Tuesday, July 21, 2009

In Response to Bruce

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_news_details/article/27/2009/july/19/conservative-activism-on-the-rise-1.html#tx_pbcomments_comment163939

Bruce Wrote:

I am a Democrat but I am not the type of liberal Democrat to whom a few of you refer. I expect no handouts and have not received a nickel of help for 30 years and never asked for help. I work full time and am seeking a second job to pay the basics. That's real life.
Some observations: I see that our property taxes are too high and the cost of living here in CB is just too high. Whether the Dems or the GOP are in power, they spend too much, they keep our military over funded, spread out all over the world, places where we should not be. That's part of our federal debt as well. I thought we were supposed to be funding defense. When did the Feds decide to go on all out offense as a permanent strategy? What do you think that is costing each American working family? On that strategy, both partiees are to blame. By the way, I have traveled to three continents and every one I met loves Americans...but they dislike our foreign policy. That's significant when you think about developing a money saving strategy for foreign policy. Yes to protection but no to unnecessary wars. Obama should know this. Perhaps he is getting bad advice and will wake up soon. I see no difference between Obama and Bush on bloating the military budget.
I stated that I never received money from the feds. Now I have to tell all of you that I do need help with my family's health care. If I lose our plan due to it's high cost, then I suppose I have to walk into the emergncy room...I cannot even go to the clinic as I make $5000 a year over the criteria for use of the clinic. This is not a conservative or liberal problem.
Perhaps the readers on this board need to take a step back and think about what are the issues to vote for in 2010. How about no more funding the rich; reduce unnecessary offensive military action; provide basic universal health care; stop giving money to other countries to bribe their friendship and compliance; reduce public funding for free housing; expand jobs at home in green energy; stop funding teacher and state workers' pensions...you see where I am going. If we are to have a federal government, make every dollar count and use the money wisely to benefit the hard working folks who try. No freebies. Neither the Dems or the GOP have exhibited that type of judgment in the last 30 years.


My Response

Bruce, I am with you on many of your points. As far as your health care issue goes, Your local or State government should increase the income limit for going to the clinic. Every State should do that and then the Fed can stop taxing us for Medicare, etc. This would offset the inevitable, but necessary cost increase at the State level. At least then we would know that our money is going to help our fellow Pennsylvanians instead of going to bailout less responsible States with whom we have no representation.

I agree that our military is spread out on too many fronts, and our military budget is bloated. There must be a common sense solution to balancing our security with fiscal responsibility and adherence to the Constitution.

As for funding the rich, what seems to be happening in Washington, on both sides of the aisle is an enormous money laundering scheme. Large corporations like Goldman Sachs, and GE give huge donations to candidates to help get them elected. Once elected, these politicians return the money with interest. It used to be in the form of favorable regulations, etc. Now there is no pretence anymore. They just handover huge checks to these corporations.

This is why we need to return to the Constitutional form of having our Senators voted into office by our State legislatures. So our Senators will be beholden to nobody but our State governments and consequently the people represented by it.