Stop the runaway spending!

I am always astonished at some of the unjustified spending that goes on in the Utah legislature. Sometimes, it seems we are trying to beat California to the Bankruptcy Court! For example, spending under consideration by just one legislative committee -- the Business, Economic Development and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee -- for this year includes the following items:

• Box Elder Boys and Girls Club - $35,000
• Cedar City Air Service - $400,000
• Hexcel - $2,500,000
• Hale Center Theater - $2,000,000
• Hope Lodge - $1,600,000
• Liquor Stores - $1,500,000
• Moab Music Festival - $25,000
• Museum of Natural History - $600,000
• Ogden Rodeo Museum - $50,000
• Pioneer Museum - $150,000
• Rio Grande Depot Security - $55,000
• Sundance Film Festival - $1,000,000
• Syberjet Taxiway - $400,000
• Topaz Museum - $250,000
• Treehouse Museum - $750,000
• Utah Shakespeare Festival - $5,000,000
• Wasatch Cooperative Market - $10,000

Total - $16,415,000!

I have listed only a few of the dozens of blatant assaults on free-enterprise and on the principle of limited government that are on that committee's agenda. An awful lot of the items on the list should be paying their own way (eg, Utah Shakespeare Festival) -- not a drain on the taxpayer.

I know "they" say that they bring tax revenue to the community. But should government be in the business of enhancing tax revenue? Should government be in the business of supporting selected charities or businesses (eg American Cancer Society or SyberJet)?

I say, "No!"

It is my opinion that all revenue-producing entities, whether government agency (eg, DMV) or private business (eg, a film/theater/music festival) must pay their own way or die a quiet death. Nor, should government be picking winners and losers by subsidizing charities and businesses.

If legislators think that such budget items are worthy of investment, they can invest their own money -- not mine!

If we had smarter voters, federal, state and local politicians would never get away with this crap. Instead, the voters would limit government to its proper role -- protecting our God-given rights. And our taxes would be negligible -- just like they were before that landmark year for the progressive movement: 1913.