The Des Moines Register

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Defense-budget cuts would be good for business

By G. DAVID HURD

I'm often told that those of us who want to spend more money on the environment and our schools aren't fiscal conservatives.

Well, I am proof of the fallacy of that notion.

As the former chief executive officer of the Principal Group insurance company, I can assure you I am as fiscally conservative as they come. I wouldn't have succeeded in business if I weren't.

And my fiscal conservatism infuses my political beliefs as well.

I want a government that's efficient and strategic. I want a government that — like a smart business — sets rational long-term goals and invests what's needed to achieve them, without getting completely distracted by short-term crises.

That's why investing in education and environmental protection is so critical — because they are essential for the long-term health of our economy, which has to be the highest priority of our federal government.

It's obvious to me, for example, that the nation with the most efficient economy will win the economic wars of the coming decades.

And energy efficiency is as important as any single variable in creating and sustaining an efficient economy.

So, for the long-term benefit of the American economy, the federal government should invest heavily in energy-efficient technologies and renewable-energy research.

Likewise, America needs to invest more in our front-line soldiers in the coming economic battles. These soldiers are, of course, our children. They need the best education, just like our soldiers in Iraq need the best weapons.

That means we have to come up with the money to ensure that our kids, at a minimum, attend school in buildings that meet modern standards.

Right now, across America, our public-school buildings are literally crumbing, requiring over $100 billion in upgrades. State governments, many facing severe budget crunches, have been unable to find enough money to repair school buildings.

OK, you say, in the midst of the current fiscal crisis engulfing Washington, where are you going to find the money for the environment and schools?

Well, I've found an answer after listing to defense analysts such as Larry Korb, former assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan.

Korb has just written a report illuminating that the Pentagon is misallocating billions of dollars each year — money that could be spent on the environment and schools.

Korb — who's a fiscal conservative like I am — has put together a list of weapons systems that are currently under production, even though the weapons were designed to fight the long-ago collapsed Soviet Union.

By eliminating these unnecessary arms, America could save tens of billions of dollars, Korb says. I hear that, and again I say to myself that the federal government needs to act more like a business. That means setting clear goals and investing resources according to our nation's strategic priorities.

And that's exactly what everyday Americans want as well.

If our leaders in Washington took a more business-like approach, scrutinized the Pentagon budget and trimmed the weapons systems that don't contribute to our national security, then America would have enough money available to make the investments we need — in the environment, schools, and elsewhere — to make our economy more secure in the long term.

But it will take guts for our political leaders to do that.

They need to stand up to the lobbyists and special-interest groups that are cashing in on the Pentagon's misuse of taxpayer dollars.

To muster the courage they need, our politicians require our support, particularly from those of us in the business community, who understand what America needs to do now for our long-term economic security.

G. DAVID HURD of Des Moines is a member of Iowans for Sensible Priorities, www.sensibleiowans.org.