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twitterLetter to the Editor:
Stop viewing federal government as enemy
Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 | 2:03 a.m.
Regarding J.J. Schrader’s Saturday letter to the editor in the Las Vegas Sun, headlined “Government has poor financial track record”:
He cites Social Security and Medicare as examples. Well, I have never failed to receive a Social Security payment on time, and I have appreciated the very low Social Security administrative cost (about 3 percent).
The trumpeted problems of Social Security are based on the notion of defaulting on the bonds issued in return for surplus Social Security money — a ridiculous idea. The “Baby Boom” generation will be essentially gone in 35 to 50 years and surpluses will again increase.
There are independent economists who do not see a collapse of Social Security, nor excessive increases in the Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax for ordinary workers. Medicare is a greater problem, but forecasted cost increases and benefit constraints pale by comparison to those expected from private insurers under the present system, whose administrative costs are typically greater than those of Medicare.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were squeezed by the Federal Reserve’s policy of very low interest rates some years ago, which allowed predatory lending to flourish. They were forced to compete in an unregulated market out of control. Families with six-figure incomes fell into the trap along with poorer households.
Popular culture and “conventional wisdom” inform the politics and economic policies of the nation. However, when empirical data and history are ignored in favor of ideologies that rail against dead movements (communism, fascism) or theoretical ideas (socialism, libertarianism), it will continue to be difficult to correct and perfect the American system.
If we are exhorted to no longer trust our government, then whom should we trust to act pragmatically to solve the big problems of the nation?
Discussion: 41 comments so far…
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If I had an hour, I could give a seminar on all of the things that are wrong with this letter. But I see no reason to teach remedial economics to anyone dumb enough to think the government does anything more than spend money it doesn't have. Instead, I'll simply leave Douglas Rusta to his delusions.
Social Security if a big rip off. You pay in all your working life and your employer matches it. You have paid in a small fortune. Then the government gives you a low rate of interest on your "investment" after you retire in the form of a monthly check. Then you die and the government keeps the money you paid in. A friend would not cheat you like that, government must be our enemy.
The fact that Medicare and Social Security are working well for recipients today does not mean that these programs are in solid long term financial condition. Everything we hear is that
they are both headed for insolvency. Democrats,many of them, simply do not care. They have no solutions. They just keep on spending. Where will the money come from to offset these obligations. You, me and Mao the great Philosopher.
Medicare has a 70 trillion dollar unfunded liability according to the Medicare Board of Trustees.
When Social Security started the combined employee/employer tax was 1.5% it is now 15%.
We will generate a $2 trillion deficit this year and trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.
The US government spends 800 billion on interest alone which is the 3 biggest non-entitlement item in the budget. Soon it will be the biggest.
In about 10 years the interest on the debt will be over $1.5 trillion per year.
That is $1.5 trilliion not going to roads, prisons, cops, troops, housing, food stamps and education.
Every Government agency is populated with do-nothings and know-nothings. They all complain that they are overworked and underpaid yet they never seek other jobs. They tell you that they are dedicated. Thats just horse hockey, they are just waiting it out until they get their pensions, and in the meantime they enjoy job security along with high pay. I expect some of you Government workers to object, in fact I'd be disappointed if you didn't object. You are all lazy do-nothings and that has been proven. Do us all a favor and just take our money and shut your pie holes.
Three per cent sounds very high to me for the administrative costs for such a program. When you enroll in social security your name and other related information go into a computerized data base. The computer prints out your check once a month automatically. Most people never have to contact Social Security because everything is automated. When you die your relatives contact Social Security and your name is removed from the database and you no longer get checks. If you get a monthly check for $1200 the adminstrative cost is $36 a month or $432 a year. That sounds awfully high to me. Government efficiency I guess.
The founder's of the country viewed the federal government as the enemy and that's why they put so many limits in the constitution.
They had lived under rulers without limits and knew what happens when men become powerful. Now we are turning our backs on their warnings and protections and look for government to take care of us. With care comes the loss of freedom. If your kids live in your house, they must follow your rules. The same with a government that gives you care.
ALL government -- the federal especially -- deserves ALL the negative publicity and charges it gets. Really, if you're not mad, you're not paying attention.
Look beyond the headlines, Rusta -- the popular American media is more entertainment than news, and government sanitizes it all. As citizens it is our duty to take any government, and its pieces, to task whenever possible, especially when they stray from their source code -- the Constitutions.
judgesmales, jlb101, Phargo -- you got this one nailed right!
neiman1 -- you said it best so far
60 Minutes episode; The $60 Billion Fraud.
Medicare and Medicaid fraudsters are beating U.S. taxpayers out of an estimated $90 billion a year using a billing scam that is surprisingly easy to execute.
Link to view:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minute...
: (
The Obama Administration will start reducing fraud in Medicare and Medicaid just as soon as he makes a decision on Afghanistan.
Wait a minute... They will get the housing crisis fixed first.
Well, maybe it will be the Bank crisis.
No, it will be the unemployment crisis.
Sorry, the Administration will be busy for the next few years trying to figure out how to run FOX News out of business.
Only then, will they start on Medicare and Medicaid fraud...
Social Security is a "pay go' system. The money that you pay in on the SS tax pays for others that are retired seniors or disabled. When you get old/disabled you will be entitled to SS. The right wing political and business Fascist have tried to privatize SS and they have failed. If SS had been privatized before the financial collapse, SS benefits would have been reduced approximately 40%. The average SS recipient receives about $1,000 per month for having worked and paid in for approximately 45 years. SS has a better performance rate than 401k's. SS is sound until 2040 plus, and Medicare is sound until 2019. Due to the financial collapse many companies are not paying their portion into the 401k plans. You tell me, with facts, which will be better for seniors and disabled in the future. The right wing bloggers have nothing but an ape like imitation of Beck, O'Reilly, Savage, Limbaugh, others and the Fascists that have taken over the traditional Republican party. Be original--all that matters are the cold hard facts!
Privatize Medicare, it's socialist.
Privatize Social Security, It's socialist.
Privatize the Military, it's socialist.
Privatize public libraries, it's socialist.
Privatize public education, it's socialist.
Privatize Unemployment, it's socialist.
Privatize everything, it's the only solution.
To say that we had an unregulated housing market or an unregulated home loan market is patently absurd.
And we didn't become the greatest nation on the planet because the government solved our problems. We became the greatest nation on the planet because we had a framework that allowed THE PEOPLE to solve their own problems.
Ghost, not only does social security pay less than market investments it is very difficult to pass the benefits to your spouse and IMPOSSIBLE to pass them to your children. You die its gone. Social Security should be privatized for those who want it, continued for those who are on it, and converted to defined contribution plan for those who want to keep paying into it.
Btw, fascists were about government control, not individuals and free markets.
Social security also has racist results.
Low income black men essentially subsidize the retirements of wealthier white women.
What really confuses the he11 out of me is why Republicans, who view the Government as The Enemy, try so desperately to join them. Isn't that the definition of Traitor?
Republicans tell us that smaller government is good, but whenever they take over, they expand government. They tell us that a balanced budget is good, then given the reins of power, they consistently spend way more than they take in. They insist that government is incompetent, then when they take over the reins of power, they do, in fact, prove to be right on that count.
StanG is correct about the Republicans, but he should have also include the Democrats. Both parties are out of touch with reality and have lost their principals.
Principals are more important that political parties...
Well, most of the above posts complain about government but offer little that is constructive. Consider, for a moment, how many people earn their livelihoods through government employment: police, firemen, teachers, nurses, doctors, and military personnel among others. Consider the achievements of NASA men and woman in space, and the contributions of Department of Defense scientists and engineers in providing the tools that help make our military number one in the world. These government employees solve hard problems, and they epitomize the quality of patriotism. Other government workers address the endless stream of problems that are an inevitable product of a first-world nation with a 320 million population. The job performance of these people is hardly different than that of folks in the nation's workforce.
There are, of course, many egregious examples of government waste, fraud, inefficiency and, yes, stupidity. What should be done about it? If you answer the question, please frame it and express it in a manner appropriate for communicating to senior managers of a hypothetical Fortune 500 company. That is, a problem statement without intelligent options for solution is insufficient--is a career buster. If you cannot do that then it will be better for all concerned for you to be much less vocal.
My solution for improving government is to hire smart, well educated people who believe in and respect science, and to let them define problems and create solutions with minimal political interference. In addition to term limits, I advocate 3 year terms for Representatives and 5 year terms for Senators, and only public financing of elections with corporations and other entities treated like ordinary individuals. I advocate a people's lobby in each state, funded only by proceeds from the states' treasuries, to compete with industry interests. And I propose that each television network host, on a rotating weekly basis, a continuing series on government, the economy, science, and world cultures that have relevance to the United States. The format should include debates between legitimate advocates of opposite viewpoints as well as Nova/Frontline-style factual presentations. Why? Many parts of the nation still have limited access to information. All parts of the nation should have access to programming other than "Dancing with the Stars." The series would hopefully explain and clarify hard concepts such as why the Federal Budget is not like a family budget, why climate change is not weather change, why Keynesian economic policies have helped avoid a world-wide depression, why the founding fathers expected the Constitution to be a living document subject to change with time, and why the closing of the American frontier is taking a lot longer than historians once believed to be the case.
The only federal employees that ever did anything for us was the Continental Army commanded by George Washington. they did it without shoes , proper armament and not much food. After that the whole thing started down the chithole.
"My solution for improving government is to hire smart, well educated people who believe in and respect science, and to let them define problems and create solutions with minimal political interference."
That leaves Obama, Reid and Pelosi out
Phargo -- uh...uh...uh...can't think of any, either. Except for the janitors maybe. So why do we put up with them?
Future -- you forget they weren't hired, they were elected?
Doug, you won't find any intelligent people here in Vegas, we are the 2nd dumbest city in America. By the way, I like Dancing with the Stars, sure hope Donny Osmond wins.
Stop viewing federal government as a friend, too......
The federal government's job is to fleece the American people as much as they can in the form of taxes, then make sure they line their own pockets before they are caught and/or voted out of office. They waste our tax dollars and our lives in wars to enrich their corporate backers in the oil industry and industrial military complex. Nuff said..
Dougie baby, where are you from? Obviously not Nevada! What happened to the good old days when most Nevadans were self-sufficient independent minded folk who could take care of themselves just fine? Now it's no different than any other big city, a cesspool of low class losers, the type that live with their parents into their 30's and never amount to anything (no ambition, feel entitled to everything)
Did I hear right? Is the Burrittobandit going on Dancing with the Stars? I heard his partner was Nancy Polosi... Harry will be jealous...
this article sucked, just like the federal government. this country was founded on anti-government theology. Unfortunately, now the government is once again out of control and taking away the freedoms of all. I'm sure the author would like the Brits to be back in charge too.
Doug, I have paid into a system that will not be around for people my age to see. Any idiot should be able to see that!
Socialism is a cancer that leads to death (communism). The opposite of communism is capitalism. The opposite of gov control is freedom and liberty. Yes, the gov in the enemy, and it has grow so big it can now bully the states, which is against the desires of the founding fathers. What are we to do? What can we do? We the people still have power, unless the gov starts to fix elections for the pro new world order politicians. All we can do is vote out of office any politician that doesn't do our will. "What happens when there are enough poor people, out of work people, minorities, and illegals in the US to form a majority and keep the communists in power? Then the USA will cease to exist.
Doug: has your megalomania ever been clinically examined or diagnosed?
Socialism is a cancer that leads to death (communism). The opposite of communism is capitalism. The opposite of gov control is freedom and liberty. Yes, the gov in the enemy, and it has grow so big it can now bully the states, which is against the desires of the founding fathers. What are we to do? What can we do? We the people still have power, unless the gov starts to fix elections for the pro new world order politicians. All we can do is vote out of office any politician that doesn't do our will. "What happens when there are enough poor people, out of work people, minorities, and illegals in the US to form a majority and keep the communists in power? Then the USA will cease to exist."
First of all, you obviously don't know what socialism and communism is.
Socialism does not lead to communism, that's stupid propaganda you have heard all your life during the Cold War era, we're out of that, don't you know (Reagen)?
Socialism does not lead to communism, again. France isn't Communist, neither is Norway {whom are living greatly right now, I have relatives that are living just great, the recession didn't touch them).
The corporations are the new enemy. Have you not seen how much they control OUR government? Yeah sure, government hasn't been great, but wait, corporations have pretty much taken control with their lobbyists, oh darn! Something thanks to Capitalism. I'm not saying Capitalism is bad, au contraire. Capitalism is great. Sometimes several things just need to be controlled so it doesn't become too free.
So our founding fathers wanted to be only capitalists? Karl Marx wasn't even born then, so that's obviously wrong, even then, the founding fathers had many errors.
""What happens when there are enough poor people, out of work people, minorities, and illegals in the US to form a majority and keep the communists in power? Then the USA will cease to exist."
So when the U.S. ceases to become a white majority, it will stop? I'm sorry to inform you but that's going to be occurring around 2040. Although the illegals will then be legal.
When I say that socialism leads to communism, I don't mean that socialist states will become communist in x amount of years. I mean that eventually, the plan is to usher in a "new world order", a worldwide communist government that controls every faucet of our lives. America is the last world power that still has freedoms, and once we become a socialist country, a worldwide communist regime will be just a matter of time. Why? The elites who have been working on destroying our liberties and freedoms for quite some time loath the middle class and absolutely hate the poor people. They see them as sub-human animals and they wouldn't have a problem with killing 100-200 million of what they call "worthless feeders" at one time. In the same way Yale educated Mao killed 70 million of his people without losing any sleep (while gaining the admiration of our current administration) so will the NWO elites cull the world population in due time. Your hope of a compassionate, sharing, elite-less world is somewhat ignorant. It will never happen. The true power brokers want to return things to the good old days (for them) of kings and surfs. To get there, they need to eliminate the middle class and the US democracy. Once the US fall into civil disobedience and civil war (I guarantee that is coming in our lifetime) the "world" will send in troops to restore peace. (UN). That won't sit well with the rednecks who will, while they're at it, do some ethnic cleansing of their own. Once the dust settles, the gov will tell the survivors where to push a broom or punch a clock in exchange for 3 hots and a cot. Basically what prisoners now enjoy. People like you will join the resistance, but it will be too late. Once they have us in checkmate (no more middle class), we're done.
sergio - you are right on the money. and ideas being thrown around now are part of the grand plan - global warming, new global currency, etc....
All part of a master plan to eliminate the middle class, correct. Global warming is the biggest crock of dung I've ever seen. http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenh... What represents 95% of greenhouse gases? Co2? Sure, in Al Gores world. The truth is that 95% of Co2 comes from WATER VAPOR! However, to the "climate change people", they dismiss water vapor as a greenhouse gas in their estimates because us humans have no control over the water in the atmosphere. Can you believe that con job they're pulling off? Brainwashing our kids into believing cars are killing the poor polar bears. Ignorance is being taught in our schools and resonating on our airwaves by the talking heads (except for Fox news). God help us all!
Sergio, worry about being part of the rapture, your posts are inaccurate and laughable. Another Conspiracy theorist.
"America is the last world power that still has freedoms, and once we become a socialist country, a worldwide communist regime will be just a matter of time. Why? The elites who have been working on destroying our liberties and freedoms for quite some time loath the middle class and absolutely hate the poor people."
So Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, France, and thousands of other countries don't have freedoms? Although it's quite possible that a one world government will appear, it's not time for that now.
Which elites? What liberties and freedoms have they taken away? By the way, Mao Zedong attended Beijing University, but not according to you "Prophet".
"That won't sit well with the rednecks who will, while they're at it, do some ethnic cleansing of their own."
Wow, a Prophet for the white race, gosh you're so well educated!
Hahahaha, your "geocraft" website is complete bull. Besides the fact that it's not an academic site, it's not worthy for information.
Ignorance is a bliss. Wow, Fox news? I think as a conspiracy theorist, you should be afraid of Fox News too. Wait, you're a "conservative" conspiracy theorist. Wow, you fail.
Mr Meow,
So you don't believe that Yale was funded with drug money from the China Opium trade. Wow, I'll have to add a "dumbest" to dumb and dumber. What plant do you come from? Oh, I forgot. You believe everything your liberal professors told you in school and discount the real history of this country as a "conspiracy theory" despite plenty of historical accounts that support my theories. Here are the facts about Yale, Opium, and China:
Yale University, due to a sizeable donation, was named after Elihu Yale (1649-1721) who was a governor of the British East India Company which began smuggling opium into China beginning in 1773. Yale would be the future home of Skull and Bones (S&B), founded in 1832 by William Russell (opium smuggler). Many S&B member families grew rich through drug dealing: Coffin, Sloane, Taft, Bundy, Payne and Whitney. Averell Harriman (S&B), former Ambassador to Moscow, was business partners with Prescott Bush (S&B), father of George H. W. Bush (S&B), who was appointed Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China from September 26, 1974 - December 7, 1975. Clark T. Randt, Jr., (S&B) is the current U.S. Ambassador to China. Ambassadors are charged with representing U.S. corporate interests.
Here is an article by Yale offering their view on Yale in China: http://alumninet.yale.edu/clubs/fapn/for... The truth is that Yalies were interested in China for the opium trade, not to educate the Chinese. You might call this a conspiracy theory, I call it part of history. Here is a page from a book that talks a great deal about the Yale Mao connection: http://books.google.com/books?id=Wne5gRl...
The Yale-China Association: a centennial history
By Nancy E. Chapman, Jessica C. Plumb
I could go on and on. You = loser.
Nope, you offer bad sites for such type of research. It's obvious anyone can create these "logical facts".
So what if these institutions have ties to this? Our government has/had ties with dictators and other types of oppressive governments, it's nothing new.
"Wow, I'll have to add a "dumbest" to dumb and dumber."
Your posts are laughable, I have a great time with all these posts. ]
"You believe everything your liberal professors told you in school and discount the real history of this country as a "conspiracy theory" despite plenty of historical accounts that support my theories."
Not really, there's also a thing called books and they all vary.
What historical accounts? I can also tell you that Mao had no connections with Yale whatsoever and make proof of it.
Yours are the only right. Sure... I rather take any academic than a person who's education is low because of lack of education and believes anything that they see on the internet.
Oh, that nigerian thing is a scam, don't believe the internet, and by using a google add, you'll get a $5000 check!!!
Not.
Your travels are less than impressive and your light so weak it cannot even help you debate your way out of a paper bag, Mr Meow. You don't want to understand the significance of of the Yale - China- S&B - Opium drug trade connection because it would somehow cheapen your education as well as the brand the achievements of bonesmen to nothing more than a monopoly controlled by drug dealing thugs. I understand, Mr Meow. I wouldn't want to think that I only achieve things in life because I was part of a violent, wanton, drug dealing gang of low life scum bag thugs. However, the facts are what they are, Mr Meow. Sorry. The fact that the masses don't know these truisms doesn't change the veracity of said truth. The only difference between Skull Boners and low life drive by drug dealing street gang members is that the SB's (scum bags, Skull-Bones) wear sheep's skins to cover their dark secrets because their balls are the size of olives vs the street thugs who have no shame in their game and have balls big enough to carry in a wheelbarrow. I have no respect for weak people, and the SB's have no respect for themselves either, thus, they often turn to drug use as was the case with your butt buddy Bush the coke head.
One last DD for those who don't know the connection between Masons and Satan. Read the quotes from these dastardly Lucifer worshiping Masons and then realize why most Masons are the scum of the earth (pedophiles, liberals, etc) http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/luciferq...
The beauty of all these comments is that each and everyone of us has the right to "Speak"them.
Though I feel that right is slowly dimishing away and will be gone in the near future.
Look at all the signs that are underlying in the legislation being proposed with healthcare.
This country is more interested in personal gain than anything else.Our Founding Fathers never intended for this country to end up where it has.
What people see is free healthcare and something that don't have to work for.
We do need to help those who are unable to work do to health issues(serious Health Issues.This all started back I believe in the 1960's with welfare and welfare had strong regulations which over almost the past 50 yers have been weakend by our government changing its laws and regulations which now illeagel alliens can indirectly recieve welfare benefits through children they had here in this country.Do we really think that in the 1960's an illeagal allien was able to recieve these benefits.Do we think the healthcare benefit plan being proposed will be the same down the road as it is being presented today.I really do not think so.
Now do to greed not capitalism our countries healthcare system( meaning the insurance industry) needs to be placed on regulations of what is charged to the public for the service the provide,But then a doctors and hospitals malpratice insurance has gone through the roof which makes the doctor and hospital have to increase their charges then the insurance goes up to cover these increases and it goes round and round until like today it is out of control.This is greed not capitalism
I fear that if the government passes a health care bill as it is proposed we once again give people a reason not to have a desire to go out and work and provide for themselves.
The money that our government is planning to spend on healthcare could be spent on creating jobs and bringing industry back to our country.
We The People the first 3 words of the Declaration of Independence Where has that gone.
Hey Sergio, why don't you add Satan and Conservatives. Sure, he's kept churches in Business for years!!!
What Sergio, your posts are so laughable. And my education wasn't expensive, it was paid for so I don't really care. You would only wish to have an education at Yale which you never had. Unfortunately, you're just a high school grad, maybe Community college.
Your hate for society is because you were never good enough to be part of it.
Your arguments are irrelevant to the topic. Even if you were right, no one cares and you lose. So much for having this "knowledge" because you saw a few films and internet websites. You do realize that anyone can make bogus claims.