The Need to Compete in the World Economy

As one of the Independent swing voters, the Public Sector Union Debate that is playing out in Wisconsin helps to crystalize some truths for me.

Everyone agrees our Federal, State and Local governments are faced with significant financial challenges. It is becoming more and more clear that much of this issue has less to do with the financial meltdown in 2008, but rather more a swelling set of entitlements that will limit America's ability to compete in the world economy.

At a time when crucial investment is really needed in infrastructure, energy development and R and D, we can't afford it. We can't afford it because of our excessive, entitled expenditures, including the cost of public employees and their relatively high level of wages and benefits. We need to reduce overhead, and bring total compensation and future commitment in line with the private sector.

There is an exploding World Market, but, unless we can be more completive, Average Americans may be left out of the growth and forced to live with lower expectations and lifestyles as the world balances out.

Our federal, state and local governments absolutely need to balance budgets and become more lean. Anything that isn't core needs to be eliminated and core functions need to be made more completive. There are a lot of cuts coming across the board to discretionary items including our military, and the Public Sector Workforce needs to be an integral part of the trimming.

The time for Public Sector Unions to game the political system to maximize benefits for their members is over. A wave of privatization is inevitable. Our taxes need to be low, and our government entities need to support our ability to compete.

It is an insult to me as a law abiding, tax paying citizen to watch our democracy hijacked by the run-away State Senators. Protesting is fine. Usurping our democracy should have consequences.

This Average Independent American wants to compete in the new world economy. I know that to compete I need to be willing to lower my compensation expectations, and I'm not willing to drag around the baggage of taxes and debt to support other Americans who are not interested in competing.

Obviously this is only one aspect of our ability to compete, we need less regulation and targeted investment, but reducing overhead is critical.

PS: If we don't see Congress take a cut in their budgets, the people will not forget.