Undermining trust and values

"The strength of a man's virtues should not be measured by his special exertions, but his habitual acts."

That is a quote from French philosopher Blaise Pascal that I used for an introduction to the chapter on Trust and Values in my book "Leadership Defined." It is obvious that those virtues are needed today more than ever before.

The opinions and trust that we hold for those who are in leadership positions in our government continue to decline. Our economy is in dire straits, unemployment remains high, government spending is out of control and failed programs from the past are the major planned solutions.

Those are just some of the factors that have the citizens of this country in a foul mood and have caused them to lose trust in our officials.

Trust is something that must be earned on a routine basis, and it is earned by being trustworthy. The basic element in creating trust is to do what you say you will do. If a person is not honest, then how can he possibly be trusted? Such a simple matter as being on time creates trust. There are times when conditions cause one to be late, but when it becomes normal routine, then it shows disrespect for the other party.

It amazes me to no end when I watch or listen to so many politicians lie with such straight faces. What is even more disconcerting is when the lie is so obvious and can easily be verified. Just this week, Vice President Joe Biden spoke about how successful the stimulus bill has been for the country. President Barack Obama echoed the same opinion. It is obvious that they are not living in the same country as the rest of us.

According to them, two million jobs have been created or saved during the last year. I am sure that those people are happy, but who are they? Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., stated when he leaves the Senate, he may start a business and employ at least one new hire and that would be more than the government has done with its stimulus package.

The president also stated 95 percent of workers received a tax cut. I find that rather strange since more than 40 percent of workers pay no federal income taxes and a sizeable percentage of them receive a bonus for working because of the "Earned Income Tax Credit."

The president also boasted about not having any "earmarks" in the stimulus bill. Has he even read the bill?

It is obvious that much of population is concerned about the direction the country is going while more and more people are getting involved with what our elected officials are doing or trying to do. They want this country to remain a beacon of hope for the rest of the world as it has been almost since its beginning. They listen to some of our leaders and are amazed at what they hear. Polls show that the citizens know more about what are in some of the bills than the elected officials. The people want the truth and demand that elected officials listen to them.

I look at citizens the same as I looked at troops that I led. The troops will do anything as long as they trust you, and that trust must be earned daily by actions.

When they know that you take the same risks, eat the same food, carry the same packs and always tell the truth, then they will follow you anywhere. Our citizens are the same. They do not expect to be led by elitists who have special rules and privileges for themselves. When that occurs, they become irate.

We are rapidly approaching tax submission time when everyone really learns about the amount of taxes they have paid.

Most states and the federal government will be surprised at the final outcome because unemployed people do not pay taxes.

The new governor of New Jersey outlined what was needed in his state. Those in New Jersey pay the highest taxes in the country and as a result they saw $70 billion in taxes disappear because people left the state. Many other states are in the same boat and it is because when times are good, governments add new programs in order to buy votes rather than saving more money for the lean years.

When the lean years arrive, the government's first impulse is to raise taxes rather than reduce spending. Unfortunately, the federal government has the additional ability of printing money and our current administration is doing that in spades.