Burlington High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Devra Parker
Sunset Legislation: Money Well Spent
By Tyrel Reed
12th grade
What are the tax dollars of this great nation going towards? Most people are not aware of what our federal government does with its money. The country that we live in is supposed to be representative democracy, which is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents. This means that it is the duty of the people to stay informed about their governmental policies and understand what is happening. The elected officials of this country are now pushing for an aged idea that is called Sunset legislation. This policy would require our government to assess the performance of federally run agencies.
Over time the citizens of America have become more educated and better informed on the actions our government takes. Because of this, the people should now be able to decide what is best for our country and also what might hurt it in the future. Sunset legislation may be a downfall for this great nation because of the disadvantages this policy may present, yet the advantages found in his principle may be just what America needs to ensure a better tomorrow.
The concept of Sunset legislation gives too much power to one commission that is in charge of checking how agencies are performing their specific functions. This one commission must speak for [all people] and keep their best interests in mind. All people have an opinion about every federal program, and each opinion should be respected and taken to heart. Also, this type of legislation would not be fair to agencies that are being funded by our federal budget. Each agency has a certain job and purpose that it must fulfill at the highest standards possible. For instance, if the agency responsible for homeland security believes it is doing everything in its power to keep our country as safe as possible, then this group should stay open and keep serving the people. This one committee that holds all of the power could completely disagree with how the organization is operating, and eliminate the agency without majority consent. By terminating that institution, the people are represented unfairly and not given the reverence they deserve.
Along with having many disadvantages, Sunset legislation also spouts many benefits. Over time federally owned and operated agencies can become lackadaisical with their principle function and not work properly. By these companies not working at the standards that the US citizens expect, their tax dollars are being wasted for unnecessary reasons. Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas said, “Federal agencies that outlive their usefulness or refuse to spend tax dollars efficiently are a burden on the American taxpayer and must be eliminated.” If Sunset legislation became an amendment in our constitution, then we would never have this problem again.
Another advantage of this policy would be how beneficial the commission can be to the agencies. The commission can give the organizations feedback every time they evaluate the specific jobs they are supposed to be satisfying. By giving the federally funded groups feedback, they can modify their actions to prevent any consolidations, reauthorizations, or ever abolishment. This type of legislation can profit our country’s ability to use taxpayer’s money wisely.
In my opinion, I am for the instatement of Sunset legislation. A major key to success in this nation is how productive we are at spending our tax dollars. Why should each individual citizen be responsible for paying taxes if the money we are giving to the government is not used sensibly? I do not think it is fair that our administration can choose to fund the Federal Duck Stamp Office with the same amount of money as Homeland Security just because they are both federal agencies doing work for the people. If this policy would be voted into our constitution, then these types of problems would by no means transpire.
I also believe Sunset legislation would help reduce our national debt. The elected officials of this country are in charge of choosing how our nation’s tax dollars are spent, so we should try to pass legislation that would help “check” these officers and how they spend our money. In the state of Texas alone, they saved over $700 million by getting rid of over 50 agencies. If this was a law that every state was required to abide by, then how much could we save on a national level?
What type of a country do we want our future children to be part of? If our administrators continue the excessive spending of tax dollars, we will no longer be a country that’s foremost duty is to serve the people. Sunset legislation has many pros and cons, but I believe it would help solve many problems within our national budget. Whether we put a single commission in charge or carry on with the funding of every federal agency, something must be done to maintain the liberty and freedom’s this great nation…permits us to have.
Answers To Questions Prompted By The Required Reading
Q1- What was the average life span in Jefferson’s age according to his letter?
Answer: The average lifespan according to Thomas Jefferson was 55 years of age.
Q2- Do some research and find out the size of the national debt you are about to inherit as taxpayers. Don’t forget the benefits promised in your name to the older generations under the guise of Social Security and Medicare.
Answer: The debt of the United States is over eight and half trillion dollars. If our country continues to spend money that we do not have at the same rate, then we can forget such benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. Our country spends a lot more than the budget allows. Over time we will have to do away with such programs to help pay for the money we owe to other countries.
Q3-What do you think of Jefferson’s assertion that “…no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of it's own existence.”
Answer: I think that it is impossible for our generation and generations to come to pay off the national debt. The debt has become so large that the US will never be able to pay it off. It is not the responsibility of future generations to pay for the un-regulated spending of the ones before them.
Is it feasible to undue the social contracts in your children or grandchildren’s life times? Would you want to even if you could? Why or why not.
Answer:
No,
it
is
our
choice
to
whom
we
give
our
belongings
to
once
we
are
deceased.
Our
children
and
grandchildren
should
be
the
first
to
inherit
our
property
because
they
are
family
which
is
much
closer
than
a
friendship.
Q4- Do you agree, as Jefferson maintained, that “[debt] between society and society, or generation and generation, there is no municipal obligation, no umpire but the law of nature. We seem not to have perceived that, by the law of nature, one generation is to another as one independent nation to another.”
Answer: I do not agree with Jefferson in this quote because I believe if a person is in need of financial aid, we should help them out. Although they may be in debt or not able to pay you back, it is only just that you be of assistance to them.
Q5-
In
view
of
Jefferson’s
words
that
follow,
why
do
you
think
a
sunset
provision
on
generational
debt
wasn’t
included
in
the
U.S.
Constitution?
“But with respect to future debts, would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare, in the constitution they are forming, that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself, can validly contract more debt than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19. years? And that all future contracts will be deemed void as to what shall remain unpaid at the end of 19. years from their date? This would put the lenders, and the borrowers also, on their guard.”
Answer: I believe a sunset provision was not placed on the constitution because it is the duty of every person or country to control their own debt. People and nations should be allowed to spend and borrow money at will if they are able to be in command of their actions.
Q6- What do you say to Jefferson’s assertion that “a law of limited duration is much more manageable than one which needs a repeal.” ?
Answer: Jefferson may be saying that our laws should be written in a way so that if they expire, they can be changed or taken out of the constitution for the betterment of society. If a law is too hard to change then other laws that we need will not get passed for fear of this happening.
Q7- “We have already given in example one effectual check to the Dog of war by transferring the power of letting him loose from the Executive to the Legislative body, from those who are to spend to those who are to pay.”
Answer: This is saying that our legislative body has too much power in the area of spending and borrowing money for our nation. Every time they spend our tax money they are adding to the national debt and digging a deeper hole for other generations to try and get out of.
Q8- In light of the excerpt from his letter above, what do you think Thomas Jefferson would make of our nation’s recent history of fighting undeclared wars?
Answer: I think that Thomas Jefferson would be offended by our nation fighting undeclared wars. If our country gets involved with such affairs they are wasting funds that have not been approved by congress or the United States.
Q9- Name ten of the twenty-six states that have enacted sunset legislation.
Answer: Ten of the twenty-six states would be the following: Texas, Colorado, Connecticut, West Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, California, Illinois, Maine, and Ohio.
Q10- What state abolished all state government? What do you think the voters got for their trouble?
Answer: West Virginia abolished all state government. I think that voter in this state should have been given benefits for the problem their state caused them to have. It is not the voters fault so they should be given items like lower taxes or higher minimum wage.
Q11- What good do attempts at enacting Sunset legislation achieve even when the laws are not enacted?
Answer: By Sunset legislation even being proposed it tells voters that our country is trying to change policies to help out the people. Our federal system of government is trying to check certain agencies to make sure they are doing their job to the correct standards. By them checking these agencies, voters can tell they want to help the people and not waste their money.