Although the Oil Spill may open heretofore closed eyes as to the necessity of a robust federal government to counter when necessary the reckless and insensitive behavior of global corporations, frankly the financial crisis failed to do so. In both cases voters saw the federal government as ineffective or complicit. Democrats understand the need to shift government priorities to education and alternative energy. What voters hear is "they want to spend MORE money!" The federal government and particularly Democrats need to capture the public imagination before the mid-term elections makes it worse. Thus, the 5% solution: cutting the cash compensation of every federal worker not in the armed forces by 5% immediately and redirecting the savings.
Wait hear me out ......
Nothing speaks louder than "putting one's money where their mouth is!" Think BP for NOT doing so. Boehner captured TV's attention by pointing out that Democrats are not willing to vote on a budget before the election. Imagine how energized Democrats would feel if they could vote for a budget cutting federal pay by 5% and redirecting that money to jobs, education, energy and debt reduction.
The budget should redirect 20% (1% of the 5%) of the savings to each of the following priorities:
1% to education, mostly saving teachers jobs in those states that support reform. This might amount to more than a billion dollars.
1% to alternative energy generating high paying private sector jobs and reducing our destructive reliance on oil.
1% to creating private sector jobs through stimulus (no second stimulus is possible as long as it is perceived as Democratic spending; what if the seed money came from cutting that same government) or tax cuts for hiring.
1% to debt reduction (the new private sector jobs and teacher jobs saved also will produce a substantial budget savings).
1% back to federal workers as a fund providing bonuses to federal workers with ideas that result in further budget savings (targeting the bonuses to 10% of the savings with a generous cap) producing even further savings.
A 5% cut, which is much less than the private sector compensation cuts,if supported by the Democrats and the workers, could be a "Nixon to China" moment. It would show that the federal government gets the anger in the countryside and wants torestart the relationship with the American people with a promise to win back their trust.
A 5% cut might prevent the near eradication of government jobs that will occur if the Republicans backed by the Tea Party take power. Combined with the Oil Spill reinforcing that only a strong federal government can stand up to the global companies, the 5% solution could realign public sentiment to the side of the federal government.
It is time to make the phrase "I am here from the federal government and I am here to help" mean something positive again.