Big government grows to wield power

Remember the axiom, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Americans have a wonderful tradition of not trusting most politicians. That is good. For our Republic to survive it takes continual and constant vigilance. Take some time to pay attention to your local governments as well as the state and nation.

Follow the actions of political power brokers rather than their words. Small government units allow our citizens to observe, understand, contact and have some influence upon those governments. Read the Aug. 29 Wall Street Journal article that concluded: “Civic consolidations ... a bad idea that wastes money.” Read a recent article by Lorraine Murphy or research the numerous columns by Jake Griffin. We see the big government building their power for the sake of the power.

At the same time the bigger the governments, the more problems they create. DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, Gov. Pat Quinn and other big government politicians are cut from the same cloth; they look at the bankrupt, wasteful and inept big governments in Illinois. Their answer to the problem is ... make more wasteful, and inept, big governments in Illinois. They build their personal power through consolidation and bigger government.

Small government waste should be eliminated. But you can see problems on a small scale and do something about it. Small governments have elected officials that are much more easily voted out of office when they do not respond to their community. You can meet and talk with your small government.

Our founding fathers had mistrust for big government. They believed governments should be as limited as possible. That is why the citizens of Illinois demanded that more local power and local government be authorized by the 1848 Illinois Constitution. We need to tell our big politicians to cut the big government, not make it bigger.

Gary Vician

Naperville