Hey Congress, stop fixing the economy!

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Recently, the Northwest Florida Daily News published an article called "Seven Things That Will Cost You More." The article talks about things that will go up in price in the next year, and as I read this it occurred to me that the hand of Congress is written all over these cost increases, even though the newspaper did not spell these out. This is what I saw when I read this article.

First, it looks like floods in Thailand will result in a shortage of computer hard drives here, forcing up their price. Of course there is no mention of tax laws made by Congress that favor companies that build overseas instead of America. That's not a free market, and destroys local competition. Add to that the decline in the value of the dollar caused by a combination of Congress borrowing money and unlimited credit creation by the Federal Reserve, and imported hard drives become even more expensive. By the way my opponent, Jeff Miller, authorized a two trillion dollar debt ceiling increase requested by President Obama only six months ago, which only makes this process worse. Jeff Miller calls this being "conservative."

Second, air travel will get more expensive because of fuel surcharges cleverly disguised as "travel fees." But Congress subsidizes the airlines too. Again, my opponent Jeff Miller just approved in the latest FAA budget at least $13 billion dollars in taxpayer subsidies for airports. That’s about $40 for every man, woman and child in the country. So for an average family of four, your government forces you to give at least $160 a year to an airport or airline, and you aren't even taking a trip. And this has nothing to do with security, by the way. Not to mention the fact that the bill "authorizes spending at levels that exceed the limits of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which funds FAA operations." So Congress is now deficit spending the FAA's trust fund away. Does this sound "conservative" to you?

Third, gasoline will get more expensive and some analysts are predicting $4 gas by summer, and $5 by end of the year. Oil depletion is a big part of these cost increases, but the debasement of our currency, government regulations that stifle free market competition, and the uncertainty of official government energy policy all contribute to the rising costs. The idea that government has to dictate energy policy is itself flawed, and if a free market were allowed to operate you might see things like coal or thorium fueled nuclear plants take greater hold. Did the free market lead to the ridiculous government ethanol program? Of course not. But the way things are regulated now, only the biggest companies control the market, and this country is forced to demand more and more fuel from unstable parts of the globe. Have no doubt, this is the work of Congress.

Fourth, coffee is going to cost more. The USA imports almost all of everyone's favorite morning brew. Of course, importing things requires a lot of, you guessed it, fuel, and a cheaper dollar also makes imported coffee more expensive.

Fifth, food prices are going up again. Oil is a big part of food production, and if oil goes up the cost of food will go up. But Congress also passes agricultural subsidies that make food cost more for you, and has been doing so for decades. The USA actually pays farmers NOT to farm land to keep the prices of food higher. If you are a farmer and you need a subsidy to grow something, should you grow it? These costs are built into your daily food bill. How long do you want to keep paying many times more than you should?

Sixth, mobile phone and tablet access costs are going to go up. I can only speculate here, but this may actually be a true result of greater demand for high speed networks and the convenience they provide. But if prices go down, instead of up, expect every major network operator to come running for government protection. You can count on that.

Lastly, gold is going higher. When you have Congress borrowing 40 cents out of every dollar they spend, and the total government debt is greater than what everyone in the country makes in a year, there is a strong possibility government will turn, either legally or illegally, to printing more money. If Congress enforced the rule of law, and a stable currency, this of course, would not happen, but history says that won't happen. Just remember Jeff Miller’s voting to increase the debt $2 trillion in one shot six months ago, and most of that is spent already. And with regard to the rule of law, Congress would rather be exempt than be like you and me. They exempted themselves from insider trading laws, the Freedom of Information Act, and the same hiring practices they impose on businesses, just to name a few. I find the fact that Congress can legally do things that are crimes if you or I do them to be intolerable, and an invitation to corruption. This has to stop.

So there you have it. High costs due to Congress are everywhere.

So whenever you hear that Congress should fix the economy, unless they mean stop all the special favors and enforce the rule of law, please disregard. The role of government is not to grant special favors, or own businesses, but to protect individual rights and a free market.

I am Calen Fretts. I may be a lone voice in Congress, but it will be a voice in your favor, and I ask for your support.