Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
This phrase, 'A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats,' suggests an improved economy will benefit all participants. Although it originated in 1910, John F. Kennedy referenced it in a 1963 speech, claiming that a dam project in Arkansas was not a 'pork barrel' but a method of generating wealth, bringing industry and jobs. However, this concept has often been misused to justify questionable government spending and projects that primarily benefit a select few, such as constructing unnecessary bridges or funding high-speed rail projects that serve no purpose.
In reality, every pork barrel project, such as the infamous' Bridge to Nowhere' in Alaska or the 'Big Dig' in Boston, will have the same argument as a feel-good exercise to cover up the allocation of pet projects to friends of the government in exchange for something.
California used the same justification to promote the high-speed rail to nowhere. $11 billion has been spent for a very short segment of 1600 feet to nowhere. Along with the 60,000-plus regulations in California, everything is designed to grow the state bureaucracy of public employee labor union members at the expense of draining the people's pocketbooks and individual freedoms. Within those 60,000 regulations are an estimated 396,000 separate restrictive and punitive measures, each adding to the already heavy burden on taxpayers, a burden many find difficult to bear.
When misused, the 'Rising Tide Lifts All Boats' concept applies to public employees, as the general public struggles to navigate treacherous waters, gasping for breath to stay alive. The misallocation of funds and resources toward pet projects and unnecessary regulations not only burdens taxpayers but also hinders economic growth and individual freedoms.