Eric wrote:Yep, the pitfalls of democratic elections. Everybody wants to use your money to pay for what they want
The rich/businesses pay off politicians to enact barriers to entry and the poor want welfare handouts. And people wonder why the middle class can't expand or even maintain itself.
Economic barriers haven't been the real motive of fat-cats for a while. They have moved on to debarring, look at big pharmaceutical and alcohol, allowance is a big thing now. Requirement is next...insurances, licensing, inspection, product safety, compliance...they love these! Hey, there is no better demand than a requirement. And then there is the government contracts, spending on defense is big business...but there is no bigger business than energy! Energy really, and finally, has a push from the left and right. (And finally again, America is leading the world in producing a few of these technologies, and among these leaders in some others. But the bigger payoffs won't come until the businesses really grow.)
Many things are ridiculous (at least in level) in all of these, but with these agendas being forwarded they have to create many jobs. It just cannot happen without creating jobs...handing out money doesn't create anything, handing out to the level we currently do is massively destructive (I have watched it change what used to be hard working people, they now do not). Some people truly need the helping hand and these do add some real civility to society, but the whole system is on steroids and PCP and are way over the top. College is the other big business, they have made soft and semi-rigid requirements all over the place, and we push loads of people through college at a very large cost...but curricula has escaped any intelligent scrutiny, we just pump them through, many come out nearly as unskilled as they were at entry, but their pomp has underwent incredible gain. But this too creates jobs but it is minimized because the derivatives are not as far reaching, and the whole thing is funded by personal and institutionalized debt.
-If people knew how requirements hit them in the pocket they would crap and fall back in it. The new house you pay for is likely in the area of 60% applied monies...the rest is from being nickeled and dimed in every aspect by red-tape and requirement.
-My kids have 2 sets of school books and yet half of what they do at home (very little) is not text book based. But you have to have books...right? (BTW, $160, how much does a novel cost you?)
I could go on and on but I am going to attempt to preserve a good mood today!
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
R. Reagan