Show Government Growth Threatens Economic AND Individual Freedoms Freedoms' By E. E Douglas Kenna The economy has become our greatest bugaboo Problem Number One that spawn spawns other national problems is undoubtedly un un- undoubtedly undoubtedly government growth and government spending Federal Federal Federal Fed Fed- eral governments government's spending spree of billions of dollars of taxpayer funds has reaped not nota a better life for all Americans but inflation recession unemployment unemployment unemployment national despondency despondency despondency despond despond- ency and a crippling of initia initia- tive The solution lies in combined remedial action by government and business They must be the agents for reform Most importantly importantly importantly im im- they both must regain re- re regain re reo gain the faith of the populace for for without that the race is lost r The size and impact of the government have mushroomed to to the point th that t the very foundation foun foun- dation of individual freedom is being threatened Government is is' dictating our personal and economic affairs indeed our way of life To a large degree our economic economic eco ceo benefits were made possible possible possible pos pos- sible by the legal framework of rules favorable to the ethic of enterprise along with the social and work attitudes of our citi citi- zens Freedom has been the key to Americas America's past progress it must be allowed to determine our future progress Why the lack of confidence in the institutional framework of the free society A basic factor is envy To be dissatisfied with ones one's lot when others are better off oft is a human trait trail If such envy were channeled channeled channeled chan chan- into greater effort toward excellence it could even be constructive However recent political decisions have been directed more to penalizing the achievers than elevating the disadvantaged A second factor is the rising level of expectation The very success of our system has fueled the fires of demand for forever forever forever ever greater success A third factor is limited patience patience patience pa pa- tience in seeking solutions to problems combined with the political bent to work for immediate immediate immediate im im- im- im mediate results while ignoring term long-term needs These factors are reflected in inthe inthe inthe the ballooning of government the number of government now one out of every six persons in the theland theland theland land government budgets up to 36 per cent of our Gross National Product capital shortages shortages shortages short short- ages runaway spending for welfare programs business anti-business legislation and government M As we enter our year lets let's remember that it took years for the federal budget to reach billion then it took only nine years to reach billion then only four years to reach billion Right now we proceed at an average of over 1 billion per day and surely by 1977 the bud budget et will exceed billion Most people in Washington dont don't even know w what a billion billio dollars dollars' is One billion seconds ago the first atomic bomb had not been exploded one billion minutes ago Christ was still on onearth onearth onearth earth one billion hours ago men were still living in caves yet one billion dollars ago ago in in terms of government spending spend spend- ing was ing-was was yesterday It is up to this generation to settle settle once once and for all time time time- the question of whether the powers of government shall be used to protect promote and encourage initiative and individual in effort or whether they will be used to tempt and pit one group of citizens against others Will government be the servant of the people or their master The foregoing are excerpts from froma a recent speech to the Miss Mississippi i legislature by the president of the National Association of Manu Manu- |