{"id":115,"date":"2019-09-27T15:31:21","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T15:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/?page_id=115"},"modified":"2019-10-13T13:38:06","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T17:38:06","slug":"the-weight-watchers-test","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/the-weight-watchers-test\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weight Watchers Test for Big Government"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Michael Cloud<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One governor announces a 20% budget cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another governor proclaims a multi-billion dollar spending\nreduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third governor says that his proposal will save taxpayers\na whopping billion dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should we break out the champagne? Is government spending\ntruly going down? Will these governments get smaller?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magicians perform many illusions with sleight-of-hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Government politicians do it with sleight-of-mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first governor is cutting 20% off the top of a $3\nbillion increase. The budget will go up $2.4 billion this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second governor is taking $4 billion dollars off the\ntop of a $9 billion spending increase. State government spending will go up $5\nbillion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third governor got a lower interest rate on his state’s\n$30 billion debt. The lower payment “saves” $1 billion in interest,\nwhile freeing up $100 million a year to expand government “social\nservices” and hire more government workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Government got bigger.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But all we hear from the Big Government politicians and the\nnews media are stories of shrinking tax revenues, spending reductions, and\nprogram cutbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do they get away with this? How do they make it look\nlike government is staying the same size – or getting smaller?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big\nGovernment Adjustments and Comparisons<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few things they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Adjust the Government Budget\nfor inflation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If last year’s state budget was $20 billion, and inflation\nwas 5%, and this year’s budget is $22 billion, they can argue that\n“adjusted for inflation, this year’s spending has only gone up 4.5%.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This might seem reasonable and fair – except for one thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They do not adjust Taxpayers’ Income for inflation. If your\nfamily income was $40,000 last year, if you didn’t get a pay raise this year,\nand if inflation is 5%, then you are $2,000 poorer this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjusted for inflation, taxpayers are losing 5% this year –\nwhile government is gaining 4.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tax producers get gouged – while tax consumers benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether Big Government politicians or the News Media call\nthe government spending adjustment “constant dollars”, “cost of\nliving”, “indexing”, “static purchasing power”, or\nsomething else — where is the same adjustment, same treatment, and same\nconsideration for productive, hard-working taxpayers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Compare the Government\nSpending to the economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our state government spending is X% of our state’s\nGross Domestic Product – in the bottom half of all state governments. We’re\ncommitted to fiscal conservatism and limited government.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“During the last 10 years, our state’s Gross Domestic\nProduct increased 108%, and state government spending only rose 79%. Government\nis taking a smaller share of a growing economic pie.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does this have to do with whether government is big or\nsmall? With whether government authority and power is growing or shrinking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Compare this Government Budget\nto other Government Budgets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re in the bottom half of all state governments in\nterms of state spending. We are committed to limiting government.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re in the bottom half of all state governments in\nterms of per capita spending.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Last year, our state spending was the 13th highest\nout of 50 states. This year, we’re down to 20th – pretty close to\naverage.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can compare the whole budget or any part of it to\nother state budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does our tax burden lighten because that of others grows\nheavier? Are we better off because they are worse off?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nWeight Watchers Test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tired of Big Government sleight-of-mouth on government\nspending and growth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want truth-in-labeling in politics? Full disclosure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You won’t find it in the newspapers. But you will find it\nat Weight Watchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight Watchers is a wonderful organization that uses\nhonesty, common sense and tried and true experience to help people lose weight\nand get healthier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suppose you weigh 300 pounds – and come to Weight Watchers\nto lose weight and get healthier. They’ll give you great information and\nsupport – to help you slim down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they want you to be honest with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did you eat – today? What exercise did you do – today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the Weight Watchers Test: Get on the Scale: How much\ndo you weigh – today? 300 pounds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a week or 2 weeks or a month, you’ll make your own\ndecisions about eating and exercising. You’ll probably log what you do. You’ll\ncome to meetings. You’ll learn and share. Support and be supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the Weight Watchers Test: Get on the Scale: How much\ndo you weigh – today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

290 pounds? You’re moving in the right direction. Making\nprogress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

310 pounds? You’re moving in the wrong direction. How can\nwe help you turn this around?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight Watchers is honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will NOT adjust the scale so you can lie to yourself\nand others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will NOT justify your weight by telling you that on\nthe moon you would weigh 50 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will NOT condone sleight-of-mouth weighing cons and\ncomparisons: “Well, my 4 closest friends started at 300 pounds like me,\nbut now they weigh 330 pounds, while I only weigh 310 pounds. So I’m really 20\npounds lighter.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because obesity is rapidly increasing in the United\nStates, even though I gained 20 pounds, I’m much closer to the average weight\nthan I was a year ago.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight Watchers wants you to be honest with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get on the Scale: How much do you weigh – today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you heavier or lighter than last time? Is your weight\ngoing up or down?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apply the Weight Watchers Test to government spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put government on the Scale: How much did it spend – this\nyear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much did government spend last year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is government spending higher or lower than last year’s spending?\nHow much? Is this department’s spending higher or lower than last year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much higher or lower is government spending than it was\n10 years ago? How much higher or lower is this department’s spending than it\nwas 10 years ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is government bigger or smaller than it was last year? Is\nthis department bigger or smaller than it was last year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much bigger or smaller is government than it was 10\nyears ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much bigger or smaller is this department than it was\n10 years ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Weight Watchers Test of government lets us know where\nwe are, which direction we’re moving, and how fast we’re going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Weight Watchers Test of government frees us from\nsleight-of- mouth and political illusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It offers us the facts, the truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are we moving toward bigger and bigger Big Government — or\ngetting closer and closer to individual liberty, personal responsibility, and\nsmall government?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***************<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright 2000 by Michael Cloud<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Michael Cloud One governor announces a 20% budget cut. Another governor proclaims a multi-billion dollar spending reduction. A third governor says that his proposal will save taxpayers a whopping billion dollars. Should we break out the champagne? Is government spending truly going down? Will these governments get smaller? No. Magicians perform many illusions with … Continue reading The Weight Watchers Test for Big Government<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/115"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":460,"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/115\/revisions\/460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centerforsmallgovernment.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}