Medicare, corporate subsidies, and welfare programs.
Medicare needs to be reworked to account for the number of elderly that will continue to grow. It's a good program and it helps a lot of people, unfortunately when it was created they didn't account for it's cost down the road. It seems to me that something like that is worth revamping.
Most natural resource companies, agribusiness, meat packers etc. receive millions in subsidies from the government. For example major oil companies have show record profits for the last 5 years or longer, yet gas prices remain high and they don't pay for things like geological surveys to find more resources. Same thing for major agriculture, the corn industry is heavily subsidized by the federal government yet they continually turn profits and operate within billion dollar industries. Without the subsidies, these industries would still see profits, though some companies might out compete others which is how things are supposed to be. I could go more in detail but I'm studying.
I think welfare, unemployment, etc should be handled by the states. Every state has different demographics so they may as well handle their own business.
Another entitlement I'd adjust is military spending. What a lot of people don't know is that we spend billions on unnecessary defense contractors. An audit is currently being done by the DOD and they are finding that contractors are being paid 6 figures to do things that standard military personnel could do for less than half the pay. By contractors, I'm not talking about Boeing, arms manufacturers. I mean groups like Blackwater, et al. that we pay ridiculous amounts of money to guard things. The worst part is that the military doesn't put those guys in barracks, they end up 'quartering' in places like the Bagdad Hilton Resort. A lot of higher ups at the pentagon may be getting shit-canned in the near future.
Agreed.
Medicare, by nature, I think is a good source of protection for the older population and the soon to be elderly.
Welfare reform is a must, absolutely. People seeking walfare need to be monitored profusely I think. There are far too many milking the system far too easily.
And yes, living in DC I meet a lot of contractors that make killer pay checks that folks in the service can do equally well.
Aside from entitlements, I'd like to see us scale back foreign aid (not all of it) but primarly to nations that remain hostile towards us. I see a lot of money bleeding out of our borders when that could be better used here at home.
Back to entitlements. Food-stamps and welfare checks. Going back to regulations, again, people seeking such services need to be monitored and show significant attempts in trying to find work. That seems to be gone. I remember when I was on unemployment some years back I had to show the state I was actively looking for work by including business cards of management, etc that I was asking about potential work. Now it's too easy.
I see guys here in Georgetown, DC on the same flipping corner every day of every week rain or shine asking for money. Occasionally they whip out there new iPhones to send a text only to hide it quickly when people are coming. Some have nicer running shoes than I do. I was talking to an Italian guy (owns La Perla, a nice Italian restaurant in Foggy Bottom, DC)...he remembers seeing a guy he has seen begging for change get into a blue BMW I kid you not. I haven't seen it yet, but I believe it after seening the guys around my store , what the they wear, cell phones, etc.
Its just too easy anymore to milk the system when people like me are busting my ass everyday, running a small business, etc trying to grow my career. That, in all honesty, is one of the biggest beefs with this current Administration right now is the Entitlements. If you want to help people, fine, I am all for it. But give them incentive or a deadline to try and push they folks back to the labor market.
---------- Post added 04.09.2012 at 15:56 ----------
I agree.
Subsidies to corporations are a waste of taxpayers' money.
Indeed.
That's the beauty and beast of a free market. Sink or swim, its what competition is. Make yourself more competitive than the next guy. If not, the best man wins, not everyman wins...it isnt feasible I think.
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