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I did not get to ask a question, but there were many in attendance and Aaron Schock did take many questions. It may be because even though I sat in the front row, I was on his left. It is hard to get a GOP congressman to look any other direction than to the extreme right in these Tea Party Days.
This is what I would have asked: Mr Schock thank you for coming to Elmwood and holding this open town hall. The current debt is all from spending and lack of adequate revenues, but not one dollar of our current debt is from social security or medicare. I think there are changes that can insure social security and medicare for future generations, but if our nation is to tackle the current deficit we should look at the direct causes of it. Reagan economic and treasury officials David Stockman, Bruce Bartlett, and Martin Feldstein have all stated that we need to raise revenues. Martin Feldstein has emphasized the tax code that special exemptions are spending. He believes these corporate deductions need to be eliminated allowing a lower corporate tax rate, while raising increased revenues. Alan Greespan, former Federal Reserve Chairman, disciple of Ayn Rand, Mark Zandi, Moody Analytics adviser to McCain campaign, and Warren Buffet all state we must raise taxes. Greenspan says the Bush tax cuts must be allowed to expire. These men are all financial experts, conservatives, and Republicans are you willing to listen to these conservative experts or are you beholden to ideological extremism?
Mr. Schock's purpose at the town hall was to educate his base. Some of his base are emotional and ill informed. He was slowly informing this base with the realities he encounters. Now, Mr. Schock has a purpose in answering questions, it is to get re-elected. He can not call out his base when their policy wishes are based more on prejudice than informed research. In an effort to keep a winning coalition any politician must gloss over inconvenient facts, ignore inconsistencies, and parse words. I have none of those reservations. I can present the factual world as best as I am able discern it.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where people have self selected world views and make little attempt to follow a serious study of the real world. Complicated subjects are not analyzed carefully. Debate has no purpose in finding real world solutions. Complicated subjects are the building blocks of political spin. The more complicated a subject the easier it is to appeal to prejudice and insecurity. The more emotional a political argument the easier it is to manipulate people to your side. This eliminates any need to create pragmatic solutions. If pragmatic solutions are to be produced, then we must consider our current situation in real terms. I will precede to do this as I continue. As always, if you want to respond I will be glad to add your input.
Problems created by man can be solved by man, the deficit crisis is entirely a human enterprise. So if you are serious and really do care about our nation's future, read along and evaluate our situation based on facts.
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