Equilibrium & the Lost Concept of Service

Equilibrium is very simply the balance between any given power or influence. It suggests a state of balance between opposing forces. Good & Evil, Positive & Negative, Hot & Cold, Debit & Credit, Vice & Virtue are examples. An increase in the power of one side will disrupt the desired balance, leading to changes in our general state of being. All too often, the change to re-achieve equilibrium is involuntary, undesirable, and at times, violent.

In the Virgin Islands, the imbalance between government and the private sector is significant, similar to California, Greece, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and even our Federal government. Government is demanding an ever larger piece of the economic pie, forcing imbalance. Private industry cannot keep up with government’s institutional appetite for spending and wasteful practices.

The state of being we are experiencing is manifesting itself via a dwindling tax base, poor basic services, crime, bad infrastructure, high prices, ever increasing taxation, inflated bureaucracy, etc. The signs of imbalance, ethical decline, and sheer dysfunction are all around us; are we paying attention?

The private sector, which is the main source of government funds, is in a steady state of deterioration due to government excess. Government counters by raising taxes and fees which serves only to further squeeze private sector business and individuals. The private sector cannot compensate; it either sheds jobs, relocates to avoid the increased overhead, or closes; making the tax base smaller. Public sector borrowing (issuing bonds) is another way the government attempts to maintain the balance. The federal government, another source of territorial funds, is broke, borrowing 40 cents out of every dollar it spends. National debt is north of $19 trillion and climbing. That is not sustainable. Our territory is broke, and the number of people looking to government for survival and answers is increasing every day. While there are many examples of failed leadership in government, and sadly, too many public examples of the appearance of impropriety, cronyism, and corruption; many still looks to big government for solutions. Government needs to get out of the way.

We have to bring our territory back into a state of sustainable equilibrium. That requires embracing a concept that has been long forsaken by those we trust with public office: Dedication toService.

We celebrate Veteran’s Day; military personnel, unlike many elected officials & bureaucrats, inherently know that service will not enrich them. Service in that context has a completely different meaning. Our Territory needs the same motivation & dedication to service that many veterans have demonstrated, so it can be applied to securing the future of our beloved US Virgin Islands.

There is a crisis of confidence relative our electoral process and towards many of the current crop of politicians & bureaucrats who claim to have the public’s interest as foremost on their respective agendas. At all levels of government, we have significant and very public examples of elected officials & public servants who have lost sight of what “service” really is. On the other side of the spectrum, there’s an increasingly vocal & growing protest movement pushing back against the imbalance. The solution is to stop kicking the can down the road. Reintegrate the concepts of integrity, transparency, and service back into the way we govern and do business. Eliminate the selfishness that is now so pervasive in government and focus on selfless service.

The biggest obstacle we have to overcome is getting government to recognize the value of service, a basic concept inherent to business survival; then give power & choice back to the people, instead of growing and serving only itself. A vibrant private sector that produces taxpayers is desperately needed to effectively silence the protests and fermenting unrest; bringing us back to a desirable state of sustained equilibrium. Again, only a prospering & profitable private sector coupled with responsible, selfless government dedicated to service will promote the desired equilibrium. Bigger government bureaucracy only promotes an unsustainable societal imbalance. We need to restructure government, lower taxes, then get government out of the way, letting the magic of free enterprise bring our local economy back into proper balance. That’s the concept of service & equilibrium voters envision every time we enter the voting booth.