Occupy Boise

I had the pleasure of meeting with the Occupy Boise folks at their encampment where I received a guided tour. From there literature and literature prepared by Occupy Washington DC, I have synthesized their concerns into two main categories.
1. Political corruption
2. Disparity in wealth distribution

Their solution is to increase tax rates on the wealthier parts of society, decrease military spending, create more government jobs*, and increase the size and scope of social programs.

I appreciate their concerns on these two important issues: however, their proposed solutions have two major flaws.

First, political corruption is a function of power + money. The Occupy Movement is suggesting that taxes need to be raised and more money send to Washington DC. If power + money = corruption, how can more power + more money = justice?

Second, disparity in wealth is a serious issue; a problem created by the free market system. Unfortunately, the Occupy Movement is making the classic mistake in wealth distribution. They suggest that the material wealth be equally distributed by government. Their focus is upon the wealth. However, if one analyzes where wealth comes from and how it is created, one understands that wealth is a function of productive work done in the private sector.

The solution to wealth inequality is not the distribution of material goods by government policy. A peaceful, compassionate, long-term solution is to equally distribute the ability to work. Our goal, as a society, should be to help people to become productive so that they can create their own wealth.

America has tried the redistribute the wealth approach for several decades and the income divide continues to grow under these policies. According to Albert Einstein, insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I would hope that we try a different approach rather than higher taxes and more power to the government.

*“a fundamental reason for job stagnation is relying on the private sector to create jobs and refusing to engage in direction government job creation in the private sector” (Taken from Occupy Washington DC Nov, 2011)

Rep. Steven Thayn
http://chumly.com/n/fd7c9b