low gas prices

[DaBurglar]

 some actions/laws may have good intentions, but are not well thought out. everyone wants to help children, especially the disadvantaged. to do so, money/benefits are provided to a parent. the less household income there is, the more kids there are, the thinking goes, the more money they need. people quickly figure this out, they know how the system works. the end result, fewer marriages because a two parent house will likely have more income. have more kids, get more money. thus the rise in single parent households.  so, a program that may (?) have had good intentions, encourages actions that in the long run create dependency, people are stuck in a lifetime of relying on the government. and, of course, this makes for a reliable voter base for those who keep them dependent and opposed to anyone who might take away any of the freebees.Farmers (and the infamous "FARM LOBBY" in the FARM STATES) are one of the biggest recipients of government "freebies" (see below) which, in turn encourages actions and behavior that ensures dependence on future Farm Subsidies....But first......In 1996, President Clinton and a republican controlled congress essentially ended WELFARE and replaced it with what is now known as TANF (Temporary Assitance for Needy Families).....  TANF is not an unconditional entitlement. It comes with time-limits and
work requirements and recipients have to go through a bureaucratic
gantlet to verify their eligibility, and go through the same "gauntlet" again if for whatever reason they need to "re-up" or reapply at a later date.   There is NOT an escalating "per child" cash amount that gets tacked on everytime a woman has a kid.....I'm pointing this out because the "myth" of welfare queens is nothing but a barely-veiled racist theory. Sure, EVERY government program starts out with good intentions, and you are right, often times they become totally bastardized, corrupted, convoluted and even pointless.....sometimes a total waste.   But I can tell you right now, what you think is a HUGE problem for the USA in terms of its deficits and debt, that of "Freebies" going to lazy, shiftless members of society who refuse to work, is NOT at all the reality:   It is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of Government spending, wastefulness and corruption....there are so many LARGER drains on Government resources besides "freebies", all you need to do is get a look at any of the last several years' FEDERAL itemized Budgets and you will see quite easily and clearly what I am talking about.My Dad worked in the Defense Industry for 30 years at Pratt & Whitney, and he oversaw the contracts for buying jet engines to go in planes like the f-15  & f-16......through him and through my own study and research (Government & Economics)  I can tell you DEFENSE spending has been the biggest drain of public treasure, and I do not mean that we should NOT have a defense industry or not defend ourselves:  I am saying the ABSOLUTE, ABJECT waste and inefficiency and just plain BS that has been rife in our defense industry & Government procurement programs that the money involved DWARFS almost everything else COMBINED!    Its absurd, and the worst part is (which most people forget) is defense spending is largely on things like tanks, missiles, planes, bombs, nukes, etc  that you hope NEVER EVER get used, so they are SUNK costs!   And what is worse, today you have a number of HUGELY expensive weapons programs, like the F-22 and F-35 planes, that are actually riddled with incompetence, waste and political wrangling such that the future defensive capabilities of the USA might very well be compromised!   Look both of them up if you do not believe me!Another HUGE wasteful area (when you delve into all the "PORK" IN A TYPICAL YEAR'S FEDERAL BUDGET, remembering that "Pork" is really another word for "freebies" ) EXISTS in the infamous  FARM LOBBY.....for years and years, a certain group of Farm States have secured for themselves a WHOLE crapload of .... FREEBIES....look it up (start here, and pay close attention to the relationship of the FARM Lobby to the FOOD STAMP program, what you no doubt call "freebies"   http://www.heritage.org/research/report ... -subsidies

[DaBurglar]

As we continue to hear more and more about Healthcare costs in the USA and about how Medicare & Social Security are in trouble and other related issues, there is a simple root cause explanation for a large portion of the problems & difficulties, but it is one that is not spoken about because it is too sensitive and painful, and forces people to think about unpleasant scenarios:The Population of the USA is getting OLDER, people are living WAY WAY longer, and this FACT is causing a lot of problems and issues to boil to the top!People may be living longer but they are not living better if statistics on things like Obesity, diabetes, Alcohol & Drug Addiction and others are to be believed.   We spend Boatloads on healthcare for a large pool of unhealthy, unproductive, poor quality of life OLDER people.....this is a sad truth.   And the plain fact  is, Social Security (and later Medicare) were NOT conceived and designed to deal with this new, and changing condition (in 1930s America, when Social Security was created, people were living a lot, lot SHORTER lives.....same goes for Medicare later on.)    But NO POLITICIAN can talk about this (if for no other reason Senior citizens are one of the few demographics that actually VOTE  lol.But until this issue is addressed and spoken about honestly, things will only get worse....