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twitterLETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Government has poor financial track record
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 | 2:01 a.m.
As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chris Dodd and President Barack Obama’s cast of usual suspects sit behind closed doors figuring out how to slip a health care bill (and God only knows what earmarks that will be attached to it) by the American public, we are once again told to trust the government because it can do it more “efficiently.”
Just like Social Security (1935)? Fannie Mae (1938)? The War on Poverty — with over 21 percent of Americans still living below the poverty line (1964)? Medicare and Medicaid (1965)? Freddie Mac (1970)? Amtrak (1971)?
The government has had years to get these programs right and yet every one has ended up costing trillions in government cost overruns and are either bankrupt or on the verge of such. And for you “But Obama didn’t do this, he’s for change” fans, look at his programs’ track record so far: With the stimulus package, the Appropriations Act of 2009, Cash for Clunkers, the Housing Relief Act, nationalizing the auto industry, etc., how has the economy improved?
And now we’re supposed to just trust Obama and the government with the complete overhaul of our health and medical system? Would you invest your life savings with a financial adviser who had a resume like this government’s? Well, you slowly are. But, then, I’m sure it will be different this time. Obama said so.
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"The government has had years to get these programs right and yet every one has ended up costing trillions in government cost overruns and are either bankrupt or on the verge of such."
Failure after failure after failure.
"And now we're supposed to just trust Obama and the government with the complete overhaul of our health and medical system?"
I know that Obama must be true to his South Side Chicago political craft to "call out people who challenge his positions. Obviously because Obama feels we have "phony claims" and I am unable to understand what is good for me.
The fact that the Health Insurance bill will be done in secret and the Democrats will continue to spin that the unwashed peasants have no right to view the Health Insurance bill because they are illiterates with "phony claims" and are unable to understand what is good for them.
Obama, Reid, and Pelosi are tone deaf. They do not respond to our phone calls, e-mails, townhalls, or rallies. They refuse to listen to us because we are lairs to them, but mostly because they know we do not believe them or trust them. Harry called us evilmonger and Nancy called us un-American.
J.J; What is it exactly that you do at St. Rose Hospital?
Great letter! The truth is good to hear!
I just found $1 BILLION. Neil Bush! He and his posse robbed Denver's Silverado Bank and none of these KKK members paid any income taxes either. The last I heard from Neil, he was "holed-up" in beijing hotel room with 12 Chinese hookers, and he didn't know how they got there.
Floyd Mayweather must be scratching his head at Obama's and Holder's plantation justice. They recently took $5 million of Mayweather's $10 million purse due to back taxes. Heaven fordbid! Obama and Holder also recently JAILED rapper Method Man because he owed $33K in back taxes too. Meanwhile, Colorado State Attorney General John Suthers (GOP), he prosecuted a woman because she didn't pay $10K in sales tax. Everyone in America should be calling on Suthers to discover some backbone and make the Bush-Klan (criminal enterprise) pay their taxes, and join Madoff. I just know Neil made donations to Jeb's campaigns, Boy George's, Boy Goerge's presidential library, and to John McCain's (drunk, war-whoremonger, perjurer, and voter-fraud) '08' presidential campaign.
Silly me! Isn't accepting a bribe a felony offense? Didn't McShame (aka old chicken-arms)take a $112K from Keating? Didn't former Black congressman Jefferson (NOLA) take a $400K bribe from his Nigerian homeboys? Didn't Boy George (40+ years UCMJ felon * AWOL *deserter)prosecute Jeffy? Ooopsy! Jeffy is B-L-A-C-K!
Comment removed by staff. Violates reader agreement.
who the hell would want to join the stupid pathetic lying republican party these days???
only l-o-s-e-r-s!!!
I wish we only had a $1.5 Trillion defecit now but the new and many times worse scumbag liar in the White House is going to bankrupt the country. Democrats are the stupidist and most corrupt people on the planet.
Chris Dodd does great accounting. He received a VIP mortgage from Countrywide while the company destroyed the economy. harry Reid has built a huge campaign fund while selling out the workers of Nevada with his handling of the economy.
Government officials do great accounting, they sell out for personal funds daily.
Hey jlb101: Hey stop being so nice here' What you should have said was Democrats are the stupidist and most corrupt SOCIALIST LOSERS on the planet. See now thats better! LOL
Does anyone here know how to defend a position without resorting to slamming the opponent. I would love to see a civil debate on issues.
J.J. Schrader in his letter uses Social Security as on example of government failure. Social Security in 1935 was a trust. Had it remained a trust, not put on budget, quite possible it would be solvent today. But politicians, both parties couldn't stand to see that money just setting there, thus they put it on budget and dipped their hands in.
I won't touch Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because I know little about them.
LBJ was one of the biggest robber of Social Security for his war on proverty. I must, however, thank him for Medicare, which by the way is not free.
And while Amtrak cost the taxpayer, the fact it has keep rail lines open has benefited the American people by moving good cheaper. That means lower prices a the retail stores.
The fact is that those on the right, including the present Republican Party have always been willing to trade peoples lives for profits. We see this in recent history in the Iraq war, where they used our military in an ateempt to steal oil as well as lucrative government contracts for there friends. We are now seeing it in the health care debate where they want to maintain insurance company profits at the cost of patients lives.
Sorry POWERPLAY I'll do better next time.
Maybe notacon could tell us exactly how much oil we get from Iraq. The sources I have seen indicate very little. I am not concerned with the insurance company's profits but with how much my taxes are going to have to be raised to support the medical care of the parasite class. I have read the annual report of a number of health insurance companies and I see their profits somewhere in the range of 3% to 6% as a percentage of gross income. This is hardly unreasonable. Banks average about twice that much.
dingo: I'm relieved to see that you're once again focused on Neil Bush, the greatest threat to American security...after Obama!
The administrative cost of operating Medicare and Social Security is approximately 3%. The administrative costs of operating private health insurers is approximately 15%. Twenty five percent of people on Medicare have Medicare Advantage plans managed by private health insurance companies. Now, you form a conclusion on these facts. In addition the deficit that is $1,400,000,000,000 that Obama is being blamed for is just not true. The fiscal year for the government runs from September 30-2008 to 09-30-2009. Obama did not take office until 01-20-2009, During the period from 09-30-2009 to 01-20-2009 the cheney/bush mis-administration ran up the National debt by $600,000,000,000. If you desire to know who the big spenders are just Google/GoTO: "The National Debt and scroll down to the chart. Bloggers please use facts to support your comments, not lies!
BOY GEORGE has a presidental library? Boy that Culture Club singer is doing good. Never knew he was president at one time. Do you really want to hurt me, do you really want to make me cry......
Comment removed by staff. Violates reader agreement.
Teamster = moron who holds the pocket of his supervisor while he walks around job sites.
Hey teamstupider keep paying those dues moron. Keep listening to others. This administration is perfect for you since you don't know how to think independently.
Seems that once again the subject has turned to unions. I do have a question for those whom enjoy living in a "right to work" state and elect not to join the union: Do you reject the benefits won by the unions in collective barginning? If you don't reject them what do you call yourself while benefiting from the earnings of others who pay dues?
Schrader -- great editorial for something that badly needs to be said. Too bad it was hijacked by these juvenile buffoons.
Quit calling birdie a juvenile buffoon. He doesn't know any better.
Comment removed by staff.
Larry: My guess is a Magpie, such as Heckle or Jeckyl.
Why do we need unions whe we have minimum wage laws and all of the federal BS?
Some very mature and insightful comments here - I'm impressed!
I'm sorry to break this to you, George W. Obama is not the answer to your prayers. If you voted for change, well, you got more of the same. This is not about Dems vs. Repubs, it's clearly about the American public vs. the criminals in D.C.
Those of you who think like Ms. Birdie, that one party is good and the other is bad, you have been suckered. Keep us fighting amongst ourselves and we'll never focus on them. If you join in with the rhetoric of stupid people like birdie-ass, no matter which side you're on, you're just as stupid. Wake up and focus on those who are using you for your money.
(M)ikegino:
I suggest we do away with minimum wage and replace it with civil collective barginning. That way wages could be determined by the local ecomony. Minimum wage today goes a lot further in Jackson, Mississippi than it does in New York City. What's fair about that?
Quit puttin' the bad mouth on birdiedreamin. He is a smart feller.
VegasInsider: LOSER
This Administration is perfect for the average
worker. President Obama backs labor unions.
Union dues are a small pittance for the benefits
we receive.
You anti-union losers make me sick.
The members of the Senate are too busy bouncing checks to be fiscally responsible to anyone!!