Remembering the Public Good

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a storm from which far too many of our fellow citizens are still recovering, it is worth spending time during the holidays to help those who need it, and to reflect on the nature of what our government should be doing.

It seems - and I fear - that lost in the ongoing conversation about the scope of government, has been the fact that we are all Americans and that we are only as great as our weakest link. It is worth spending the day remembering the public good, and reminding ourselves that we all contribute to it somehow.

With that in mind, I was startled and somewhat embarrassed to find that one of the reasons so many are still recovering from the storm is because our national power grid was graded a D+ in 2009. A D+!!!! This is America, the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, and we're satisfied with a D+ power grid, one result of which is that many of those affected by a devastating hurricane are still without power! This is nothing short of unacceptable.

While the debate around economic recoveries and fiscal cliffs has too often become a debate simply about taxing the wealthy, we have forgotten that all of us benefit from the prudent expenditure of tax dollars, and that without investment in the public our neighbors are in trouble, and our nation is at risk. America cannot be a 21st century superpower with a D+ infrastructure. It just isn't going to happen.

So as we spend time stuffing ourselves in the comfort of friends, family, and loved ones, let us remember that what is good for all is good for us individually. What makes America great is a common belief that WE can overcome, not that I will or you will. It is imperative that when we discuss and debate the merits of whom to tax and for how much, we remember that those tax dollars are paying for services upon which all of us rely, and that allow us to prosper both individually and as a country. If we fail to acknowledge, respect, and invest in the public good, all the wealth of a private individual will become meaningless.

Happy Thanksgiving.