Cascade Courier - Your trusted local news source since 1910

The following is an article I wrote for the January 8, 2015, paper. Although the names of some politicians may have changed, the deficit number and pork spending has sky-rocketed, and my main points are still valid I think. I hope that the people of this country will wake up and step up to the plate at the voting booth, and many will run for office. We are being led to slaughter by these lifetime politicians.

A new year is upon us, and I hope that for you and your family it will be a good year. I hope you will grow closer together. I hope your financial situation will improve through wise choices and lowering of debt. I also hope that our leaders will seek the betterment of the people and forego their obsession with party politics, special interest groups and greed. Last, but most importantly, I pray that as individuals, families and a society we will look to the God of the Bible for direction and help. I truly believe that it is only as we follow the Lord and His ways that our land will be healed.

We saw a great shift in the make-up of our Congress from the November 2013 elections. The “change” some thought looked so promising in 2008 has come up empty. I would urge us to not place our hope in the political arena to solve our problems. It is the professional political machine and its minions that have led us to the edge of collapse. Consider the following Pew Poll results: 71% of Americans Are 'Dissatisfied' with the direction of the country; Less than half think 2015 will be a better year.

On the evening of his successful reelection bid, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, soon-to-be majority leader in the Senate, expressed hope for the future. "So, friends, tonight turns a corner. And the future I see is a bright one. Americans have seen that what the current crowd in Washington is offering," said McConnell.

But then we learn that the republicans are looking to raise gasoline taxes just in time for the New Year! Hooray! The low prices may not last long as the Senate is now proposing a gas tax increase that would be used to help fill the void in the federal highway fund. The proposed increase would add 12 cents per gallon to the price.

CNN Money reports that incoming Republican leader of the Senate Transportation Committee, Senator John Thune of South Dakota, said Sunday an increase is up for consideration that would replenish and stabilize the federal highway fund. According to Thune, the highway fund is looking at “about a $100 billion shortfall.” Therefore, the senate must look at all available options, including a proposed 12 cents per gallon gas tax increase.

The federal gas tax currently is at 18.4 cents per gallon. If the proposal passes, the tax would be increased to 30.4 cents per gallon. This is addition to state gas taxes. This increase proposal is seeing support from both republicans and democrats. In fact, the gas tax increase was proposed by Republican Senator Bob Corker and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy.

The government is looking for funds, didn’t they just pass a 1.1 trillion dollar budget (I use the term budget here with my nose pinched!)? The national debt is now at $18,153,486,311,933? It will quite a bit higher by the time this article is published! Can anyone say, “cut wasteful spending?”

America's largest abortion corporation, Planned Parenthood, recently released its 2013 annual report that shows the organization conducted more abortions than it did the previous year.

The 2013-2014 annual report states that Planned Parenthood Federation of America aborted 327,653 babies in 2013. Planned Parenthood took in a near-record breaking $127.1 million profit in 2013.

Senior policy advisor for the Christian pro-life activist organization Operation Rescue, Cheryl Sullenger, told The Christian Post that Planned Parenthood has been able to stay out of financial troubles due to the fact that the organization received over $528 million, or $1.4 million per day, in taxpayer funds from the U.S. government in 2013!!

Now I don’t know about you, but I would rather see this $528 million go into bridges, roads or paying down the national debt, than the killing of babies. This is just one example of the poor moral and financial decision making that our “leaders” make, and you know what? As a society we go along and support this.

Speaking of government budget shortfalls and solutions, NASA recently spent $349 million on a tower that they knew would never be used. The tower closed the day it was finished and taxpayers must pay $700,000 a year to maintain the unused structure. The obscene amount of money spent on this single pork barrel spending project shows exactly how much waste happens within the federal government. Perhaps if the government took a closer look at projects such as the unneeded NASA tower, they would be able to easily secure the $100 billion for the federal highway fund without a gas tax increase.

We have the power to halt this, but we must use it. God has instituted the governing authorities (Romans 13: 1-7) and in our system we have the power to “vote the bums out”! Well, we just did that to a degree, but we must remain vigilant.

This New Year, with its new opportunities will be wasted if we do not commit ourselves to the solemn duty of serving God first, family second and society third! Jesus said it well in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Dave Carroll is an area missionary with InFaith, America’s oldest Christian home mission agency. He is also pastor of the Wolf Creek Baptist Church. You can contact Dave at 406.459.8935 or davecarroll@infaith.org