After three years of chances, we've seen the largest increase in entitlement programs since LBJ. How long is it appropriate to wait before voicing skepticism, in your view?
The local governments refuse to take responsibility.
In what regard? Local governments all over the nation take plenty of responsibility. I need some examples if you're going to make overly general assertions of this type.
President Bush is stepping up and taking responsibility. He has a plan. I think it's too soon to be able to tell precisely how it is working.
This is The Plan he's releasing tomorrow? Presumably, it isn't working at all if it hasn't yet been proposed, right? You're obviously counting very heavily on The Plan - have you heard anything whatsoever about what The Plan might contain?
That's hardly President Bush's fault. Perhaps the Act should be revised to rid itself of these loopholes.
Federal legislation has a long history of creating massive bureaucracies. Workarounds and loopholes are an easily foreseeable consequence of a centralized, one-size-fits-all approach. Centralization never has and never will work when it comes to governmental power. Show me an instance where it has...
I don't believe you can blame the President for the aftereffects of 9/11. A large portion of the deficit has come from fighting the War on Terror and homeland security, not from any lack on President Bush's part to control spending.
Discretionary spending has increased 6-7% annually since Bush took office, and that's after the impact of Homeland Security endeavors is removed from the numbers. Certainly you'd agree he shares the blame for that, right? We also have a brand new Education Bill, Farm Bill and Prescription Drug Bill advocated strongly by this administration. New entitlements that will cost trillions over the next 10 years. Whose fault is that? Those initiatives surely aren't fighting terror, are they?
I believe the plan is being released tomorrow. We will have to wait until then to see the specifics.
I can hardly wait to see how The Plan will save us all, Dr. Ferr...err...ilovew.