Big Dogs House

The Crisis Will Hatch Universal Health Care Next

Jun 8, 2009 Political

Never let a good crisis go to waste. So far the Obama administration has not let this sentiment go to waste because it has pushed a number of things through at break neck speed all under the blanket of the crisis. The stimulus, the omnibus, the bailout of auto companies (and subsequent loss of taxpayer money in bankruptcy) are all the result of the crisis, emergencies that cannot wait. The time is now.

We have not spent very much of the allocated stimulus and things are starting to improve though we will have a way to go. We should rescind the rest of the spending and let things work themselves out.

No, we will spend that money (unwisely) and the Obama folks will continue. Next up on the plate is universal health care. The Democrats want every person in the country covered and they have a number of ways of doing it. All of them will mean tax increases and those increases will affect everyone.

Obama wants to tax the wealthy. He is pushing for a cap on tax deductions (and an increase in the marginal tax rate) for the wealthiest of taxpayers so that they will pay more into the government. That money will be redistributed to pay for health care. The cost will be staggering, the quality of care will decrease and everyone will be affected by the tax on the wealthy. Plus, there is no guarantee they government will spend the money on health care. Look at how the government has raped Social Security.

One plan on the table is to require all employers to provide health care coverage or pay part of the costs. This will only result in an increase in the price of goods. Employers ALWAYS pass costs on to consumers so everyone will end up paying. The plan also mandates insurance. People will be required to get health care coverage. You can be a billionaire and able to afford health expenses out of pocket but you will be required to get coverage.

I want to know where in the Constitution it says I HAVE to have health care coverage. Where is that mandate located?

Universal health care is socialized medicine where bean counters get to decide what treatment is best or if you should receive it. Despite the claims, other countries that have socialized medicine are not in good shape. Would you want to get sick in Cuba? Would you want to wait for bypass surgery in England or Canada? Some people might like the system but those who do are the people who are not responsible enough to take care of themselves.

We have socialized medicine in this country. Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA (as well as military health system) are all government run. The VA and military are items provided as part of the work contract but they are overburdened with administrative red tape and administrators. The health care provided to our troops is top notch and many of the innovations are later used in the civilian world but the red tape is a nightmare.

Liberals went nuts over problems at Walter Reed (a political stunt to embarrass George Bush) but this is the same system they want to give to you.

We cannot afford the cost. If you think health care is expensive now just wait until it is free. We need to revamp the way things are done in the open market and make it a more competitive atmosphere. We need to remove some of the restrictions placed on companies and we need to allow individuals and small business to pool resources in order to get group rates.

What we do not need is government running health care. The federal government could not organize a child’s birthday party and if it did the cost would be three times required and taxes would be raised to pay for it.

The same government that wants all your records electronic and wants to administer health care is the one that published our nuclear secrets.

If we want well run health care perhaps we should have Wal Mart take it over. The Wal Mart people actually know how to run a business and keep costs down.

Related items:
Ludwig von Mises Institute
Heritage Foundation

Tags: crisis, health care, taxes, waste, wealthy

Lawmakers Live High On Taxpayer Money

Jun 1, 2009 Political

The big scandal in Britain is the disclosure of the blatant waste of taxpayer money for things that have nothing to do with public service. Politicians submitted for reimbursement any number of things that have nothing to do with their jobs including pornographic movies. The uproar might well lead to politicians losing their positions and some were said to be so embarrassed that they considered suicide.

In America, the politicians have codified the waste of taxpayer money for their lavish lifestyles so they do not have to worry about expenses being illegal. Sure, taxpayers might be miffed about the expenses but politicians can woo enough voters who don’t pay taxes by promising them something for nothing and they will, in effect, buy the votes. As long as the non taxpaying voters are in on the rape of the taxpayers they really don’t mind too much what their politicians do.

Lawmakers in the US use taxpayer money for leased automobiles not only for themselves but for their employees back in the district. They use taxpayer money to buy digital cameras and 46 inch TVs. The report that is submitted quarterly for expenses is 3000 pages long and lists all the things politicians buy with taxpayer money. It is all legal so long as they returnt he property when they leave office.

So, they get to buy big screen TVs and use them until they leave office. They get to use a leased automobile that we pay for along with the fuel and insurance. They get to use digital cameras as long as they return them when they leave office. Isn’t it nice that they can use our money to buy these nice things and they can use them as long as they are in office? Isn’t it nice that they are so responsible with our money?

How many of you can buy items with your bosses money and use the stuff as long as you return it when you leave his employ? Maybe we can all get together and go visit the lawmaker with the big screen TVs and demand to watch the Superbowl on them. We paid for them. Maybe we can borrow the keys to the cars because we are paying for them.

The words “fat chance” come to mind when I think of these things.

It seems to me that Congress got upset with private businesses for going to Las Vegas or flying in private jets because this was not prudent use of taxpayer bailout money.

Looks like Congress is no better with our money. They are not responsible and they waste it.

Read this article and then vote them all out of office in the next election.

Tags: autos, cameras, Congress, expenses, taxpayers, tvs, waste

Obama’s Defense Budget Increase

Apr 2, 2009 Political

I wrote recently that Obama was cutting the military budget and the lefties out there informed me that programs were being cut, not the operational budget which Obama has actually increased. We do not know if he has increased it because the people in the Department of Defense (DOD) had to sign non disclosure statements. The public report was a 4% increase but how do we really know this is the case if people were sworn to secrecy? It seems strange to me that the most transparent administration in history (just ask them) would do something like this.

Let us assume there was an increase and that it was 4%. It is now clear why that increase was needed and it is clear that it was not for military operations. An increase was needed so that Obama could use military aircraft to ferry around his 500 person entourage. The Washington Times reports that Obama’s trip to Europe has strained the Air Force because more aircraft were needed to fly all the additional people to Europe. It has so taxed the Air Force that the service had to use private contractors to accomplish its mission to resupply our forces in Afghanistan.

The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid any misunderstanding with White House officials.

The Air Mobility Command, part of the U.S. Transportation Command, was ordered to provide airlift for the president’s entourage of nearly 500 people, including senior officials, staff, support personnel, news reporters and some 200 Secret Service agents for the European visit, which began Tuesday in London.

Airlift for the traveling entourage also was used to move the president’s new heavy-armored limousine and several presidential helicopters used for short transits.

To make up for the shortfall, the Air Force had to increase the number of Eastern European air transport contractors hired to fly Il-76 and An-124 transport jets into Afghanistan loaded with troop supplies, the two officials said.

The airlift crunch comes at a particularly difficult time, as the military is stepping up deliveries of supplies in advance of a surge of 21,000 U.S. troops.

Couple this with Nancy Pelosi’s demands on the Air Force and her use of it as a personal airline and it is no wonder that the budget would need to be increased.

Why did he need 500 people with him? Why was it necessary to take resources away from our war fighters in order to send him and this huge contingent to Europe?

For you liberals who make claims about the military budget and how Obama is so supportive, keep this in mind before you make any claims:

One official said the problem was not only the vehicles and helicopters that were needed for presidential security, but also the unusually large number of people traveling with the president. The official said U.S. taxpayers are paying twice for airlift, once for Air Force jets that are not available for a war zone and again for foreign contractor aircraft that are. [emphasis mine]

No wonder Obama would need to increase the military budget. Taxpayers now have to pay two times for the Air Force to accomplish its mission.

Tags: air force, defense budget, europe, Military, Obama, waste

Absolute Abuse of Taxpayer Money

May 1, 2008 Political

WCBSTV has uncovered a story that is beyond belief and it involves the waste of taxpayer money by members of the House of Representatives. It seems there is a loophole that allows them to lease vehicles at the expense of taxpayers and there appears to be no limit as to how much they spend on the lease. Taxpayers also foot the bill for registration, insurance and the GAS. No wonder these chowder heads are not concerned about the price of gasoline. It is not bad enough we have to pay a fortune to fill our vehicles but we also pay to fill theirs.

Charlie Rangel of New York drives a Cadillac DeVille, and taxpayers are charged $774 per month ($9288 a year) to cover the lease.

Then there was Congressman Jose Serrano, getting out of his Buick LaCrosse, which he leases for $317 per month. And how about this one: Congressman Gregory Meeks was recently seen waiting for Congressman John Conyers to step out of Meeks’ Lexus LS460, which Meeks leases for $998 per month.

Charlie Rangel justified his extravagance by saying that his car is an office and that his constituents appreciate driving in comfort. I wonder how many of them are comfortable enough to have someone else paying for their cars? Rangel’s explanation was absolutely pathetic and it, along with the other members and their expensive leases, shows the contempt members of Congress have for the American public and our hard earned money. If Rangel’s car is paid for by taxpayers and he uses it as an office (his reasoning for havng the car) then it begs the question, has he ever conducted campaign business while in the car? If so, did he violate the Hatch Act?

The story tells of several members who lease much less expensive cars as if we are supposed to hail them as great people looking out for our money. Some people stated that they should all drive cheaper cars.

Wake up people and ask the right questions. Why in hell are they driving cars we pay for? Why are they not paying for their own vehicles just like the rest of us do. This is why these idiots think people are entitled to benefits paid for by others (health care, mortgages, education); because they get extravagant things paid for by us. To top it off, that jackass Rangel is always pushing for tax increases. How dare this maggot waste money and then demand more?

This also points out the hypocrisy of these idiots with regard to the environment. The vehicles mentioned are larger ones that use a lot of fuel. They are not “green” and they leave large carbon footprints. At the same time these jackasses are asking us to conserve they are driving around in gas guzzlers that we pay for.

This is absolutely criminal and everyone of these jackasses should be removed from office immediately. It is high time Americans revolted against this kind of abuse and the attitudes exhibited by people like Charlie Rangel. Perhaps we need to organize and refuse to pay taxes until ALL wasteful spending is eliminated and ALL members of Congress are replaced. They must all resign or they don’t get one stinking cent. We need to throw tea in a harbor and take back this country.

I am at the point where I absolutely hate every stinking one of the members of Congress. They are criminals and they abuse us every chance they get. They waste our money and then take more of it and they do not bat an eye. They come up with excuses as if they are privileged elite and how dare we peons ask them about their abuses. Rangel’s response demonstrates that he is out of touch. It is not like these people don’t make enough money to afford a car. They only work 100 days a year and they get $167,000. They are worthless, ineffective, and smarmy.

I am sure that members from both parties do this but it is worth mentioning that the ones mentioned are all Democrats. You know, the party OF the people…

It is absolutely ironic that the only people who would not have been missed were spared death on 9/11.

Tags: Congress, extravagance, fraud, jackasses, waste