History Reveals Government Isn't The Answer

I have been saying for a while that everything the government touches ends up broken and dysfunctional. With that in mind, why in the world would we allow the government to take control of medicine which amounts to 20% of our economy? Previous behavior is the best predictor of future behavior so I spent some time on researching their record. Perhaps we can look and see what the government has done in the past.

Here are examples of what the government has controlled and how (un)successful the government has been.

The United States Post Office: it was established in 1775. They have had 234 years to get it under control. Unfortunately, the US Postal Service is bankrupt and dysfunctional. When the number of complaints grow about customer service in the private sector businesses are very much at risk of losing everything so issues are addressed quickly. When the number of complaints grew at Post Offices across the country about the amount of time people had to wait in line they took an incredible measure. The removed the clocks from every Post Office waiting area in the country. Good Job! Idiots!

Social Security: it was established in 1935 and surely the government has gotten it right in the past 74 years, right? Not even close. The mark of well-run companies is that they accurately plan for the future through a series of investments, cutbacks and expansions. Since the government has many "experts" that wish to dictate how businesses should be run, I'm sure they know that. One would think so but unfortunately, the Social Security Administration has not at all planned for the future. The Congressional Budget Office reported just 6 months ago (March, 2009) that Social Security would continue operating with an expected surplus until 2016. However, they have since adjusted that projection. Now the CBO indicates that outlays will exceed revenue in 2010. "Outlays will exceed revenue" is congressional language for "We're Broke". Nice going "Government".

Fannie Mae: though it was founded in 1938 as a part of FDR's "New Deal", it was chartered by Congress in 1968 as a "Government Sponsored Enterprise" and surely 71 years is long enough to have been successful. If they weren't doing well before 1968, they have had 41 years to work out any kinks they may have had. That just isn't true for Uncle Sam. Years of poor business practices lead to gigantic financial losses for Fannie. The lack of revenue forced Fannie Mae to "borrow" money from the government, which sounds a lot like me borrowing money from myself, but anyway. Don't worry because I'm sure Fannie can pay itself back right away, right? No way. In the 2nd quarter of this year Fannie reported a loss of 14.8 Billion which is a lot better than the 1st quarter in which they lost 23.2 Billion. It sure doesn't seem like government interference in any sector ever works.

The War on Poverty: This program was kicked-off in 1964 and one might think that 1 trillion dollars and 45 years would be enough to become successful...since many businesses and programs in the provate sector have done so much quicker and in much less time. Unfortunately, the government needs more time and more money. In January 1988 President Reagan described this program very well.

"Today the Federal Government has 59 major welfare programs and spends more than $100 billion a year on them. What has all this money done? Well, too often it has only made poverty harder to escape. Federal welfare programs have created a massive social problem. With the best of intentions, government created a poverty trap that wreaks havoc on the very support system the poor need most to lift themselves out of poverty: the family. Dependency has become the one enduring heirloom, passed from one generation to the next, of too many fragmented families."

The largest redistrubution of wealth in human history has not ended poverty as 37 million Americans remain in poverty. So to once again quote President Reagan, "The Federal Government declared war on poverty and poverty won". I would add to his words by saying the war continues to be fought with our tax dollars...over 1 trillion of them.

Medicare: This special program began in 1965 and 44 years later it is a financial and beaurocratic nightmare. If the total amount of unfunded obligations of Medicare ($53 Trillion) were divided equally among American households, each household would receive a bill for $440,000. Since the average American income is less than $50,000 annually, imagine giving the government every penny you make, without paying any other bill or even buying food for the next 9+ years. If we all did that, again that is figuring on averages, we would simply eliminate the unfunded Medicare obligations...nothing would have been paid on the national debt or the continuation of the numerous entitlement programs. I think it is safe to say that Medicare is not the flagship of governmental success.

Cash for Clunkers: Perhaps you need a more recent reminder of government ineptitude. Here it is...the Wall Street Journal wrote that Cash for Clunkers is proof that "the feds can't even give away money very well". That statement could have been made about a number of programs, pork, projects or takeovers but the WSJ was specifically talking about this program. While I'm sure the Asian car makers are pleased with the program, it did little for the American public. Sure, a few cars were sold but the program that initially was "funded" (in this case funded is code for borrowed more money from China) with $1 billion. As we know, the program ended up costing American tax payers $3 billion and that isn't counting the amount of intrest we will be paying on the borrowed $3 billion. It may be interesting to see just how many American car companies increased their sales in the month of August, 2009...
Chrysler sales decreased -15%
General Motors sales decreased 20%
Ford sales increased by 17%
However, Honda sales increased 10%
Subaru sales increased 52% and
Hyundai sales increased 47%.

At the end of the program, which didn't come a day too soon, only 39% of the money spent by the government in this goat-rodeo of a debacle went to American companies. Since the money to buy the cars was borrowed from Asia, I guess it is rather ironic that the majority of the money returned there. Or maybe it is just one more reason why we shouldn't trust the government to handle any aspect of our healthcare.


If Americans have any remaining shred of common sense they will not allow the government to take control of our healthcare. The government seems to have the antithesis of "The Midas Touch". Every program they initiate turns out to be a drain on the American public and rarely, if ever, actually functions well.

Here's hoping Americans go vote for REAL change in 2010...and by REAL change I mean fire every elected official and elect people to actually serve the interests of the people who have elected them.

The Ultimate Super Hero

I was never very interested in Super heroes as a kid...or for that matter, as an adult. However, my boys absolutely love them. Because of the really cool super power, skills (bow staff, nun chucks and throwing star skills excluded) and ability to bring justice to every situation, my wife and I are constantly reminding our boys that the REAL Super Hero is Jesus. They seem to understand and appreciate that. It might be easier for them if someone could find out that the true Hebrew meaning of "your rod and staff comfort me" should be translated to something like, "your nun chuck skills and ability to catch a bullet in your teeth brings me a lot of comfort". Until that time I think we are left with discussing the most amazing aspects of God...and they are plentiful. Here are some thoughts that may help my boys appreciate Jesus on a new level (satire should be expected).

• Jesus does not sleep. He waits.
• Jesus counted to infinity - twice.
• When the Boogieman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Jesus.
• Jesus is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
• If Jesus did sleep he would do so with a night light. Not because Jesus is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Jesus.
• If at first you don't succeed, you're obviously not Jesus.
• Jesus doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
• Superman owns a pair of Jesus pajamas.
• Jesus doesn't have to do anything for a Klondike bar.
• When Jesus was in middle school, his English teacher assigned an essay: "What is Courage?" Jesus received an "A+" for writing only the words "Jesus Christ" and promptly turning in the paper.
• Jesus ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.
• According to Einstein's theory of relativity, Jesus can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday.
• The quickest way to a man's heart is with Jesus.
• Jesus owns the greatest Poker Face of all-time. It helped him win the 1983 World Series of Poker despite him holding just a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoloy card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO.
• Pi is not infinite. It stops when Jesus tells it to.
• Once a grizzly bear threatened to eat Jesus. Jesus showed the bear his fist and the bear proceeded to eat himself, because it would be the less painful way to die.
• The Dinosaurs looked at Jesus the wrong way once. ONCE.
• It was once believed that Jesus actually lost a fight to a pirate, but that is a ploy, created by Jesus himself to lure more pirates to him. Pirates never were very smart.
• Oxygen requires Jesus to live.
• Jesus can eat soup with a fork.
• Jesus challenged a statue to a staring contest. Jesus remains undefeated.
• Jesus does not have to mow his lawn. He simply stares at the grass and dares it to grow.
• Bullets dodge Jesus.
• Jesus can eat a Rubix Cube and poop it out solved.
• Jesus can hear silence.
• Jesus can unscramble an egg.
• Jesus could play Russian Roulette with 6 bullets.....and win.
• On Neil Armstrong's second step on the moon, he found a note that said, "Jesus was here."
• Jesus doesn't have to stop bullets because they know better.
• When Jesus does push-ups, he does not push himself up. He pushes the Earth down.
• Achilles was supposedly the greatest warrior of all time, but he died because of his weak spot, the Achilles tendon. There is no Jesus tendon.
• The first lunar eclipse took place after Jesus challenged the sun to a staring contest. Jesus always wins.