Big Bird vs Mitt Romney

As indicated in the above cartoon, at $445 million a year, Big Bird is a drop in the federal-spending bucket. But, it's a symptom of the problem. Contrary to what the cartoonist implies, Romney never said that removing unconstitutional funding of PBS/NPR would balance the budget.

Romney's point is that the Constitution (Article 1 Section 8 and a handful of other clauses) identifies specific limited things the federal government is required and authorized to do. The Tenth Amendment clearly limits the federal government to the roles specified in the Constitution. Subsidizing a TV/radio network that competes against private enterprise is not on the list of things any government should be doing.

Unfortunately, Romney isn't going far enough. He, like 99% of our politicians, doesn't seem willing to attack every other federal program that violates the limits the Constitution places on politicians' thirst for building federal power by liberally spending taxpayer money.

Spending is so out-of-control that nearly 40% of federal spending is done with borrowed money! If all unconstitutional federal spending were eliminated (including Big Bird), we wouldn't have a $16 trillion national debt or a $1.1 trillion budget deficit for 2012. And, you'd never have to pay a federal income tax again. That's how big the problem is.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. — Thomas Jefferson

The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt, are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife. — Thomas Jefferson, letter to Spencer Roane, 9 Mar 1821

The primary reason for government growth (and the "incumbent advantage") is that we've yet to convince people to refuse to be bribed with their own money. — Boyd K.

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone. — Frederic Bastiat

We don't need a constitutional amendment to do our jobs. The Constitution already tells us to do our jobs and to make sure the government is living within its means and making responsible choices....We don't need more studies. We don't need a balanced budget amendment. We simply need to make these tough choices. — Barrack Obama

Would you be willing to give up your favorite federal program if it meant never having to pay the income tax again? — Harry Browne

We need smarter voters.