Mark Hendrickson is a fellow of The Center for Vision & Values, a nonprofit dedicated to the encouragement of Christian-based values and truth in America. That is to say, “their” ideas regarding Christian values and truth. I just looked up their website and read their relatively innocuous mission statement. Who could possibly be against Christian values and the truth? Certainly not I.
Mr. Hendrickson’s latest essay published by The Citizen read more like a rant/diatribe against President Obama in general and his latest jobs bill presented to Congress in particular. He rails against government spending, government regulation, the minimum wage and every other proactive government effort imaginable.
He states that “the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Labor Relations Board, the Departments of the Interior, Transportation, Energy, et al, have hounded, burdened, impeded, blocked, threatened, and intimidated business.” In fact he suggests that were it not for government, America would be a virtual “Shangri-La.”
His answer to our economic woes is to get rid of all government regulation and permit everyone to do what is right in his own eyes. He uses the term “laissez faire” to describe his perception of the role of government. How simplistic.
Has Mr. Hendrickson not heard of Bernie Madoff? Was Mr. Hendrickson asleep when Wall Street melted down? Has Mr. Hendrickson not noticed that the air and water are cleaner since the advent of the EPA?
Is Mr. Hendrickson unaware of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in 2010 where 29 miners died because Massey Energy failed to meet or enforce mine safety standards?
Is Mr. Hendrickson aware of the difference labor unions and government regulations have made in the lives of ordinary workers?
I wonder if Mr. Hendrickson would put his family members on an airplane or train that was unregulated by the DOT or FAA.
I think Mr. Hendrickson must live in an ivory tower where everyone does what they say they will do or what they should do.
I am older than Mr. Hendrickson and sadly have witnessed one disaster after another because of lack of proper regulation or the lack of enforcement of regulations in place.
It is true that government regulation is expensive and an impediment to the profits of business and industry. Unfortunately regulations are a necessary evil, particularly where the public interest is involved.
Who does Mr. Hendrickson think should regulate? He is drinking Kool-Aid if he thinks that corporations will regulate themselves or even do what they know is right if it has a negative effect on profits.
What Mr. Hendrickson is really doing is propagandizing, pure and simple. He is making a very good argument for a very bad idea. He, and his fellows at The Center for Vision & Values argue very effectively that the problem with America is too much government and if we just reduced it enough to make it ineffective we would be better off. Even conservatives, in their heart of hearts, know this is “horse hockey.”
Mr. Hendrickson also points out that the tax burden on the upper income earners and corporations is excessive. He still labors under the impression that the wealthy will use their unpaid taxes to invest in the economy and create jobs. Another false idea.
Demand for goods and services leads to investment to produce goods and services which means that money must get into the hands of the consumer who will create the demand. No demand, no investment, no job creation.
Corporations have spent billions, maybe trillions, sending jobs overseas to take advantage of really cheap labor. Why do they do it? Because it is CHEAPER and they make more PROFITS. And they get tax breaks is the process.
The fact that is is terrible for America and a traitorous act does not seem to bother them. Sadly, our government has done little or nothing to stop this practice.
Most American manufacturing is done overseas now. That’s why there are so few decent jobs left in this country. The lack of good jobs and job insecurity are why the consumer is not spending.
The idea of giving, or continuing, tax cuts for the rich is ludicrous. Tax cuts should go to the vast working class who will spend every cent of it on goods and services, not stash it away in personal bank accounts or corporate coffers.
Mr. Hendrickson and his fellows at the The Center for Vision & Values are trying to legitimize and sell right wing values that are clearly not in the best interest of most Americans.
I just cannot, for the life of me, see how reducing taxes on corporations and the wealthy, continuing corporate subsidies and tax loopholes for the rich, gutting legislation to protect the American people from predatory corporate practices, doing away with legislation and bureaucracies designed to help lower income Americans and eliminating programs to protect the environment from those who would despoil it for a few dollars in their pockets will improve the economy.
It will just brush out of the way impediments in place to stop greedy, corrupt and unjust corporate practices. Mr. Hendrickson is touting ideas and values that will eventually ruin our country.
What is particularly galling is that they do this behind a veil of truth, religion and traditional American values. Ask African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans and Hispanics or any other non-WASP American how they feel about right wing propaganda.
My hope is that Americans will see neo-conservatism for what it is: out-dated, racist, empty nonsense, the purpose of which is to manipulate the American people into electing conservative political candidates to office so they can enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of us. My prayer is that Americans will repudiate these backward notions at the polls.
David Browning
Peachtree City, Ga.
