News-Record.com

So Gaylord,the rest of soceity owes you 'free' medical care and a'free'college education,huh?
The end of our way of life in this country will come to an end not because of another terrorist attack or because too many people shop at wallmart. It will come to an end because people like you who have the mentality that the job of the government is not to protect us, but to provide free medical care and free education to soceity.

What makes it truly sad is the fact that there have been NO CUTS in any of these 'programs'. This is the mantra the left uses in hopes of portraying Bush as the grinch who would steal christmas. From the Cencus Bureau for the year2004(the latest available figures):


Three growing entitlement programs consumed nearly half of all federal spending in 2004, and budget analysts expect them to make up an even bigger share in the future.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid accounted for more than $1 trillion in the 2004 budget year, according to the Consolidated Federal Funds Report being released Tuesday by the Census Bureau.

Overall federal spending was $2.2 trillion, an increase of 5 percent from 2003.

I wish it were true that these socialist vote buying schemes were being cut, but thanks to people like you Gaylord who scream "tax cuts for the rich" every time some politican mentions that it would be a good idea for the people who earn their money be allowed to keep a bit more of it,I seriously doubt that we will ever see the end of any of these programs until there are no more producers left in this country to provide for you.

Gaylord,

"poor" - Having little or no wealth and few or no possessions.

How exactly does a neocon rob the poor if they have little or no wealth and few or no possessions? That would seem impossible to do.

"neoncon" - An intellectual and political movement in favor of political, economic, and social conservatism that arose in opposition to the liberalism of the 1960s.

Yep, a neocon would certainly take action to reduce the bureaucracy in Washington. Actually, anyone who tries to do this would merit accolades from the majority of the American citizens. A neo con would certainly oppose the vast expansion of liberal social programs, or at least slow the growth of those programs.

"conservative" - One favoring traditional views and values. Conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class.

It seems that being a conservative has more to do with tradional views, values, standards, and conventions of the middle class, not the rich. So, reducing Washington bureaucracy and providing a tax cut for those who actually pay taxes would be what one would expect from a conservative, and it is what the American majority that elected George Bush in 2000 and 2004 want and expect from him. I would expect that his actions would disappoint liberals who tend to want to give freely, especially if it isn't their own money.

(yawn)

....it's time for folks who think like you do to come up with some new material......in addition to being wrong, you are becoming boring with this continued line of approach.....

Gaylord,
Notice the immediate responses to your editorial came from those with names such as "NeoCon" and "Bubba".

"The bit dog barks first"

Yeah,world traveler, I have been 'bit' by being robbed for 45 years in order to fund these socialist programs.
Since you are all in favor of funding them,why not have uncle sam double your taxes? Then you could really sleep good at night.
Here's a idea- you pay for the health care and education of your chuldren and I will do the same for mine.

Without touching the debate over healthcare and entitlement, and considering myself "fiscally conservative" (and a registered Independent) . . . I find it frustrating that while pundits for the Democratic Party bemoan all of the cuts in Medicaid & Medicare drifting down from Washington (which they blame on the evil, greedy Republicans), the party fails to address the fraud & abuse in healthcare that its own leaders in North Carolina (that would be Hunt, Easley, Cooper, Hooker-Odam, Black, etc.) have presided over in Raleigh.

Hospitals in North Carolina (led by Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte and a Greensboro attorney) took Medicaid for a ride that some reports price at nearly a billion dollars. Ralph Campbell (former state auditor) asked the Feds to investigate. There was a small flurry of news reports when this happened . . . then silence. Nobody can deny hanky-panky here. But local politicians (state and federal, current and former) are falling all over themselves to minimize the criminality of the scam (and to reach a backdoor settlement with the Feds - if it has not already happened), and the press (including the rabidly pro-Dem News & Record) is letting them get away with it.

I was amazed this morning when one pundit on NC Spin said he liked the Easley administration because it was relatively "scandal-free". Hello??? Why isn't someone resigning in press-saturated disgrace or going to jail here?

In this case, Uncle Sam doesn't have to double our taxes. To make up for Medicaid shortfalls, our property taxes are already being raised.

It's only our money folks. The rich don't just rob from the poor in Washington. And the dawgs are chewing up both sides of the fence.

Would someone explain to me how a student "loan" is an entitlement program and that it robs a taxpayer? Student "loans" are repayable, just like any other loan. So, with that in mind could any of those who call/claim it as an entitlement program please post a rational/reasonable explanation?

Shalom

From may '05:

Since 1997, the Direct Student Loan Program has lost money for taxpayers every year at ever-escalating costs. In 2003, the most recent year for available data, the net costs of the program exceeded $2.8 billion. The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that the government loan program has a cumulative net balance of negative $10.7 billion. The program is bleeding money

There ya go Darryl.

But neocon, aren't we providing free medical care and education to the Iraqis? And I know you have problems with the mounting federal debt.

I guess I am just wondering if and why you think George W is a fiscal conservative. I just can't see him as such.

The spending now is about priorities not about amount spent. I believe education should be a priority. I believe that health care for American citizens should be a priority.

My family lives in a rather poor area of Appalachia. Most are on some kind of federal assistance. Yet, they vote consistantly for people who would take this assistance away. At what point did people start voting against their best interests? We've had 6 years of Bush and the poor are poorer and the rich are richer. The majority of people who are on goverment assistance DO work at low paying jobs (Walmart, McDonalds, etc.). So, what we are doing is not so much ridding our nation of assistance, we are just shifting it to assist large corporations.

That just doesn't sound like good money management to me.

"Gaylord,
Notice the immediate responses to your editorial came from those with names such as "NeoCon" and "Bubba".

"The bit dog barks first"
.......

(yawn)

SOTLBSDD

Progressivexian, I do have a problem with the mounting debt and I lay a lot of this blame on Bush & co. I am not a robot who blindly supports Bush's every move. I also have a problem with his immigration policy-or lack thereof. But whenever he proposes a tax cut which will increase my take home pay it is the democrats who whine about "tax cuts for the wealthiest americans". Believe me I am not one of 'the wealthiest americans' and I welcome any tax relief he can come up with.

As for education, my belief is that if we wern't taxed out the wazoo,we could afford to educate our own children and not only at a lower cost,but also have a better outcome that public education offers. For instance-no social promotions.

I,too have relatives in rural appalachia. One is disabeled and dependant on government. His view? He votes for the party who he thinks will offer the lowest taxes. At what point did people start voting against their best interest? Perhaps they vote their conscience and support what is best for america.

The labor unions are a good example of this. The unions support the democrats in overwhelming numbers as they see the democrats are supportive of them. Agreed? Now look at what 40 years of 'free' health care and other 'free' benefits have done to many industries in this company.It has driven them into or very near bankrupcy. Same will happen to the US, left unchecked. Soon there will be only 2 people paying the socialist security for one retiree. Yet,when Bush tried to reform this and allow americans to keep a larger portion of their check and invest it for their retirement,who screamed it will only benefit "the rich".hmmmm??? And enough people bought into this line that it has been dropped. This is a shame.

The democrats support these socialist programs for one reason and one reason only: to keep as many people as possible dependant on government and to keep the party in power who will promise to keep the milk flowing. If anyone believes that the likes of Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd gives a damn about your relatives other than their vote,I have a bridge for sale that I will let them have at a really good deal.

Yes, the DSLP has lost money over the past eight years. The problem was not with students, but in how the system was set up. It allowed lending agencies to, in essence, double-dip funds.

One should consider that there are students who have a desire and the capability to make a difference in the world through education. Should we not loan them the money?

neocon wrote: "If anyone believes that the likes of Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd gives a damn about your relatives other than their vote,I have a bridge for sale that I will let them have at a really good deal."

I sort of agree with you. But I think the same thing about the Republicans who tout "morality" in order to win votes. Do you really think they care about who gets married or who terminates a pregnancy? All one has to do is look at what Bush and others in his administration have said in the past about these issues and you'll see its all talk.

I've said it many times...a curse on both their houses :-). Sometimes I feel that we "regular" citizens are just pawns being played with in order to push an agenda that we don't even know what that agenda encompasses.

I suppose I just want the rhetoric to stop on both sides of the aisle, drop the party labels and do what's best for our Country.

And about that tax break...I'm middle class...when is my tax break coming? And how the heck are we going to pay off the deficit tax breaks or no tax breaks?

neocon, the answer, "from may '05" does not really answer my question. First and formost, I would like to have a reference for that information. I rarely trust information of that ilk without having reputed evidence. As posted, it appears that those are the words of the poster. Is that what I am to believe?

Shalom

Darryl,can't locate the site where I got the info from,but here is a source that even you should trust. This is about the same figures.

http://murray.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=226938

The info I got was from a government watchdog group.If I car relocate it,I will post it. I do not make up numbers off the top of my head.

Progressivexian, I agree with you about the republicans who tout morality as a political issue. I think abortion and gay marriage are issues best left to soceity to decide. By that I mean it is best to change the hearts and mind of people and to convince them that abortion is the murder of a child and gay marriage is an abomination. I tend to vote for the republicans mostly because they have historically been the party of smaller government. Don't start quoting me figures about how much the federal government has grown under Bush,please. This is another area I have a problem with him. Had I had my way we would have had a libertarian president who was loyal to the libertarian cause. At any rate I see the republicans far superior to the ideas of the democrats- abortion on demand,weak on national defense,and very big on welfare and social programs. I will take the lesser of the two evils until something better is offered. I personally think Steve Forbes would have made a great president given his stance on the flat tax. I think it would have made for an economic boom in this country,but the democrats, aided by the lamestream media, ridiculed him to no end and he had no chance of getting elected.

BORING second time in a month the NR has printed this letter. Came from a Brad Miller fund raising letter.

"Dog," would you cite the source for this as a Brad Miller fund raising letter? I'd like to see that information.

Shalom

so neo, it is not the lendee's fault of government inaction? If that is the case, why fault the student who has sought out a studen loan as a last resort to funding her/his education? Did the student set up the government's welfare system for lender's to make even more money on a loan? That is what I read in the Sen. Murray link.

And the initial comments "from may '05" are totally misleading when viewed in relation to the Sen. Murray link. Now who is spinning the news to suit one's goal?

Shalom

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Comment/OpEd/051105.html

Shalom,
I had it on my desk for weeks after this letter appeared the first time and no one question it,so I canned it. However I think I have it on a email from Mr. Miller, my email is down, they are saying they will have it fixed today. If I can find it I will email I will send it to you if you wish. I contacted John Robinson with this information when the letter was first printed.I got that reply we can not catch everything. I could care less how many times the NR prints this letter, I just get tired of them saying they are not bias. Read my blog on the editors log, you do not see these things printed in the NR. NC is the the bottom of the list in about everything except taxes, Va to the north is on the high end of eveything with lower taxes. When I pick up a Va paper (most every day) the letter to editor gripe about Va goverment. How many have you every seen in the NR about NC goverment? Have a good day, I will try to get that information for you.