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EDITOR:
In a recent letter to the editor, Urs Schuler contends that government spending is the path to prosperity, and that Tom McClintock is wrong when he warns that government profligacy is harming our economy.
Let’s put this to the test. Over the past four years, the Obama administration has borrowed more than 5 1/2 trillion for stimulus spending — about $17,651 for every man, woman and child in the country. Mr. Obama is spending more as a percentage of GDP than at any time except World War II. If spending and borrowing were the path to prosperity, we should be enjoying the most prosperous era in American history by now.
Mr. Schuler is right that government spending for basic public works like roads, dams and ports is an important foundation to economic prosperity, and McClintock has been a leading voice in advocating for such projects both in Sacramento and Washington. The problem occurs when funds which once went to such projects are diverted instead for income transfers or grotesque scams like Solyndra which have become a hallmark of this administration.
He is dead wrong that the Roman Empire spent its way to greatness — quite the contrary. Roman Imperial spending and the confiscatory taxes and monetary inflation that supported it ultimately destroyed its economy, bankrupted its treasury and left it open to invasion and collapse. The decline and fall of the Roman Empire is a warning, not a model.
Some people apparently can’t tell the difference between what Jefferson called a “wise and frugal government” advocated by McClintock, and the sprawling welfare state and crony-capitalism practiced by Mr. Schuler’s candidates. Fortunately, we have a representative like Tom McClintock who can. We need more of them.
JOHN STELZMILLER
Placerville
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Dink LaneOctober 31, 2012 - 2:11 pm
Well McClintock did FIGHT for California's Cotton Growers... He argued for 20 min on Jan. 26, 2010 the House floor for HR 3105 to let WESTLANDS (Ted Sheely, Cotton Farmer and Multi Millionaire that collects more the $4M in tax subsidies for CA's water) take 40% of the Delta's fresh water.... and Again argued for 33 min on Feb. 29, 2012 for HR 1837 to once again let WESTLANDS to take 40% of Delta's fresh water..... Now, Mr. Stelzmiller, when did McClintock argue for 2 min...or 1 min... for the People of District 4??? Steely is proud of him... I'm not.
Ken SteersOctober 31, 2012 - 5:58 pm
Dink you socialist zealot! But I hate to say that I have to agree that we deserve to have real local representation from someone who is not a carpet bagger from Orange County. And a career politician. One that actually had a job in the private sector once in his life would be nice too. But try laying off the farmers. Ag is California's number one economy and pretty much all we have left.
JohnNovember 01, 2012 - 12:29 am
McClintock will get re-elected by 65%--at least, even though Jack Uppal is by far better qualified philosophically and intellectually. Voters around here are low-information. Anything beyond Dancing with the Stars results is too much to absorb.
under informedNovember 01, 2012 - 8:10 am
I think who does and doesn’t get elected for a congressional seat in El Dorado County has more to do with the elections office than the voters, the case of Charlie Brown vs. McClintock is a good example. With Uppal it’s the same issue, it doesn’t matter that he is more qualified, he’s just not the right guy regardless of party affiliations
John SavageNovember 01, 2012 - 8:30 am
First, President Obama has lowered the deficit from $1.2 Trillion to $1 Trillion, still far too high, but at least he isn't exploding the deficit the previous president did. Second, Rep. McClintock is a career politician who has held, and ran for, various offices for some 20 plus years. Rep. McClintock doesn't represent us, why should he, he only moved up here to have an office to run for. He represents himself and the monied interests that pay for his campaigns.
James E.November 01, 2012 - 8:42 am
McClintock is conning all of us, but Tea/Republicans loved being conned so he's not going anywhere.
James E.November 01, 2012 - 8:43 am
*** love
Ken SteersNovember 01, 2012 - 9:43 am
Now that I'm on this island of "where the wild things are" political creatures. I want to point out that the Tea Party revolt came about, do to their displeasure of the Republican Party. And that they have no party that represents them. When the Dems. insult Tea Party supporters and call them racists or stupid while at the very same time hail the MOWS crowd as patriots. I have to scratch my head. Then I realize that I'm guilty of doing the very same thing that the Leftist do. I apologize for lumping everyone who votes (D) in the same pile. I believe that the vast majority of people who vote (D) are good hard working Americans. And I understand that my beliefs in the role of government is not monolithic. My belief that Capitalism and individual responsibility, success or failure can not be guaranteed or even facilitated by larger government interference in our daily lives. That's just me. As well as my notion that no one or thing has ever been able to spend it's way out of debt. I do believe in our Republic. I steadfastly believe that the House of Representatives was specifically designed for LOCAL people representing their constituency. That it was never intended a place where someone who isn't from an area or has never worked in a community be that community's represenative for life. Finally Uppal is not one of our best or brightest. Like it or not Dems. this is a Conservative District. We all can do better than these two.
RichardNovember 01, 2012 - 10:05 am
Stelzmiller: For those who don’t know him, he is the old wise guru of extreme republican ideology in our congressional district once feared by the Democrats. A man who without question supported George W. Bush, hard to believe your writing about wise and frugal government. Seems like just a couple of months ago when one out of every five dollars spent on the war in Iraq by our then Republican Administration went to contractors (no doubt republican contractors) for the United States military. The Pentagon’s reliance on outside contractors in Iraq was proportionately far larger than in any previous conflict, and it has confirmed outsourcing led to overbilling, fraud and shoddy and unsafe work that has endangered and even killed American troops. The budget office’s report found that from 2003 to 2007, the government awarded contracts in Iraq worth about $85 billion, and that the Bush administration awarded contracts at a rate of $15 billion to $20 billion a year. Contracting costs surged past the $100 billion mark before the end of the war; even the oil we get from Iraq was and is at a premium. And the only thing we got in return was the cost of caring for our dead and wounded troops. ..
Ken SteersNovember 01, 2012 - 10:26 am
Richard you are rambling. If you cared about failed government programs then look at the "LBJ's Great Society" experiment. It was sold as a war on poverty. 50 years and Trillions of US tax dollars later what do we have to show for it? Poverty plummeted from 17% to 16.8%. For those Dems. reading that's .02 percent change, maybe. Trillions of tax dollars taken from hard working Americans and given to Government Bureaucrats. At least they've lived well. And for the record, I was Chair of the CC preceding Stelzmiller. But no one have ever accused me of being Old, wise or a guru for that matter. Also could you explain your view of what the "Republican Ideology" is?
James E.November 01, 2012 - 11:43 am
I would prefer my representative in the House be a Democrat -- but, it's a Republican district so I understand it will be a Republican. Shouldn't it be a Republican from the District and not a traveling political con man? Shouldn't it?
Kirk MacKenzieNovember 01, 2012 - 12:21 pm
Mr Steers -- Yes, we can do better. This is a conservative district, but I suspect an Independent could win here if they had the right message. I don't care where they come from or what party they claim -- or not. I agree that the important thing is representing constituents. It's our job to figure out how to tell them what we want and hold them accountable for doing what we want.
Ken SteersNovember 01, 2012 - 2:31 pm
Kirk, It should and can be done. I would be for the elimination of political parties
Kirk MacKenzieNovember 01, 2012 - 2:41 pm
Mr Steers -- There are all sorts of things in politics I'd like to get rid of. Money, parties, lies, etc, etc, bah. In the end, even if we got rid of all those things, we'd still be in the position of needing to communicate what we want, and holding them accountable for pursuing what we want. If we could master that, I don't think money, party, even integrity, would be dominant issues.