The Way We Never Were

I just finished reading a book entitled The Way We Never Were, by Stephanie Coontz. The basic premise of the book is that the "traditional family" is a myth. She then argues that instead of trying to return to a system of family values that never really existed, we should concentrate on developing trust and cooperation through innovative social programs that improve education, reduce homelessness, etc.

Sentences like "we could deliver a year's worth of prenatal care, immunizations, ...[etc.]... for less than what it costs to finance three weeks of Desert Storm" reveal the authors basic sentiments, and are almost enough to make me dismiss her out of hand. But I am not going to.

I agree that we have serious problems in this country. I agree that we need to strengthen our sense of community, and that growing up in a two parent nuclear family isn't the only way to do it. I even agree that we need government involvement to help us overcome our challenges.

However, I believe that outsourcing our sense of community to government bureaucrats is not the answer. What do I mean by this? Raising taxes to pay for more social programs undermines our sense of community and trust. Our contribution to society, as well as our entitlements, are centered on a distant and impersonal machine. Our participation is mandatory and requires no understanding or empathy.

Trust and cooperation are undeniably important, and these sentiments must be channeled through social institutions in order to be effective. But if we allow ourselves to become bystanders in our own social institutions, the very foundations of civic virtue that made them possible in the first place will be undermined.

We need a government that invites and facilitates cooperation. We need a institutions that inform and empower us. Taxing us to pay for programs deemed worthy by the bureaucracy isn't the way to do this. But there is another way. I have written about one promising alternative here. Tell me what you think.

Where I Stand

Taxes

To the maximum extent practical, taxes should be replaced with government efforts to facilitate private donations. People should not be required to pay for programs they do not support.

People should not be taxed to pay for services that go to people who can afford to pay for themselves. For example, taxes should not subsidize health insurance for the rich even if they have pre-existing conditions.

Education

Education is the state government's highest priority, and we can do better.

Improve school choice by making private education options financially accessible to lower and middle class families.

Increase the length of the school year for public schools from 180 to 200 days.

Increase teacher pay proportional to the increase in the school year.

Make teacher pay dependent on better measures of performance than seniority and licensure.


State Rights

States need to work actively to cut back the growth of the federal government, including:

Challenge the federal government on the extent to which it justifies programs by the commerce clause, passing a constitutional amendment if necessary.

Work with other Western states to encourage the government to sell federal lands to the public.

Oppose any effort to nationalize health care.

Energy

our state is blessed with geography and natural resources that provide many opportunities for responsible development. We should facilitate development of these resources in a way that minimizes impact on the environment.

A carbon tax, including "cap and trade", is not worth the cost.

The risks associated with mining and disposing of nuclear material must be mitigated, but we should avoid anti-nuclear policies that are motivated by a lack of information.

Transparency and Ethics

Transparency is the foundation of ethical government. Our state government has been taking steps toward becoming more transparent, but more needs to be done.

The sponsor of each bill should publish a plain language explanation of why they are presenting each of their bills before the legislative session begins so that the public can comment. The explanation should include the problem with the status quo, how things will be different under the new law, and a consideration of the costs and benefits. Legislators who oppose the bill should publish an opposing opinion.

This is where I stand on some of today's most important issues. Where do you stand?