As late July turns to August, a few events are certain: Fall semester starts in just four short weeks, Gator football kicks off and the home stretch 2014 election begins. With the election looming, along with the glut of negative advertising, constant phone calls, campaign emails and fundraising requests, it’s time we broach a serious topic.
If you don’t like the concept of government or the idea of governing, it’s time for you to step out of the way for those who actually care about the future of American society.
Most of us agree that government is not the solution to our community, state or national ills. But government serves an important purpose, and we are beginning to lose sight of what it is government can accomplish.
The government operates as the facilitator for the rest of society to function. Without the government, our roads would — and in many cases are starting to — crumble, the public school system would disappear and many of the basic services we need to survive would simply evaporate.
It may not seem like it’s happening, but the evaporation has already started. If those who do not understand, like or want to govern get out of the way for those who do, the U.S.’ lost decade could turn into a lost century.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the current state of the country’s infrastructure earned the not-so-stellar grade of a D plus in 2013. Our roads, airports, bridges, power grid and drinking water are just a few of the many major infrastructure crises that need addressing.
In fact, the only area that received a grade better than a C was how the country handles its solid waste. It received a B minus.
How could we start making progress and improve the nation’s decaying infrastructure?
Electing leaders who want to act and understand the role government plays in helping American society grow and flourish. For an easy local issue, let’s look at our roads and how government inaction can ultimately hurt growth.
Alachua County has a $550 million backlog of road projects. If you’re a private company from another state and are looking to move jobs to Alachua County, a deciding factor could be the crumbling roads.
If your employees have a difficult time getting to and from work, why would you want to move those jobs to Alachua County?
Hopefully, that small example helps underscore the symbiotic relationship government plays with private enterprise. One cannot exist without the other and if businesses are willing to invest in themselves to grow and prosper, then government has the same responsibility to the people it serves.
Here’s another strange concept: If you hate government, don’t run for public office. The logic of running for office and hating government is about as asinine as despising the petroleum industry but spending your life working for an oil company.
Government doesn’t have to be big or intrusive, but it needs to be functional. We need government at the local, state and national levels to operate efficiently.
With a major election on the horizon, we need leaders who want to make the government work for the people and who commit to ensuring that the government is ready to handle the challenges we face.
Someone pledging to drown government in a bathtub, remove all regulations — no matter what — or refuse to spend a penny on our crumbling infrastructure is not who we need.
Remember, elections are job interviews for leaders, and it’s our responsibility to hire the best people for the job. Let’s be honest, you would never interview for a job by telling the employer that you hate the company and everything it does, right?
That’s essentially what a sizable chunk of candidates are saying to get elected.
Stop hiring the saboteurs and hire leaders who will spend your tax dollars wisely and allow the government to function.
[Joel Mendelson is a UF graduate student in political campaigning. A version of this column ran on page 6 on 7/24/2014 under the headline "Step out of the way, government haters"]
