We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.  Preamble, Constitution of the United States of America

 

Once again the news from City Hall is that Long Beach is broke and we need more money.  We are broken in our infrastructure and we need more money.  We are facing rising pension and benefit costs due to past decisions at City Hall and we need more money.  According to what is being told to the media and statements made in public by our professional staff and elected officials our current revenue streams are maxed out and we need more money; somehow though Long Beach has enough for a $2.3 billion (buh-buh-bee, billion) budget.

 

While governments provide goods and services like businesses do, even “selling” them with the price being taxes, governments are different than private businesses on several levels, all of which are very important to understand and remember when we see our leaders create and pass budgets that affect all of us. 

 

First, they are not spending their own money—they are spending yours and mine.  After a while the zeros pile up and make the process easier; when dealing with a multi-billion dollar budget what is a couple of hundred thousand dollars? 

 

Second, they have no mission and vision statements.  Specific departments may have mission statements—and if followed these tend to be some of the better departments; however governments do not have universal mission and vision statements.  This creates a problem because what is the purpose that is being fulfilled?  What is the direction and objectives that are to be achieved?  Because we are in a representative democracy these answers are different for each elected official.

 

One reason we cannot have a mission statement for the City of Long Beach, or the State of California or the United States of America is because we cannot achieve consensus on what the purpose of government is, what government’s “core business” is, much less agree to a mission statement.  Go to City Hall and ask ten elected representatives, “what is the core business of the City of Long Beach” and you will get ten answers.  The same is true for our representatives in Sacramento and Washington D.C., there is no where near consensus on what the purpose and business of government is—therefore budgeting for that business is bound to be filled with unnecessary spending to all but critical to each one of us.

 

If we are ever to have efficient government and reduce or eliminate what each of us may define as “wasteful spending” we must agree as to the core business of our levels of government.  And this is at the heart of politics: what is the purpose, responsibility and business of government.

 

Is it to provide basic services and infrastructure? Is it to eradicate poverty? Ensure every person has free health care?  Home ownership? Security? Free markets? What are the duties and obligations of our government?  From those who believe in laissez-faire government whose existence is to provide public safety, ensure free markets, build and maintain common infrastructure and let citizens be responsible for their own actions and choices to those who believe in a socialist government intervention and maintenance of all aspects of our lives Americans run the gamut on what should be the government’s responsibility and what should be the responsibility of the individual.  Further, we disagree on what should be the Federal, State and local government’s responsibilities.  Some feel education should be the sole responsibility of local government—at the most perhaps the state.  Others feel education is a Federal responsibility and as such policy for every child’s education should come from Washington D.C.  We cannot agree on anything, except elections and the need to have them.

 

This is where our government budgetary processes get so messed up—elections and officials being elected without a common mission and vision.  As I mentioned in my previous post issues are driving more and more of the political decisions of the party bases, and by driving I mean controlling the majority of the funds politicians need to get elected and to stay in office.  Loosely forming alliances based on bending ideology politicians vote their pocketbooks and contributions.  Government pork is just another form of campaign spending—except you and I are the ones making the donations.  Policies that benefit one group over another are seeds for future campaign contributions.  Expanded programs, targeted spending proposals, employment contracts are all the result or the cause of campaign contributions.  In the end the purpose of government is not a particular mission or vision, but rather a benefit to be meted out by those in office.  A collection of individual missions to get elected or re-elected.

 

The Constitution of the United States is one of the most amazing documents in the history of man.  It is flexible, interpretive, guiding and timeless.  At one time the preamble served as a mission statement and a vision statement for our country.  It set forth the purpose in a meaningful and strong way, “form…establish…insure…secure”, and broad objectives of “union…justice…tranquility…defense.”  Because of these clearly stated purposes and objectives the framers were able to establish a new country, and a document that future generations would use as their guide.

 

As our country aged and got further away from its founding, our leaders and government officials have gotten further away from what was a common mission and vision.  Given the geographic, demographic, technological and many other categories of difference between 1787 and today it is no surprise that our political representatives have strayed from the interpretation of the mission set forth by the Founders; however have they needed to stray so far?

 

My question for politicians in the elections next year is simple, “what is the purpose of government?”  What is your question for them?