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I have come to the conclusion that virtually all the pain, suffering, lunacy and all the rest has to do with a loss of faith in our system, elected, AND our government. Years ago I wrote to my elected suggesting that they take a time spot on PBS and dedicate that time to explaining just what a given federal agency does and how it does it (I was ignored, as usual). We all know there are hundreds of agencies but few know what they are or what they do. All we know is that we pay taxes to support them and assume they may, or may not be, doing stuff that is in our own interest.
We know, for instance that our political parties either tell us nothing or lie to us on a regular basis. But what in the hell are we doing with over 400 agencies. Why can't our government use a bit of time, on a tv company which we, the voters, support! Why not tell us what the hell our government is doing? Sometimes we learn bits here and there. Yesterday, on the news, we were told that the government owns a huge apartment complex which is rotting into the ground, for instance.
I think we all agree that the Dems are not good at telling anybody what they are doing, what they have done and what they might do - its all a secret and really bad. My wife, a couple of years ago was manning the phones for the local Democrats. She noticed a bunch of sign for Hillary and asked for one to put in the yard and was told that would cost her 35.00 - she quit the phones and never went back. That was the good old days and its MUCH worse now! My point is that our government, in its wisdom behaves worse that that! They tell us nothing unless they think it may serve them to keep their jobs.
If we have no idea just what the hell our government is doing why in the world would be continue to support it? That goes double for our elected. On the other hand, if there was a show that looked at specific agencies and told us just what, exactly they are doing and are going to do I would watch that one!
I for one don't trust politicians, but they're the ones we elect to run the government. Or at least oversee it. Government is actually run by career civil servants and all those departments and agencies you mentioned.
Which brings me to something I overheard when congress brought up charges of someone lying to congress a couple of years ago. After a belly laugh on congress doing this, he said congress lies to us all the time, who'll they're kidding. They can't be serious.
Is it faith and trust in government that's been lost or is the loss of faith and trust in those that run or supposedly run and oversee government?
Or could the lack of trust be rooted in all the negative campaigns which portray the other party as evil and hence we all come to believe.it. No nice campaigns. Which brings me to this, would it be nice to turn on TV and see more political ads like this one? Instead of my opponent is a scumbag out to kill you grandma and dstroy this country.
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
Another Will Rogers quote, "I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." That seems to still apply today.
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
I watched Squid Game - not quite what I had in mind (its also been renewed, I think)
I would love a nightly show, Monday through Friday, which dealt with one, single, agency. They could start with agriculture which is incredibly huge. They do agriculture, grant money, loan money, deal with the weather, and seem to have their finger in EVERYTHING!
Actually I have read a number of thoughts on the number of agencies. Seems that nobody, including government actually knows how many there really are. Our government is, if nothing else, a bit of a puzzle in that regard. Then there is the Department of Defense. They were ordered, something like 6 freaking years ago, to do an audit. The order remains but no audit has occurred. If you look at virtually any agency you will find something strange.
Again, for the hell of it, I would also like to see a committee of neutral administration experts to overhaul our government. I would expect, at the very least, a 30% reduction in the cost of running the government.
If we are expected to admire/like/be proud of our government one would also expect it to do what it could to enlighten them that pay taxes what, exactly, they are paying for!
Sorry, couldn't help a little demo of wishful thinking...............
The government is not designed, or intended, to be efficient. The government is designed, in large part, to handle those areas too inefficient - or sometimes too dangerous - for the private sector to handle.
Case in point: state universities are government owned and operated because private universities were too expensive, or too geographically remote, for middle-class students.
Case in point: county medical services exist to put health care in reach of people who are too remote from the nearest health care system, or unable to pay. My aunt made a living as a home health care nurse. Imagine the cost if she had worked for a private company.
Then look again at the effort to privatize prisons, with extremely poor results. Some things should not be run for profit. Similarly, I don’t want to drive over bridges built by Acme Bridge-Builders Inc.
On the other hand, planes generally land where they’re supposed to.
The government can screw up; that’s for sure. Look at Hoover Dam. On the other hand,look a5 theTennessee Valley Authority.
You think you don’t know what the government does? I guarantee you don’t. It’s vast. It’s not always right, by any mean
Julia A 45’s quicker than 409 Betty’s cleaning’ house for the very last time Betty’s bein’ bad
Oh, my gripe with Gov is a bit different. They do screw up but I am concerned with the simple fact that its not so much the screwing up is the ongoing incompetence and waste that is out there. Its truly insane. I remember when we were actually building airplanes that didn't work, for billions and billions, to provide employment.
My problem is that some of this stuff really doesn't make any real sense. Another is taxation. During WW2 the tax rate on the very rich was something like 94% Now I think its around 15% and that's when they actually pay anything at all. We can all, I suspect, find something in gov that makes absolutely no sense. Whether that's really the case isn't the point. We are also not really told what they are doing and, I think, it would be nice if gov made an effort to explain what's going on. I know, its all on the net. I posted a couple gov sites. One was a genuine dusey.
There actually is a good reason why rich people may not pay taxes some years. For example, they own a business and spent more than they made that year. Or they invested in tax-free municipal bonds, which are tax-free to encourage that kind of investment. Or they are doing something else that congress wants to encourage with tax incentives. There are very few outright giveaways in the tax code.
All over-simple flat tax schemes would make things like starting a business, raising livestock, or planting trees for future income impossible.
Jgw - I may have to respond to your post in two or three shots; I just got home.
My biggest beef with Hoover dam is that it created Lake Powell and Lake Mead. In order to do that it drowned Glen Canyon, which should have been left undisturbed as a national treasure. This was a huge loss and a major boondoggle and not enough people know about it.
The idea that we lost such a beautiful area to recreational lakes is appalling. And Powell and Meade are pretty much useless for water retention; they have so much surface acreage that they lose water faster through evaporation than they reserve from the river.
Julia A 45’s quicker than 409 Betty’s cleaning’ house for the very last time Betty’s bein’ bad
