Posted on 07/06/2009 7:28:10 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB
WASHINGTON Whether it's over health care, climate change or most other big Washington battles this year, Congress keeps debating the same underlying issue: Is the federal government getting too big and intrusive? The subject bitterly divides Republicans from Democrats, and the public's mood seems ambivalent. Polls show public majorities think the government's rapidly growing cost is worrisome. Most want better health care and curbs on global warming but they're wary of giving government too much power to do either.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/5/5/sorry-al-gore-but-public-cares-about-the-economy-not-global-warming.html
Ask people to name their biggest concerns, and just 1 percent to 2 percent cite the environment. "The environment doesn't show up at all," says Newport.
This could be a wedge issue. We should hit hard the fact that the Federal government is squeezing out spending at state and local levels. Keep pointing out what we could do with those trillions being spent somewhere else.
Misrepresenting how many are feeling about global marming. The econmoy we are all concerend with at the moment.
MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Rising debt may be next crisis
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gaSx8F19RpP2PFUhgrcoJ9cQbrDwD99723A80
Private sector can’t afford public sector employees
the Government Accounting Standards Board
instituted what is known as GASB 45, a reporting system requiring cities, towns, states and other political entities to disclose liabilities associated with other than pension post-employment benefits (OPEB). This should be fully implemented by the end of the 2009 fiscal year.
This increased transparency will disclose an unbelievable $1.5 trillion in just unfunded health care obligations!
And that’s not all. USA Today reports that “The federal government has unfunded obligations of $1.2 trillion to pay for retired health care for retired federal workers ... and Medicare and Social Security obligations pushing the total to more than $5 trillion.”
The reason for the confusion is because we, as a society, don’t trust, thanks to decades long attack, the ability of the private sector to solve the problems. Part of that is due to the fact that we have to accept responsibility and we have too many other things “more important” to do so we cede the process to those who live to control the process, what Levin calls the “statists”. For our reluctance to act the statist assumes authority and acts accordingly, all the while knowing that unless there is a unified conservative movement, they maybe, though not often questioned, and never seriously challenged. That’s just the way it is, for now.
The fed is a massive, invasive parasite. The democrat party and its fellow travelers are champions of the fed’s continued illegitimate growth.
Bravo Sierra
Most want a decent paying job with health benefits.
Most could not give a dam about power grabbing slave making
job destroying lies like “Gorebull Global Warming”.
Who here thinks the government is going to give me better benefits than my open access family plan?
Bitterly divides political parties? LMAO!
The GOP advanced more progressivist/statist goals over the last 8 years than the entire Democrat party combined.
They ran on a smaller government platform and grew it exponentially. They passed legislation that infringed on our Constitutionally guaranteed, God-given rights. Then when the economy starts to flounder because they didn’t have the fortitude to effectively challenge the Dem’s pet projects, they started the socialist bailout ball rolling.
Both sides deserve tar, feathers, split rails, and nooses.
The states should stop funding this beast along with taxpayers and succeed.The federal government is broke and they do not represent the people of the states anymore due to their empire building agenda.
and the clash sounds sorta like this...
Dimocrats: Hell, no, we need to grow it much BIGGER!
GOP: Well, gee, I dunno, maybe, I could think about it....
First, the shortcomings of today's system are the result of the last few time the government wanted to get involved, first by giving employer paid health benefits different tax treatment than wages, then by direct meddling such as Medicare/Medicaid. Why would we assume government intervention is the solution to problems created by government intervention??
And second, the system of private health insurers we have now is already too much like government-run health care. You pay in vast sums of your money, then they commence to acting like YOU work for THEM. Some petty bureaucrat has authority over YOUR decisions. If you don't collect the benefits, your money is gone forever, and they exist primarily to make collecting the benefits a pain in the ass. But at least there's still a modicum of competition. Everyone raise their hand who thinks the process will get better when run by people with a slightly more bureaucratic personality and with competition removed.
A little hard to trust the private sector while they are shaking down the treasury to socialize their losses and putting their money into electing the far Left. Globalism’s third way is fascism, turns out.
Unfortunately multinational and American Corps. have joined the Democrat Party parasites.
The problem is that what most of us consider the “private sector” are really no more than elites who have control of the multinationals.It’s the old fight between main street and wall street. They are fascists as opposed to main street being conservative populists.
The problem is that what most of us consider the “private sector” are really no more than elites who have control of the multinationals.It’s the old fight between main street and wall street. They are fascists as opposed to main street being conservative populists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.