Remember the 1994 Contract with America and the Gingrich Revolution? It didn’t do badly. It won the Republicans a House and Senate majority in a historic upset. It was a reaction to the bumbling first two years of a Democrat administration. The situation is similar today.
But the Left is stronger now and many of them are Marxists who have burrowed into government like termites into a building. They also have the same effect. To rid ourselves of this infestation we’ve got to go after the nest, government. Thus in a new contract with the voters Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Tom Emmer should pledge to privatize anything they can reasonably lay their hands on. Here’s a list they can start from.
1) Amtrak- Stop giving them public money and perhaps they will operate somewhat efficiently. Now, they don’t. Though some good people work there, Amtrak trains are regularly hours late and some of their stations are redolent of human regurgitation and stale inebriant. That’s when their seats are not being used as public restrooms. An added bonus? Those waiting for trains will acquaint you with their musical tastes, usually at very high volume. Will prices go up with privatization? Yes. Which means the rest of the country can stop subsidizing the Bos-Wash corridor.
2) PBS- This media travesty is only a mouthpiece for the hard Left, nothing more. Reporters like Yamiche Alcindor and her ilk spew the racist socialist line every day on the taxpayer dime. Thus at least half the country is paying for propaganda they don’t agree with and that is probably aimed against them. And with several other private sector hard Left media outlets like MSNBC in operation, there is no need for one paid for by the taxpayer.
3) The NEA and the NEH – In a society with a decent adult culture the funding of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would be the proper application of federal funds, as a strong and confident culture is the best gage of national greatness. But we don’t live in that sort of culture. We live in a childish, petulant, and masochistic low brow culture made worse by the offerings of the NEA and NEH. Privatize them and lift the burden of dumbed down Marxism from the back of the American taxpayer.
4) Federal student loans- Do away with them for all and instead make them contingent upon service of some sort. Make them a perk of active citizenship, not a goodie to those who merely apply. Thus if you put 2 years in the armed forces, local services like the police or firefighters, or perhaps other services, then and only then would you be eligible. All others can use family resources or work their way through school as has been done by many, including me.