More decentralization please!

"I am REALLY, REALLY good with the counties doing more, and the states and the feds doing less. Fund the counties more, and everyone else less."

There are certain things which the federal and state government are good at (not many however). Then there are still some things, skillful or not, we need to have the federal and state government perform. Ronald Reagan always said that government worked the best when it was closest to the people. What does that mean? Decentralization. Have we done it since the Gipper has left office? Not really.

Today in the local, local paper (that means more local than the Red Star), there were letters complaining this huge amorphous blob called the Minnesota State Legislature, was going to rob some much needed medical funding from those who really needed it. Plus - some Ebeneezer Scrooge in St. Paul, wants people on MA (Medical Assistance) to do some kind of work in return for receiving their benefits. 

Now, I am not going to take a stand on this, one way or the other. But I will say this. If I became sick, the people who would advocate the strongest for me, would be my family. Then one layer up from my family, would be my friends within my community. Rather than have some nameless, faceless bureaucrats in St. Paul or Washington put their fingers on my fate, it would be my friends and loved ones close by instead. 

I bring this issue up for a reason. We REALLY need to get Washington's fingers out of our business. Their job is to provide for the common defense of the states. Yes, there are also some ancillary functions the fed does also. The rest of the stuff can flow down.

Why? Many of the other functions we need are either misplaced or duplicates. The Department of Education for example, is in both the federal government as well as state government. They should both be eliminated. Education of the counties, is the responsibilities of the counties and their school boards - nobody else. Trust me - in this county, we should know to educate our youngins.

But then, some snowflakes would argue about the poorer counties. What about them? Right answer - education has NOTHING do do with money - no matter how many times the teacher's union tells you otherwise. If you live in a poorer country - figure it out. That is the way the pioneers did.

I am REALLY, REALLY good with the counties doing more, and the states and the feds doing less. Fund the counties more and everyone else less. Keep the needs closer to home. Maybe President Reagan was right. This is the way to run a railroad - or a government.