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Show THE VOICE OF BUSINESS They're outnumbered in Congres but what about in the country? By Richard L. Lesher, President Chamber of Commerce of the United States Have pity for Congresswoman Marjorie Holt of Maryland, and while you're at it, for Congressman Del Latta and Ralph Regula of Ohio, Barber Conable of New York, Dave Stockman of Michigan and John Rousselot of California. They and legislators of similar persuasion in both parties all share a common concern. The better they try to do their jobs, the more they seem to annoy and embarrass their colleagues. The problem, you see, is that they keep asking the same awkward awk-ward questions the ones the American public wants answered, but that Congress as a whole wants to avoid. What they are trying to determine is simply this: Why won't Congress cut taxes. ..or spending. ..or both? It's been a frustrating quest. When they push for tax cuts alone, they're told in effect: "Stop that! You'll worsen inflation." They disagree, but for the sake of progress they offer a proposal linking tax cuts to spending cuts. Next answer: "Your cuts are too large. You're advocating ad-vocating a meat as approach." Undaunted, Un-daunted, they try again, returning with a request for smaller cuts, only to be told: "Don't bother us with that. Now is not the right time." Will there ever be a right time? You have to wonder. Having been defeated on three different attempts to reduce the federal budget during the last two months, Holt, Latta, and company recently decided to make one last offeran of-feran offer no one could refuse. Exempting defense and veterans af- fairs, they proposed a general spending reduction totalling barely two percent of the budget mere crumbs within the giant $550 billion federal pie. Then they challenged the House to prove it was at least willing to eliminate this tiny amount of waste. How greedy of them! The House, unable to stomach such sweeping cutbacks, instead swallowed it pride and voted down their motion. Indeed, the budget-cutters were even given a' lecture and accused of trying to subvert the entire budget processs. It's true, of course, that passage of this two percent reduction would have delayed the budget process. It would have meant sending the budget resolution back to committee where the specific spending cuts would have to be decided. But remember, the whole ppurpose of establishing a budget process was to get a better handle on federal spending. So what the spenders were really saying to the budget-cutters was: "If we pass your motion to limit spending, . we'll destroy our process to limit spending!" How's that for tortured logic? The bottom line is this: In the name of saving the sacred budget process, the House has approved another double digit increase in the federal budget itself a comfortable continueation of policies that have witnessed a quadrupling of the federal budget wince 1962, and a doubling of the national debt in the last eight years. The bill will have to be paid through higher taxes, higher inflation, or both. If, during the past 20 years, all private businesses were run as poorly as that, there would probably be no pro! tax, no revenues to collect, and th programs to fund! What can you do? First, you realize that spending other pe money gives government treme power, so it will say almost anyth make you believe it has the rigli the ability to spend your money I than you can. In a recent iss "Policy Report," Paul Craig R describes this approach: "Recc justify deficits to get the eco moving again; recoveries ji deficits to keep recoveries going-times going-times justify deficits to ward 0' downturn that is predicted to be a the corner. Signs can be found which to predict a recession." It's for Americans to wake up and this so-called economic expertiss Second, Americans, as taxp; must become much more polit involved in trying to reduce the b of government. As Senator W Proxmire of Wisconsin, a tireless government waste, recently r "Who comes to Washington to ask cut a particular program? Yot wait a long time for an answer, comes? No one. Not ever. But nun come purporting to represent mii . asking us to increase spending... People like Proxmire in the 5 and the budget-cutters in the Hou trying to work for us. Why car start coming to Washington b hundreds, thousands, or even m to help them? If we don't, we migl the most important battle of our without ever having put up a fi |
