It’s no secret that Libertarians believe the federal government does too much. Everyone who can read a balance sheet agrees that the federal government does more than it can afford to do, spending far more money than it takes in. The two old parties have worked reliably together for decades to increase the budget deficit and our national debt to crisis levels. The Libertarian Party is the only political party that has consistently called for spending reductions to get the federal government to live within its means.
Shutting down a few departments for a few weeks is not the way to do it.
The president is throwing the lives of thousands of federal workers into turmoil not because he wants to reduce spending, but because he wants to increase spending on one particular pet program. Congress is not interested in taking on its responsibility to balance our country’s budget and make choices about what the federal government should and shouldn’t do with the limited resources it has; it just doesn’t like the news stories about closed national parks.
When faced with tough financial conditions, good managers evaluate priorities and make tough choices to keep the organization moving forward. If that means layoffs and cuts, they make a plan, talk to their staff about the plan, and never forget that they are impacting the lives and livelihoods of people. Bad managers do the opposite.
Bad managers in the private sector drive their companies into the ground and eventually pay for their arrogance by losing their jobs and money. Bad managers in government drive the country into the ground, with the American people losing their jobs and money.
If we want something better for our children and grandchildren, it’s time for some bad managers to hear “You’re fired!” and replace them with Libertarians.
Nicholas Sarwark
Chair, Libertarian National Committee
