Democracy is better than benevolent dictatorship

Some say that a benevolent dictatorship is the best form of government. That is because a dictator who wants to serve the people well can do what he wants without restraints.

It's not that way in a democracy where pulic officials have to follow laws and compromise, sometimes, with others in the public sector who have different views. Definitive action is often hamstrung when opposing forces don't want the other side to have its way.

Bureaucracy often builds up because no one has the power to limit it and invoke efficiency into the process of running government. Since Katrina, we have had many examples of that.

For example, Pres. George W. Bush started his presidency in a good way by cutting taxes which should have led to cutting the expenses of government by eliminating unnecessary programs. But he gave in to Congress and let many of those programs stand.

As a result, we face a growing deficit. So instead of government operating at less cost and better serving the public where it needs to be served, we are paying for inflated bureaucracy and building a government debt that could cause problems in the future.

Of course, a benevolent dictator could have by-passed that opposition and created a more efficient government that taxed the people less and served them better. But the problem with a benevolent dictorship is that there is no safety valve. If a benevolent dictator turns bad, he can serve his friends and turn his back on the public without a problem.

So here's the solution for the coming election days - - elect officials who together will create a government that will serve the people at large best and forego the favoritism to special groups and individuals which has turned our democracy into a largess system that doles out favors that our system of private enterprise should provide Then we will have a democratic system that can compete with a benevelent dictatorship in efficiency and contains the check valves we need for our freedom.