Last week, I questioned how President Clinton could speak in favor of small government while proposing to expand it. Everyone knows love them or hate them Republicans are the only people who are truly committed to smaller government, right?

This is the generalization most of hold. Democrats favor a larger, more powerful government with higher taxes while Republicans mean to downsize government and decrease taxes. If you said as much to a Republican, they would likely agree. However, while the Republicans claim to support a streamlined government, some of their actions speak differently.

Last week, Clinton sent a budget to Congress that would result in a $9.5 billion surplus in 1999 but would increase spending while raising taxes by almost $100 billion over five years. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., immediately condemned it as a budget only a liberal could love. Gingrich made similar statements concerning last year’s budget.

Advertisement

Although many Republicans criticized Clinton’s 1997 budget, when the media hype ended they added $5 billion in their own programs, including $5 million for a practice field for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. In addition, Republicans gave Clinton more funding than he wanted for 35 programs, adding another $5 billion to America’s tax bill.

If Clinton’s new budget passes as is, and a surplus of $9.5 billion is generated in 1999, would it not be wise to use that money to pay off some of the national debt? This would after all make lower taxes possible, which is what most Republicans say they want.

However, House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster, R-Pa., wants to spend $219 billion more than Clinton on highway construction, and news of the potential surplus has other Republicans offering.

Given these facts, it would seem that the difference between Republicans and Democrats is not whether government should be smaller and less expensive, but merely where they want to spend our taxes.

Is it any wonder that Americans concerned about the debt left to younger generations are losing faith in American politics? In light of this, do not throw up your hands in hopelessness, for apathy is the best way to let your government go somewhere you do not like. Politicians will not spend money on football fields if you tell them not to by voting for someone else.

But who? Do not all elections give us two bad choices time and again? Not necessarily. Political groups other than Republicans and Democrats have been gaining support over recent years. Look how much support Ross Perot gained in 1992. In a current example, there are more than 240 Libertarians serving in political office.

Both Clinton and Republicans have spoken endlessly for sweeping change. Although some honest, beneficial changes have been made, real change has been swept under the rug.

Advertisement*

Perhaps what America needs is for a new political party to assume power.

Perhaps all that is necessary is for a third party or independent to gain enough support that traditional Democrats and Republicans will wake up to what you want.