NO PITY FOR THE LAZY!!!
Posted on 04/22/2010 2:07:55 PM PDT by K-oneTexas
America has reached a tipping point in its citizens' dependence on government, according to a new report by the Heritage Foundation.
2009 was a “historic” year for the increase in American dependence on government, said Heritage's 2009 Index of Dependence on Government. The index reports the growth of federal programs geared towards providing aid to people in need.
“Are Americans near a tipping point in the nature of their government and the principles that tie it to civil life?” wrote William Beach, head of Heritage’s Center for Data Analysis (CDA), after describing the ever-larger numbers of Americans who look to the government for entitlements while expecting to pay little or no taxes.
“A fair reading of these trends and the data contained in this Index leads almost inescapably to the view that yes, Americans have reached that point,” Beach writes.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), spoke on the panel with Beach, at Heritage’s conference titled “Is America Sinking into the Dependency Abyss?”
Sen. DeMint stated that the spirit of independence has made America great, and yet the ever-increasing dependence of Americans on government assistance for health care, welfare and education, will prove perilous to American independence.
“I don’t think we’ve gone past the tipping point, but if we go past this November, I will say this: Without an electoral earthquake, I don’t think it’s recoverable,” the senator told the audience.
“If the healthcare bill goes into effect, what it’s going to do is bankrupt our country, and destroy healthcare…I’m not sure it is retrievable,” DeMint added.
The number of Americans dependent on government assistance for entitlements has swelled considerably, while the number of taxpayers has shrunk. The report said that in the last eight years, the index of government dependence has grown by almost 33%.
Members of the panel made the following points in their discussion of American dependence:
1. For the first time since the Great Depression, Americans are receiving more aid from the government than they are paying in taxes.
2. Since 1980, when the base year of the Index stood at 100, the CDA Index has ballooned to 240, based on data ending in 2008.
3. Unfunded liabilities in Social Security and Medicare are now estimated at $100 trillion, and 10,000 “baby boomers” are retiring every day.
4. More Americans are not paying taxes. An estimated 34% of all taxpayers have zero tax liability, and the U.S. is approaching levels of one-third of taxpayers not paying taxes for federal benefits that they receive.
5. Housing assistance is at the second-highest level in history.
“Remember that when governments get bigger, citizens get smaller. It’s an equation,” Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) told the audience at Heritage.
“It becomes a very big problem in a free country like this when you’ve got nearly half of the voters who are dependent for essential personal services on the federal government,” said Sen. DeMint.
“We have more poor people today than when we started the War on Poverty,” DeMint told the audience. “And in the process we’ve destroyed families and really a whole culture in a lot of ways, and created so many spin-off costs, that it’s almost inestimable of what we’ve done to our society.”
Beach echoed DeMint’s remarks as he explained the network of “natural” dependence that exists in communities, families, churches, and local governments.
“Around everybody is this bubble of aid-giving that starts with families, that goes out to communities larger than that, to networks, churches, local governments, the Red Cross, the food bank,” Beach said. “That is the natural aid-giver, and it’s a good aid-giver, because the moment you’re able-bodied, you get back to work.”
“When the federal government gives aid for food, aid for shelter, aid for education, it crowds out and maybe even destroys the ability of the local community to do the same thing,” Beach said.
“We built the Index of Dependence on Government not to condemn dependence,” Beach continued, “but to measure the shift from the community to the federal government. Because when you’re dependent on the federal government … it may be to the advantage of that government to keep you dependent, and to move you further on in dependency. And there are members of Congress who use the dependent relationship to expand their power and influence.”
“If I don’t need the government for my income and health care when I retire, I’m going to keep those rascals accountable,” Sen. DeMint said. “But if I’m afraid, if they cut, it’s going to affect me, I have to vote differently. And I become a pawn of politicians."
“America has reached a tipping point in its citizens’ dependence on government...”
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The very thing I have feared.
The real question is can we come back from the precipice, not only electorally, but in our souls.
This is not the America of unprecedented opportunity, reward and historical exceptionalism.
I told my liberal clinton-obama loving sister that if obamacare passes I will not have to worry about my retirement. Her and her husband will be paying everything for me.
Perhaps Obama will make more people run from the Democrats than any other politician has been able to muster.
Don’t despair folks! Even us older folks living via Social Security have scruples. We will not EVER let this situation get beyond our control (Think World Two vets and Vietnam Vets). Most of us would rather live in the streets rather than give government control with their high taxes and ultimate control of freedoms.
Of course, that also means that we (to some, the obsolete useless group from the Vietnam War - to others, the hope for the future) will fight for your rights - not too happy about the way things are going, but at least I DO understand the right to protest about it. Seems that many do not...
The ultimate result is that we will RETAIN our Constitutional rights whether the government wants us to or not... The government seems to be the villain these days...
Just let them try.....
NO PITY FOR THE LAZY!!!
America has reached a tipping point in its citizens' dependence on government, according to a new report by the Heritage Foundation.Why, has the government taken over rope and ammo manufacture?
We do not have more poor people than before.
We have the world richest people who are called poor.
The bar for poverty keeps rising.
We have the world richest people who are called poor.
The bar for poverty keeps rising.
Ever since LBJ's "War On Poverty" was launched, the percentage of those U.S. households considered "poor" has remained stable at around 18%.
The only times the percentage has shown a measurable decline were in the Reagan and Bush II administrations -- immediately after a round of significant tax cuts.
You could look it up...
Yes except what is now considered poor has changed over time. Both by income and advantages.
The "poor" today have a car (or two), a TV, a microwave, air conditioning...and might even own their own home.
“We do not have more poor people than before. We have the world richest people who are called poor.”
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Upwards of 100 lbs overweight, and yet “poor”.
We have large segments of the population whose full-time, life-long vocation is to remain “poor”, with the help of Communists in government, who derive political power from furthering that status: the BigPoor industry.
That aside, my fear, as stated in the thread title, is that we have crossed the Rubicon with otherwise “normal “ Americans, who are now good with socialism, that is, basically stealing from their fellow citizens.
To be fair, Government dependence is being forced on a lot of people - see Healthcare.
“I will stop the motor of the world....”
Listen up obama...Not on OUR watch!
Please check out www.oathkeepers.org.
Bless us all.
Yea, you know... I am so disgusted with the government today that I and thankfully many others are happy to not only march against this but am willing to give up my all the comforts of home to protest. Actually, am willing to give up more - but don’t want to sound like a kook! Times are changing and I do want things to be reasonable for my son - today, these things are not happening...
I am 100% this is evil because the majority of Americans no long have dependence on Almighty God. In fact, we throw Him out every chance we can get.
Depend on the Lord and His strength; always go to Him for help.
Pslam 105:4
Instead, America does this:
blah blah blah.
yawn
Republic’s already dead.
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