It seems to me that every time we have a “budget crisis” with the federal government the one option never taken is the one that is always hovering above the fracas taking place with our “elected betters” in Congress. And it’s probably the only solution to our spending problems. It’s also the simplest.

Just shut it down.

And while I envision the computer screens going dark and the lights shutting off with the door closing like the end of “The Bourne Identity,” I don’t think you can just shut down the federal government lock, stock and barrel.

After all, our government is the best, worst entity to protect individual rights ever created in the history of the planet. It’s just that what we’ve allowed to be done to it with politicians now has the worst in charge of the best form of government ever established.

I think of it as more of a bankruptcy of a large corporation. After all, the largest corporation on the planet is the federal government of the United States – that is until the evil three of Blackrock, State Street and VanGuard overtake it. Then again, given how many politicians these three own, they should be part of the “reorganization” as well in an anti-trust kind of way.

So, let’s get to it. What’s the first thing the federal government does when it has a “shutdown?” If you guessed laying off all “nonessential” employees, you’d be correct.

First off, any corporation employing hundreds of thousands of “nonessential” employees should go bankrupt. But my argument here isn’t that these folks should be laid off; they should be the ones who keep their jobs. But how can that be?

Well, in my experience, they are the ones whose layoffs actually affect the citizens in the most damaging ways. Stick with me on this. When a “shutdown” occurs, the first things politicians take away are the things the people actually like about the government, such as access to national parks and monuments whether in Washington, D.C., or around the nation. They lay off folks who take your calls or those who are liaisons between the largess of government and your voice or need.

In other words, politicians play the game of laying off the folks who help the public the most, thereby inconveniencing the public so it demands that Congress “do something,” which for Congress can only mean one thing: Pass a continuing resolution that spends more money and raises the debt ceiling even higher.

Also, during a government “shutdown,” all mandatory spending continues at its current level. So, let’s stop with the argument that people will stop receiving Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid. It’s never happened and won’t happen – even with President Trump.

What really needs to happen is more of a “Jurassic Park” reboot of the system. And yes, even while Elon the T-Rex is out ridding the park of all the bad guys.

First thing? Remove everyone from Congress. Yes, even the few good ones.

The obvious benefit of never having to hear from the likes of Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Lauren Boebert and the rest of the cast of characters and their partisan hackery should appeal to all Americans. I don’t know exactly the best way we can keep the same 5 percent of bad people from being elected, but we need to find a way to make Congress part-time with no compensation and run constitutionally. If we don’t do this soon, we’ll have a real shutdown.

Secondly, the new Congress needs to budget to fund all of its promises made to the American people when it comes to Social Security and the Medi’s – and then figure out a way to make these programs obsolete and replace them via the free market. As for any other promises and subsidies, wipe them out.

Any other spending would be limited to what the Constitution says the feds can do. I don’t know about you, but I think that should clear up several $TRILLION from the federal government’s “budget” and leave it with the people, where it belongs.

Congress as it stands doesn’t want a budget. Because it knows with overspending comes power. We’d be better off if we recognized that as tyranny.

Why do you think the federal government wanted socialized health care? It wasn’t to help people. It was for the cash flow. Because once the trillions of health-care dollars pass through the federal government, every dollar becomes another line-item appropriation, which the feds control.

This is how the federal government does business: dollars for votes. Something we were warned about more than two centuries ago.

As the great Milton Friedman once said, every budget is balanced. Either through confiscation of taxes, borrowing or the printing of money. Congress believes this is the only way. The biggest problem for you and me? It’s our money.

The largest monopoly on the planet is the Federal Government of the United States. Back in the day, we used to break up monopolies into smaller pieces which preserved the services needed for the people and got rid of the monopoly. Our Constitution provided this in limiting the power of the federal government and giving most power to the states.

Sadly, the federal government and many states have completely destroyed freedom and the people’s prosperity in the process.

Maybe it’s time we tried shutting it down and breaking it up.

Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at (970) 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com