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Since we typically spend about $1.5 Trillion more than we make in tax revenue, it may as well be. How do we say what is and isn't debt spending? How about look at the things that increased the most since the last balanced budget? Sure, military spending has, but so has a lot of entitlement programs, including obamacare.
I would say things which are optional are debt spending. Things which are an obligation must be funded first. If we eliminate ALL deficit spending, we must still fund our obligations.
I think it's naive to think that people are not actively gaming the system. Besides the cost and overhead of the beauracracy itself.
It's always more efficient to accomplish something by a private organization. Government never gets the job done more efficiently.
But there is example after example of them messing up.
That is very cool - -your dad deserves to be honored and treated well. But we also have example after example of the VA abuses and miscues.
Were you active in your church? Did you know your pastor? The other members? If so, that's a crying shame. They were wrong to not help you if they could.
My parents church was theirs. They were active. It hurt my parents, but they did not dwell on it and never looked the other way when someone in their church or neighbor was in need. Church members never turned down an invite to their table when he was on his feet. Grudges were not their thing.
There are plenty of examples of the government being terrible. No doubt there is plenty of room for improvement. We are stronger when we work together. Churches cannot do it all. No religion can carry the need of the community.
Private businesses come with their own issues, too.
There was a private healthcare system in this area. They were Medicare frauds and the government closed them. I know a dentist who was convicted of fraud, too. They were gaming the system and lost. They stole from all of us. I do not put private business on a pedestal of efficiency.
Since we typically spend about $1.5 Trillion more than we make in tax revenue, it may as well be. How do we say what is and isn't debt spending? How about look at the things that increased the most since the last balanced budget? Sure, military spending has, but so has a lot of entitlement programs, including obamacare.
Actually, this year's deficit is ~$616B, or about 1/3 of the $1.5T you have cited. It's true that debt is not allocated to any particular budget item. Congress authorizes spending and the Treasury Department sells enough bonds to balance the books.
Jeff, I think you should look at your churches budget and expenses to see what percentage is actually going to charity.
RonkonkomaNative, I think you should admit how much government waste there is on both sides of the aisle before touting the virtues of government.
People on both sides game the system. Transferring assets to be eligible for Medicaid for long term care. Working under the table to still be eligible for benefits, pensions for politicians with very little time in office, and many more.
I measure charity by a region's attitude on taxation, rather than selective giving from tax savings.
Also, I think that so-called "government waste" is a myth. It is still circulating money into the economy when a job is created. Why would it matter whether the money goes to a private industry employee or a government employee? It's the same money coming from the same moneymakers.
Jeff, I think you should look at your churches budget and expenses to see what percentage is actually going to charity.
RonkonkomaNative, I think you should admit how much government waste there is on both sides of the aisle before touting the virtues of government.
People on both sides game the system. Transferring assets to be eligible for Medicaid for long term care. Working under the table to still be eligible for benefits, pensions for politicians with very little time in office, and many more.
But....but, I really really like roads and bridges. I like FEMA. I like education. I like health care,
I am an optimist. I like well fed children. I like immigration, and Social Security. I like the military.
I love the Constitution. I love the three branches of government.
I do not game the system. I am the product of an awesome country despite our flaws.
I especially love President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. They represent the best of us.
If I say another thing, I might break out into song. Since I do not want the dogs to howl, I will leave you with this.
But....but, I really really like roads and bridges. I like FEMA. I like education. I like health care,
I am an optimist. I like well fed children. I like immigration, and Social Security. I like the military.
I love the Constitution. I love the three branches of government.
I do not game the system. I am the product of an awesome country despite our flaws.
I especially love President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. They represent the best of us.
If I say another thing, I might break out into song. Since I do not want the dogs to howl, I will leave you with this.
We have leaders that lie, cheat, and betray our country and values and yet people still sing their praises. I like a country that once honored God. A country where it wasn't a crime for a police captain or football coach to pray for his team. A country where the Bible was not offensive to the degree that people demand that it not even exist in the same hotel room. At least we still sing God Bless America at baseball games. Can't get any more American than that.
We have leaders that lie, cheat, and betray our country and values and yet people still sing their praises. I like a country that once honored God. A country where it wasn't a crime for a police captain or football coach to pray for his team. A country where the Bible was not offensive to the degree that people demand that it not even exist in the same hotel room. At least we still sing God Bless America at baseball games. Can't get any more American than that.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, but in human psychology, there is a corollary. For every frustrated action, there will eventually be a cumulative frustration reaction called an abreaction. Abreactions are NOT equal to the precipitating action because of the cumulative frustration. They are significant overreactions. Because of the decades of cumulative frustration over fundamentalist impositions on society, those who incurred the brunt of those frustrating impositions are now abreacting. This is now causing cumulative frustration in the fundamentalists who are not aware that they are responsible for the societal abreactions they are experiencing.
We have leaders that lie, cheat, and betray our country and values and yet people still sing their praises. I like a country that once honored God. A country where it wasn't a crime for a police captain or football coach to pray for his team. A country where the Bible was not offensive to the degree that people demand that it not even exist in the same hotel room. At least we still sing God Bless America at baseball games. Can't get any more American than that.
But every year those extremists are being revealed for the joke that they are--and still the cultists vote them into office based on ONE issue...
We have leaders that lie, cheat, and betray our country and values and yet people still sing their praises. I like a country that once honored God. A country where it wasn't a crime for a police captain or football coach to pray for his team. A country where the Bible was not offensive to the degree that people demand that it not even exist in the same hotel room. At least we still sing God Bless America at baseball games. Can't get any more American than that.
Sounds awful. You can pray if you want to, but you have no business arranging society so that everyone prays whether they want to or not. But You are right and the other posters are right in that there is a lot of abuse and cheating. But going back to the God -plastered society that we once saw, and find bad, in hindsight (McCarthy, Bush) would simply introduce religion -based immunity to any criticisms. What organizations have their accounts closed to scrutiny? Is it churches or isn't it?
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