Sectorgame

This came to me in an email I get occasionally, it generally is uninteresting stuff.

Until I saw this:

This week Congressman Richard Burr secured a major tobacco buyout for the farmers of North Carolina as well as other tobacco producing states. The buyout, which had been in the works for 10 years, finally reached completion on Monday when the Senate voted in favor of a larger tax bill that included the tobacco buyout. Congressman Burr served as a House-Senate Conferee and was instrumental in passing the tobacco buyout.

The $10.1 billion buyout will be paid out over the next 10 years and North Carolina's family farms will see almost $4 billion of that.

What makes me ill at the thought that that guy calls himself a Republican, when in truth all he is is yet another politican who stays in office because he brings home the most pork from Washington.

Something else that bugs me the farmers will only see 4 of the 10 billion in the deal. Where's the other 6.1 billion dollars going? I can undertand that a portion of it will to the large corporate farms, but still that's at least 2 billion that will get eaten up by the monumental beuracracy that is beginning to rival the old soviet state.

It's enough to make me think maybe we need to clear out the whole lot and start fresh with middle class people who actually work for a living.

You know, for a second there, I thoght you were going to be irked because the government was propping up the tobacco industry, something that costs more billions of dollars in health care money than it'll ever earn in tax revenues or personal incomes for the employees... guess not.

Oh, I don't like that either.

It's just that I can't do much about it so I don't worry about it. I live in the only state in the union that has something resembling honorable men for our federal level representation, end result, no pork. Our state legislation, on the other hand, all but invented the "good-ole-boy" system of government.

The biggest problem is that you can't do anything to stop the Pork Barrel spending because you'll get accused of being racist, homophobic, anti-this or that by every lobby group faster than tachyons on their way to the edge of the universe.

I have to ask this, Liberator. If you're in favor of reduced federal legislation and beuracracy, do you support the 'No Child Left Behind' which seems to be a large federal interference in a traditionally state-run area (education).

I'm not debating the efficency and effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the bill. Just interested in what you think on a theoretical level.

/me hates 'No Child Left Behind'

No Child Left Behind, besides being federal interference in what in all truth should be a local affair, set unrealistic goals for students. It suffers from too large a helping of Political Correctness, the bane of American civilization.

It has helped by making some national standards as to what needs to be taught, but it expects that all students can perform to the same level which is patently false. People are different, and no matter how much you legislate sameness, you can't force people to be equal.

'actly...

Interesting perspective, not quite the one I thought you'd have...

I'm with you on the political correctness. Being polite is one thing. Being stupid to seem polite is something else entirely.

You expected that I would support because GW signed it?

I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.

The only way to improve schools is to make sure the parents are involved and are not just using the school as a publicly funded daycare for their snot-nosed punks, so they can continue to enjoy the life they had before they had children. Also, you've got to get rid of the beauracracy, it eats 60% of any funds allocated.

*nods*

Thank you. I like dealing with reasonable conservatives. It's refreshing to realize that they're not a dying breed.

And you have a good point about the parents. I'm not that long out of high school myself, but I remember the people you're talking about. And now I get to live with the result in the dorms. Evidently the idea of common courtesy or even the concept of not trashing a bathroom isn't taught anymore.

ooh! Reasonable Conservative! Shower him with affection!

Seriously, It's great when liberals and conservatives can talk intelegently...

Moonsword wrote:Evidently the idea of common courtesy or even the concept of not trashing a bathroom isn't taught anymore.

You mean you have to endure a semi-public bathroom? I think that is the worst of all the indignities that universities foist on their students. Overcharged for everything, and you don't even get a private shower. Makes me glad I live off campus.

You, sir, have my pity!

You all ought to revolt and put someone usefull in the leadership.......I mean; the way it is going now, you'll never get a usefull government, since the person in charge will always be supported by the $$ grubbing corporations........

But then, finding someone usefull enough to think about the people first before the $$ and be willing to work 24/7 AND have the guts to go ahead and do things even though consensus is against him/her is pretty damn tough..........

The problem is, in part, that the only people that can get in power are those who crave $$'s. Your electorial system is structured as such.

The problem is that a truly sensible man would put a man concerned with money in charge of industry and business. A man concerned with Public safety in charge of public safety, and a man concerned with the Environment in charge of the environment.

This, of course doesn't happen, because the man in charge puts other people who have similar interests around in him, it makes sense, don't surround yourself with people who are going to disagree with you all the time, you'll never stay in office that way.

The problem is that you are left with a Polarizing of policies, all directed towards those in control, and wanting more. Even now, the farming industry has to monitor it's transport of fertiliser more closely than the rubber industry has to monitor it's Sulphur emissions/dumping. Why? Threat of terrorist attack.

A True democracy would be an elected cabinet each one elected to a role chosen by the public, regardless of party, and accountable for their election promises.

That way, a country may have conservative views on, say, public spending, but still have more Liberal views regarding environment and Foreign policy etc

Imagine for a moment if you will, the utter and complete anarchy that would be caused by having 6 races of equal or greater ichor than the current one.

Flipside, you've made a common mistake, the United States of America is not now, nor has it ever been a Democracy. A "True" Democracy would be mob rule and the result would be a nation is worse condition than most of the soviet block nations right after the fall. The USA is a republic, "...if you can keep it." as Mr. Franklin said. We're on the very edge of losing it and most people can't see it and the two parties are both so busy attacking each other that they can't see it.