BIG Opportunity for those who want a Small Government

Are We are Missing our Big Opportunity to FREE ourselves from Big State Government ?????

Right now, July 1, 2009, State governments are Stumbling Around for looking for ANSWERS. This is because they clearly have over spent, broke their budgets and now its CUT-BACK & DOWN SIZE TIME.

Question: Do you think the democrats or the Republicans are going to GIVE them the answers? Don't be silly. We libertarians MUST DO IT.

California State politicians are looking for answers, any answers. So is the State of Arizona, with its new Republican Woman in place as Governor, all she can think of is to raise State taxes another billion dollars.

States across the USA are now having to face the music, today. Not next week, but today. This means they suddenly want to be told what to do.

This is why I say that Libertarianism is missing the Big O of opportunity.

Now is the time to stop talking philosophy, free market, tax cuts....now is the time to LAY OUT THE PLAN as to what SPENDING CUTS must be made.

A STATE PLAN OF ACTION is needed that itemizes what functions and departments are essential, and which ones must go. Who has done the list? Answer: NO BODY. Not you, not me, not Lew Rockwell, Not Ron Paul, Not Peter Schiff, Not Tom Woods, Not him, her, or "Them". Certainly do not look to the Libertarian Party to provide your State Government with the answer. So it will be left to the republicans and democrats by default, who and what gets saved. Hence, nothing can be more STUPID than for libertarians not to Jump in at this point and write out the PLAN OF ACTION.

Take my own State of Arizona for example. Major budget crises is thought to be just 9 - 16 months behind California if "we do not do something". Republican Jan Brewer's answer is: Raise taxes a billion dollars.

Well OK, so no BOSS is going to descend from the Libertarian Mountains where the Founding Fathers of the Constitution lay and lay out the plan for us. We ... that is you and I, .... must get our plan of action out there.

Towards this end, here is my proposed Outline on the Direction we can take to cut State Government. [ Federal Government, you are next ]

Since many would agree that the 4 essential functions of Government are essential to peaceful living, lets not cut that now. { Sorry Anarcho- Capitalists }

Step 1) Save the City Police Departments
(protects persons & property)

Step 2) Save the City Fire Departments
(protects persons & property)

Step 3) Save the State Courts
(protects persons & property)

Step 4) Save the State Prisons
(protects persons & property)

Hence, if the State government function does not fundamentally protect persons and property, then it GOES TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK.

Yes, ALL the rest can go to the State Budget Cutting Chopping Block.

Three (3) techniques for government downsizing can be used.

A) Cut & end the program and/or service all together
B) Auction the program and/or service to the General Public
C) Lottery the Program and/or service to the General Public

First Up, State Parks. As with any State asset or function or service, we must look at the total assets involved, then its liabilities, then its services. By looking at all 3 components, assets, liabilities, and services, we can then balance out and make a determination which of the 3 budget cutting techniques above is best.

So, for example, State Parks.

In my state of Arizona, they have threatened to "close the Grand Canyon" -- I kid you not. Only Government can think itself so powerful as to close a gaping hole in the ground so that no one can see it. Now lets stop laughing and do the analysis.

Grand Canyon is a big "asset", raking in millions of dollars in tourist monies and visited by millions of tourist each year. Its a money maker for the State and it is a low liability asset. It provides a service, but its a service that can be privatized. So option A) Cut and end the program is not going to happen since people will always go to gaze at the big hole. So Options B) and C) come into play. To place the asset, the Park up for bid means it must be packaged correctly, into a definable property with limited usage rules in place. Once it is packaged and defined, then placing it up for bid is a good way to go. But so too is putting this defined property into a lottery. The lottery winner of the Grand Canyon will no doubt not know how to maximize the profit from the Grand Canyon and will no doubt sell it to the highest bidder who does. Thus someone gets lucky, and the State budget gets nothing. So option B), auctioning off the Grand Canyon is the way to proceed, the winner can pay the state and the State can get out of the business of letting tourists see a hole in the ground. That is just one park. There are plenty to auction.

Next up are State Roads. Road companies and communication companies could be encouraged to team up and bid on this one in an auction. Monies can go to the State's empty purse. Road Companies and Communication companies can then find the real market drive time value and charge for its use like phone companies charge for use time today. This has the added benefit of putting real market principles to work in the area of roads...making them safer, smarter, faster, networked, and extremely cheap to build. A real libertarian vision in the making...

Next up are all sorts of services such as the dog pound, trash business, etc. Again we look at the assets, the liabilities, the services provided and decide which of the 3 methods above work best: A simple lottery may be best and fast...then those who really want it can buy it or start their own service. Or it might be that an Auction is best, or just cutting and ending the function all together.

Next Up, State Schools. All public schools can be autioned. Property taxes for schools could be turned into vouchers to be used at any school of choice. There are many ideas, but Publicly funded schools must go. There is no reason that education has to be a public product. The marketplace can provide education. Arizona has proved that with its charter schools. Its just a step away from being fully privatized.

State hospitals..... again, assets, liabilities, and services. Letting someone "win" a hospital may or may not be a good idea, especially since they are upside down and loosing money. Big name charitiies may step up to buy a few, such as the United Way and the Red Cross. Whole new charities may be born to buy and run hospitals. Indeed, some business savvy may find a much better way to run them cheaper. But we all know that 1st party pricing, not 3rd party pricing, is the wave of the future. Need a triple bye pass? Get 50 surgeons to bid it out as to when and where. Sounds crazy? But this is what is happening now. Those who shop for their heart operation are comparing Costa Rica's prices to those found in Hong Kong and Thailand and LA.... LA is loosing business. In your own local city or town, medical competition is unheard of, and this is the problem. But it is getting better. I recall in the early 1970's you would go see a doctor, wait hours in the waiting room, and if it was not a Wednesday when he plays golf, you may get in to see him. Med schools kept a tight leash on the number of doctors then and the Med association did a good job of keeping the business price protected. Those days are over. Soon will be over is the 3rd party pays employer deduction/benefit problem which is making souring costs.

Well that is enough for today... .so get out there, WRITE THE PLAN of what SHOULD BE CUT, SOLD, AUCTIONED, and sent to the Lottery...

That is how we will get "Small Government", by providing specific answers in this time of budget collapse....and "IOU's".

Imagination is what is needed... and we libertarians have plenty of that. But let us not forget to Name Names, call out government functions as NOT NEEDED at this TIME. Keep these government functions of Police, and Courts because they are key to private property system.

In peace & liberty,

Treg

PS.... if you like this idea, please copy n paste it around to your friend. Like just some of it, well add to it and make it your own. Spread the word, CUT GOVT ....by telling GOVT where to cut.