I don't subscribe to that premise any longer. I know, from the local level up, it can be changed. Maybe a Common Sense Party that isn't full of spineless politicians and bureaucrats.
When was the last time a Republican did something that wasn't the status quo when it comes to government spending and programs? They continue to perpetuate the same base-line budgeting BS the Dems invented. They use the same language, the same ideals and the same machinations the Dems and they created in our lesiglatures.
When has a GOP controlled Congress or state legislature acually CUT, not decreased in growth, but CUT or elimintated agencies.
Have you ever seen a true P&L statement for an agency? Why can't we get REAL numbers about how much of their budgets they spend on payroll and benefits? Overhead? Why are they hardly ever, if at all, audited from outside sources? Why don't they fire or prosecute the bureaucrats that steal, waste, misuse, misallocate, lose, or just plain are too stupid to know where the money goes? Why do they still hire when the private sector is cutting jobs? Why do they still use the positions as handouts to cronies, supporters, family members? Show me ONE Republican controlled state, governor, or legislature that has ever even tried.
When are the conservatives and other GOP supporters going to get together with their voting block and DEMAND they be held accountable? When is the waste, fraud and abuse of OUR money going to stop while politicians of BOTH of your TWO PARTIES use that money to buy themselves perks and act like royals?
When is enough enough?
Let me give you a very current example: the Republicans in the minority in the TN legislature finally force an audit of TennCare (the only program in the country based on HillaryCare of 1993 and shoved down our throats by Dems) for an outside auditing firm. As usual, it can't be audited. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE MONEY GOES! They can't even provide simple answers as to HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE PROGRAM or provide a database of their ages, income, addresses (the "law" says PO boxes aren't valid but over 50,000 have PO boxes listed as addresses). You think that would be a great start to stopping a bleeding money pit.
But NO. Even the GOP in the legislature are trying to water down the report and not implement anything of consequence a 14 year old girl running a lemonade stand would understand.
So please don't preach to me about lesser of two evils and that the Dems are WORSE. It's not proven and it never will be when bureaucracy rules the day. My personal philosophy is to just kill ALL the evil regardless of party - let God sort them out.
How many stupid local news programs about the waste and abuse do we still have to watch before anyone wakes up? They won't if they, as almost 55% of voters do, believe it makes no difference. And nothing you or any other person can tell them is going to change their mind. Sure, there is the cliche of "people want services but don't want to pay for them" BS. And that's what it is...BS and a cop out. People will respond when you explain it to them. People don't want big healthcare programs that pay illegal aliens, are held unaccountable and give services to those that don't deserve them. They just don't see the DNC or the RNC as a difference. They, correctly, see it as a blend of the same thing only ran by different special interest.
And until that attitude is addressed by actually STOPPING the bureaucratic mess, we'll play this game forever. I can write you a novel on this, but what good will it do? You'll still come back and say, "but my man is better than them and he's not as bad".
It's like a choice between starving to death or freezing to death...I guess I'd rather freeze to death because it's quicker. GRRRRRRRR, I'm sick of this argument. There is almost no one left to make it and care about it. I don't give a Kerry f'ing deal WHO is in charge when NOTHING, and I truly mean NOTHING changes. We can vote for Ronald Reagan clones until we die, but what good will that do if the system isn't changed? Have you or anyone else around here actually bothered to READ the bills they pass? It's gobbeldygook language that does nothing but replace code in the bureaurcratic monolith: "Part A of subsection B,II,w,a, section IV replaces the word "man" with the word "person".
This is no way to run a country. If the private sector is like this, and some are, they fail.
But not government where it is written in stone that if a department doesn't increase it's budget on a yearly basis it's being "cut" and that is "wrong".
And what has Bush done to remedy this nigthmare? Nothing...not a damn thing. He perpetuates it with as do all "movers and shakers" controlling our lives in Washington. He pretends to be a straight forward man but, even like Reagan, can't stop or control the forces of an every increasing level of bureaucracy of unelected "civil" servants that do what they please and often against the President. Just look at the State Dept and the CIA.
Oh, but I'm being unrealistic I'm told, I have to learn to play the game on the margins, I have to accept and conform.
Well I'll put this to an end once and for all: I don't conform. I don't want to work within our "system". I don't give a flying John Kerry F about government employees and their supposed hard work. If I became President I'd fire EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AND START OVER from the ground up. And anyone that complained I'd shoot right between the eyes.
Can I make it anymore clear? I'm selfish now. I've got "mine". I'm set for life beyond a nuclear bomb exploding over me. I'm tired of the fight. I'm tired of trying to educate the idiots and morons that blindly accept 7.65% of their pay going down a rathole while whining if their private employer increases their contribution to the health plan they THINK is their entitlement. I'm tired of listening to lazy morons tell me I have to pay taxes to pay for their grandma's pills while they drive $50K SUV's and live in $500K homes they think they are owed. I'm tired of paying for worthless human scum when they go to the emergency room for a finger cut and demand 24/7 service. And I'm more tired of the people that cloud those issues with "compassion" and "for the children" while they themselves couldn't care less about them unless they voted their way.
And you know what? I'll take care of myself. I'm not even afraid of terrorist killing me. More than likely they'll attack the big cities where liberals live (boy do I get hate mail with that one) so why should I care how many blue urban areas get nuked? They don't. They want Dean!
Yes, I'm cynical. Yes, I'm disgusted. And Yes, I just don't care any longer. Bush, Gephardt, Dean, Gore, Hillary, Bill, McCain...what's the f'ing difference? NOTHING! NOTHING CHANGES! NOTHING GETS DONE! NOTHING MOVES FORWARD! And NOTHING REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE. If the people were represented we'd have school vouchers (75% support), illegal aliens wouldn't get welfare or other benefits (70% support), our borders would be closed (68% support), our tax rates would be lower regardless of the static math idiots, our military would be bigger and better funded to pay for SOLDIERS and not bureaucratic nonsense and competing systems between the services (even Reagan tried and failed on this point and Rummy is rolling a giant ball uphill with this), our budget would be lean and held accountable and AUDITABLE (like is required of the private sector with penalty of law that the government is immune from), etc. And our federal government wouldn't be spending TWICE the level of total corporate operating profits.
So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! My Batcave is now closed.