Another beautiful Christmas in the Santa Clarita Valley has come to pass, and the holiday spirit abounds! The Boys and Girls Club had a marvelous display of yuletide cheer and charity with their 16th annual Festival of Trees. Beautiful (and delicious looking) gingerbread houses and artfully decorated trees were auctioned off to help fund an organization that has changed the lives of so many young people, myself included.
Residents of Wakefield Court outdid themselves again with the Wakefield Winter Wonderland. More than once, I took my two tots for a stroll in their little red wagon and watched their eyes light up with amazement as houses with both traditional and unique decorations of the season were on display. The songs of carolers filled the chilly night air, holiday movies projected from house windows, and Whoville decorations pulled people’s eyes out of their phones and into the spirit of Christmas. Cars and pedestrians lined up to come experience how this community transforms from a quiet cul-de-sac to a bustling Santa Clarita holiday icon.
To the residents of the Wakefield community, thank you for this wonderful gift to all who call Santa Clarita home!
Sadly, the stories of those who step up for this community seemed overshadowed by ceaseless partisan bickering that culminated with a partial shutdown of the government. Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats, and most media outlets, one way or another, blame President Trump. While political pundits and party leaders convince their faithful followers where the onus should be placed, I cannot help but shake my head at all of it.
From 2001 to 2007 under President Bush, our national debt doubled from $5 trillion to $10 trillion dollars. Then, not to be outdone, President Obama doubled it from $10 trillion to $20 trillion. Politicians must think relevance only comes from spending beyond our means, with no real concern to passing such an onerous burden to unborn future generations. We borrow money at a rate of over $1 million a minute, and it is only getting worse. However, in today’s America, where polarization of party and people continues to form a giant chasm, we seem to care more about who to blame than how to develop real solutions.
Wouldn’t it be comforting to have representatives in power call a halt to this madness and pass a zero deficit budget?
A federal government envisioned to be extremely limited has turned into a giant insurance agent that dabbles in national defense and security. The Pew Research center showed that nearly 73 percent of the 2016 estimates for $4 trillion of government spending was on various “human services.” This included Social Security, Medicare, education and unemployment benefits. Fifteen percent went to national defense, and 6 percent went to the interest on our massive debt (over $600 billion). Nancy Pelosi lamented in 2013 that a $4 trillion budget was a bare bones number that could not be lowered.
Is there really nothing the government can do to ease taxpayer burden?
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky may be able to help us here. Some of the highlights from his annual Festivus waste report are: $18 million to support tourism in Egypt, $76 million for stipends to soldiers in the Somali National Army and, of course, we need to allocate nearly $1 million to study the sexual habits of quail addicted to cocaine!
Can someone help me find the section of our Constitution that authorizes the federal government to tax the people in order to fund researching the ever-important drug-induced sexual habits of quail?
Ms. Pelosi, the cupboards would not be bare if our representatives would start saying no to projects that are not just unconstitutional, but downright idiotic.
Fear not, though. Our Legislature will end the shutdown by raising the debt ceiling, handing out exorbitant sums for all concerned, helping to ensure their bids for re-election, all in the name of doing what is right for the American people.
Even as our representatives throw fiscal responsibility out the window for personal political capital, and my head shaking continues, perhaps we can take a modicum of solace knowing that organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the people of Wakefield Court never stop spreading holiday cheer to all this holiday season, no matter what is happening in Washington, D.C.
Jason Gibbs is a Santa Clarita resident. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among several local Republicans.
