Saturday, February 09, 2008

Gather 'Round Children

Note: I'm speaking here about people who are getting aide but who won't put out any effort to improve their situation. I don't mind taxpayers dollars being used to help those who need it, so long as they are trying. I am also a big fan of private and faith based organizations who are doing great things like Nora's "Second Helpings." Contribute all you can to these types.
I have just returned home from our yearly county supervisor workshop. As always most of the sessions were good, a couple were great and a couple were painful for our rears to endure.
I have had a theory that our steady move toward socialism in this country was not working. I think it has spawned a big group of people who feel entitled. "I can't work part time because I'll lose some of my aide." "Did you stop down and get the food stamps and the gas vouchers?
And there is the thinking that, "I've murdered someone so now I have more rights than the victim because you know what?." "I have the best attorney."
After the last three days, I am now sure of that theory.
Let me say first that we must and do help those who can't help themselves. To weed out those who could but won't is the key.
I've heard Hillary claim (In her oft used man-voice) that when she's elected president she will take 10 or 15 billion dollars from the biggest companies to give to the poor. To fix things.
Health care for everyone is the trend now in politics. She and O'bama say we need to spend more money to get votes... er make things better because by golly we can't leave anyone behind. "Gosh darn it, Our country is NOT giving enough money away so VOTE FOR ME!" We'll give you a tax cut. "Didn't pay taxes you say?" Then we'll find someone with money and take it from them and give you their money back. (well that and since there aren't very many rich people they don't have many votes so who cares about them.) They say it's just not fair that there are rich folks out there. McCain is no better.
Well I'm here to tell you that I just listened to the CEO of Nebraskas HHS speak for 45 minutes. She is new, and has been saddled with the chore of trying to reign in an out of control department. She reported to us that her annual budget is nearing 2.5 BILLION. We only have 1.8 million people in the state. (We could find the 50,000 neediest people in our state and write each one a check for $50,000 each year and tell them to hire their own help)
If anyone out there thinks we need to spend more money to fix something you are nuts. Money won't fix our problems.
Taking responsibilty for ourselves and our actions will fix it.
Getting a job, or two, or three will fix it.
Parenting our kids and showing them how parents should act and work and behave will fix it.
The rich pay almost all of our taxes. I'm not one of them. But I like rich people. Without them we are sunk. There are few ways to become wealthy yourself. But one way is to take money from someone who already has it. IE labor, services, and etc.
The rich people give us our jobs, that translates into houses and other retail businesses and whole communities. So lets not tax ourselves out of existence.
Lets cut our HHS budgets in half.
Lets not have kids if we can't take care of them. If we do have kids lets teach them that you win some and you lose some but you must get back up again and fight. Teach them that there will always be someone smarter, faster, richer, and better looking.
Yes Little Jimmy, someone else is better than you. So suck it up and maybe next time you will be the winner. (now back to our regular programming)

28 comments:

Jamie Dawn said...

Oh, Little Jimmy NEVER has to suck it up.
He never plays tag or hide & seek because those are games where someone has to be IT and that hurts his feelings.
He never plays dodge ball either because kids get hit by the ball in that game and it is violent.
He never plays sports because there are winners and losers in those games and that will make him feel badly if he is a loser sometimes.
We don't let Little Jimmy ever feel badly.
We also don't allow his teachers to give him anything other than A's or stars or smiley faces. His teacher is not allowed to criticize him in any way even if he is throwing food or drawing on the walls or cussing other kids out.
Little Jimmy has never been spanked. That is torture. We talk to Little Jimmy if he needs to change his behavior and we have resorted to using the Time Out chair, but only if absolutely necessary.
As for politics...
Rich people are high achievers. They make lower achievers feel badly. That is not right. Rich people should have to feel badly too, so we should take their money away and waste it.
Rich people are like teets. Un-rich people just need to latch on.
Come one come all!! Free health care for all.
Cross the borders with abandon. We will suck the rich dry, and then what shall we do????
Uh.... we don't know, but vote for me any way!

GOD help us!!!!!!!!!!

Paul Nichols said...

I was only a little rich for a little while. It sure was fun. Paying for my own stuff with my own money. Helping people less fortunate than me cuz I wanted to. Was feeling so good, I didn't need no health care or pharmacy products. I made my gun go bang-bang all day long. Nobody cared. Nobody got hurt, either. Life was good then. Life is still good, but all those ACLU boys n girls just gotta go. Slippery liberal democrats, too.

Lucy Stern said...

Cliff, you hit the nail on the head. Jamie Dawn you did too. What made this country great was the free enterprise system. If you worked hard you could earn some money and take care of your family. You saved your own money for retirement and you went to the doctor only when you really needed to. If you had problems, you "pulled up your boot straps" and worked your way out.

It really scares me how many people have an "entitlement" attitude.

And on the political note, John McCain is a wolf in sheeps clothing. It is two bad that Romney and Thompson dropped out of the race. Obama and Hillery promise change, but I dread that it is a change for the worse. OK, now I'll quit my rant....

Have a nice day Cliff.

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

Hi Cliff! I agree with your theory to weed out the deadbeats (My word). I am tired of paying for these people to live the life of luxury on me and others. Get a job. They would but it doesn't pay enough and they would actually have to do something. This may offense some people but this is my opinion. We should close our borders. Don't let any more people in that we as Amercians are going to have to support to live in the good old US of A. Stop accommodating everyone. I am tired of looking at labels trying to find the english version. Other countries would not be this accomodating. I am also tired of this country sending millions to billions of dollars to other countries to help. I don't see any other country coming to our aid and sending money when we need it. We have enough people in this country that our tax dollars could help. I say that before we can help other we must start helping ourselves. Sorry if I offended anyone, but like I said this is just my opinion and I think that this is one thing that I am still entitled too.

LZ Blogger said...

Cliff ~ I can't say that I've know many rich teets, but I've sure known a lot of rich BOOBS! ~ But you are correct... it's their money. They earned it and all the government does is punish them for their efforts. The top 5% PERCENT OF WAGE EARNERS in the USA is paying 70 % of the taxes, for everyone else. And how about this plan to give people who have paid on taxes REBATES? The government is NUTS! ~ jb///

ptg said...

In the 1950s we were warned about 'creeping socialism' and told that communists were the enemies of our way of life. We didn't listen.

We can see how miserably the entitlement system has worked in the Soviet Union and China. Once those countries started to move away from Marxism, the freedom and prosperity of their people grew proportionately. Unrepentant Marxist nations, like North Korea and that darling of the left, Cuba remain wretched prisons for their own citizens.

I always come across as a nut crying about commies under my bed when I try to warn of this impending disaster. Your analysis, Cliff, is down-to-earth and brings it home with your HHS revelations.

Ralph said...

Well said, Cliff. But tell us, how do you really feel?
Ralph

Jim said...

Why are you guys so hard and mean mouthed towards 'Little Jimmy?'
I didn't do it! Maybe 'Little Johnny' or 'Little (you name him/her)' did it!
Everybody picks on me, I danged getting tired of it. I worked hard for the pittance I get (Mrs. Jim's SS and mine combined don't meet the national average for one person).

Now, Warren Buffet brags about paying less taxes than his secretary. Google that, no quotes, just the words, and you will see him complaining.
He wants to pay his share, the system has made it so the rich class gets a discount on their taxes.
Why not give the poor a discount? Or the old and retired? When Mrs. Jim goes on Medicare, her Medicare payment will take away more than half of her small Social Security check. Just because she worked for the schools! And because of that, she can't draw half of mine either. The system doesn't care a (bit) about her having worked almost 20 years paying into SS and that before they found out she worked for the Texas schools she could have had about $950 a month. They cut her to 25% of that. I worked paying in 27 years, I only get cut to 75% of what I earned.

Sorry, Cliff, you hit a tough note here. At least I won't vote like the majority of Nebraska did! I won't say who I will vote for, but it will be for really free enterprise if I get a chance.
Rich and poor alike!
..

Dan said...

Cliff Morrow For President!!!!

eyes_only4him said...

I was gonna saw what Dan did..dang it, he stole my thunder..

so wait, I need to get a job?..crap!

or two or three?...double crap..

I just kicked little Jimmy, thats how I roll.

Anonymous said...

hey Cliff. One of the reasons I took this gov't gig is so I could see first hand what's going on with our money. After a while, it becomes clear that money isn't the issue - there's plenty of money to get things done AND cut about 10-20% out of gov't costs. If people say they need more, then they have been there too long. marty

poopie said...

Amen brother. ^j^

Unknown said...

As a person who consistently works two jobs (three with working spouse) and still qualifies for some HHS programs, I'd have to say that's just a little too pat and simplified. I'm all for responsible parenting and self-reliance, but sometimes the free-enterprise system doesn't reward that behavior.

Rachel said...

Amen Cliff!! I'm with Dan on this one!! You got my vote!!

JunieRose2005 said...

I second that AMEN, Cliff!

And agree with Rachel!

Cliff for president- and JD for VP!


Junie Rose

1 plus twins said...

kuddos to you! i so agree with you!!!!

Cliff said...

Don't get me wrong gette, if you work as hard as you guys do and still need some help then that is what gov help is for. The good news is you're working your way up and out with education and that's a reasonable use of gov help. Yes it was over simplified. I've used gov guaranteed loans myself. They didn't actually pay anything but their guaranteeing my operating loan made it possible for the local bank to drop the interest to the same as the secure loans were paying. Prime +2. It let me dig my way out.

Unknown said...

The comment column was shifting to the right in a pisa-esque manner. Just had to pull from the left a little! ;)

Janell said...

Yeah - President Morrow and First Lady Marilyn. Has a nice ring to it.

And I think Little Jimmy needs a hug - along with a cost of living increase. Somthin' ain't right there.

Dan said...

Dear Dad, When you become President, do I get a BlackHawk Helicopter?

Cliff said...

You'll need to join the Nat'l Guard first.

nora leona said...

Okay, I know that every one has been waiting for the tree-hugging liberal to weigh in. I had to take a deep breath and wait 48 hours.

Anyway, Cliff I appreciate your note at the top. That was basically what I was going to say – thanks for articulating it so well.

It's the families like Gette's that need the help. I read her blog and am amazed about how cheerful she and her husband are about working two jobs each, and their daughter (son? Thing One) works also.

For over ten years I've worked at least two jobs. I worked in an industry where health insurance benefits are not standard. I waitressed so I could afford health insurance, car insurance and renters insurance. And for $250/month it was pretty crappy health coverage. I had a $1000/year deductible and never (thank God) met that. I paid $25 per visit and prescriptions on top of that. I paid for all of my dental care out of pocket.

That said, I was happy to do it. I didn’t have to worry about child care or transportation. I’m young and healthy enough to survive on a few hours of sleep. It also afforded me the luxury of vacations to visit family, music and PEZ dispensers.

My big worry, as is yours -- is for the children. I fear that some of these programs are becoming the “family business.” So everyone, continue being a good example for the next generation. Be a Big Brother, support your library, teach swimming lessons at the Y, stop and talk to the mom at the grocery store using food vouchers. We're all in this together.

And, as my brother says, “we were born in the right household.” I’m not sure that I would have had the wherefore all to be born in poverty -- it’s a lot of work.

Don’t get me started on the stimulus package – I’ve seriously considered sending it back, but I’ve decided to put it towards my mortgage. Or maybe we could use it to help fund Blogstock.

Phew, thanks for the soap box- I’m going back to saving my corner of the world.

p.s. Can I sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom?

Ralph said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ralph said...

Nora
With all due respect - you run Second Helpings and I'll do the tree hugging - okay?
Thanks for your concern for the eco system but I have it under control.
Ralph

Miki said...

Well said, Cliff. I also subscribe to the notion that we need to "fix" ourselves. The government cannot fix any of our personal predicaments, that we need to "suck it up." Heatlthcare is another issue. Take it from someone who was paying almost as much as my mortgage for healthcare, when hubby was sick and not working, healthcare needs to be fixed and not called an "industry." Please, don't get me started on illegal immigration, you will never be able to read the comment, it will be longer than any post! See, I still come around and read, just been having many issues with the computer! Trying a new service provider, new antivirus program, and all heck broke loose here!

LZ Blogger said...

Cliff ~ I thought this was a new post (at least the RED part), but then I see that it looks like you are finally getting some liberal input too. I hope that you aren't thinking about dropping out of the race now? Can I get that VA post? Well... AND a Blackhawk? ~ jb///
P.S. You aren't getting any of that Farm Assistance from the Ag. Dept. are you?

nora leona said...

Ralph,
You're right; I'm a horrible tree hugger. I was directly responsible for the demise of a dozen trees last year.
And they make me sneeze.
IBFOR

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Amen...You hit the nail on the head!
I think you should run for President.