Alice Gets Her Wish: Everything Has Become Nonsense!

During her adventures in Wonderland, Alice declares, “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn’t be, and what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” I can only surmise that I, along with the rest of us, have followed another rabbit down a magical hole.

I run a business. I pay a great deal of money every year to people and companies. I pay employees who help me serve my clients, I pay vendors who help me complete the mission of my company like suppliers and to vendors who protect my company like alarm companies and computer security companies. I also contribute to charities and causes like benefits for LEOs and to help LEOs in need. I support political campaigns, and I pay taxes. That about sums up my expenditures.

I am very fortunate to have enough funds to pay these expenses. However, if I were placed in a position of cutting costs and expenses, I would first cut the expenses that do not contribute to the mission of the firm. Last on the chopping block, would be the critical services that carry out the mission of the company. This is common sense in the real world. However, we seem to be in Alice’s world.

Governments, including the federal government, are looking at ways to cut budgets and future expenses. The number one mission of EVERY governmental unit is to protect the people. Instead of protecting the services that protect the mission of the government, some are attempting to injure the very men and women who allow the government to thrive. Law enforcement and public safety form the foundation of every governmental unit. However, attacks on LEOs through furloughs, layoffs, benefit reductions and efforts to wipe out pensions are all the rage.

Where are the efforts to cut the fat from these budgets? Why are the programs that hand out tax revenues to thousands who do nothing to earn such payments so sacred? How is it acceptable to take the pension away from a LEO who worked 20 years and faces a significantly shortened life expectancy based upon her dedication to public safety? How is it unacceptable to cut funding to able-bodied individuals who choose not to become productive members of society or to aggressively pursue cases of fraud in such programs?

We now have a proposal to significantly change military pensions. Is someone really going to make the argument that those who serve in the United States military are not entitled to a full pension with defined benefits?

I may not have all the answers, but let’s try this: focus on the mission of government and take care of those who support that mission. If there is anything left over, then the government can afford to give money away. The LEOs and public safety personnel who put their very lives on the line to ensure order should ALWAYS be the last to bear the burden of falling tax revenues or economic downturns. For the benefits promised to the LEO did not cause the economic hardships we now face. No matter how loud some may scream to blame LEOs, the voice of reality and reason will rise above the din.

Consider this. If the government budget was cut to zero, what would take priority as revenues began to trickle in? Public safety is the first obligation of government. Those seeking to cut public safety and benefits to LEOs are avoiding the tough decisions they were elected to make. Their attempts to vilify the pensions and benefits earned by LEOs only serves to show their true colors. Those politicians claim to be public servants. Perhaps they should enroll in an academy and work a beat. Then they will understand that the defined benefit pensions and retirement programs extended to LEOs and public safety come at a price. While it is a price the brave men and women in public safety are willing to pay, do not expect them to sit idly by as they are portrayed as the enemy of every government budget.

Alice finally awakes from her dream and leaves Wonderland. I keep waiting for the alarm clock to sound.

Stay safe.