C4 Report from the City of Central Chamber of Commerce

 

    The saying goes, “There is an elephant in the room and no one wants to talk about it!”  On Wednesday, August 8, Congressman Dr. Bill Cassidy, our guest speaker for the City of Central Chamber of Commerce Members’ Luncheon, was willing to talk about “the elephant in the room.”

    The Presidential election season is about to move “full steam ahead” and there are many issues dealing with the economy, health care, the war in Afghanistan, energy policies, and the traditional pointing of the fingers that will inevitably take place.  In his presentation,   Congressman Cassidy pointed out that one of the major issues that need to be looked at is the Nation’s debt and deficit.  This is the “elephant in the room.”  I know having the opportunity to use an elephant as a negative focal point will bring joy to many LSU fans.  However, this is an issue that’s been punted down the road for someone else to deal with for far too long!  According to Dr. Cassidy if things continue to operate as they are currently, by the year 2030 one hundred percent of the revenues received by the Federal Government will go to fund Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and the interest payments on the debt.  That means that unless taxes are raised or states and local municipalities pick up the tab, the funding for many of the programs people have come to rely upon will cease to exist.  With many municipalities already going bankrupt and many states not far behind, picking up the tab doesn’t seem like much of an option!  I don’t know about you, but in my corner of the world when money gets tight you don’t go out and spend more, you cut back!  At this point, let me applaud our Mayor and City Government for managing to build up a surplus over the last several years rather than creating a deficit!  This surplus may be vital in the days ahead.

    In this fall’s election we will have two very distinct choices.  Here is how I see it in a simplistic presentation.  Choice “A” is to raise taxes on the individuals and businesses that create jobs, products, and services, and let the government use that money to stimulate economic growth.  Choice “B” is to lower taxes, cut spending, and allow individuals and businesses to continue to create jobs, provide services, and increase manufacturing in order to stimulate the economy.  As a representative of the City of Central Chamber of Commerce, I appreciate and have confidence in our local businesses to do what is necessary to create economic growth!  However, we will have to get the monkeys, or rather the gorillas of regulations and taxes off their backs.  If we do this, I’m confident that our local businesses will be sustainable, profitable, will continue to expand, and create jobs and thus we will start to get the elephant out of the room!