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EricBess
Guest
Oversoul put up a fairly long post in another thread about "entitlements" and I wanted to comment, but that thread has already taken several tangents, so I thought I would create a new thread instead to discuss this specifically.
Military - We should protect our borders and certainly there is a need for a federal government to provide this protection.
Police - Same issue as military, but at a local level. Cities and Counties should be protected and local taxes should pay for such things.
Schools - I could see this going both ways. Most people want their children to attend a good school, but the government has clearly had problems running a school system. Many private schools do a better job (but not always). Perhaps it would be better in this case if it were decided at a local level how to pay for education. Maybe each state could decide how it is done in their state. Definitely not something that should be handled at the federal level. Probably each state should decide how to handle it.
School buses - If I want my kids bussed, I have to pay for it now. It becomes more difficult when parents are allowed to choose their own school anyway. I think this is better privatized, but could be left as a decision for the state.
Roads - There is a necessity certainly for infrastructure and roads are necessary for that infrastructure. Probably best handled at the City and County levels, but there may be instances where the state would need to have an involvement as well. Interstates may involve federal rules, but can probably be handled between the states involved.
Healthcare - Obviously, this is the big one. I wouldn't mind seeing certain emergency services being subsidized by tax dollars, but I believe it should be handled at the state level, definitely not at the federal level. The way it is handled now is bad and getting worse, IMO.
Welfare - I don't think the government should be involved nearly as much as they are in welfare and welfare programs. Unemployed people frequently find jobs as soon at their unemployment checks run out. The one exception I might see is disability, but I would rather see some sort of jobs program where there is at least an effort to find ways for people to contribute to society. Regardless, this is again something that could easily be handled at the state level.
We are a wealthy nation, certainly, but we are also a generous people as a rule. I'm all for governments passing laws that encourage charities to exist, but I don't think the government should be in the charity business and too many of the government programs are exactly this. An attitude that we are wealthy and therefore it is our responsibility to make sure everyone is provided for their "basic needs".
My personal opinion on what government should and should not provide. If it is a service that benefits everyone across the board and you cannot point to a person and say "him". For example, police protect an area, not a person. Roads are there whether the people use them or not.
Healthcare, education, and welfare are about the individuals that are involved, so they don't need to be handled by the government, IMO as the private sector will provide them if allowed to do so. At the very most, each state should decide for themselves how they will handle those issues.
Military - We should protect our borders and certainly there is a need for a federal government to provide this protection.
Police - Same issue as military, but at a local level. Cities and Counties should be protected and local taxes should pay for such things.
Schools - I could see this going both ways. Most people want their children to attend a good school, but the government has clearly had problems running a school system. Many private schools do a better job (but not always). Perhaps it would be better in this case if it were decided at a local level how to pay for education. Maybe each state could decide how it is done in their state. Definitely not something that should be handled at the federal level. Probably each state should decide how to handle it.
School buses - If I want my kids bussed, I have to pay for it now. It becomes more difficult when parents are allowed to choose their own school anyway. I think this is better privatized, but could be left as a decision for the state.
Roads - There is a necessity certainly for infrastructure and roads are necessary for that infrastructure. Probably best handled at the City and County levels, but there may be instances where the state would need to have an involvement as well. Interstates may involve federal rules, but can probably be handled between the states involved.
Healthcare - Obviously, this is the big one. I wouldn't mind seeing certain emergency services being subsidized by tax dollars, but I believe it should be handled at the state level, definitely not at the federal level. The way it is handled now is bad and getting worse, IMO.
Welfare - I don't think the government should be involved nearly as much as they are in welfare and welfare programs. Unemployed people frequently find jobs as soon at their unemployment checks run out. The one exception I might see is disability, but I would rather see some sort of jobs program where there is at least an effort to find ways for people to contribute to society. Regardless, this is again something that could easily be handled at the state level.
We are a wealthy nation, certainly, but we are also a generous people as a rule. I'm all for governments passing laws that encourage charities to exist, but I don't think the government should be in the charity business and too many of the government programs are exactly this. An attitude that we are wealthy and therefore it is our responsibility to make sure everyone is provided for their "basic needs".
My personal opinion on what government should and should not provide. If it is a service that benefits everyone across the board and you cannot point to a person and say "him". For example, police protect an area, not a person. Roads are there whether the people use them or not.
Healthcare, education, and welfare are about the individuals that are involved, so they don't need to be handled by the government, IMO as the private sector will provide them if allowed to do so. At the very most, each state should decide for themselves how they will handle those issues.