Both the election returns and the polls this year show that the voters want less government and lower taxes, that they are disillusioned with the liberal dogma that Washington, D.C., can solve all social problems, and that they understand the close connection between Federal deficits and inflation.
Neither the writers of the Democratic Party Platform nor candidate Jimmy Carter appear to have gotten the message. Their social programs will aggravate, not alleviate, the oppressive burden of bureaucracy and taxes. They add up to what has been called the “Southern Fried Great Society.”
A decade ago, President Lyndon Johnson made a valiant effort to keep his budget below $100 billion. He was afraid of the political repercussions of the cost of his Great Society programs burst through that magic ceiling. If Carter carries out the promises in the Democratic Platform, he will have trouble keeping the budget under a sky-high ceiling of $500 billion.
The Kennedy-Corman National Health Insurance Bill is estimated to cost 73 to 79 billion dollars in the first year and require 275,000 to 350,000 additional government employees. The Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Bill will cost $ 9 to $ 28 billion in the first year and require 200,000 to 600,000 additional government employees. The federalization of welfare will cost 23 to 29 billion dollars during the first year and require 10,000 to 20,000 additional government employees.
That adds up to an additional Federal deficit during the first year of Carter’s administration of $ 105 to $ 136 billion and 455,000 to 990,000 additional government employees — all on top of our current deficit and runaway bureaucracy. By the immutable law of government spending, all the programs are bound to cost more in later years than the original estimates.
Such acceleration in Federal spending and bureaucracy would be completely consistent with Jimmy Carter’s record as Governor of Georgia. Since some people have perceived both Carter and Ronald Reagan as anti-Washington candidates, it is interesting to compare their fiscal and personnel records as chief administrators in their own states.
Both men were governors during the four years from 1970 to 1974. During that period of inflation, the national average for spending by all state governments inflated 55 percent. The inflation figure for California under Governor Ronald Reagan was eleven points below that, or 44 percent, while the inflation figure for Georgia under Governor Jimmy Carter was 66 percent — eleven points higher than the national average and 22 points higher than California.
Now let’s compare the figures on the rise in state government employees during the same period 1970-74. The national average of state government employees showed a rise of 24 percent. California under Governor Reagan was ten points below that, or 14 percent. Georgia under Governor Carter was 35 percent — eleven points higher than the national average and 21 points higher than California.
It is time that the voters take a long, close look at the politicians who promise now and make us all pay later. The voters should ask whether it is worth the price.
The next question is, is the politician himself worth what he will cost us in additional taxes?
