It's time for a president who knows how to sacrifice

Recently, I came across this article in the Houston Chronicle about Ron Paul's thrifty spending on the campaign trail.  His campaign has disclosed his spending, and while he has spent a respectable (yet far from outlandish) amount on his campaign, his day-to-day budget is far from elitist.  While other candidates have stayed at five star accommodations and racked up large restaurant tabs, Paul has spent nights at Super 8 motels, ordered pizza for staff, and eaten at McDonald's an inordinate number of times.

Me at the Ron Paul rally in Columbia, SC

Now, albeit a few rules and regulations, a campaign can spend their money as they wish.  They can allot a certain amount to lodging, advertising, events, etc.  Obviously Paul's campaign has spent money on the things that matter (either that or they are consoling Herman Cain by ordering Godfathers Pizza).

While some might see this article as a fun human interest piece, I believe Paul's campaign spending would parallel his spending in the federal government.  The government has a budget, like campaigns do, like businesses do, and like most Americans do.  The discretionary spending in Washington DC has spiraled out of control on both sides of the aisle.

Politicians expect Americans to make sacrifices everyday and discourage large amounts of consumer debt.  It's time for the government to do the same.  Most Americans pay for the basic necessities first- gas, shelter, food, and bills.  What's left over is prioritized based on need first and desire second.  Americans are encouraged to set aside some money for retirement or an emergency.

The left and right disagree about a lot of spending.  The left wants to downsize the military, the right wants to cut entitlement spending.  But before those issues can be debated, both parties must stop seeing everything as a need.  Roads, military, schools?  These are needs.

Here are some things that are not:

Can this dragon teach your child to read? 
Let the government find out!

• $5,000,000 for a Farmers Market Promotion Program, which provides grants of up to $100,000 “to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.”   (Agri-tourism: when I was younger, it was called a field trip to a farm).
• $764,000 grant for The National Science Foundation and University of Notre Dame to study the mobile and social media habits of college freshmen.    (The research team has just bumped florists from the #1 least stressful occupation in the U.S.)
• $19 million for the Asia Foundation, which is a "non-governmental organization that seeks to promote improved governance, the rule of law, development of institutions of civil society, economic development, and women’s empowerment in Asian countries. The foundation receives annual appropriations from the U.S. government in addition to private fundraising from corporate and foundation donors such as Boeing, Chevron, Coca Cola, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation."  (I support the Asian economy every time I buy an iPhone, a car, clothing....)
• $492,000 for “an institution of higher education to conduct research on the national economic impact of all types of cooperatives.”   (Um....yeah...)
• $5,000,000 to “Develop a program to involve youth in cooperative efforts in cultural and natural resource conservation related to Reclamation projects on a Nationwide basis.”  (America's youth can barely read and do math.  Do you think they are concerned about conserving anything more than battery life on their phones?)
• $75,000 for a  “Fishing Kids Events” in which urban kids  get to “fish in group’s [sic] on-shore for up to 60 minutes receiving instruction by experienced anglers, or guides, on angling techniques and environmental stewardship.”  (This will teach them important life skills should they ever decide to fish in the Detroit River).
• $1 million for a study by The National Science Foundation to determine if a dragon-shaped robot can enhance toddlers’ learning skills.  (No, but you know what will?  Telling them to SIT DOWN AND STUDY!!!!)
  
  
• $3,000,000 to study “the dynamic relationships between behavioral and social environment factors on the one hand and the basic mechanisms of sleep-wake and circadian regulation and function on the other.”  (I stay up at night worried about the future of America after writing this.)
  
  So perhaps it's time the government took a lesson from Dr. Paul's campaign and had a little less cavier and more McDonald's- or, well, asked a urban youth to teach them to fish.