It was early in my career at IBM. There was a big awards ceremony, hundreds of people in attendance. One award went to a team of engineers who had solved a chronic corrosion problem in components affecting nearly every product on the market. They stood on the stage, soaking up the words of praise and the thunderous applause.
Then one engineer was asked to step forward. As he stood by the podium, he received special individual praise for his accomplishment and was handed a check for $100,000!!
Even now, that is a huge sum of money. Back then, it was jaw dropping. I still remember the moment. High drama, indeed.
When we got back to the office, one of my colleagues recalled that the corrosion problem was the result of a manufacturing process change implemented many years prior. And some of the team who had just received awards were responsible for that very process change! We all had a good laugh, realizing that a few of the engineers had not only been rewarded for unknowingly causing the problem, but also for fixing it.
Which brings me to Washington’s latest legislation. Even by Washington standards, this one, in my opinion, is perverse. First, they create inflation with monstrous government spending of borrowed money. Now, they spend even more borrowed money and claim that it will reduce inflation.
Huh? They are making this bizarre claim with a straight face, and shamelessly call it the Inflation Reduction Act.
It provides an excellent illustration of what the GOP supports, and what we do not support. Not a single one of our 262 Republican representatives or senators voted for this because it is the same, old, tired playbook of raising taxes, spending more borrowed money and expanding the size of government. That’s what gave us inflation in the first place!
The bill will increase near-term inflation and produce long-term deficits that fuel long-term inflation. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan group, has scored the bill and says it is actually likely to increase deficits because of its expensive budget gimmicks. It projects the deficit will increase by $110 billion by 2031. For perspective, that is four times NASA’s annual budget.
The bill directs the IRS to hire 87,000 additional agents! And those new employees are not slated for taxpayer service, they are enforcement agents. This despite the fact that the IRS has over 2 million paper tax returns that have not been processed. Its authors claim that only rich people will be affected, but Secretary of the Treasury Yellen admitted that middle class families will be affected as well.
Republicans believe there is a better way. Government should not spend more than it takes in. The people are overtaxed, they deserve substantial tax relief. Inflation is caused by excessive government spending; too much money chasing too few goods and services. America can be energy independent if the government gets out of the way. Illegal immigration is a historic crisis in America; the borders must be secured.
The government collected a record amount of taxes from Americans in 2021, and this year will set yet another record. Taxpayers are fed up. Enough is enough!
Republicans believe fighting inflation means limiting government spending, reducing harmful regulations and reducing the burden on taxpayers.
The president does not need to visit Saudi Arabia to beg for oil. Instead, he should visit West Texas; those folks know how to produce America’s energy needs. They just need to be relieved from the stifling government regulations.
I’d be happy to set up a meeting for him at the Odessa Country Club.
Republicans believe a very basic federal government function is securing the borders. Yet, in today’s America, our great state of Texas is fighting to protect its citizens from the largest illegal immigration wave in American history. All while the feds do nothing. The GOP expects the feds to enforce the law.
Every day I hear from GOP voters who are eager to vote, wishing it could happen today. Well, it’s not far off now.
In Texas, the first day of early voting is October 24, a Monday. From then until Election Day on November 8, our Republican voters will shout with a mighty voice that we are fed up. Fed up with wasteful government spending, high gas prices, high grocery prices, illegal immigration and corrupt politicians. Fed up with government programs with inappropriate names like “inflation reduction act.” We, the people, deserve better, and we aim to get it.
–Scott S. Kramer is a Kendall County Republican.
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