I'm not a Republican or a Democrat; I just want to ask MoveOn.org how long it plans to contribute to America's great divide?
Regarding recent budget-cut proposals, or "Republican attacks" as you called them in your recent "Defend the American Dream" campaign, I'm certain that there are errors in whatever cutbacks the Republicans have put on the table. I'm also certain there are tons of government cuts needed at all levels.
Over time, “we the people” have allowed government to become bloated by bureaucrats serving their own interests on both sides of the political divide, rather than the people's interests. Left out in the middle are the rest of us who suffer the consequences of poor governance.
I ask both D- and R-leaning groups the same question, because, frankly, the growing dichotomy is sickening; it continues to tear Americans apart, rather than bring them together in unity. It’s true: United we stand, divided we fall.
So, rather than perpetuating the "blame game,” perhaps consider the reality that government waste has to stop because America simply cannot afford it any longer. Why not help all elected officials figure out what needs to be done to restore the American Dream that has already been destroyed by a government that violates our unalienable liberties and robs from our future generations.
— Bernard Baruch Carman
Asheville
Dems blame Republicans. Republicans blame Dems! Play along at home!
Ask yourself, “who really benefits by keeping the divide going????” My answe is the plutocrats pulling the strings.
It’s really easy to say “bloated government” and “government waste,” but such generalities contribute nothing to the discussion.
Do you want to cut education spending? Basic research? Food and drug safety? Highway construction and repair? Bridge safety? Air quality monitoring? Clean water regulation? Warfare?
Personally, I’d love to see the Pentagon budget cut in half, all foreign bases closed, an end to no-bid contracts, an end to all contracts with offshore corporations … just for starters.
Cecil,
It’s real easy to say “bloated government” when we see before our eyes how public monies that support contracts let by the City and County go totally unsupervised. There is no oversight of these publicly funded entities in this community.
I know this from personal experience.
Please don’t disappoint me, by looking the other way on this, when in the past you’ve been the one with deeply probing eyes.
Deeply Probing Eyes? Ooh la la!
which contracts?
Bloated government:
The 2010 “income statement” of the United States
http://www.businessinsider.com/usa-inc-2010-income-statement
………………………
Cecil, what we want cut from the bloated government: wasteful spending for overlapping bureaus; too many state gardeners keeping the freeways looking like the Biltmore House (pretty but we cannot afford it in a depression); “working” vacation trips to Hawaii “in behalf of” the Asheville Airport; ridiculous expense accounts for Buncombe County Commissioners (when everyone else keeps a log of mileage and hands in receipts for digital purchases); lifelong welfare; Teapot Museums…just a start. By mentioning “cuts” to essential government programs, you cloud the issue of what really needs to be cut.
Mick, that’s more like it. Specifics.
I’m with you on the highway flowers- more because they use a lot of defoliants and chemical fertilizers to plant non-natives, when native wildflowers could be much more cheaply maintained (as on the Parkway).
Definitely nix the Hawaiian junkets.
Those County expense accounts were indefensible.
Not sure who’s getting lifelong welfare.
But Teapot Museums? Are you sure you want to kill that golden goose?
Cecil, thank you for making yourself available to people on this forum and on FB and Scroohoo. That is indeed a brave thing. I salute you. I notice how unavailable most other local elected are.
Denying that there is significant duplication of services in our Gov’t tells me that the “deniers” know they are wrong and are just trying to spin things.
Cecil, is the GAO report wrong? Is this how you want big government to look?
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11318sp.pdf
jwt, jr. I haven’t read the GAO report. thanks for the link. will check it out.
Hey, that’s a great report. Looks like government is working pretty well, with the GAO doing at least some of the general accounting it is charged with.
Let’s hope Congress can find time in between their efforts to lob bombs at each other’s parties to correct some of the duplication. The problem, as ever, will be that the reason for much of the duplication is that powerful politicos have contrived to bring home bacon to their districts instead of working for the most efficient, best governance of the nation. Letting go of bacon is not in the genetic make-up of many entrenched pols.
It is a great report, but I don’t really call the very significant overlap ‘working pretty well’.
I’d call it ‘not working very well’. It affects overall spending and also the effectiveness of the programs. Too many cooks in the kitchen ensures the best effort is not getting done.
Ignoring the waste shows we’ve caved to the problem and are willing to accept it. That’s bad fiscal practice. Especially in this time of belt tightening.
JWT,Jr. – there is no massive organization in the world that is perfect. Periodic check-ups and elimination of waste are part of a successful process, not something to get one’s panties in a twist over. How does one start in on fixing problems without an initial diagnosis?
Failing to take action once duplication, or worse, fraud and abuse, are revealed is an obvious problem. And times of belt-tightening are when real action is most likely to occur, since there is significant pressure to free up funds.
Of course, some obvious duplication and waste will always be too hot a topic for serious consideration: the debate over consolidation of the military branches comes to mind. And one wonders if we will ever tame the menagerie of spies.
You are certainly crafting your speech like those in DC.
If you get there, you will fit right in.
Cecil, I am with you on cutting the military budget in half and closing bases! We have a military industrial complex and it is sickening to me!!
I am in favor of outsourcing our budget problems to Mexico or Haiti. Possibly Burma, provided they can meet the complex needs of a bloated, wasteful, behemoth like ours.
On the other hand, perhaps Canada. It’s nicer there, so I hear, and would be easier for us to cross over to their side of the fence to see how things are going.
Failing that, I think that removing all spending is a good start, just like on “House” when they stop all the treatments and see what starts killing the patient first. I forget which episode this is on, no just kidding, it’s on every episode.
The point is, let’s go ahead and shut the whole system down for a few days and see what part of the nation starts spurting blood and collapsing first and then we’ll give that one a band-aid. Hopefully, we can stop all the bleeding before Libya’s rebels figure out we’re an easier target than Khad..Quad..Kad…their dictator.