OPINION: New Year's Resolutions

You know about New Year’s resolutions: Lose weight. Exercise. Get organized. Spend more time with family. Get out of debt.

If we actually kept these, then each year we could move on to something different, instead of repeating the same old pledges that we never seem to keep.

Our close relative Uncle Sam has the same problem. Over and over, we hear pledges to reduce spending, cut out waste and fraud, get rid of regulations that kill jobs, and to streamline government.

Psychologists say 90% of new year’s resolutions fail. In Washington, the rate is probably higher.

Things don’t change when our commitments are superficial. Unless we consider all the consequences of political promises, and unless we’re ready to accept those consequences—such as receiving less back from government—then we can’t expect politicians to have any stronger commitments than we have ourselves.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

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