Citizens critique government spending
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

More than 500 people attended a symposium organized by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village Wednesday to voice their opposition to high taxes and big government.

In addition to several political leaders and two popular conservative radio show hosts, Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee made a brief appearance to share his viewpoint on taxation and the state of the economy. The event was slated "Defending the American Dream."

Americans for Prosperity want to educate citizens about economic policy and they advocate fiscal and regulatory restraint to remove unnecessary barriers that impede entrepreneurship. The organization's California chapter formed in December 2007 is directed by Camarillo resident David Spady.

"Government and state spending needs to be kept under control," said Spady.

Supervisor Peter Foy who represents Simi Valley, Moorpark and surrounding unincorporated areas on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors is chairman for the California chapter.

"Don't trust politicians with your money," said Foy, indicating he ran for elected office in Ventura County to prevent tax increases and represent the interests of local business owners and workers. Sometimes elected officials make bad fiscal decisions because they think the money is free but that isn't true, he said.

"We need to focus on things that produce jobs and give people a good standard of living and make sure we are not hindering the economic growth of the state by restricting what people can do," he said.

According to Foy, Ventura County has been a leading example of good fiscal management. "It has done an excellent job controlling costs and limiting the growth of government," he said.

However, as the economy slows, there's an opportunity for elected representatives to make improvements, Foy said. "Property taxes are reduced so we will have to tighten our belts. We're going to have to reduce expenses at the government level," he said.

County leaders must look at how they can deliver services differently and more effectively, Foy said.

"Local government is better than central government," said Huckabee during a 15-minute speech at the end of the symposium.

The economy is in trouble today because existing federal policies of taxations, regulation and litigation create job migration, he said.

While small businesses provide 50 percent of jobs in this country and they are the originators of about 80 percent of new jobs, their greatest competition comes from the government because it has overbearing tax policies, Huckabee said.

When Huckabee proposed to eradicate the IRS and to replace income, capital gains and death taxes with a simple consumption tax, known as the "Fair Tax" system, the crowd cheered.

"This will create a transparent tax system because people will get their entire pay check and it will stimulate the economy rather than stagnate it," said the presidential hopeful.

He also suggested that all government expenditures should be clearly posed on the Internet. "Turn on the lights and the rats and roaches will start running," he said.

Huckabee said he doesn't endorse the $150 billion economic stimulus package proposed by Washington legislators because it won't benefit the United States. "They should invest $150 billion in the nation's infrastructure," Huckabee said.

"Someone has to pay for roads, the armed forces and fire trucks," said radio host Dennis Prager. But taxations must be minimal or it becomes a form of theft, he said.

According to Prager, government is not a vehicle to goodness. When people count on the government to take care of everything they lose their self-reliance, he said.

"We must engage in the political process to defend our freedom," said Ken Blackwell, former Ohio State Secretary. "We have enough think tanks, we need action tanks," he said.

"A battle of ideas is ahead. There isn't much time to turn things around to keep the U.S. prosperous," said radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt who also is a law professor at Chapman University School of Law, and Executive Editor of Townhall.com.

"There's a lot of talk about change in the campaign, but I'm worried what this change may be because it's likely to involve more taxes," said Thousand Oaks resident Donald Boardman, who was ambivalent about what's happening in the political arena.

"I think the country is in good shape. I'm not for wholesale change for the sake of change," he said.