Just how many “non-essential” employees does the Government need?

Allow me to spread my Libertarian/Anarchist wings for a minute.

As we enter Day 1 of “Government Shutdown 2013” (cue scary music and graphics of D.C. on fire), contrary to the hyperbole, your Federal Government is still humming along.

MILLIONS of “essential” workers at the job, doing what they should be doing and getting paid for it. So what’s the problem? All the “non-essential” workers, services and departments are closed as our broken system plays out the crisis du jour.

My unbridled joy at the Government shutting down has nothing to do with the implementation of Obamacare or hatred for the President, rather a consistent and long held belief that “government”, (especially on the Federal side) is too big, too expensive and stopped serving the citizens long ago.

Instead, one could argue that all these “non-essential” employees and this “discretionary” spending that is on hold could be cut forever. I’m waiting for someone to show me exactly where the Constitution mandated the Federal Government to become the world’s largest jobs program. Still waiting.

I’ll admit it can’t be done overnight… (until I’m elected King), and there would be pain, but we would all share in it. I’m willing to give up my favorite “non-essential” Government thingy… whatever it is, and you will have to give up yours.

How we return the Federal Government to a manageable size is the challenge since there aren’t many politicians who will actually vote to give anyone anything less if it costs them even one vote. So sequesters, debt limit fights and government shutdowns may be the best (and only) way we can ever reduce the size and scope of a Federal Government run amok.

So don’t throw me in with the people fretting and hand wringing over the loss of these non-essential jobs and discretionary spending programs and instead I challenge everyone to ask the question, “if it’s not essential”, why is the Federal Goverment doing it”?