by Barbara Howe, LPNC State Chair

Democrats in the General Assembly are engaging in the typical political version of "bait and switch" in dealing with the state's self-imposed budget crisis. First, they propose supposedly dramatic cuts in programs that are important to powerful special interest groups, then when there is an outcry from these lobbyists, they propose new taxes.

They simply don't have the courage to face the real issue — spending. The problem is not that we don't have enough money to run state government. The problem is we have a state government that tries to run everything — and fails.

The proposed budget cuts were calculated to arouse opposition from groups dependent on government handouts. Then, politicians can claim they are responding to the "will of the people" when they raise taxes. They supported this hoax by allowing the only public hearing held on the budget to be commandeered by a swarm of state government bureaucrats and "private" groups dependent on government handouts. These tax and spend sycophants played a variation of the NIMBY (not in my backyard) gambit by suggesting cuts in the other guy's budget.

House Democrats showed contempt for the State Constitution by ramming the tax hikes through in the middle of the night, dismissing the constitutional mandate of voting on two separate days by holding one vote and 11:30 p.m. and the other 38 minutes later, at 12:08 a.m.

Comments like those of Rep. Hugh Holliman (D-Lexington) are typical of the way politicians label anyone who opposes government handouts as uncaring.

According to the News & Observer, Holliman told legislators "I don't think there is anybody in this room that feels like we don't need teachers in the classroom, who feels like we don't need to help our elderly, who feels like we don't have to help our developmentally disabled."

Sure libertarians want to help teachers, the elderly, the developmentally disabled. We just prefer to do it ourselves, personally and directly, and with our own money. We do not believe it is moral or charitable to force other people to pay for things we believe in.

Libertarians believe government should be limited to protecting life, liberty, and property. All other matters are best handled by voluntary associations of individuals.

We propose a positive alternative to the failed welfare state. Our vision is a society based on individual responsibility and private charity. Once people are free to keep all the money they earn, they will be able to offer direct individual aid that is truly compassionate.

That's the way America used to be.