[Glenn]

This is a nation governed by the "rule of law", and not, as often repeated with deliberate attempts to mislead, a nation governed by the "will of the people."

Glad you got all that out of your system. Unfortunately, it would take a revolution to repair all that is wrong with the American political system.

The paradox is in the details:

Lobbying is freedom of speech. Lobbying is undue influence of laws.

Taxes are required to fund a government. The government decides how to tax.

People are so adjusted to governmental oversight of their pocketbooks and their actions they are immune to the effect is has on them.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The City of Boston has added 5,000 jobs in the last decade, despite essentially flat population, ~600,000. The newly enacted smoking ban will require 140 restaurant inspectors in the face of a recession. Mitt Romney blew the whistle and said the State would close the budget gap by cutting expenses, including local aid.

Mumbles Menino will undoubtly respond by laying off teachers and by stopping snow plowing instead of building down the 5,000 new hacks.

[Real Cynic No More]

"During the recent years of economic prosperity all levels of government recieved revenues well above what was needed to meet their respective budgets creating budget surpluses. This money was used, in great error, to expand existing government programs, create new programs, expand the bureaucracy and, of course, create new regulations on those creating wealth and jobs. The ensuing recession resulting from this caused lowered revenues. The governments no longer collected enough money to meet the budgets that were increased during the times of prosperity."

The above bears repeating... and repeating... and repeating, so that the message gets out.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

STATEMENT: "Why governments have deficits now."

ANSWER: Because of significant numbers of trash now holding office at various levels of government. People who do not even belong to our society for various reasons i.e. criminals, perverts, vice addicts, bribe takers, aliens etc.

[ricpic]

We Americans are a large people: generous, open hearted and open handed, expansive, tolerant. The list could go on and on.

Unfortunately there is a flip side to those traits. We are a careless people. We are indifferent to waste. In fact we are prone to waste; shocking waste. We are also almost blithely unconcious of the criminal theft that permeates our bloated corrupt government(s).

The best that can be hoped for is that the dynamism of our economy will keep us one step ahead of the governmental eating machine. Time will tell.

[boris]

Welcome aboard. So tell me, when is "Atlas Shrugged--the Movie" coming out?