In America we elect presidents, governors, members of congress and state legislators as our agents in self government. This public trust has been granted to them through the exercise of our sacred right to vote.
In our history, this trust has not always been scrupulously honored by office holders: unfortunately never has the public trust been so egregiously assaulted as it is now. Public debt, federal, state and local, is the core of this growing crisis. This crushing burden has affected much of Europe and our federal government. A high number of state and local governments face a combined total of over $4 trillion in debt and pension obligations.
Most government debt is the result of votes by elected officials. In the context of what the American people face from terrorism, rogue nations with nuclear weapons, and energy dependence, our national debt exceeds all of these in its long-term consequences. Politicians, writers and political pundits who dismiss this threat to our national life are in my opinion doing a great disservice to the American people and must be classified as fools.
I should like to examine several areas in our national life and government that are currently eroding public trust. After nearly three decades in the federal government, of which half was on Capitol Hill, I came to the conclusion, which I still hold, that the U.S. Congress is the largest single assemblage of massive egos in the world. Too many members believe that they are smarter than the general populace and know better than the average voter. Despite this attitude, Congress' job approval hovers somewhere between 9 and 20 percent.
One of the ironies of this American institution is that most voters believe that their senator or congressperson is OK, but that the institution as a whole is a dismal failure. In today's context with suffocating debt the old adage in Congressional elections that "I can do more for my constituency" is grossly out of date. A serious toxin is the growing influence of lobbyists and special-interest groups. These organizations and individuals are a major source of campaign funds used by senators and congresspersons to be elected or re-elected to public office. Let me assure my readers those funds carry a high price. The first is access, and the second is votes, most of which carry some form of appropriation.
Powerful lobbyists have almost immediate and total access to key members. Let a common citizen ask for a personal meeting with a member of Congress and more often than not he or she is shunted off to a staff member. In the 10th Federalist Paper, James Madison argued that government should not outlaw factions, because they would be effectively controlled by competing against each other at the public trough. His argument was probably correct for nearly two centuries, but in past years the power of K Street in Washington has become mind-boggling and dangerous to the public good. Over the years, Congress has tried to limit the power and influence of lobbyists, but only with marginal success because money still rules in Washington.
Another great evil of the institution that has emerged in recent times is congressional exemption from insider trading. Consequently, several members using inside information from pending legislation or government policy have made thousands and even millions of dollars using that knowledge. John Kerry in the Senate and Dennis Hastert, one-time Speaker of the House, were among the greatest offenders. The ethics committees of the respective bodies have condoned these insidious practices. So much for "ethics." Anyone else found guilty of insider trading pays a huge penalty. Members of Congress instead can make a bundle of money. Public trust be damned.
A third great evil in America today is crony capitalism. The Solyndra debacle is only the latest scandal. The Obama administration poured $500 million tax dollars into this shaky and supposedly green company which went bankrupt last fall. The political connections between the officers of the company and top officials in the Obama administration have been carefully documented. We should not kid ourselves about the evils of this practice in America. It is widespread, as carefully documented by Peter Schweizer in his book, "Throw Them All Out."
The assault on public trust has also been damaged countless times by administrations from both parties in misleading Capitol Hill testimony. A most recent glaring case is Attorney General Eric Holder's feeble and false claim that he learned about the botched "Fast and Furious" program of selling guns to Mexican cartel members only after the fact.
I find it difficult to accept Mr. Obama's outrageously foolish decision to cancel the Keystone Pipeline. America needs that secure source of Canadian oil and our economy needs the jobs it would have created. As a president, he has done very little to improve our energy production, and after years of study he cancelled the project and yet had the unmitigating gall after kowtowing to his environmental friends to blame the Republicans for his decision. The man is without question one of the greatest blame-game players in presidential history; another assault on the public trust.
Americans frequently ask themselves what can be done to restore the public trust. Returning to the debt crisis, I think we have to assume that it is not going to be resolved with the current cast of characters. We can also conclude that earmarks, interest groups, lobbyists, buying and selling of votes, access and the attitude of most members of Congress that "I am smarter than you so trust me," have to be changed. I have long been an advocate of congressional term limits: two terms for senators and six terms for House members. We can't however expect members of Congress to impose term limits upon themselves. The power, perks and glory are too great for incumbents to limit their own longevity.
It is now time for the voters to regain control of the process. There are a few effective things that we can do now as a people. We must repeat the election revolt of 2010. We must demand a higher standard for elected officials and with today's modern electronic communications, make our views known emphatically. Having said that, the greatest opportunity remains the ballot box. I do not believe we can't reduce the assault on the public trust and come to grips with our current debt crisis and the spending of trillions of dollars we don't have until the American people send the big spenders in Congress into permanent retirement.
Robert K. Wolthuis, PhD, lives in Pleasant View and is a former special assistant to President Ford. He served twice as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.
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