Health and Human Services is the largest segment of the US federal budget. It seems logical to go there first to balance the budget. This is also an area that appears ripe for reform. Obamacare was the current administration's attempt at reducing costs here. Of course, politics got in the way.
It was never really specified exactly what goal or goals were being pursued with the healthcare reform legislation. At first, we were told how many million folks in America had no health insurance. Then, it was pointed out that a bunch of those folks were illegal aliens. Next the goal shifted to saving money in providing healthcare for the uninsured. At some point, President Obama said that we could eliminate enough waste and fraud in Medicare and Medicaid to pay for insurance for the uninsured. Do you believe any of that gobbledy goop? It sounds like the typical MessAPolitico.
Why did we need a healthcare bill to cut out waste and fraud? Why didn't the president just appoint one of his czars to root out this waste and fraud and get rid of it? Why not have the justice department go after healthcare providers that are committing the crime of fraud? Why not hand out huge fines or jail sentences that would deter fraudulent activities?
In reality, there is a bunch of waste and fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. The problem is that government doesn't have to compete to "stay in business." The bureaucrats just don't have any incentive to cut waste and fraud. That's why we should get the government and bureaucrats out of the healthcare business. So how did Obama and the liberal politicians think that expanding the government role in healthcare would reduce cost, waste, and fraud? Maybe they're just out of their frigging minds. Or maybe, they are more interested in playing to their constituencies than in doing what's right and best for America.
I would propose again that the federal government can reduce the cost of Medicare and Medicaid drastically without changing the benefits offered. How? Privatize it. Get businesses that are competing for a profit and a chunk of this huge market opportunity to administer these programs. Barack Obama may be afraid the cost of their profit will increase our costs in Health and Human Services, but the value they bring in reducing waste, fraud, and overhead will far exceed the cost in profits.
No balanced budget amendment will work unless this program is changed. If we keep our collective heads in the sand, these programs will eventually go away for everyone when the country reaches bankruptcy. Fix this MessAPolitico now or it goes away later.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
It Has Sunk In
After the debt ceiling bill was passed on Monday night, I made my last post. Frankly, I was disappointed and discouraged and just couldn't bring myself to put another one together until now.
A couple of my predictions have come true. First, our national credit rating was dropped by Standard & Poors. Their spokesman said that the rating was dropped because of the difficulty our politicians have getting the budget under control as I had written before.
Also, I saw John Kerry speaking on the television this morning and blaming the Tea Party. It was so predictable that he said our credit rating was dropped because of the fear of default on our obligations. The Democrat talking point for the week is going to be how the delay getting the bill passed was the problem. John, you and your compatriots JUST DON'T GET IT!
The Democrats pulled some political maneuvers and scare tactics and avoided the balanced budget amendment. They also were able to limit the cuts to some insignificant things that just slowed the rate of growth in the national debt. The irony is that their best shot at retaining control of the Senate and the White House next year would have come from losing this battle. Chances are, the uncertainty in the whole US economy will continue to keep the jobs outlook poor. The fickle American voter may allow Obama to take credit for any improvement in the economy in the next year, but that is unlikely to happen with the Democrat fixes continuing to fail miserably.
I implore the Tea Party and conservative voters to see this situation for what it is. The Republicans were out maneuvered and proved themselves to be inept at playing politics against the Democrats. However, they passed several bills in the House that were what we demanded. The Democrats blocked them. While I wish the stalemate had continued until more cuts were gained, we won't have a stalemate in January 2013 if you continue lining the Senate with Republicans and make a change in the White House.
Please don't be disillusioned and stay home in November 2012. Remember how we got into this MessAPolitico. The Republicans were punished in November 2008. My mom used an expression that fits well here: "don't cut off your nose to spite your face." When McCain wasn't conservative enough for some of us or Palin wasn't experienced enough, too many conservatives stayed home last time. Look what we got. Did staying home do anything to make Obama either conservative or experienced?
A couple of my predictions have come true. First, our national credit rating was dropped by Standard & Poors. Their spokesman said that the rating was dropped because of the difficulty our politicians have getting the budget under control as I had written before.
Also, I saw John Kerry speaking on the television this morning and blaming the Tea Party. It was so predictable that he said our credit rating was dropped because of the fear of default on our obligations. The Democrat talking point for the week is going to be how the delay getting the bill passed was the problem. John, you and your compatriots JUST DON'T GET IT!
The Democrats pulled some political maneuvers and scare tactics and avoided the balanced budget amendment. They also were able to limit the cuts to some insignificant things that just slowed the rate of growth in the national debt. The irony is that their best shot at retaining control of the Senate and the White House next year would have come from losing this battle. Chances are, the uncertainty in the whole US economy will continue to keep the jobs outlook poor. The fickle American voter may allow Obama to take credit for any improvement in the economy in the next year, but that is unlikely to happen with the Democrat fixes continuing to fail miserably.
I implore the Tea Party and conservative voters to see this situation for what it is. The Republicans were out maneuvered and proved themselves to be inept at playing politics against the Democrats. However, they passed several bills in the House that were what we demanded. The Democrats blocked them. While I wish the stalemate had continued until more cuts were gained, we won't have a stalemate in January 2013 if you continue lining the Senate with Republicans and make a change in the White House.
Please don't be disillusioned and stay home in November 2012. Remember how we got into this MessAPolitico. The Republicans were punished in November 2008. My mom used an expression that fits well here: "don't cut off your nose to spite your face." When McCain wasn't conservative enough for some of us or Palin wasn't experienced enough, too many conservatives stayed home last time. Look what we got. Did staying home do anything to make Obama either conservative or experienced?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Were the Credit Agencies Afraid of the US Hitting the Debt Ceiling?
In a word . . . NO!
The president and the media have made out this "crisis" as the cause of the United States having the bond rating downgraded. (It has been threatened and likely will still happen.) They said this was fear of the government defaulting on its financial obligations. Passing the bill to increase the debt limit was supposed to solve the problem. Hey Republicans, it's urgent that you give up your principles, because if you don't, it will be your fault that the rating dropped. It will be your fault that the cost of credit will rise. That is the cost to the federal government, private citizens, and businesses. They said this will cause a double dip recession. (Did the other recession really end already???)
There are a lot of problems with all of this speculation, innuendo, and lies. #1, the reason for the credit downgrade is because spending is out of control. We are spending far more than we are collecting in revenues. There are no signs that this spending will end soon. The only thing in this debt ceiling debate that could have saved our national credit rating would have been a serious step toward a balanced budget. The Cut, Cap, & Balance bill required a balanced budget amendment that would have demanded this fix to our economic system. But the Democrats squirmed out from under this "ball and chain."
The Democrats strung this thing out until we were in the last hour. Then the president threatened everyone that there would be a disaster if the only bill left standing wasn't passed. There was no reason to hit this deadline. When Bill Clinton was president, the government was "shutdown" twice. In November 1995, there was a six day suspension of non-essential government services followed by another one in December and January for 22 days. This was done because the Republican congress passed a balanced budget, and Bill Clinton refused to sign the bill. He fought it kicking and screaming just like Barack Obama did this time. Isn't it interesting how Democrat presidents and lawmakers are against a balanced budget. Isn't it also interesting how Bill Clinton now takes credit for the balanced budgets that happened during his term as though they wouldn't have happened without him.
The Democrats have managed to win, and America lost. That's what makes me hate Democrats so much. They don't care about what is good for America or bad. It's all about winning re-election. It's all about them.
This MessAPolitico is causing the bond rating to drop for the first time in History. This MessAPolitico will still be blamed on the Republicans, because the media and the liberals will say they blocked the process too long. The cuts are just reductions in the amount of increase in the budget -- they aren't real. The entitlements are still on auto-pilot -- they're untouchable. The folks supporting this bill are saying the freshmen Republicans changed the discussion. We were talking about tax increases, but instead we got real cuts. Blah, blah, blah. What a bunch of #*%#@$#!!!!
The Republicans let themselves get snookered. The MessAPolitico rolls on. I won't need to change the name of this blog anytime soon.
The president and the media have made out this "crisis" as the cause of the United States having the bond rating downgraded. (It has been threatened and likely will still happen.) They said this was fear of the government defaulting on its financial obligations. Passing the bill to increase the debt limit was supposed to solve the problem. Hey Republicans, it's urgent that you give up your principles, because if you don't, it will be your fault that the rating dropped. It will be your fault that the cost of credit will rise. That is the cost to the federal government, private citizens, and businesses. They said this will cause a double dip recession. (Did the other recession really end already???)
There are a lot of problems with all of this speculation, innuendo, and lies. #1, the reason for the credit downgrade is because spending is out of control. We are spending far more than we are collecting in revenues. There are no signs that this spending will end soon. The only thing in this debt ceiling debate that could have saved our national credit rating would have been a serious step toward a balanced budget. The Cut, Cap, & Balance bill required a balanced budget amendment that would have demanded this fix to our economic system. But the Democrats squirmed out from under this "ball and chain."
The Democrats strung this thing out until we were in the last hour. Then the president threatened everyone that there would be a disaster if the only bill left standing wasn't passed. There was no reason to hit this deadline. When Bill Clinton was president, the government was "shutdown" twice. In November 1995, there was a six day suspension of non-essential government services followed by another one in December and January for 22 days. This was done because the Republican congress passed a balanced budget, and Bill Clinton refused to sign the bill. He fought it kicking and screaming just like Barack Obama did this time. Isn't it interesting how Democrat presidents and lawmakers are against a balanced budget. Isn't it also interesting how Bill Clinton now takes credit for the balanced budgets that happened during his term as though they wouldn't have happened without him.
The Democrats have managed to win, and America lost. That's what makes me hate Democrats so much. They don't care about what is good for America or bad. It's all about winning re-election. It's all about them.
This MessAPolitico is causing the bond rating to drop for the first time in History. This MessAPolitico will still be blamed on the Republicans, because the media and the liberals will say they blocked the process too long. The cuts are just reductions in the amount of increase in the budget -- they aren't real. The entitlements are still on auto-pilot -- they're untouchable. The folks supporting this bill are saying the freshmen Republicans changed the discussion. We were talking about tax increases, but instead we got real cuts. Blah, blah, blah. What a bunch of #*%#@$#!!!!
The Republicans let themselves get snookered. The MessAPolitico rolls on. I won't need to change the name of this blog anytime soon.
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