Smith Faculty Opinion Article
The 30 Seconds Outlook
May 1, 2010
“Think governments of countries with genuine ‘welfare states’ spend more
per capita than the United States? Think again.”
- John Lott, FoxNews.com. April 8, 2010
There is a real and valid concern that Obama is actively building a far left
progressive government that promises additional budget deficits growing at rates
too high to be repaid through economic growth. This “turning point” is of huge
consequences for our country, but nonetheless he desires to grow government
stocked with millions more union employees. This ongoing movement will place
even greater tax burdens on individual taxpayers and cripple the ability of
innovative and productive companies to survive, no less grow.
But, the fact is that our government is already bloated even beyond those of
most European socialist governments. If Greece’s financial crisis results in
failure, it could signal more of the same around the world. It is crucial that
Greece seriously downsize its bloated government, while at the same time its
public employees strike and riot for more of what cannot be provided.
The Federal government now spends more per capita than 95% of the countries
around the world. This spending works out to $17,400 per person and almost
$70,000 for a family of four. Sweden, the “poster child for welfare” spends only
8.6% more than the U.S. per capita. France spends less than 2% more than the
U.S. per capita. And, Finland, Germany, Italy, and the U.K. spend much less per
capita than the U.S.
John Lott asks the telling question that taxpayers (50%) should consider
seriously: “Think about how much more freedom the average family of four would
have if they, not the government, got to determine how that $70,000 was spent?”
The implication of our government spending per capita is that it was already
out of control before Obama entered office and began his own unsustainable
spending spree. What do you think government spending and the deficit will be
like when he leaves office? Is there another “Greece” looming in our “rear view
mirror”?
John A. Haslem
