If I Am Paying, I Want Some Entitlements
Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2008
by Missing Link
Republicans have called Democrats "Tax and Spend Liberals" for many years. Republicans call Liberals big spenders who create "entitlement" programs. In other words, programs that provide things for people that they come to feel they are entitled to. I think that given what both parties are asking us to shell out to "save the economy", both parties should expect an entitlement mentality.
What is the average taxpayer's expectation in these investments? All the money that our government has comes from us, from our taxes. So if they "invest" our money in these bailouts, won't we all expect to be entitled to some dividend?
What are the dividends? How will we be repaid? Will it be simply that the debt is repaid on a dollar for dollar basis? Is there going to be interest that will net a profit which can be spent on something for the people? I wonder how much my taxes will have to go up in order to balance the budget in the face of this massive government "investment" of our tax dollars.
What am I entitled to as a taxpayer in this whole mess? George and the boys are committing unthinkable sums of money to shore up a broken banking and finance system. They are backing investments of foreign governments with my money and my future money. What exactly is my payoff?
I have not been mailed any stock certificates. I have not been told how much I must pay and yet I know I must. It is clear that we all will and that we have been taxed without representation, and in all likelihood beyond all reason. Can someone in authority tell me how much my monthly payment will be so I may adjust my budget appropriately?
For me, I want entitlements. I want a secure retirement. I want health care. That's all. Not a lot, although in the face of spending enough to put my great-great-great grandchildren into debt, I think it may be way too much to expect. I suspect that I don't ever see a dividend check and I don't think that the government will have the cash to provide my desired "perks".
Do I have a right to expect something for my money? I think so. I think if the government asks me to pay for something they ought to be able to define what I am paying for and what I will get for my money. I don't hear anyone talking like that. I don't hear anyone who has the balls to say, here's what you are going to pay and here is what you'll get for the privilege.
We started this crisis here in America. There is no doubt about that. But the global greed fed it. Without the global investment in the credit market here, there is no way we would have had the money to overspend the way we did. And the foreign investment experts made these decisions of their free will. We did not put a gun to their head. They are no more innocent in this than we are; yet on the surface, we are going to pay to bail out the foreign investors.
Am I entitled to a vacation to the South of France? May I expect a free coupon for a gondola ride in Venice? How about a discount coupon for some bangers and mash at a good London pub? I think I need something if I am paying. I need some entitlements, or at least some benefits. All I hear from the politicians is that we've done the bailout AND we are going to get the much worse "alternative" at the same time. No benefits, no stocks, no bonds, no entitlements, just higher taxes, higher deficits, and less of everything else.
Blah-blah-blah…all the leaders from both parties ought to resign.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Of course, the term investment is used to make the government theft of our money sound a lot better than it is. Do you make more money than you need to eat? If so, it is your job to give your money to those less fortunate. Did you know that? In fact, the easiest way for Joe the politician to get re-elected is for Joe to promise poor people that if they elect him, he will give them a lot of your money.Hi again Anon,We have an accord on the theft of our money, the scary part is how much am I going to have to pay!ML
The answer to that is simple - How much will you pay before you get angry enough to make waves ( lots of them) in Washington, start a movement/ revolution, whatever you want to call it?It does seem like the time for a revolution of sorts (non violent) but I think we need someone to rise up as an alternative leader. I see nobody on the horizon do you?ML
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