| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
Who is John Galt? This report puts it all in perspective, and should be mandatory knowledge in order to keep the right to vote.
(Message edited by blake on April 01, 2011) | ||
| Kilroy |
Deos this comes as a surprise to you? Kilroy | ||
| Kilroy |
Or the fact that I can't spell "does" (must be the gov't school education) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
yep, enjoy the success of the NEA; because it is the 'model' for performance based pay and employment models coming to healthcare. compare the teacher shortage to the doctor shortage, and you will see it is the same rhetoric. | ||
| Blake |
Surprised to see it in print. Wondering why it isn't more well reported. Well, not so much since realizing that the vast majority of political reporters are @!#$ing Progressives/Socialists. | ||
| Buellkowski |
"This Fixed that for you. Fact-check Mr. Moore's figures and review his logic if you're at all concerned about his bias. I read the article. Do I have your permission to vote now?  It seems the author is bemoaning a perceived lack of productivity improvements in the performance of government employment tasks. Can it truly be said that a government employee of 1960 was more productive than today's government employee, what with desktop computers, server networks, email, e-forms, video conferencing, etc.? Today's governments are responsible for providing more services to a larger population than in 1960. Does your outrage have something to do with "too much government" and that the governments of 1960 were more desirable than those we have now? How to boost domestic manufacturing/fishing/foresting/farming jobs when The Market (in its infallible wisdom) has determined that consumers readily buy products made by more technologically efficient methods and/or by lower-cost producers overseas? | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Very good Matt. Today's governments are responsible for providing more services To me this is the heart of the matter. Should the government be doing (or have its fingers in) everything that it does now as opposed to many years ago; or said differently.... what should the role of government be? As for private sector manufacturing (or most any other low skill labor intensive endevor); without large scale automation, developing countries will beat developed countries most of the time. Farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining are good examples of fairly low skill jobs that are or can be done by developing countries cheaper than we can. Whether we like it or not, its a global economy now. (Message edited by sayitaintso on April 01, 2011) | ||
| Crackhead |
It is interesting that the article only includes manufacturing and excludes high tech jobs like programmers, cad designers, engineers, ect. I say let China make the mindless cheep shit. The only mindless people we need in the US are for flipping burgers. Humm, that sounds like another job we can design a machine to do instead of paying the high school drop out. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
The problem is, not everyone is cut out for skilled jobs. We do need to figure out something for folks that are not skilled/educated to do. We can't/won't make it just by providing services to each other. We only need so many painters/plumbers/auto mechanics/ and so on. They guy that wrote the oped had many good points, and when someone figures out an answer to the issue they are going to make some decent money. And before anyone starts, I NOT talking down about "the working man". I'm just recognizing that not everyone has the temperament to work in an office. | ||
| Buellinmke |
The US military is the largest employer in the country. We need to defund the military so that we can end these ridiculous wars Obama and his cronies started. I'm tired of Obama taking my tax dollars so that he can just redistribute my wealth to his Muslim cousins in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. We need to get our soldiers back home, then fire the majority of them. We need to end the government handouts we give to the soldiers - no more GI bill, no more VA, no more benefits that I have to pay for!! I'm sick of paying for all those money-grubbing worthless government employees! Another thing I'm angry about is these people we voted into office last November. I voted tea party so that we could get some job creation and deficit reduction going on. All these suckers have done so far is defund the national park service, NPR, PBS, abortions, teachers and firefighters. They don't even talk about job-creation. We need jobs in this country! We need to bring manufacturing back home and start building a better future for our children! | ||
| Hootowl |
Constitution says the Fed's job is to maintain the military. It does NOT say they need to fund teachers, firefighters, NEA, NPR, national parks, or a host of other BS government programs. If states want those, they're free to fund them. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Why are you having children comrade citizen? Did you get appropriate approval and authorization for that unlicensed 'state' asset production? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The really disturbing part is the fact that 100% of the incomes of those government employees come out of the pockets of all those non-government employees. ALL government employees represent a parasitic drag on the economy. The goal is to create the minimal amount of parasitic drag creating the environment for the greatest potential for success for all. This aint it. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Why are you having children comrade citizen? Did you get appropriate approval and authorization for that unlicensed 'state' asset production? Its not my fault, I was just pokin' fun with her, she's the one that went and got serious about the whole thing. Comrade | ||
| Sayitaintso |
The really disturbing part is the fact that 100% of the incomes of those government employees come out of the pockets of all those non-government employees. Not quite true, government employees dont work tax free, foreign income is taxed, corporations are taxed, and any number of other sources of federal "revenue" (I like how government calls like taking money from others involuntarily "revenue"). Your statement does make a good sound bite though. | ||
| Dfishman |
I can tell you first hand why there are less fisherman............Because the Government is trying to put us out of business.The use incomplete data or tainted data to regulate us out of work.Most commercial/charter fisherman I know want a recource that they can pass on to the next generation.They understand how to regulate a fishery using complete science using FACTS.The Gov uses what they want for facts & leaves out what they don't want.Support your local fisherman.Buy LOCAL seafood & book charters.Leave the imported seafood for the unimformed public. | ||
| Buellkowski |
Here are some numbers from March 2009. Federal Gov't employment data (civilian only) #1 category: National defense/International Relations #2 category: Postal service (remember, the Postal Service is "self-sustaining") #3 category: Hospitals (I'm not counting the uncategorized "Other".) U.S. State Gov't employment data #1 category: Education #2 category: Corrections #3 category: Hospitals Local government employment data #1 category: Education #2 category: Police #3 category: Hospitals Moochers & looters, the lot of them, huh? | ||
| Cyclonedon |
America has exported most of our manufacturing jobs overseas so we have lost that workforce. | ||
| Luftkoph |
I have heard and do not know if its fact that over 1/2 of the population gets all or part of their income from some form of government, might be fed or local or state. Now if your in a theater look around, less than half of you are paying for all or part of the greater half, thats a burden for sure. I do not imply that government workers are bad or people should not be paid disability but there is a piss pot full of waste. | ||
| Kyrocket |
The gov. has to do it because the public won't. Just like my pastor said a few weeks ago, society would rather pay a tax and let the gov. do the work than to take care of it themselves. I work for local government and our city is very solvent and has some of the lowest taxes around. It's a shame I even have a job, I've dared many people to work me out of a job. I have to make slum lords and other pieces of garbage clean up their garbage. Where's the personal pride gone? Used to neighbors would police their own now neighbors don't want to talk to each other so CALL THE GOVERNMENT. People are going to bitch no matter what the gov. does. If the police don't get there quick enough; complain. If the streets aren't swept; complain. They don't want their new construction inspected and then want to complain when something goes wrong. I agree the gov. has a lot of problems but get on the other side for a while. Even in today's turmoil I'd love to be looking for a job because that would mean there are no dilapidated, blighted houses or land in my community but as long as there are slumlords and lazy tenants I'll have job security. Have a trashy neighbor? Complain. | ||
| Oysterman |
Dfishman.. Couldn't have said it any better myself!!! I'm the 5th generation in my families business. I'm not so sure I want my sons involved in it. We grow and sell shellfish, with about 80% of our product being exported. Problem is, during my lifetime the job requirements have shifted. It's no longer enough to be a "farmer"... My time is split pretty evenly between dealing with Mother Nature and fighting off Big Brother. There's an endless stream of new regulations constantly being crammed down our throats, with most of it being based on incomplete or incorrect science. Sometimes it seems like whoever has the deepest pockets/most lobbyists gets whatever they want. I'm not a farmer like the four generations before me.... I'm more of a politician, and I hate it!!  And don't even get me started on the state of America's work force.... Most people seem to have an attitude of "I'm not even gonna get outta bed for less than $25 an hour..." What ever happened to putting in an honest days hard physical work and being proud of it?? Guess it makes more sense to go to a gym, at least you won't get your hands dirty that way!! Here's some food for thought the next time you eat imported seafood. The feds and individual states are all very strict in providing and enforcing health guidelines when it comes to the growing, harvesting, processing, and selling of domestic seafoods. Seafood that is being imported in?? Not so much... The Feds take the word of the foreign countries that their seafood follows the same strict guidelines as ours. How many here really think that China, Korea, or a host of other countries really care how safe that fish or clam is that is on your plate? Our company's biggest market is China. Why? Because their water is too polluted to eat the oysters that are grown there. Talk about an uneven playing field.... PLEASE... If you buy seafood make sure it is a product of the USA!!!! OK... I'm done ranting....  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Not quite true, government employees dont work tax free, foreign income is taxed, corporations are taxed, and any number of other sources of federal "revenue" (I like how government calls like taking money from others involuntarily "revenue"). Your statement does make a good sound bite though. ALL taxes come out of someone's pocket either directly or indirectly. Corporate taxes are reflected in higher product prices and lower wages (our outsourced jobs). Same for "foreign income". The fact is that if you are a government worker, your wages are paid for the most part with income taken from others. The government produces nothing. The Post Office doesn't even operate in the black. The framers sought to create the absolute minimum amount of government in order to create a stable society and nothing more. We've gone so far beyond that now. | ||
| Gregtonn |
The way I see it, the problem is the government is telling us how much or our money they are going to take in the form of taxes. What needs to happen is we tell them how much money we will allow them to have. The way thing are now is like putting your teenage kids in charge of the credit cards and family budget. G | ||
| Aesquire |
The Post office isn't allowed to operate in the black. Any profit is taken by Congress. Now, they have been in the red lately, because you guys don't send enough letters. ( nor, to my shame do I. ) Oh, and fuel costs a lot more, and the Charter still makes them deliver everywhere, everyday. The Charter for the USPS makes it a non profit under government control. In my limited view, the problem is the same as most places. Too many chiefs. After the management at the P.O. decides what to do to improve things, it then goes to a congressional committee. Imagine the efficiency in that operation. So please send more letters. I find it difficult to believe that the military is the largest branch of govt. Perhaps in manpower, but certainly no longer in budget. Social security, Medicare/Medicade, Welfare, etc. consume far more in resources. Oh for the day taxpayers can afford a Bomber, and schools have to have a bake sale! | ||
| Davegess |
Social security, Medicare/Medicade, Welfare, etc. consume far more in resources. SS, Medicare/Medicade, and the military each take about the same amount of money. The two meds are growing faster than anything and will eventually sink the ship ONLY because of the growth of medical costs. if we don't fix our ever escalating medical expenses we we never solve the problem. Medical cost in the US are out of control and hurting us in every area of our economy. Per capita we spend at least DOUBLE the second place country and our outcomes are none too hot. Infant death rate is very high and our life expectancy is not moving up. The current campaign to cut the federal budget pretty much ignores our real problems to gain political points. | ||
| Aesquire |
I don't have a problem funding the military. The soldiers earn the G.I. bill, and all the other benefits, just as much heck, way more so than the guy working at the car dealership. The alternative is to be ruled by someone else, after all. Someone you won't be allowed to bitch about. I rather prefer to be a citizen than a subject. | ||
| Aesquire |
I don't know about where you guys are, but our schools locally run from very good to very bad. The City schools spend more, and educate less, than pretty much anyone outside D.C. If your City's schools are worse..... move. The problem lies in 3 places. Parents, who for various reasons don't care, or can't help their kids. ( nasty subject, very controversial, observed fact. ) Education policies and theories, long disproved, treated as Faith. Administration costs out of line with reality. Too many administration jobs, not enough teachers. The local City School Super, just before he left to screw up the whole state in Albany ( as education czar ) made a cabinet level post of "self esteem czar" at $126000 a year. The District's cabinet is larger than the President's. ( though the current admin seems to have more that don't count because there is no statutory reason for them, just "advisers" with unknown payscales and power. ) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It isn't the Federal government's job or legal mandate to increase life expectancies or decrease infant mortality rates. I don't care if our life expectancy rates are half the rest of the developed world as long as the Federal government is out of the medical business. Completely out. The reason healthcare is so unaffordable is the problem of "free". There are too many people who pay nothing into the system and then access the benefits of that system for "free". There are too many people who are isolated from seeing the real costs of their claims to insurance companies and therefore feel that the healthcare, after paying their co-pay, is "free". I'd love to see a system where the majority of the plans are HSAs. You manage all the healthcare costs below $10,000 and then carry a high deductible plan for the catastrophic exposures. I believe people would be MUCH more efficient with their own health dollars and not be as likely to rack up a $250 doctor bill (for $20 co-pay) for every little sniffle. I also believe people would be much more health conscious if they were spending their own dollars rather than health company Monopoly money. | ||
| Two_seasons |
There are two problems I have with public schools and the administration of them. 1.) There is no choice, and, if you elect to send your children to private school, you still have to pay the property tax. Additionally, I think the state school support that is sent to our school district for my children's education should instead be sent to us so we can can use it as we please. 2.) Teachers, admin, and their families SELECT the members of the school board, which then gives the admin and teachers just about anything they want. Very incestuous relationship. The cost vs the public school benefits we see today are not worth the product produced. And any mention that they, the admin and teachers, should be ashamed about what they call an education gets met with a blank stare. (Message edited by two_seasons on April 02, 2011) | ||
| Blake |
Dave, Infant mortality is highly variable by state and region. I dare you to compare it on a state by state basis and find a correlation. The underlying reason for a less than top score is not due to a poor health care system. Please compare our heart disease and cancer cure rates to the rest of the world. We are the tops. What are the two leading causes of death? That would be cancer and heart disease. Our health system sucks? Not so much. |
