As a lifelong conservative, it grieves me to witness how the vast majority of political “leaders” have abandoned the values that once defined them, chosen to play to a base they’ve radicalized for their own purposes, and failed to articulate, let alone champion, policies that would serve the greater good. While “Republican” leaders seem to have won the day in taking from the poor and giving to the rich, and Democratic leaders press into righteous indignation against Republicans, I submit that we need to step back, at least a little, from what we’re against and step into what we’re for. That’s a hard thing to do when President Trump has marshalled the whole of government to forcefully advance an agenda thoroughly antithetical to our core values. However, for the sake of both our mental health and our civic effectiveness, we need to turn, at least partially, away from all the zero-sum negotiations and law suits being battled out, and focus on win-win, non-zero-sum opportunities to improve the lives of people and our country.
A good place to start, that costs nothing, is to remember and practice our founding proposition that “all men are created equal” and therefore worthy of dignity. It costs nothing to extend respect to those of different sexual orientation, or skin color, or religion, or attire, or ethnicity, or place of birth. I submit that to quell our divisions and grow into the people we can, and are called to be, we must stop disparaging others.
Another opportunity to improve the trajectory of our nation lies in reining in the damage we are doing to our environment and the damage it is returning to us. Instead of giving oil, gas and coal companies $20 billion per year in tax breaks, we should cut those to zero and provide tax breaks for renewable energy and electric vehicles. That transfer of tax credits would stunt global warming, improve air quality, save lives, and slow what we’re currently spending to recover from climate events, from rising from a recent average of $150 billion/year to as much as $3 trillion/year by 2050.
According to NOAA the cost of severe climate events has steadily risen from approximately $22 billion/year in the 1980s to $183 billion last year. Coming from another direction, Realty.com forecasted 44% of all homes in the US will be at risk of severe climate events.
Another means of combating global warming, that would cost nothing, is to gradually shift some of the basis for taxes from income to fossil fuel consumption. Gradually increasing taxes on all fuels and reducing income taxes by a commensurate amount would leave people with virtually no net tax increase, while incentifying reductions in the greenhouse gases fueling climate change.
We also can and need to replace the archaic tariffs currently being enacted with a tariff called a border adjustment tax. This carbon tax on imports from high polluting countries would help re-establish our leadership in the world and be a way to use tariffs for a greater good.
In addition to extending respect and addressing global warming, if we’re going to honestly laud being Americans, and be true to our founding belief that “all men are endowed with the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, then it’s incumbent upon us to provide a foundation upon which all have a fighting chance to live out those rights. I submit, that for that foundation to be meaningful, it must include a quality early education and healthcare. Fortunately, we have the resources to do these, and do them well. If the wealthy among us would resource these priorities, in the not-too-distant future these programs will pay huge dividends for all. Like all good investments, we need only be a little patient and flexible.
Increasing investments in public education, particularly nurseries and preschools, has been shown to significantly improve child development and, later in life, produce more capable employees, reduce crime and dependence on social services, improve the lives of parents, improve economic growth, reduce deficits and create healthier communities. According to Nobel Prize winning economist James Heckman, investing in programs to help children from birth to age five produces an annual economic return of 13% per year.
Additionally, to help students that are educationally behind, we need to expand after school and summer programs. Just 30% of fourth graders reached reading proficiency last year. We can shake our head at this fact and quickly think of the many causes for low academic achievement, but we all know that will likely bear little fruit. What can bear fruit is to consider the need to set our nation on a war footing toward improving public education. That means being willing to support candidates for public office that have the courage to lead us in making the education of children a top priority. It means being willing to support local school levies, knowing that while a tiny portion of that extra funding may not be spent perfectly, the vast majority of it will help children achieve academic proficiency and gain confidence in themselves and their future.
Whether we look at such investments as humane, benefactors, or as a cold, calculated economic return, investing in children is one of the wisest investments we can make. Many of our founding fathers, who knew how important public education is to a well functioning democracy, would be proud to see us make it one of our top priorities.
As current “Republicans” forcefully implement their MAGA agenda, let me encourage all to remember three things. First, let us remember that true conservatives, like Republican Presidents Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower led our nation in building dignity, protecting the environment and lending a helping hand up to people in need. Secondly, let us remember John Lewis’ encouragement to oppose evil by “making good trouble”. Lastly, and most importantly, let us turn from despairing of the detestable conduct of current “Republicans”, and turn towards bringing to fruition the good that can be done. As Robert F. Kennedy often said: “Some men see things as they are and say ‘Why’? I dream things that never were, and say ‘Why Not”?