Shi**y Deal

Well, there are two ways to look at the Carl Levin and Tom Coburn show Tuesday. These boyz could be part of the kind of group that we all have run into before – pile on, pick on the out of favor gang, use a big microphone to look like heroes and never turn the examination on oneself because that would require a combination of humility and introspection. Or, we could join in and say it’s about time that someone took those nasty Wall Street smarty pants types out to the woodshed for a good whooping and if ever there was a bunch of arrogant, do-nothing-but-get-paid-a- lot fools, Hollywood casting could not have found 6 or 8 better suited characters to play the roles.

What does TheFundamentals think?

It’s all theatre. It just happens to be expensive theatre for those of us who still are paying taxes.

Government simply does not work. Less is better. More is worse. Either embrace this simple concept or continue the theatre and pay the bill.

There will always be smarty pants who can figure out what is going on and take advantage of it before the rest of us catch up to where the smarty pants types are. Government can’t fix it. They make it worse. They show up after the fact. They are complicit because they add to the costs and create the impression that they are doing something but all they are doing is greasing the field with money that the smarty pants are cleverly eyeballing and figuring out how to get as much of it as possible before the whole scheme blows up.

Today, government is spending lots of money they don’t have to make it look as if they are doing something to prevent things from getting worse. It won’t work. It too will blow up and an even bigger mess will need cleaning up. Let's call it The Big Mess.  In the meantime the current gang of smarty pants are figuring out how to get as much of the readily available dough into their pockets. They are making money while the government is making debt. And you and we, the taxpayers, will be paying the bill.

One of the most expensive lessons not learned is this. People get paid for what they do today even though the results of what they do today are not realized until tomorrow or the day after, figuratively speaking. What is the solution? Simple. Pay for results. Commit to a plan. Get paid after it is realized. For example. Steny Hoyer says we must balance the budget to avoid The Big Mess (see his Johnny come lately article in the left margin; it's the first link "Shared Sacrifices" under the "Within our Means" category) even though he has been leading his massive party in power majority to do exactly the opposite. So, let’s say to Steny, “Go for it.” Tell us how much you will not spend and how much in new taxes you will collect in the next 12 months – measurable results Steny – exactly what will the deficit (or surplus) be and what will the new tax revenue be and what will exactly happen to the debt. Commit to a specific debt number at the end of 12 months. Then, after we approve the plan, we escrow 50% of Steny’s paycheck and every other fool in congress and the presidents pay check and the cabinet officer’s paycheck and the top 20% of all the over paid bureaucrats in all the government agencies and they only get the other 50% when the exact objectives are attained at the end of the 12 month period. You want to see some results, just implement this program.

So, let’s make a deal. Let's get to work on The Big Mess.  Not another shi**y deal like the ones we’ve been getting for some time now from our government. Let’s make a good deal. You all tell us what you will do. You get paid half over the next 12 months and the other half when you finish the job and we can see the results. If you make it, we’re all win – win. If you don’t, it will only cost us half as much and you, Steny, and all your hardworking member of congress and the cabinet officers and the top 20% of employees will be gone.