It's time we select leaders who actually know what they are doing. It appears that we are being led for the most part by monetary amateurs. Many are certainly astute in politics but sadly lacking in practical application of commonsense economics.

The trouble with those politicians, who are leading us down the trail of economic destruction, is that most of them simply don't have any real-life experience in Free Enterprise economics. What's worse is that many of them just don't care as long as they get reelected. There are, of course, notable exceptions but not enough qualified elected officials are in charge of the nation's economic well-being.

There is nothing wrong with our economy that commonsense would not cure in just a matter of a few months. But most of those in charge are folks who have never been exposed to the real-world processes of our Free Enterprise system. This group certainly includes our president and most of his close advisors. Too many of them are absorbed solely with the quest of gaining power and getting reelected.

They have never run a business, met a Friday payroll or had to deal with the insurmountable mountain of regulations levied without much forethought (or knowledge) and are, therefore, ignorant of how their inept actions (or lack of action) thwarts economic growth. Because our solons pass legislation without ever reading it and because many have no real-life comprehension of what it says, they find themselves at the mercy of career bureaucrats for the interpretation of what has been made into law.

There is little forethought given to how our economy will be affected by their passing legislation which profoundly impacts our economy. In their haste to create a share-the-wealth distribution society and other heaven-on-earth pipedreams, they have ruined our credit rating and position as a world economic power. Enough is enough!

The plumber who fixes your toilet; the barber who cuts your hair; the exterminator who kills your bugs and almost every other tradesman must know their business and be licensed but politicians are free to assume office without regard to past experience or knowledge of what they are doing. But they do so by the will of the majority of voters — many of whom have been brainwashed with political propaganda that promises that everybody will be above average in all things. It takes more than “hope and change” slogans to prosper.

I have held several licenses during my business career and they were not easily come by. I had to study, work in the field and prove that I knew what I was doing. No so with the Nancy Pelosis, Joe Bidens, etc. of the world. All they must do is hoodwink enough people and step into positions of power that they then mishandle.

I have started or taken over well over a dozen small business ventures in my career before retirement. I honestly don't think I would attempt it today. Never before has government (ALL government, federal, state and local) been so hostile and anti-business. Everyone recognizes that small businesses generate the vast majority of all jobs in America. They could again if government would just get out of the way and let the economy regulate itself. Of course, some endeavors such as banking, securities, etc. need some regulation but not the draconian strangulation that the current administration insists upon. Government would do well to do a better job of regulating itself efficiently and leave the private sector alone. The U.S. Senate has been unable to propose and pass a budget for over three years!

No businessman can plan for the future in the present economic climate. Do you think that small business people are going to expand their enterprise and hire new employees? No! They will not under conditions that make it impossible to know what their tax rates, insurance costs, trade restrictions, government regulations, etc. are going to be next week much less in years to come. They must plan in five-year projections but with fickle politicians failing to provide economic clarity, business is going to remain on the sidelines in a wait-and-see position.

I was introduced to the government's idea of “small business” assistance decades ago when I was invited to participate in a “Whitehouse Conference” on small business when Jimmy Carter was president. I listened for two days to bureaucrats lecture us on how our businesses should be run while they held not a clue of what they were talking about. I endured into the second day before I left; went back to the hotel; picked up my wife and we spent the next few days seeing the sights around town. I have never darkened the doors of another Whitehouse Conference of any description to be preached to by government hacks who do not possess the slightest notion of how business operates.

Years ago when I was running various business enterprises, it was pretty simple. You offered a good product or service for a reasonable price and you prospered. If you didn't, you perished. Customer satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) regulated the market. We didn't have to familiarize ourselves with hundreds of thousands of pages or regulations mostly created and overseen by folks who had not the foggiest perception of what it all meant because they had no real-life experience in the matter.

Government thinks it doesn't have to plan for the future — it just raises taxes or prints dollar bills if it runs out of money. And those who object are accused of “throwing grandmother from the train” or worse.

I'm not certain we can ever go back to sensible business endeavors. But if we are going to survive, we must try. And soon!

John Brock is a retired newspaper editor/publisher and college professor. He can be reached by mail at this newspaper or by Email at: brock@johnbrock.com

Opinions that appear on this page in Letters to the Editor or in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.