Again, from the Guardian in London:
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic presidential contender John Edwards says it is more important to invest in universal health care and lifting people out of poverty than to reduce the budget deficit.
Didn’t anyone tell him about the previous post???? Why is it that people when confronted with empirical evidence of large scale failings, continue to persist with the idea of "well, we will get it right this time".
Now, that is fine if you are spending your own money, or people are providing capital of their own violition. However, he wants to do it with involuntary contributions – taxes.
The 2004 vice presidential nominee said in an interview broadcast Sunday said “there is a tension” between the two directions, but he has made his choice.
“If I were choosing now between which is more important, I think the investments are more important,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Big surprise, right? Not that the Republicans have been such a sterling example of frugality, but this should start scaring folks who have any green left in their wallets…
Edwards’ proposal, which includes tax cuts and a million housing vouchers for the poor, may place him at odds with Democrats in charge of the congressional spending committees.
A million? A million vouchers? Oh gosh, I really don’t know if I wanna know.
But I will ask this – if he is willing to use taxpayer money to fund these vouchers, how about funding school vouchers? I would imagine that his proposal will allow the poor to pick their house, why not the school too? After all, we all agree that every child is entitled to a publicly funded education, right?
They envision some increases to avoid layoffs of federal employees and for politically sensitive programs such as veterans’ medical treatment.
The latter I agree with. The former – why should federal employees be a protected class of citizen? All of us in the private sector live with that spector all the time – why should they be protected from bad decisions of their management (e.g., Congress)?
Edwards said he wanted to get the country “out of this ditch we’re in fiscally” but acknowledged his plan “means you cannot do about the deficit what you’d like to do, that’s true.”
Yup, let’s agree to be blind that federal revenues are through the roof – highest that they have ever been. Let’s be blind to the fact that the deficit is plunging faster than an elevator with snapped cables.
Edwards said he is not ready to take a position yet on gay marriage, and acknowledged his upbringing in the rural South makes this a troubling issue for him.
Hey, think about principles that do not changing every time that the political winds change direction….
Edwards said Americans must make sacrifices in energy use, including changing their personal vehicles.
“There has to be a willingness to give up some of the vehicles they drive, and I myself have driven,” he said.
Why? Sorry, but everytime I hear something like this from a millionaire that can afford anything he wants for a car, all I can see is their lips mouthing "fine for thee but not for me" – or "we know better than you do what is best for you".
At the very base level, more freedom gone just because of somebody’s :good" idea.
Edwards said he is not advocating a gasoline tax increase at this time but added, “You can’t take it off the table.”
Back to extracting our revenue again…..and he says that he is for the little guy? Sure, just raise Joe Six-pack’s cost of living! That will help him….
