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Letter to the editor
Which leader will be truly conservative?
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Forsyth County News

Most citizens would agree with columnist Vince Coyner’s observation that too much government is a problem. I agree, but have some concerns.

First is his claim that conservatives are constantly accused of wanting no government. Anarchists are suspected of that but not conservatives.

Most citizens agree that federal regulations and the IRS Code complicate our lives, and government can be intrusive. For example, the tax code attempts to manipulate our behavior with rewards and penalties for how we earn, spend, save and invest our money.

Without government regulations, companies could sell bogus investments, unsafe products, manipulate prices and wipe out a lifetime of savings. Too bad we can’t use the honor system instead of all these laws.

  Mr. Coyner concludes that too much government stifles productivity, jobs and prosperity. Were none of these burdensome laws passed by conservatives? Is this about party flag-waving or actually reducing government excesses?

Complicated regulations and tax breaks were written for

powerful special interests and passed into law by elected politicians. It will not be easy to undo a history of bad laws even if some made sense at one time. Simplicity, efficiency and fairness should be guidelines for changing our laws now.  

  What we don’t need is the abuse of government like the recent partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration. No conservative should waste $200 million per week in lost tax revenue while claiming to reduce our national debt. What conservative values were used to furlough 4,000 FAA wage earners without pay while legislators took a paid recess? This fiasco is from elected representatives claiming to protect American jobs!        

  So why don’t we start here in conservative Georgia? The 159 county governments we have today are the result of a time when the criteria was for a farmer to be able to ride on horseback or via wagon to the county seat and back home in one day. Which conservative leaders want to combine some counties and reduce the size of government in our own backyard?

 

Tony Gardner

Cumming