May 9, 2011
Ron Robinson Foundation President
Dear Friends, You may have observed the increasing rancor in public debate. More government decisions are riddled with controversy. The Presidency no longer commands the respect of either party’s pundits. Public officials require more security. An ideological reporter even moved in next door to Sarah Palin in the hopes of besmirching her family’s reputation. What is the cause of this deteriorating environment, and will it ever end? A significant reason for such rancor is the shift away from limited government. The Founding Fathers gave the Federal government a few, enumerated powers. They reserved the rest of life’s decisions to the states and to the people. This is the essence of limited government. However, today the Left wants unlimited government. In the past two years, the Obama Administration sponsored an orgy of government overreaching. Government now decides which investment firms succeed and which ones fail. Lehman Brothers may go under, but other firms receive subsidies. The Obama Administration’s car czar forces some bond holders to lose their investments while politically supportive unions receive billions in bailouts. Some successful car dealerships have been ordered to shut while other, less successful but politically connected, dealerships have expanded markets. Some car lines are forced to cease operations as government decides the size and styling of new models. Students can no longer receive private loans for college. Government controls that business completely, and it won’t be long before bureaucrats begin to add “politically correct” stipulations to student loans. Worst of all, government no longer leaves personal health care choices to the patient, his or her family, and the family doctor. Government imposes itself as the “decider” of all future medical decisions. The last example of government expansion should be the brightest red flag for anyone worried about civility in public life. Any family that has gone through end-of-life or other crucial medical decisions knows the wrenching and divisive nature of those decisions. They can permanently scar family relationships. Washington is now going to insert politicians into that personal and sometimes volatile situation and hope to maintain civility!?! Most decisions are better left to individuals and their families. At least they have themselves to blame, not their elected officials, when they get unexpected results from their decisions. The history of totalitarian regimes teaches us that, no matter the original intentions, unlimited government always leads to great division and discord. If we have any hope to restore civility, we must first reign in our government. We must protect Americans’ right to choose how to spend the income they have earned without bureaucrats or politicians imposing their schemes.
Sincerely,
Ron Robinson President