Five Gov't Programs That Are Successful

[TAZ]

1) the government has no place protecting the finances of private industry. The argument has been made and IMO it's incredibly accurate that the government intervention in the financial markets over the years actually enables risky behavior in the financial sector. The too big to fail and therefore can take crazy Enronomics risks cause the tax payer will bail me out mentality is NOT good for the financial security of a nation. IMO the federal intervention creates a more debt laden country in the form of a higher tax burden used to pay for the bail outs. Couple that with the Fed Reserve the government really hasn't helped us financially.

2) no personal experience so I can't comment. Unsure if the credit for immunizations and such goes there but till I know other wise they can have it. However, due to the recent political leaning associated with a supposedly scientific community I'll only give them half credit.

3) SSA is a scam. It's a legal ponzi scheme that steals from future generations to pay for the needs of the current one. Kind of like running up CC debt to fund your life style. Generally not viewed as a good thing for ones financial health. Had it been implemented as a government managed 401k or IRA program it might have worked. SS is one of the reasons why our kids are born as debtors. The minute they pop out they owe for your benefits. NOT a good idea in my book.

4) states had roads before, but the HWY system did improve transportation and access across the country. I do wonder why states have to pay into maintaining the federal system. If it's a federal system shouldn't the Feds be doing the work to maintain them? I vote a solid plus on this.

5) FDA- aren't these the same guys who pushed high carb diets for decades with their goofy pyramid? How about high fructose corn syrup in everything you eat?? As has been notes the whole drug testing thing is pretty much a farce. So I'll go with a 25% positive.

1.75 out of 5 according to my score sheet. That's a 35% success rate. Thanks but I want my money back. If your car only started 2.5 days a week I'm pretty sure you'd think you got a lemon.

[JV_]

4) states had roads before, but the HWY system did improve transportation and access across the country. I do wonder why states have to pay into maintaining the federal system. If it's a federal system shouldn't the Feds be doing the work to maintain them? I vote a solid plus on this.

Don't forget that federal highway funds are often held over states to make them do things that the federal government wants, like change their drinking ages or have altered requirements for issuing drivers licenses. This has implications for state sovereignty, it borders on extortion.

[David S.]

nevermind

[Josh Runkle]

I should have said "...but I think it's unfair to trash a gov't program just because you disagree with it politically."

I am politically against social security. It is a failure of a system. If my neighbors bought a house they couldn't afford and new vehicles they couldn't afford and were about to go bankrupt, I wouldn't call them successful. In the same manner, I won't sit around and look at social security's absolute failure of a system and say, "but it's helped some people."

I am politically against gun control. I will be politically against any future government programs that include gun control.

Where do you get off saying that people can't disagree with something politically if someone else likes it?

Are you allowed to have your voice, but I am not allowed to have mine?

So, if we lived in Nazi Germany, I couldn't politically oppose government programs because the Nazis had amazing social welfare (aside from murdering non-Aryans)?

Seriously, where do you get off making the rules that people can't politically oppose government programs?

Your viewpoint deeply offends me.

[Stengun]

Howdy NETim,

The problem is, when a private concern is operated inefficiently, they go belly up (unless of course they're in tight with the current Admin and they get bailed out with taxpayer funds), while public entities simply get more and more taxpayer dollars.

There's a couple of "tactical errors" with your post.

For starters the vast majority of the bailouts were done by the former regime, not the current one.

GM is one of the few that got a bailout from both regimes. The difference between the Lil' George Bailout and the Obama Bailout was Lil' George gave GM $14.24B without any strings attached and the top 2% at GM awarded that money to themselves in non-taxable bonuses and walked out the door with a big smile on their face.

With Obama's bailout the money could only be used to build autos and NONE could go toward bonuses.

Also, believe it or not the USA has made $30.4B profit off the bailouts.

Heck, the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has profited the American Taxpayers $15B!

Paul

[RoyGBiv]

Also, believe it or not the USA has made $30.4B profit off the bailouts.

Not.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/09/news...ailout-profit/

The current accounting shows a narrow loss just under $3 billion from TARP when comparing total bailouts of $423.7 billion from the fund to total payments back to Treasury.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/30/news...dog/index.html

Little more than five years later, the rescue of Wall Street and Main Street during the financial crisis has cost taxpayers about $40 billion, according to a watchdog agency report
.............
The report attributed much of the $40 billion TARP cost from losses or write-offs on parts of bailouts of the auto industry and American International Group (AIG).

While $50 billion went to General Motors (GM), $12 billion is considered written off or lost, the report said. Of the $68 billion that went to AIG, $13.5 billion is considered lost.

[MDS]

This thread needs humor.

[Haraise]

This thread needs humor.

That, is a win.

[Jac]

That, is a win.

Indeed... So much win.

[SeriousStudent]

That's why he wears that big Staff button.

I'm a huge Office Space fan, and have my own red Swingline stapler. I also order Margaritas with no salt.