Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The deficit will effect taxes paid.
My W2 for the third time in a row, still
has me believing my taxes are higher as does
the correspondingly lower bank account. I assure
you, that is not my imagination.
Google Bu$h's appropriately named 'backdoor'
tax...
Anyway, this is all irrelevant because there hasnt been
a real republican since Goldwater.
What I don't understand about conservatives is that they always complain about "big government" yet the minute there's something they want, like get rid of illegal aliens or start some pointless war, they demand that the government do it. Why do they assume that big government will do these things competently?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Needaplace
Just out of curioisty, if you are not rich or have no plans to become rich, why would you vote Republican?
Maybe folks with integrity, who work hard, not looking for a handout from the government, not whiners about their plight in life, take responsibility for their actions and their present situation....?? Just some thoughts.
That describes me perfectly. I also care about my fellow man, respect the Constitution and the philosophies of our founding fathers, believe in defending our naton, am an advocate of law and order, consider myself a fiscal conservative, believe in eliminating waste from government, care about the environment, am against both personal welfare and corporate welfare, and vote solidly Democratic.
I do so because the Republican party has gone too far in supporting corporate welfare and greed, has used too many lies and deceits to justify their positions, has cut taxes too much for the rich and ignored the middle class, ignores the reality of things like back-alley coat hanger abortions, tramples on the rights of US citizens such as gays, denies helath care to 40 million Americans who cannot get insurance, tries to wreck the social security program in order to enrich the stock traders, males back-room deals with oil companies and other major polluters, backs corporate scams and crooked executives like Enron and Ken Lay, not to mention killing over 3,000 brave American troops because they wan to enrich Haliburton and companies like it.
It's not that I favor the Democrats so much, it is that I am absolutely against almost everything the Republicans are trying to do.
None of that has anything to do with my integrity, hard work, no handouts from the government, no whining, and taking responsibility for my actions and my present situation, which happens to be pretty darn good, no thanks to the Republicans.
The most distilled answer: Republicans support less government, Democrats desire more.
Not true for this Democrat, and not true comparing the Clinton administration to the Bush administration. Government size when down during the Clinton years and has grown wildly during the Bush years. Also, listen to the debates in Congress on CSpan. If you want smaller government, you're backing the wrong horse It shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the goals of the present parties.
There is no way to provide a social safety net to the people who truly need it without a few people milking the system. That's like the people who want to do away with handicapped parking for everyone just because a few scammers take advantage of those spots.
Part of the problem with welfare programs in the United States is that US has just done a very bad job of implementing them. It's not the fault of the poor people. For example, they built large housing projects like Cabrini Green in a few areas instead of mixing public housing into different neighborhoods throughout a city, which has been proven to work better. Also, they don't allow working people to stay in a lot of the projects--once you reach a certain income level you're out. So there is no incentive to make money, and the jobless people in the projects only see other jobless people--there are few successful examples for them. So it becomes a poverty trap.
If you look at Europe there are far more successful examples of public housing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VAFury
And before any of you bleeding-hearts gets your panties in a bunch, I am specifically referring to welfare cases who do nothing to get off welfare, not the many who are ashamed to be on it and do thier very best to get off it....... One has to admit there is a segment of the population who seem to constantly have thier hand out and I can't stand supporting them with every fiber of my being.
Ideologically, the Republican Party favors business and opposes welfare. Because US parties are so weak and open, it is hard to pin any other ideological label on to it. A large but not dominant faction attempts to hitch the party to the values of Christian fundamentalism. The party is sometimes known by the acronym GOP (for Grand Old Party).
The Republican party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Democratic party. It is popularly known as the GOP, from its earlier nickname Grand Old Party. From the time it ran its first presidential candidate, John C. Frémont, in 1856, until President George Bush left office in 1993, Republican presidents occupied the White House for 84 years. Traditionally, Republican strength came primarily from New England and the Midwest. After World War II, however, it greatly increased in the Sunbelt states and the West. Generally speaking, after World War I the Republican party became the more conservative of the two major parties, with its support coming from the upper middle class and from the corporate, financial, and farming interests. It has taken political stances generally in favor of laissez-faire, free enterprise, and fiscal responsibility and against the welfare state.
Most people I've known who were once Democrats but have registered Republican have done so after becoming homeowners.
There is no way to provide a social safety net to the people who truly need it without a few people milking the system. That's like the people who want to do away with handicapped parking for everyone just because a few scammers take advantage of those spots.
Part of the problem with welfare programs in the United States is that US has just done a very bad job of implementing them. It's not the fault of the poor people. For example, they built large housing projects like Cabrini Green in a few areas instead of mixing public housing into different neighborhoods throughout a city, which has been proven to work better. Also, they don't allow working people to stay in a lot of the projects--once you reach a certain income level you're out. So there is no incentive to make money, and the jobless people in the projects only see other jobless people--there are few successful examples for them. So it becomes a poverty trap.
If you look at Europe there are far more successful examples of public housing.
Can't argue that the implementation has been poor. I agree. I think it's why I detest big Government honestly. That they are inept in implementing things without getting too bogged down in the beurocracy of it all and spending FAR more money than should need to be spent.
I don't trust the government with my money is the bottom line I guess. Is it throwing the baby out with the bathwater??? Yeah, to an extent I suppose but that's how I feel about it.
As for the person who brought up the hypocrisy about Republicans and "Big Government" when it comes to things we want??? Yeah, there's plenty of hypocrisy to go around, but I was asked "Why I vote Republican" and be honest, doesn't it make sense that I'd vote for the party that uses to government for things I tend to agree with??? (Though bottom line I don't think we need amendments banning Gay marriage or anything of the sort. That fervour always seems to be in response to liberal demands for passing laws in favor of such things.).
I think we need a definition of big government...does it mean social programs, starting expensive wars, or all of the above.
Freedom from gov't interference is fine to a certain extent, but not when someone's freedom starts ruining things for everyone else. Freedom isn't just being to do whatever you want without regard to the consequences.
For example I saw something on TV about Las Vegas' water shortage. Apparently there are people moving there from other parts of the country, and instead of just having the normal desert lawn with stones and some cacti, they are wasting water resources trying to have it all--trying to have a typical green lawn that you would have in a non-desert climate. This is an example to me who abuse freedom and I think the government should fine these people and perhaps jail them for short periods if the fines don't work.
I don't know whether socialism and collective societies really works that well in the real world or not--that's a subject for another thread. But I do know that a lot of people in this country take things way too far to the other extreme--it's like they think only themselves and their family are the only people who exist in the world--their freedom, their rights, their this their that.
<end rant/>
Quote:
Originally Posted by VAFury
Can't argue that the implementation has been poor. I agree. I think it's why I detest big Government honestly. That they are inept in implementing things without getting too bogged down in the beurocracy of it all and spending FAR more money than should need to be spent.
I don't trust the government with my money is the bottom line I guess. Is it throwing the baby out with the bathwater??? Yeah, to an extent I suppose but that's how I feel about it.
As for the person who brought up the hypocrisy about Republicans and "Big Government" when it comes to things we want??? Yeah, there's plenty of hypocrisy to go around, but I was asked "Why I vote Republican" and be honest, doesn't it make sense that I'd vote for the party that uses to government for things I tend to agree with??? (Though bottom line I don't think we need amendments banning Gay marriage or anything of the sort. That fervour always seems to be in response to liberal demands for passing laws in favor of such things.).
The most distilled answer: Republicans support less government, Democrats desire more.
I'm just curious - since Clinton cut the size of government and Bush just added to it - where exactly do you figure we want more?
I think we are willing to pay more money in order to provide more services for people who need them. I like my streets paved and lit, my police alert and my husband well equipped (military). I'm willing to pay for that. I'm also willing to pay into a fund where we all get the basic health care we need without worrying our policy could be cancelled or might not cover our kid's leukemia or that my mother can take all the medications prescribed to her instead of just the ones she can't live without.
I guess that makes me awful and evil, but I guess I'll never understand why.
yes, Toni, I don't understand the psychology of these people. Where do they think services come from? Do they want anarchy?
Of course there is going to be some waste and some people who scam the system--that's the price we pay for having a society.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toninole
I'm just curious - since Clinton cut the size of government and Bush just added to it - where exactly do you figure we want more?
I think we are willing to pay more money in order to provide more services for people who need them. I like my streets paved and lit, my police alert and my husband well equipped (military). I'm willing to pay for that. I'm also willing to pay into a fund where we all get the basic health care we need without worrying our policy could be cancelled or might not cover our kid's leukemia or that my mother can take all the medications prescribed to her instead of just the ones she can't live without.
I guess that makes me awful and evil, but I guess I'll never understand why.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
