GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Insuring Old Age?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=210789

Social Security example of government rigor mortis
Posted: October 02, 2010
Star Parker

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Social Security passed in 1935. Although there have been changes in the way of tax increases and expansions of the program, Social Security is essentially the same system as was passed 75 years ago.

*** and ***

Americans are retiring earlier and living longer. In 1950, the median male retirement age and male life expectancy were about the same – 66. By 2005, the median retirement age for men was under 62 and the median male life expectancy was over 75.

*** and ***

And the promise we get from our leaders is that they will save and preserve a system that was conceived 120 years ago and enacted here 75 years ago. This is leadership?

Not only is our Social Security system unsuited to our times, it is bankrupt. It went into a deficit situation this year and its overall unfunded liabilities – the total amount promised less the total amount for which there is funding – is almost $20 trillion.

*** end quote ***

Clearly “Social Security Insurance”, which is NOT Social, NOT Security, NOT insurance, is an meme that no longer fits. If it ever did! The stated public purpose was “welfare” when the public was scared by the Great Depression; the unstated private purpose was to amass political power. It basically setup many if, not all, of the problems that we are facing today. Bu allowing the Gooferment to raid the “mythical lockbox”.

Argh!

How can you “insure” against old age?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: More fraud reported

Thursday, September 2, 2010

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/economic-stimulus-cash-clunkers-feds-investigate-car-dealers/story?id=11498464

Feds Investigate ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Car Dealers
Government Auditors Find $94 Million in Rebates May Be Ineligible Due to Faulty Documents
By Gregory Korte, USA TODAY
Aug. 28, 2010

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The government is investigating at least 20 car dealerships it claims violated the rules of last year’s cash-for-clunkers program. Government auditors say up to $94 million in rebates may be ineligible because they lack the proper documentation.

*** end quote ***

Argh!

It was a bad idea form the start — destroying perfectly “good” cars — would be good enough for someone who doesn’t have a car or needs a cheap replacement — which “stole” future sales guaranteeing that future sales would crater!

Figure the handling costs of all the bureaucrats and now add the cost of fraud.

A disaster from end to end.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Here’s why the Gooferment shouldn’t be involved in schools

Sunday, August 29, 2010

http://abcnews.go.com/US/miss-middle-school-bars-black-students-running-class/story?id=11498343&page=1

Miss. Middle School Bars Black Students From Running For Class President
At Nettleton Middle School, Student Government Posts Were Assigned by Race
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN
Aug 27, 2010

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After 30 years of barring black students from running for class president, a Mississippi public middle school, reversed a Jim Crow era policy today and announced students of all races would be allowed to run for student government.

Students at Nettleton Middle School looking to run for class president, previously needed to maintain a B average, obtain 10 signatures from their classmates – and be white.

Rules issued last week outlined the school’s rules for seeking office. Students could run for president, vice president, secretary-treasurer and reporter, but some positions were off-limits depending on race.

In all three grades, only white students could run for president. In eighth grade black students could run for vice president and reporter. In seventh grade blacks could only run for secretary-treasurer, and in sixth grade only for reporter.

There were no assigned positions for students of other races and no mention of students who are mixed race.

*** end quote ***

And, “We, The People” should throw the politicians and bureaucrats out of the “education” process.

“We, The People” are smarter than this.

Remember Walter William’s opinion on education. “If the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan wanted to sabotage black academic excellence, he could not find a more effective means to do so than the government school system in most cities.”

It’s immoral to do this to children. It’s immoral to propagandize them into being prisoners of the system. Any system.

It took us decades to get into this mess; it’ll take decades to get out. But let’s start. I’d propose a two part way out. (I wrote this up for the NJ tax revolt group HANJ which was hijacked by the Republican party,

(1) Each part would be twenty years.

(2) First part, we continue funding education as we do now. EXCEPT each student gets a voucher for X dollars. In year 1, all vouchers are “RED” meaning they must be “spent” at the local school district. Then each year, for the next 19, in a random draw, 5% of the vouchers turn “GREEN” meaning the parent can use that at a school of their choice. No limits. No Gooferment rules. At the end of 20 years, we now have a free market in education. The Gooferment o longer is operating youth propaganda camps.

(3) Second part, each year for the next twenty years, the value of the voucher decreases 5%. At the end of 20 years, we are no longer funding education; parents are. They had them; they should educate them.

And, I hope you’all have a much different society, much freer, than we do today!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: For the benefit of labor unions and corporations

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

http://cafehayek.com/2010/07/monopoly-privilege-agents-are-skilled-at-verbal-legerdemain.html

Monopoly-Privilege Agents are Skilled at Verbal Legerdemain by Don Boudreaux on July 24, 2010

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Translation: “Ambassador Ron Kirk is committed to holding the interests of American consumers hostage to the interests of American corporations and labor unions. He is tough in his determination to ensure that any trade deals struck on his watch will shield politically powerful U.S. producers from the competitive consequences of free consumer choice.”

*** end quote ***

The Gooferment is not our friend. It’s has its own agenda. That’s rewarding those who put money in the pockets of politicians and bureaucrats. Can anyone explain price controls — ceilings or floors — that benefits “We, The People”?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: The TSA is abusive

Thursday, August 12, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/hjelm1.1.1.html

Our Stupid State Transportation Security
by Drew Hjelm
Ad Libertad

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On my way back from Mises University last Sunday, I had the opportunity to encounter the Transportation Security Administration. A week prior, I flew from Cedar Rapids. The security there is reasonable because it is a small regional airport. However, on my return trip I had to start out in Atlanta.

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And, the one big reason, I ain’t flying. The TSA.

Thanks, George Bush, for creating a massive federal intrusion into air travel. Security should be the responsibility of the airline. Another case of “socialize the costs and privatize the profits”.

Why “volunteer” to be abused?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: A new meaning for an army of diplomats?

Monday, August 9, 2010

http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/2010/08/04/wondering-about-obamas-diplomats

WONDERING about Obama’s diplomats…
Submitted by jcbrook on Wed, 08/04/2010 – 10:39pm.

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http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/iraq/state-dept-planning-to-field-a-small-army-in-iraq-1.111839

State Dept. planning to field a small army in Iraq [EXCERPTS]

WASHINGTON — Can diplomats field their own army? The State Department is laying plans to do precisely that in Iraq, in an unprecedented experiment that U.S. officials and some nervous lawmakers say could be risky….

*** end quote ***

I don’t think this is what Old George (Washington) meant by a “humble foreign” policy. Could be wrong about it, but aren’t ambassadors supposed to carry portfolios, not m16s?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: The Public’s right to record “public servants”

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

http://abcnews.go.com/US/TheLaw/videotaping-cops-arrest/story?id=11179076

Growing Number of Prosecutions for Videotaping the Police
Prosecutions Draw Attention to Influence of Witness Videos
By RAY SANCHEZ
July 19, 2010

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Arrests such as Graber’s are becoming more common along with the proliferation of portable video cameras and cell-phone recorders. Videos of alleged police misconduct have become hot items on the Internet. YouTube still features Graber’s encounter along with numerous other witness videos. “The message is clearly, ‘Don’t criticize the police,'” said David Rocah, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland who is part of Graber’s defense team. “With these charges, anyone who would even think to record the police is now justifiably in fear that they will also be criminally charged.”

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Isn’t this the beginnings of a police state, where the equivalent of the Gestapo, can work in secret to put the serfs in fear of their lives, freedom, or reputation. Or even those of their friends and families.

Sorry, but any supposedly “public servant” should be working in a crystal box. And, if “privacy” is required then some business process reengineering needs to be done to eliminate it.

The politicians and bureaucrats should always be on their best behavior and we should be able to video and audio record them to ensure it.

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RANT: Making people into serfs

Monday, July 26, 2010

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=17&articleid=20100723_11_0_IronGa403000&rss_lnk=1

Thousands show up at Tulsa food pantry Friday
By MIKE AVERILL World Staff Writer
Published: 7/23/2010 12:47 PM
Last Modified: 7/23/2010 5:50 PM

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The message that was circulating was that the food boxes were free for anyone, however they’re actually restricted to families with children younger than 18 and there is an income restriction as well.

Through the program families can receive one 30-pound food box for each child and one box for every two adults. Families also receive one household box (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toothpaste) for every two people younger than the age of 18 in the household. Families may receive these boxes each week.

Iron Gate receives 250 food boxes and 125 household boxes each week that it distributes Fridays and Saturdays in conjunction with its regular grocery distribution program. The program runs through September.

*** and ***

“The need seems to be overwhelming, not only in Tulsa but in the surrounding towns. We need to figure out how to better distribute these boxes. Other agencies are sending people to us for food,” she said.

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Doesn’t anyone see a problem with this?

These people are “welfare farmers”. Now there are probably needy cases in there. But, how many has the Gooferment trained to depend on handouts?

Feed “stray cats” and don’t be surprised when you have more “stray cats”.

These are people, who should be accorded basic human dignity. They need “help”; not a “handout”.

That can’t be done by the Gooferment; it can only be accomplished by an energized empowered community — usually a church or a fraternal organization — who will invest time, money, resources, and most importantly attention to these people as people.

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http://www.acton.org/ppolicy/compassion/ppolicy_compassion_olasky.php

Seven Principles from a Century Ago by Marvin Olasky

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The crisis of the modern welfare state is a crisis of government, and it is more than that. Too many private charities and foundations dispense aid on the basis of what feels good rather than what works. As a result, they end up providing, instead of points of light, alternative shades of darkness. Too many act like the arrogant individuals criticized by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby: “They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness… and let other people clean up the mess they made.”

*** end quote ***

1. Affiliation 2. Bonding 3. Categorization 4. Discernment 5. Employment 6. Freedom 7. God

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GOVERNACIDE: CNN reporting IEDs kill five U.S. troops in Afghan

Sunday, July 25, 2010

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/24/afghanistan.us.troops.killed/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Bombs kill five U.S. troops in Afghanistan
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 24, 2010 12:02 p.m. EDT

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Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Bombings killed five U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said.

The military did not say precisely where the incidents occurred, but the statement said the troops died in “improvised explosive device attacks.”

*** end quote ***

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Add dam building to the list, but then we knew that from Katrina

Sunday, July 25, 2010

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/24/iowa.dam.breach/index.html?hpt=T2

Dam fails in eastern Iowa, causing massive flooding
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 24, 2010 7:15 p.m. EDT

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Culver told CNN that nearly 10 inches of rain had recently fallen in a 12-hour period in the area and was “too much water for the dam to hold.”

*** and ***

The governor said such a failure had never happened before.

*** end quote ***

Geee, what a great insight. The Gooferment shouldn’t be in the dam building business. The Gooferment shouldn’t be in any business!

Now, us little L libertarians realize that we are going to have to be creative. But someone should OWN the river. Maybe, it’s a corporation whose stock holders are everyone who has a deed for river front property? Then, they’d have a motivation to protect the river and protect people from it.

Clearly the current method doesn’t work.

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