Forced Income Redistribution

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

Does it mean anything to you?

 

[Weevil]

Does it mean anything to you?

No but the acronym is Fir and that's like a christmas tree isn't it? IS this some weird Christian symbolism thing?

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

Re: Re: Forced Income Redistribution

No but the acronym is Fir and that's like a christmas tree isn't it? IS this some weird Christian symbolism thing?

ummmm, not that I know of

 

[Weevil]

Re: Re: Re: Forced Income Redistribution

ummmm, not that I know of

I am, though, quite in favour of Christmas trees.

 

[TWB]

No one is forced.

You don't have to live in the US if you don't like the tax structure. It is a free country. Take Rush with you.

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

No one is forced.

You don't have to live in the US if you don't like the tax structure. It is a free country. Take Rush with you.

Don't feel so special Forced Income Redistribution is world wide, not just in the us

 

[Weevil]

Sure, become a writer and move to Ireland if you're so hard up. Christ Todd the rest of us live in countries where we're part of a democratic process. Join it or shut up.

 

[TWB]

Don't feel so special Forced Income Redistribution is world wide, not just in the us

I am not trying to be mean, but:
I think taxes are necessary.

I think that it is nice to have roads

water systems

mental health services

arts

railroads

national parks

Medicare

Medicaid

Air Traffic systems

etc
etc.

All of the things we have which result from taxes are a bargain.
Is there some waste? Yes.

But lemme give you an example of fucked up thinking.

Medicare part A's administrative cost: 3.2% of its budget
Medicare part B: little over 2 %

Then we decided "OH, Managed Care is the way to go"

HMO Operation of Medicare: 17% administrative costs. Why? They need to spend $$$ on advertisements. Why? all in the name of competition. Because we are supposedly capitalists. Well, it was a Corporate Welfare free for all, and now we are paying the price.

So, is there waste? yes. Is it on welfare queens? (I know no one said this, but it was bound to come up). Maybe. But not at the same rate as our competitive system. Oh no.

twb

 

[Laurel]

TWB = a-okay

 

[KillerMuffin]

I agree. TWB rocks.

 

[Weevil]

I agree as well aalthough the government really shouldn't be funding the arts.

 

[TWB]

I agree as well aalthough the government really shouldn't be funding the arts.

I disagree. We are a civilized society. The arts are essential to the perpetuation of culture and communication. Beauty and art are essential, in my opinion.

I have no problem with public funding of the arts.

 

[APhil]

I just wonder when the public school systems are going to stop cutting out arts & humanities programs in favor of sports programs.

 

[morninggirl5]

Public schools are cutting arts programs because arts programs are not self-supporting. They are not funded through state educational funds and are "extra's" that school districts must fund wholly.

Sports programs are in many instances self-supporting. The revenues from high school football often keep ALL the sports programs budgets balanced.

If you support arts programs in public schools, take it to the legislators in your state. As long as they are dependent on the school district alone, they will continue to disappear.

 

[Weevil]

I disagree. We are a civilized society. The arts are essential to the perpetuation of culture and communication. Beauty and art are essential, in my opinion.

I have no problem with public funding of the arts.

Here's what I disagree with. We live in society that has proven that without government help private corporations are only to pleased to fund the arts. Art in a society is a good thing. We have so much of it that we spend a great deal of time saying how bad most of it is.

So what you have then is government stepping in and funding "good" art. That what bugs me. What we have, in canada at least, is the government taking funds that could be used on low cost housing or helping our farmers and using it to fund arts that only a bunch of effete snobby assholes care about because thye think they're too good to watch and listen to what all of us plebians enjoy.

 

[miles]

Nice try TWB

But you struck out.

I agree there should be taxes for roads, police, and other essential stuff.

I'm not going to get into another debate over what government should and shouldn't be spending tax money for. The bottom line is that aside from the military, the govt. does a horrible up job of delivering services., and they continue to get worse. On CBS News (hardly right wing) last night there was a report on how the INS is operating these days. The agency contracts with bail bondsmen to arrest illegal aliens for deportation. The bondsmen arrested an illegal alien, brought him to the INS for deportation, and the INS let him go. And no, this isn't an isolated incident. It's an example of an irresponsible, unnaccountable bureaucracy that soaks up money like a sponge.

I don't know where you get those Medicare numbers from or if you are referring to govt. or a provider's administrative costs, but they are totally out of whack. If you meant the provider's admin costs are 17% because of Medicare, how in the world can you blame it on advertising? That's like blaming the fire department for a house catching fire! If you're talking about the govt. operating costs being 17%, please show me your source. I'll invest in any business with a 17% overhead. It's no coincidence that the cost of health care skyrocketed becuase of government.
Just like everything else, once they get their hands on it, we're going to get fucked.


All of the things we have which result from taxes are a bargain

What you mean "we" Kimosabe? They aren't a bargain! We pay for them! Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.

 

[BamaBelle]

Does it mean anything to you?

Its my birthday?????? And you all are sending monetary gifts???




--Belle

 

[miles]

One other thing.........

Question for you guys:

Lets play what if.

Let's say the government run City School System A gets a billion dollars from state, local, and federal taxes to run the schools.

If that same school system were privatized, do you think it would be more or less efficient if it were run by the government?

 

[Weevil]

Re: One other thing.........

Question for you guys:

Lets play what if.

Let's say the government run City School System A gets a billion dollars from state, local, and federal taxes to run the schools.

If that same school system were privatized, do you think it would be more or less efficient if it were run by the government?

Here's my question for you:

If you ask someone who says they had a great time at kindergarten what made the day so great, do you think efficient is a word they'd use?

 

[bluntforcemama]

No one is forced.

You don't have to live in the US if you don't like the tax structure. It is a free country. Take Rush with you.

A man after my own democratic heart.

 

[miles]

TWB

You don't have to live in the US if you don't like the tax structure. It is a free country.

You know, during the Vietnam War, many people who vehemently supported the war wore lapel buttons or had bumper stickers that said:

"America - Love It or Leave It"

Your statement is absurd.

 

[miles]

Re: Re: One other thing.........

Here's my question for you:

If you ask someone who says they had a great time at kindergarten what made the day so great, do you think efficient is a word they'd use?

and here's mine for you:

Do you always answer a question with a question?

 

[Weevil]

and here's one right back for you:

Can't you see what I was saying when I asked that rhetorical question?

 

[Guest]

Great Job TWB

But you struck out.

I agree there should be taxes for roads, police, and other essential stuff.


So far so good, cept the strikeout


I'm not going to get into another debate over what government should and shouldn't be spending tax money for. The bottom line is that aside from the military, the govt. does a horrible up job of delivering services., and they continue to get worse. On CBS News (hardly right wing) last night there was a report on how the INS is operating these days. The agency contracts with bail bondsmen to arrest illegal aliens for deportation. The bondsmen arrested an illegal alien, brought him to the INS for deportation, and the INS let him go. And no, this isn't an isolated incident. It's an example of an irresponsible, unnaccountable bureaucracy that soaks up money like a sponge.



I did say there was waste. There is room for improvement. However I do not know where you get your information regarding (or what it means) when you say "soaks money up like a sponge." How much money is really wasted, and wouldn't you agree the INS is a proper governement role?



I don't know where you get those Medicare numbers from or if you are referring to govt. or a provider's administrative costs, but they are totally out of whack. If you meant the provider's admin costs are 17% because of Medicare, how in the world can you blame it on advertising? That's like blaming the fire department for a house catching fire! If you're talking about the govt. operating costs being 17%, please show me your source. I'll invest in any business with a 17% overhead. It's no coincidence that the cost of health care skyrocketed becuase of government.
Just like everything else, once they get their hands on it, we're going to get fucked.



No. You are misinterpreting what I said. Medicare intermediaries spend 2-4% of what is allocated to them to pay claims, depending on which segment (A or B). Then, to introduce competition to allegedly keep costs down, The govt gave a flat rate to intermediaries to provide all medicare services. The intermediaries then took the money and, because they had to compete with each other for medicare patients (HMO Members) they ended up spending 17% on administrative costs (including advertising in order to get enrollees) instead of patient care.

So, when private companies compteted for business with government dollars, 7-8 times more money was wasted than with Medicare to begin with.

Now all of those medicare HMO's are folding because they don't have enough money for patient care.

This may be a good example of two things: 1. government does not always do the right thing; 2. sometimes government does it alot better than the private sector.

All of the things we have which result from taxes are a bargain

What you mean "we" Kimosabe? They aren't a bargain! We pay for them! Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez. [/B]

Yes. And what do you think would happen if we didn't? Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez. (I have more "e"s)

I suppose the government should get out of

 

[Guest]

Re: TWB

You don't have to live in the US if you don't like the tax structure. It is a free country.

You know, during the Vietnam War, many people who vehemently supported the war wore lapel buttons or had bumper stickers that said:

"America - Love It or Leave It"

Your statement is absurd.

What's absurd about it? Todd is from Canada.