Welcome, missed last week but we made it back this week! Pull up a chair, box or crate and let’s Ponder. I got one for you this week…Austerity…this might be a little above our pay grade, as they say…But I will add this definition to help us along…Austerity measures are government policies designed to reduce public spending and increase revenue, typically implemented to address budget deficits or economic instability. These measures often involve cuts to social services, public sector wages, and government programs, as well as tax increases. 

Ok, I will add this…European Austerity and I might add to that  they don’t like it either. In simple porch vernacular cutting costs and doing away with wasteful spending says it best. Here in the USA cutting costs is red meat for the political class. They are either proclaiming the need to cut or pointing out how this will hurt so many people. Right now the present administration whom I am sure would not agree with my assessment are very much involved in a “European Austerity” type program…different name but the same principle. Someone once said that government benefits programs are for the most part a forever thing, they are looked upon as a “sacred cow” type of thing. You just don’t cut them. They seem to have a life of their own. So let’s make a distinction here… a benefit that aids and makes life better is quite different than waste, or that other word the political class tries to avoid…out right fraud and waste. One of the standing rules of Pondering is that we do not seek a solution to something…we just “ponder” …think about it a bit and clear our minds. So Ponder This… can Austerity survive Politics?

jk