Carrot on a Stick

By J.C. Arenas

Liberals have added a new page to their old, dogeared playbook. When everything you're proposing is failing, use the children in order to score cheap political points.

Yahoo reported yesterday:

Imagine a world where every baby received a trust fund at birth. It might sound like a fairy tale, but being born into money--or at least into a $500 savings account--could soon become reality for all children born in the United States. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would give each newborn just that, with the goal of promoting savings that would later be used for education, a first home, or retirement. (snip)

"The important thing is that everybody gets an account," says Cramer, and that it's opened automatically so families don't need to take much action. It would still be a progressive program, he adds, because as the ASPIRE Act is currently written, poorer families would receive additional funding.

Government-established trust funds for newborns? What could possibly go wrong? I have a better idea. Let's imagine a U.S. that had a Congress that was more focused on job creation which would allow individuals to become financially empowered enough to make these kind of decisions for their own families. How far have we fallen that now we need the federal government to provide seed money for the futures of our nation's children?

Also, not shockingly, this proposal calls for the government to use taxpayer money to help subsidize the savings efforts of poorer families on behalf of their children -- insert wealth redistribution alarm. Congressman Charles Schumer (D-NY) originally proposed this idea in July, stating that "at a time of record college prices and financial uncertainty, providing seed money so our children start to save early is more important than ever." Raise your hand if you really believe this is about the children.

The children weren't on the minds of Schumer and the other radical liberals in Congress when they rammed through a $787 billion generational theft bill disguised as stimulus. Furthermore, they're not thinking about the children as they propose one pejorative tax and spend measure after another which weakens the economy further in the present and raises the national debt for which these children will have to pay for in the future.

So what purpose does the ASPIRE Act really serve?

While liberal supporters may jump for joy over another proposal that bequeaths them more free money, conservatives see these measures for what they are, bribes to an apathetic general public. Liberals are poised to destroy the country from all angles, but they're hoping we take our eyes off the ball whenever they create a diversion with another carrot on a stick. Hey look over here, there's money for newborns, extended unemployment benefits, Cash for Clunkers, etc. But none of these measures are distractions enough to make us forget that these people have created proposals that have already or will ultimately lead to high unemployment, high taxes, and high national debt. Add it all up, and you can see that the transformation of the U.S. to a center-far left nation is in full force. Our way of life is at stake and it is our responsibility to protect it so that our children can flourish in the future because really this government couldn't care less.

J.C. Arenas is a frequent contributor to American Thinker and welcomes your comments at jcarenas.com