not possess the desire to advance himself or have the bravery to do the job would quit.

America would never have grown at such a rapid pace if government bureaucrats dictated conditions of employment. Government interference in the capitalist system results in a government controlled economy and the elimination of free market enterprises. Once government gets involved in picking winners and losers incentive diminishes and innovation is stifled.

The statist economies of government-controlled bureaucracies have historically stagnated throughout the world.  In the USSR, Cuba, Venezuela, China (until it encouraged some free market competition) and many former Banana Republics such as North Korea have deteriorated and become more repressive.

The USA is in the midst of a peaceful reestablishment of limiting government power to free the American people. The people have rejected the “Big Daddy/Nanny government” state. We want to make America great again by returning the freedom to the people to let them decide what is best for their individual needs.

This means local as well as state and federal governments need to stop forcing us to do things that are against our best interest. The people need to tell the local governments we do not want or need a larger government that dictates to us what we can and cannot do on our own property.  Through an absurd, out-of-control permitting process these local bureaucrats are indoctrinating the public to the idea that we constantly have to increase our taxes to protect our safety. According to proponents of larger government, hiring more police, fireman and non-teacher supervisors will protect public lives and improve public education.

This pronouncement has to be openly opposed. When we increase the taxes of citizens we are decreasing their financial power to decide how they should choose to spend their own hard earned money. This is unconscionable since the people are supposed to tell the government what they want done, not the other way around.

The fastest growing segment of unions in the United States is government workers.

Allowing government workers to unionize is destructive and contrary to a representative republic. Government workers are to serve the public interest not their own by holding us hostage. In a letter he wrote in 1937 to Luther Steward, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, FDR said, “All government employees should realize the process of collective bargaining assuredly understands cannot be transplanted into the public service… “ Since their own service has to do with functioning of government, a strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an attempt on their part to prevent or obstruct the operation of government until the demands are satisfied. Such actions looking towards the paralysis of government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable.”

What FDR stated in 1937 is even more important today. The local government workers have more rights to prevent removal from their positions than do private sector employees. It is almost impossible to remove an employee for any reason. The government union members are growing in number as well as in power. The citizens of our communities deserve to be treated with total respect and have their needs served by the government workers or the government worker position should be terminated.

Local government representatives are not in the position to alienate one of the largest and most vocal groups in their county. These representatives have no incentive to go against the unions except in the long run where increased benefit packages have bankrupted many treasuries of large cities. Eventually the exorbitant contracts with unions will become unsustainable. Some courageous citizens and representatives need to stand up.

The only way for citizens to gain control of their local government is to stop government worker unionization. This will be a struggle but can be done for the sake of all taxpaying citizens. They just need to understand the result of unionizing government workers is not in the people’s interest.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new just published book, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.