Phil Kadner: All an American expects from government

I don’t expect much from my government. Just keep our country safe. That means a top-notch military, first-class intelligence agencies and technology second to none.

That’s not a lot to ask for is it?

And yes, I want my Social Security payments. I’ve been paying into the program all of my working life and have been counting on Social Security in my retirement. Speaking of retirement, I also want Medicare. I’ve been supporting that system as well and need health insurance in my old age.

Follow @csteditorialsI know Social Security, Medicare, and other health programs now account for abut 50 percent of the federal budget and could hit 75 or 80 percent of all federal spending in 10 years.

Well, senior citizens deserve to be secure in their old age. We owe them that much.

What about poor people? Shouldn’t they have health insurance? If you don’t care about them, what about their children? A staggering 2.5 million children are homeless each year. So throw Medicaid onto the list of things I want the government to provide.

I think trucks should be able to deliver products across the country and people should be able to drive from New York to California, so I believe we need a national highway system. That means taxes to maintain the roads and bridges and build new ones.

And I suppose we need a public transportation system for people who can’t afford their own cars and to keep our urban highways from becoming gridlocked. Airports? Sure, we need airports and that means security guards to keep the terrorists away and FAA to make sure the skies are safe.

So maybe I wanted a little more from my government than I thought.

You need money to do this stuff and that means taxes and a bureaucracy to collect the money so I guess the Internal Revenue Service or something like it is a necessity.

Come to think of it, the Wall Street stock brokers have been known to cheat and bankers have stolen money, or invested it unwisely.

So you need some agency to keep an eye on all of that financial stuff and maybe the FDIC to insure the savings accounts of honest people.

What about drug companies that sell phony cures, or automobile manufacturers that make defective cars and food companies that sell contaminated products? I want my government to keep an eye on all of them.

And I can recall chemical companies that polluted drinking water and others that poured dangerous substances into the ground.

So let’s pay for an Environmental Protection Agency and hope it doesn’t come up with so many regulations that businesses are forced to close and move overseas.

That’s it. That’s all. Enough government, I say.

But what happens if a flood destroys a city along the Mississippi, a tornado rips through a municipality in central Illinois, a hurricane devastates coastal towns in Florida, or an earthquake destroys part of California? Shouldn’t the federal government provide emergency assistance for families?

And if there is an epidemic of some deadly disease, I sure want a public health agency to offer help and maybe even work on a cure.

I didn’t mention illegal immigration, but I know a lot of my countrymen consider that a top priority, while others would argue you need federal prisons, federal courts and the Secret Service, not only to protect the president, but also to catch counterfeiters.

Finally, I want an honest government. I don’t want any waste or corruption. I don’t want anyone hiring their friends or relatives, or handing out huge contracts to political donors.

Is that expecting too much? I don’t think so. I’m an American taxpayer.

Email: philkadner@gmail.com

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