Teachers, Police Officers & Firefighters

One of the biggest weaknesses has been state and local governments, which have laid off 450,000 Americans. These are teachers, and cops, and firefighters. Congress should pass a bill putting them back to work right now.--Barack Obama


Teachers, police officers, and firefighters are necessary. Our communities cannot function properly without them.


If you are a teacher, or a police officer, or a firefighter; President Obama would like you to believe that Mitt Romney wants to punish you. President Obama would like you to believe that he has your best interest at heart. President Obama isn't telling you the truth.


Barack Obama thinks that the loss of teacher, police, and firefighting  jobs is one of the economy's biggest weaknesses. He thinks that, just by Congress passing a bill, you will have a job. NEWSFLASH: It doesn't work that way.


Your salary as a teacher, a police officer, or a firefighter comes from the taxpayer's pocket. Your occupation does not contribute to the growth of the economy. This isn't to say that what you do isn't vitally important; it simply doesn't produce a growth in the economy. "I pay into the public treasury", you may say. That is true, but the funds which you use to pay into the treasury came out of the treasury. That's like siphoning 10 gallons of gasoline out of your buddy's car and then putting 2 gallons back in and claiming that you've contributed toward his gasoline expenses.


It is true that there have been layoffs of teachers, police officers, and firefighters. That is because local county and city governments are facing severe budget shortfalls. They're simply out of money. Why is this? Let's explore that.


Where do governments get their money? Through taxation. Why are tax revenues down? Because taxpayers aren't paying as much in taxes. Why aren't taxpayers paying as much in taxes? Because their incomes are down. Less income means less income tax. It also means less sales tax, because belts get tightened and budgets get smaller. When the revenues are down, counties and municipalities have to do just like the taxpayers they depend on: tighten their belts. That belt tightening eventually leads to layoffs. Payroll is the largest expense of any enterprise, whether it's a corporation, small business, county, or municipality.


Now, let me go on record emphatically that I want to see every teacher, police officer, and firefighter put back to work. How will that happen? Well, it won't happen by Congress passing a bill to put them back to work. 


What will put teachers, police officers, and firefighters back to work is a strong and vibrant private sector. That's right, you want a healthy public sector? You have to have an even healthier, dynamic private sector. A private sector in which there is immense opportunity for all who seek it. A private sector in which the entrepreneur feels confident in taking risks. One in which free markets determine demand and cost, and in which competition is not only accepted, but encouraged. One in which new businesses are being started and in which established businesses are thriving.


How do you get there? Well, first and foremost, the government has to cease and desist. It must get out of the way of business. Onerous, overbearing, and outdated regulation needs to be repealed. Second, the government must get off the back of the taxpayer. This means lowering taxes and slashing government spending. Lowering taxes immediately leaves more disposable income in the hands of those who will use it most effectively to stimulate economic growth. Slashing spending lessens the liability of the taxpayer toward the government. When the individual taxpayer is prosperous, the economy grows naturally. As the economy grows, so does the tax base, by default. A greater tax base equals more tax revenue. More tax revenue equals more funds available for teachers, police officers, and firefighters.


Now ask yourselves: Has President Obama pursued policies that free the private sector to prosper, or has he pursued policies that hinder it? The answer is obviously the latter. You want to see more teachers, police officers, and firefighters on the job? Good. Vote for responsible people who understand simple economics. Vote for them on your city councils. Vote for them in your county commissions. Vote for them in your state legislature. Vote for them in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. And for the love of your nation and your children, vote for Barack Obama's retirement on January 20, 2013.