This is to all Americans who feel that the government owes them something or everything. Here is the truth: Our government was established only for the purpose of guaranteeing American citizens safety and freedom -- not to pay off your mortgage or to support generations of people on welfare.
In the United States you are guaranteed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Notice that it says the "pursuit" of happiness. Happiness is not a guarantee; it is up to each individual citizen to chase after his or her own happiness. It cannot and should not be given to them by the government.
The sense of entitlement that a majority of Americans has is wrong and is only being encouraged by the government bailouts -- bailouts of people who were given risky loans so that they could be called homeowners. The banking industry needs to be held accountable for issuing these risky loans, but the "homeowners" who signed on the dotted line hold the majority of the responsibility and blame.
Americans need to return to the duty of self-reliance and take responsibility for their own actions, as our past generations did. The government should never be in your personal business or be responsible for your personal prosperity, which is your responsibility. Gerald Ford once said: "a government big enough to supply you with everything you need is a government big enough to take away everything you have." Winston Churchill wisely said: "You don't make the poor richer by making the rich poorer."
President Obama's policies and economic recovery plan contradict the great wisdom of these two men. The governments' sole responsibility is security, infrastructure and justice. We need to get back to true capitalism and take responsibility for our own actions. As Mr. Churchill also said: "The price of greatness is responsibility."
Jim Finlay
Martinez
Comments
justus, you're a trip! And quite near-sighted.
Or quite simply an idiot!!!
The govt owes us however. We pay taxes for govt services which we get little bang for our buck. The rich have already been stepping up to the plate as they pay the most in this progressive tax system, they pay the most taxes as a group, and foot the bill for govt mostly. The poor caused this mess by over extending themselves beyond their means then not paying their mortages then the bonds became worthless. This notion that making money is a crime is ridiculous. If the rich are greedy then what do you call the poor who will take redistributed wealthnever doing any service to earn it-greedy. Greed apparenty knows no socioeconomic boundary.
Mr Finlay, yes, many feel the federal government owes them a safe existence that requires little personal effort, if any. Soon, most voters will feel the same way. When President O becomes president for life, you'll know we've passed the 50% subsidy mark.
justus - your blanket denouncement of the philosophical argument regarding government and self reliance 'useless' is just one of the many reasons why this country is now on the super fast track to Hades. Congratulations and good work, to you and all your brothers and sisters in poverty, dependance, and (oh, yeah) blaming everyone else.
for the rest of you:
calling justus and others with the same 'voice' idiots is giving them all way more credit than is deserved. These people spout their dreck ON PURPOSE! With forethought! Ponder that frightening fact as you drink your coffee this am.
I really wonder who is worse. The person receiving welfare money or the business receiving welfare money second hand? And then I wonder of the two which one has the most lobbying power in the capitol to dictate what can be bought wilth welfare money and how mush welfare money is provided. Bottom line is I am not so sure that the little old lady with 3 kids is getting rich off of about 300 dollars a month welfare, but someone is. Personally I would like to see welfare return to the 1950s when people picked up USDA provided powdered milk, flour, cheese, oatmeal and the minimum essentials and were forced to prepare meals, and no money was ever given out period. But then I guess the businesses wouldn't want that because someone wouldn't be making money.
disssman, assuming welfare equates to getting rich just adds confusion to a difficult subject.
One correction to the letter. Bill Clinton's policy on giving all American's the American dream of owning a home caused this mess because he forced the mortgage companies and banks to loan to people who were financially marginal with as little as 5% down. Then these were sold to Fannie and Freddie and then AIG sold the mortgage insurance. Like dominoes, they all fell. But the root casue is the skewed policies of Congress and the President. As Jeremiah Wright would say, "The chicken's have come home to roost." And we are all suffering because of it.
Mr. Finlay, have you ever been to a country that does not have a social safety net? I have. Not sure if that is the type of society you are looking for... unless you like walled-off homes, barred windows, and private body guards. So in a way, welfare is protecting you.
bdlittle, are you saying without welfare people would rob and steal. They do that now with welfare but it will probably happen more as things tighten.
We also need to remember that pbho worked with ACORN forcing banks to make loans to people that couldn't qualify otherwise.
Also, geithner is now told to fix the problem that he was originally involved with. And this is the most brilliant and best government?
We need to be registering the smart people and the working people who do not vote instead of the dummies who will vote for anyone and anything that gives them something for nothing. That is what ACORN is doing. Everyone please urge your taxpaying friends to vote and not just sit home.
Bizarro - you say the poor caused this mess. I disagree. I live in Evans and I see a lot of houses being foreclosed all over the city. Most of these people aren't the "poor" that you and other around here love to blame. You were right though when you said that greed knows no socioeconomic boudaries. This economic mess was caused by all classes and not just one.
The problem is that some people have turned the safety net into a hammock.
With the amount of money that the rich bankers are getting for performing poorly, we could bail out every poor person in the entire USA. We are effectively bailing out the RICH right now, and most of you Christians begrugde giving a few hundred bucks to some family down on their luck and lacking in the education and good graces that you have but are unfortunately wasting here on earth.
Once again, another laughable post by dissman and justus4. Tell me something you two....do you know of people personally who receive welfare? You know the countless individuals who instead of trying to make their life better and get a job instead spend the majority of their days (and no race is not a factor) getting high off their drug addiction or having more babies. You see the average person on welfare is female. Now the male counterparts who reside with them are either adult sons who are too lazy to work or the "baby daddy" who comes in for a good time and drugs then leaves the next day. Now if the qualifications for picking up the "money" as dissman considers it, is just to pass a drug test, then the "money" could stay with the state because the drug tests would squelch the check. You see to work with the agencies and families who rely on welfare can be an "eye opening" experience. You might want to try it sometime dissman and justus4. It may leave you thinking a littler more conservatively on how the whole system works.
WW, I'm saying without welfare and other social services, the poor can go from poor to desperate, and a desperate population IS dangerous. If you think our crime rate is bad now, try making a whole segment of the population homeless, sick, and hungry. If you count yourself among the wealthy, your lifestyle and pursuit of happiness would be affected by the loss of welfare.
Niko Mahs, I am highly offended by your comment "...most of you Christians begrugde giving a few hundred bucks to some family down on their luck and lacking in the education and good graces that you have but are unfortunately wasting here on earth." I challenge you to find a true Christian who would not bend over backwards to help someone down on their luck. It's the "you owe me attititude" that really burns me up. I have no problem helping someone but don't make me feel I "owe you" anything. Remember Christian families are having a hard time making ends meet themselves and when is "lacking in education" anyone elses problem except your own.
In Christ Love, thank goodness there is a good Christian out there and Hello to you. I agree that if someone expects that you owe them then you have every right to deny them aid. That's just being a smart Christian. I am speaking of these rich evangelists who are high rollers and live really well while their flock is fluctuating in this economy. We could fix the economy very quickly if we taxed all this religious businessmen and businesswomen who make their money in this fashion. Even legitimate churches who direct their flock in political matters need to be taxed. Then you would only have the real churches that you really need.
Jim Finlay you said a lot of truth, but as you can see, pepole still think it's all up to someone else to care for them.
safety and freedom there jimmy? what would you call invading a soverign nation,toppling it's leader whether you like him or not,and wasting billions of dollars doing it?the gov't isn't suppose to pay your mortgage? but, bailing out criminal banks,insurance agencies,and sending aid checks to countries to sit on their behinds is ok?i'd rather help anyone save a home than give it to criminals who tell you to go to hell when you ask them where our money is!then come back and ask for more let them go bankrupt.
Do you know what p's me off? When my neighbors have half dozen children, nice cars on 20+" rims, new clothes, $200 shoes, Play Station 3s, toys, swimming pools, etc...Yet, I have to do without, because I don't get to live in reduced housing, I have to pay for my son's lunches, I have to pay for my own food, I have to wait to have more children until I can afford it, I cannot have a new car because I cannot afford one. I could go on for a while. I hate that I have to spend my money on bills and my other responsibilities, while others live as if they make 6 figures, because of hand-outs.
Wrong, Mr. Finlay. The ONLY thing government owes us is personal equality.
Also, notice that Pres Ford confirmed JPS to the Supreme Court in 1975.
I have every intention, now that my 401k is almost worthless, of quitting my job and going on welfare. Food stamps spend just as well as cash and it is an unending fountain! I really would come out better than attempting to retire at this point.
Yeah, andywarhol, but you will win in the end. Because you are a decent responsible person, and you can't put a price tag on that. You will know that every thing you have, you earned, and you will take pride in that. Living in the projects are no fun, I've done it. It's like living with perpetual teenagers- whose main concerns are whether or not they have the latest cell phone or the latest clothes. The vast majority of them are stuck, emotionally, in middle school. It's not as great as it seems. The saddest part is the expectation, the cultural norm, is that going to prison is normal. Breaking the law is normal. Being arrested is normal. Being deprived of their freedom is normal. All the shoes in the world can't make up for that.
Corgimom, I hope you're doing better now. It's a little late, but I'll say it anyway. I do realize not everyone thinks and acts like that, but a majority appear to do so.
disssman, assuming welfare equates to getting rich just adds confusion to a difficult subject.
Posted by patriciathomas on Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:49 AM....Dissman is quite confused. I would like him to explain how businesses get welfare second hand (or first hand, for that matter) When our businesses pay the highest taxes in the industrialized world and one reason so many are moving over seas. More will do the same as soon as BimbObama and the DIMs increase their taxes even more.
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