Name one thing that the Government performs better than like Businesses

[Garcia Bronco]

We had this question during lunch today and the only thing I can come up with is taking money. I mean Comcast has to send me a bill, government has access to my paycheck. So what does government do better than a private business?

[Rohirrim]

War.

[Hotrod]

War.

thats questionable

I'd say they are better at false advertising.

[Garcia Bronco]

War.

What like business does War?

[cutthemdown]

govt is better at giving away things for free.

govt is better at figuring out how to charge you more without increasing service.

[alkemical]

hmmm - would about when gov't and business collude?

[alkemical]

govt is better at giving away things for free.

govt is better at figuring out how to charge you more without increasing service.

Hmm, you must not have comcast or verizon

[Hotrod]

Hmm, you must not have comcast or verizon


LOL that was my first thought

[Garcia Bronco]

Hmm, you must not have comcast or verizon

LOL

[Beantown Bronco]

9-5 workday with a 1 hr lunch. Who else can still do that?

[cutthemdown]

Hmm, you must not have comcast or verizon

I do have Verizon and I agree they must have worked for the govt at some time. :rofl:

[TheDave]

schools...

our soldiers over mercinaries...

I can't think of many places where private business competes...

[Rohirrim]

Hmm, you must not have comcast or verizon

Or ****ing TMobile.

[Rohirrim]

People love to make fun of it but the damn post office had done a damn good job for a long time. Just don't get them upset. ;D

[Denver Crush]

Intimidation

[alkemical]

Intimidation

Hmm... RIAA did a good job -

Does blackwater count, or are they still counted as gov't?

[DenverBrit]

Hmm... RIAA did a good job -

Does blackwater count, or are they still counted as gov't?

Not sure, how do you classify 'above the law'?

[Beantown Bronco]

Not sure, how do you classify 'above the law'?

Above the law? I am the law!

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[elsid13]

Basic Scientific Research, Medical Research, Drug and Food Safety, Regulation of Banks and Finical Markets, Parks & Wildlife Refuges, Fire Protection, Judaical Systems, Border Control, etc.

[Garcia Bronco]

schools...

our soldiers over mercinaries...

I can't think of many places where private business competes...

No. Private schools out perform public schools just about everytime.

On the soldiers I would agree to a degree.

[Garcia Bronco]

People love to make fun of it but the damn post office had done a damn good job for a long time. Just don't get them upset. ;D

The post office is in the red and would eventually fold. They can't compete

[Garcia Bronco]

Basic Scientific Research, Medical Research, Drug and Food Safety, Regulation of Banks and Finical Markets, Parks & Wildlife Refuges, Fire Protection, Judaical Systems, Border Control, etc.

Basic Scientific Research - No way


Medical Research - No way


Drug and Food Safety - Is there a private business that does this?


Regulation of Banks and Finical Markets - Maybe, but is there a private business that does this? I know private companies perform SOX Audits but do private companies regulate banks. I guess the Fed is quasi private, but it's also federal.

Parks & Wildlife Refuges. Does private business protect these?

Fire Protection - I disagree

Judaical Systems - I don't think private business does this.

Border Control

[TheDave]

No. Private schools out perform public schools just about everytime.

On the soldiers I would agree to a degree.

Thats only because private schools get to "Choose" which students enter... Make them take everyone just as the public schools do and the results won't look nearly as good.

[Garcia Bronco]

Thats only because private schools get to "Choose" which students enter... Make them take everyone just as the public schools do and the results won't look nearly as good.

I know. I went to one. I went to both. The learning atmosphere destruys anything I ever experienced in any public school.

[Hogan11]

Emergency services (911) & Highway Maintence

In almost every instance, when these services have been "contracted out" not only has the level and quality of the service been reduced, but the overall cost has been higher to the taxpayer.

Politicans still love to promote it during elections however because the average shmoe has no real idea of the increased costs of privatization of general services....all the voter hears is "less goverment" and they're generally sold on it, whether it costs them more in the long run or not.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Name one thing that the Government performs better than like Businesses

Protecting ordinary Americans from getting fleeced by the Enrons of the world (when it actually does its job, that is.)

[Garcia Bronco]

Name one thing that the Government performs better than like Businesses

Protecting ordinary Americans from getting fleeced by the Enrons of the world (when it actually does its job, that is.)

The didn't protect anyone. And the knee-jerk legislation that followed, SOX, costs companies millions per year.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

The didn't protect anyone. And the knee-jerk legislation that followed, SOX, costs companies millions per year.

Did you notice the part where I said "when it does its job?"

Our government has been in a state of dysfuntion for quite awhile.

Liberals say the solution is to fix it.

Neocons say the solution is to get rid of more and more of it, e.g., drown it in the bath.

[Rohirrim]

I know. They're better at sending out rebate checks!

[Garcia Bronco]

Emergency services (911) & Highway Maintence

In almost every instance, when these services have been "contracted out" not only has the level and quality of the service been reduced, but the overall cost has been higher to the taxpayer.

Politicans still love to promote it during elections however because the average shmoe has no real idea of the increased costs of privatization of general services....all the voter hears is "less goverment" and they're generally sold on it, whether it costs them more in the long run or not.

I think 911 services function better in a private setting. I know. I work for an ambulance company. Highway maintence her in Colorado is mostly contracted out, but I don't have a reference point to compare.

[ghwk]

When it comes to funneling money to Halliburton and KBR. Ok. Ok that was off point, they have a monopoly on that.

[Garcia Bronco]

Did you notice the part where I said "when it does its job?"

Our government has been in a state of dysfuntion for quite awhile.

Liberals say the solution is to fix it.

Neocons say the solution is to get rid of more and more of it, e.g., drown it in the bath.

Government was doing it's job when Enron was allowed to basically print it's own money. Government allowed this to happen.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/g/f/norquist_bathtub.jpg

[TheDave]

I know. I went to one. I went to both. The learning atmosphere destruys anything I ever experienced in any public school.

Thats the point... force them to take everyone just like the public schools and your "Learning atmosphere" becomes one and the same.

[Garcia Bronco]

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/g/f/norquist_bathtub.jpg

Had New Orleans and the State of LA taken care of business they wouldn't have been in that situation.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Government was doing it's job when Enron was allowed to basically print it's own money. Government allowed this to happen.

Government not doing its job allowed this to happen.

How should we respond to this sort of dysfunction or failure of government to do its job?

I say fix the problems.

You say get rid of government.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Had Bush not gutted FEMA and put an Arabian horse trainer in charge of the agency responsible for managing disasters they wouldn't have been in that situation.

Fixed.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

When it comes to funneling money to Halliburton and KBR. Ok. Ok that was off point, they have a monopoly on that.

;D

Yep - when it comes to transferring the contents of the treasury into the coffers of its cronies in the private sector, the revolving door style of "government" perfected by Dick Cheney, et al, is hard to beat.

[Garcia Bronco]

Thats the point... force them to take everyone just like the public schools and your "Learning atmosphere" becomes one and the same.

Nah. The general difference is there is discipline. Also there is a financial burden. So if you get kicked out, you lose your money. The learning atmosphere has nothing to do with the students there, but everything to do with a no-nonsense discipline environment. Even my private school had kids there by court order and on scholarship. They put their noses inthe books once they got there because prison did sound too great.

[Garcia Bronco]

Fixed.

No LABF. The damage was done before that storm even hit

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

No LABF. The damage was done before that storm even hit

Yep - Bush gutted FEMA long before Katrina. The Army Corp of Engineers' budget for upgrading the levees was slashed long before Katrina as well.

[Garcia Bronco]

Yep - Bush gutted FEMA long before Katrina. The Army Corp of Engineers' budget for upgrading the levees was slashed long before Katrina as well.

They didn't need to upgrade the leeves to stop the flooding. Infact before Katinia the leeves could only withstand a Cat 3 hurricane and it's the same today. What caused that city to flood was the fact that the pumps stopped working because they had the electrical for them BELOW ground at below sea-level. All the needed to do was move the electrical above ground and the flooding would have been less severe. Had they properly locked down their ships they might not have had any breaches in their leeves at all

FEMA responded to over 5 major hurricanes that year before Katrina hit. Least we forget there 36 hurricanes that season. It was just all unexpected. Flash forward to today. This time they, NO and the State of LA, realized the potential danger and had 90 percent of costal LA evac'ed before the storm hit. PROOF that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

PROOF that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Too bad Bush's FEMA wasn't operating according to that principle in '05.

[TheDave]

Nah. The general difference is there is discipline. Also there is a financial burden. So if you get kicked out, you lose your money. The learning atmosphere has nothing to do with the students there, but everything to do with a no-nonsense discipline environment. Even my private school had kids there by court order and on scholarship. They put their noses inthe books once they got there because prison did sound too great.

Exactly, force these schools to except everyone and not give them the option to expell any bad apples and the 2 become the same. That is the rules that the public schools operate under. Give them the expell the disruptive student option and then who takes them? Someone has to be a catch all for those kids, and who ever it is is going to have 2nd rate test scores.

[elsid13]

Basic Scientific Research - No way - Yes way, most of the basic research in this country is performed in either government labs, or university labs on grants managed by NSF. And that doesn't include NASA or DOD and the transfer of data they do to private sector. Livermore is prime example of this


Medical Research - No way - Once again the FDA, CDA and NIH have large number of post-doc that work on fundamental issues most drug companies don't touch because it doesn't make business sense. Also need to include the grants for go to the US Universities and College


Drug and Food Safety - Is there a private business that does this? There was attempt to let the companies to manage themselves, but that usually doesn't work to well


Regulation of Banks and Finical Markets - Maybe, but is there a private business that does this? I know private companies perform SOX Audits but do private companies regulate banks. I guess the Fed is quasi private, but it's also federal.

Parks & Wildlife Refuges. Does private business protect these? Because there is no incentive for this public good, so government does it better

Fire Protection - I disagree WHY??? Fire Protection is Public good, you can not have one company protect one house when other is burning

Judaical Systems - I don't think private business does this. Never heard of Private Judges? Big in California, but the public court are usually seen a more fair to the parties

Border Control

See in red, and "no way" isn't a valid agurements

[elsid13]

Exactly, force these schools to except everyone and not give them the option to expell any bad apples and the 2 become the same. That is the rules that the public schools operate under. Give them the expell the disruptive student option and then who takes them? Someone has to be a catch all for those kids, and who ever it is is going to have 2nd rate test scores.

Bingo.

[Spider]

what does gov do better then the private sector ............ keeping your sorry ass healthy FDA , what does government do better then Private sector ? Defend this mother ****ing country .......
What does the government do better then the private sector ? keep regulations to keep people in nursing homes from being abused ........ These are just a few , anyone who asks or cant answer a question like this is a ****ing retard

[Bob]

We had this question during lunch today and the only thing I can come up with is taking money. I mean Comcast has to send me a bill, government has access to my paycheck. So what does government do better than a private business?

Fighting wars -- that is --when it is not politically in the best interest of the rulling party to loose thar war....

[enjolras]

Nah. The general difference is there is discipline. Also there is a financial burden. So if you get kicked out, you lose your money. The learning atmosphere has nothing to do with the students there, but everything to do with a no-nonsense discipline environment. Even my private school had kids there by court order and on scholarship. They put their noses inthe books once they got there because prison did sound too great.

I could not disagree more. I went to 2 different private schools and 5 different public schools growing up (I also spent two years at an additional school in Italy). It has EVERYTHING to do the students that occupy it. I went to great public schools surrounded by engaged (but not overbearing) parents and students. I went to a REALLY bad private school surrounded by a bunch of rich kids whose sense of entitlement eroded any need for education.

At the end of the day, it seems to me that the type of school or even its level of funding mattered very little.

[W*GS]

Full vouchers for all school-age children, good at any accredited school, and usable as cash by home-schooled children.

[kappys]

Medical Care, depending on what you measure it by.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Nah. The general difference is there is discipline. No it's about money, you have it you can go where the few go, to private school, you don't you go where everyone else goes.

[TheDave]

Full vouchers for all school-age children, good at any accredited school, and usable as cash by home-schooled children.

I'm not against a vouvher system I would like to see the details of the plan, but i am by no means against it.

[Spider]

It would be easy for me to blame the public school system , I failed myself , you get what you put in with public Schools , you put 100% in , you get 100% back , you put 10% in , you get 10% back ...... The school system bent over backwards trying to give me an education , even went and scraped the bottom of the barrel and brought in convicts to set us strait .... there was no reaching me ......

[Bronco Bob]

We had this question during lunch today and the only thing I can come up with is taking money. I mean Comcast has to send me a bill, government has access to my paycheck. So what does government do better than a private business?

FBI

[Bronco Bob]

Government was doing it's job when Enron was allowed to basically print it's own money. Government allowed this to happen.

But it also took the government to stop Enron. If not for the government
who could have? Name a private business that could have stopped
Enron. There you have it, what the government does better than
a private business, enforcing the laws.

[W*GS]

I'm not against a vouvher system I would like to see the details of the plan, but i am by no means against it.

Every school-age kid gets a voucher worth the same as what his/her district would spend on his/her education. They are then free to use that in any accredited school within their district, or, use it as cash for homeschooling.

[Spider]

But it also took the government to stop Enron. If not for the government
who could have? Name a private business that could have stopped
Enron. There you have it, what the government does better than
a private business, enforcing the laws.

what these people miss Bob is there needs to be a system of checks and balances , man is greedy and acceptable to bribes ,but people are not , ,much harder to buy off a group .........

[Bronco Bob]

Fighting wars -- that is --when it is not politically in the best interest of the rulling party to loose thar war....

You mean like the Republicans did under Nixon/Ford. That's the only
war I can recall the US losing.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

There's plenty government does, and most of it, as LABF stated earlier, is keeping businesses in check so they can't fleece the poor. Take away government and the economic disparty would be even greater and this country would completely fall apart. Can you imagine having to pay everytime you needed a fireman or policeman? or having to pay to have roads worked on? It would get completely ridiculous

[W*GS]

There's plenty government does, and most of it, as LABF stated earlier, is keeping businesses in check so they can't fleece the poor.

No, the government fleeces the middle class by taxing them excessively and then subsidizing business up one side and down the other. The poor don't pay taxes, the rich have means of getting around them, so we in the middle get stuck with the bill - which we have no choice but to pay.

[Bronco Bob]

It would be easy for me to blame the public school system , I failed myself , you get what you put in with public Schools , you put 100% in , you get 100% back , you put 10% in , you get 10% back ...... The school system bent over backwards trying to give me an education , even went and scraped the bottom of the barrel and brought in convicts to set us strait .... there was no reaching me ......

It sort of depends on the teachers, parents, and student. I went to East High
in Pueblo. They had a vocational electronics program taught by Adrien Gonzales.
Damn good teacher and tough as hell. You screwed around in his class
and he kicked you out, end of story.
Got hired by the Pueblo Army Depot right out of high school, working
on the Hawk missile system. Worked there a year until I got the
bright idea of joining the Navy. Got a guaranteed Electronics A school
and worked on UHF radios in the Navy. Got out and went to
college, majored in physics and electronics engineering. Been
working as an electronics engineer every since. Helped build
the electronics for the Phoenix Mars lander that landed on
Mars back in May.
If it hadn't been for Mr. Gonzales, who knows where I'd be today.
Long story short, public education works if you have the right
teachers and support.

[Spider]

No, the government fleeces the middle class by taxing them excessively and then subsidizing business up one side and down the other. The poor don't pay taxes, the rich have means of getting around them, so we in the middle get stuck with the bill - which we have no choice but to pay.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: we agree ...... maybe it is the Pain meds I am on ,but you made sense ........

[SonOfLe-loLang]

No, the government fleeces the middle class by taxing them excessively and then subsidizing business up one side and down the other. The poor don't pay taxes, the rich have means of getting around them, so we in the middle get stuck with the bill - which we have no choice but to pay.

I agree the middle class pays too much, it should be less (well, personally, i dont mind paying higher taxes as long as everyone did (and the rich much more than most) for the good of social services). But this goes back to the idea that GOVERNMENT isnt the problem, the CURRENT government is. Without government, we'd have chaos. Humans, by nature, take advantage of other humans. Without a system of checks and balances, we can't exist.

[W*GS]

If it hadn't been for Mr. Gonzales, who knows where I'd be today. Long story short, public education works if you have the right teachers and support.

Yours is a one-in-a-million story.

[Spider]

It sort of depends on the teachers, parents, and student. I went to East High
in Pueblo. They had a vocational electronics program taught by Adrien Gonzales.
Damn good teacher and tough as hell. You screwed around in his class
and he kicked you out, end of story.
Got hired by the Pueblo Army Depot right out of high school, working
on the Hawk missile system. Worked there a year until I got the
bright idea of joining the Navy. Got a guaranteed Electronics A school
and worked on UHF radios in the Navy. Got out and went to
college, majored in physics and electronics engineering. Been
working as an electronics engineer every since. Helped build
the electronics for the Phoenix Mars lander that landed on
Mars back in May.
If it hadn't been for Mr. Gonzales, who knows where I'd be today.
Long story short, public education works if you have the right
teachers and support.

I went ot school in Brighton colorado , more spanish speaking then english and Denver .....Swansea area ...... Had an entire different set of problems ;D
But it wasnt the school system that failed me , I and me alone failed myself , I was freakishly strong as a kid , and i wanted everyone ot know it , I was all to willing to prove it ....these were at one time 2 of the worst school systems in colorado

[W*GS]

I agree the middle class pays too much, it should be less (well, personally, i dont mind paying higher taxes as long as everyone did (and the rich much more than most) for the good of social services). But this goes back to the idea that GOVERNMENT isnt the problem, the CURRENT government is.

The CURRENT government didn't invent subsidies, nor did it invent the entitlement programs that are wrecking our fiscal future.

BTW, what would you consider an acceptable income tax rate for yourself, and for folks in the following categories:
1. <$20k
2. $20k to $50k;
3. $50k to $75k;
4. $75k to $100k;
5. over $100k.

Without government, we'd have chaos. Humans, by nature, take advantage of other humans. Without a system of checks and balances, we can't exist.

Your second sentence argues for a small, weak government, not a socialist system. If we are by nature as you claim, then investing a huge amount of power in the government is incredibly dangerous.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

The CURRENT government didn't invent subsidies, nor did it invent the entitlement programs that are wrecking our fiscal future.

BTW, what would you consider an acceptable income tax rate for yourself, and for folks in the following categories:
1. <$20k
2. $20k to $50k;
3. $50k to $75k;
4. $75k to $100k;
5. over $100k.



Your second sentence argues for a small, weak government, not a socialist system. If we are by nature as you claim, then investing a huge amount of power in the government is incredibly dangerous.


Not if you abide by a system of rules instead of whims, which is what government is. I think we can all agree there is no perfect system, because humans are imperfect, there will always be imperfection. Without a government looking out for the best interest of society as a whole, the lessers will be completely taken advantage of. You can see this in the housing crisis. Deregulation happened, and the lesser were taken advantage of.

[W*GS]

Not if you abide by a system of rules instead of whims, which is what government is.

Depends on the rules.

I think we can all agree there is no perfect system, because humans are imperfect, there will always be imperfection.

Indeed - Utopia is not an option. The smallest practical imperfect government is preferable to a large intrusive imperfect government.

Without a government looking out for the best interest of society as a whole, the lessers will be completely taken advantage of. You can see this in the housing crisis. Deregulation happened, and the lesser were taken advantage of.

That's a vast oversimplification. I argue that the current housing mess isn't the result of deregulation, but manipulation of the credit market and, in too many instances, folks getting themselves into houses they cannot afford. Mortgage lending has tightened considerably (as it should) so the market is already taking corrective action.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Depends on the rules.



Indeed - Utopia is not an option. The smallest practical imperfect government is preferable to a large intrusive imperfect government.



That's a vast oversimplification. I argue that the current housing mess isn't the result of deregulation, but manipulation of the credit market and, in too many instances, folks getting themselves into houses they cannot afford. Mortgage lending has tightened considerably (as it should) so the market is already taking corrective action.


I agree its an oversimplification, but you cant say it didnt play a major part in it. Many economists saw the predetory lending occuring and warned against the bubble. The government did nothing about it.

This is something we'll never agree on, and thats fine. You seem like an intelligent dude who does his homework, we just disagree.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Yours is a one-in-a-million story.

Geeezus, in what way?

[W*GS]

Geeezus, in what way?

He had a good teacher.

Considering abysmal graduation rates, that universities are having to have more and more remedial programs for freshmen to make up for what they didn't get in 12 years of public schooling, homeschooling is more popular than ever, that most public school teachers come from the bottom 1/3rd of their colleges, and so on, all those facts tell me that the public schools in this country are in deep deep systemic trouble.

Your average student doesn't get the good teacher - they suffer with mediocre ones. That's a big knock on Obama - he's in thrall to the teachers' unions and educracy, which are mostly responsible for the mess.

[alkemical]

He had a good teacher.

Considering abysmal graduation rates, that universities are having to have more and more remedial programs for freshmen to make up for what they didn't get in 12 years of public schooling, homeschooling is more popular than ever, that most public school teachers come from the bottom 1/3rd of their colleges, and so on, all those facts tell me that the public schools in this country are in deep deep systemic trouble.

Your average student doesn't get the good teacher - they suffer with mediocre ones. That's a big knock on Obama - he's in thrall to the teachers' unions and educracy, which are mostly responsible for the mess.

Well W*gs, i have a few things for you:

Did you ever see the documentary Stupidity? If not, it's entertaining and somewhat interesting. But they do this "bit" on Steve-O. Who is a celebrated idiot and whom many people almost cult like mimic him. It's cool to be stupid. (I haven't figured that out yet myself.)

"What's the point of democracy when idiocy is celebrated" - NOFX - The idiots are taking over

[Garcia Bronco]

I could not disagree more. I went to 2 different private schools and 5 different public schools growing up (I also spent two years at an additional school in Italy). It has EVERYTHING to do the students that occupy it. I went to great public schools surrounded by engaged (but not overbearing) parents and students. I went to a REALLY bad private school surrounded by a bunch of rich kids whose sense of entitlement eroded any need for education.

At the end of the day, it seems to me that the type of school or even its level of funding mattered very little.

Well you know what they say: Life is what you make of it.

[Garcia Bronco]

See in red, and "no way" isn't a valid agurements

Absolutely is it. Didn't they teach you that at W&M. Research performed at Colleges may use federal money but it's not run federally. It's still a private institution. Take Virginia Tech for example.

[Garcia Bronco]

No it's about money, you have it you can go where the few go, to private school, you don't you go where everyone else goes.

I got loans to pay for private school, so that's not exactly true either. I come form dirt nothing and payed my way through high school and college.

[Garcia Bronco]

FBI

There is no like business that does what the FBI does, is there?

[Garcia Bronco]

It would be easy for me to blame the public school system , I failed myself , you get what you put in with public Schools , you put 100% in , you get 100% back , you put 10% in , you get 10% back ...... The school system bent over backwards trying to give me an education , even went and scraped the bottom of the barrel and brought in convicts to set us strait .... there was no reaching me ......

Here is a man that takes responsibility and realizes the opportunity with regard to an education.

[TDmvp]

the Government totally Fakes moon landings, secretly tracks Spider ;D , Hides UFOs , and Commits attacks on it's own people WAY better then like businesses ...

Well maybe Garmin could handle Spider

[Meck77]

The government is much better at attracting under achieving people who can't make it in the business world.

[alkemical]

The government is much better at attracting under achieving people who can't make it in the business world.

Uhm, sorry man - I reaaallly disagree with that one.

[Meck77]

Really...Have you dealt with city planners? City Council members? Most of them don't know their own head from their ass when it comes to real estate development or planning a city. Most of what a City Council person does is approve or reject real estate deals.

I've spent years dealing with these people and a typical response from city workers is "Uh that's a pay grade 8 question I'm only a pay grade 6". They love to say that ****. I've dealt with more than a dozen municipalities in Colorado and they are full of failed business people. Maybe your city is different.

I should have been more specific with my comment as I was thinking about government employees on a local level. Think about it. Why would a successful entrepreneur punch a clock for $12.92 per hour and dream of the next pay grade leap to $13.79 per hour after a couple years?

[alkemical]

Really...Have you dealt with city planners? City Council members? Most of them don't know their own head from their ass when it comes to real estate development or planning a city. Most of what a City Council person does is approve or reject real estate deals.

I've spent years dealing with these people and a typical response from city workers is "Uh that's a pay grade 8 question I'm only a pay grade 6". They love to say that ****. I've dealt with more than a dozen municipalities in Colorado and they are full of failed business people. Maybe your city is different.

I should have been more specific with my comment as I was thinking about government employees on a local level. Think about it. Why would a successful entrepreneur punch a clock for $12.92 per hour and dream of the next pay grade leap to $13.79 per hour after a couple years?



Ya, and i've worked for many fortune 1000 companies - and i can tell ya - those types of people you are describing - exist in private business too. Don't believe me? That's cool - but i've worked for, and dealt with: hershey's, RR Donnelly, Mindspring/Earthlink, Goldman Sachs, Rite-Aid, Case-New Holland, Axiom, ATT, etc (To name just a few) - and i can tell ya - stupid is everywhere.

[Meck77]

stupid is everywhere.

I can't argue with that but fortune 500 companies are expected to make money. When they don't heads roll. When governments fail to deliver with budgets on projects they still get their fat pay checks and they raise taxes.

The world needs people to suck on the tit of government to make things work I suppose.

[alkemical]

I can't argue with that but fortune 500 companies are expected to make money. When they don't heads roll. When governments fail to deliver with budgets on projects they still get their fat pay checks and they raise taxes.

Heads rolling is a misnomer. Look i've also worked for Labor & Industry for the Commonwealth of PA, and worked for the DoD - so trust me man - it's not exactly SOOOO different in private industry as in gov't. It's just DIFFERENT.

[kappys]

Absolutely is it. Didn't they teach you that at W&M. Research performed at Colleges may use federal money but it's not run federally. It's still a private institution. Take Virginia Tech for example.

The federal government doles out the money to those applicants it deems most worthy of it - hence they direct the nature of scientific research.

[W*GS]

BTW, what would you consider an acceptable income tax rate for yourself, and for folks in the following categories:
1. <$20k
2. $20k to $50k;
3. $50k to $75k;
4. $75k to $100k;
5. over $100k.

Since no-one else has seen fit to answer this, I will.

I support abolishing the income tax and replacing it with consumption taxes. Food and medicine would be exempt. I would also get rid of the per-child deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, plus a whole slew of others.

I'd also keep the consumption tax to under %20 - if that's not sufficient to run the government, don't raise it - trim spending.

[elsid13]

Absolutely is it. Didn't they teach you that at W&M. Research performed at Colleges may use federal money but it's not run federally. It's still a private institution. Take Virginia Tech for example.

This is how grants work. Either the federal agency (usually DOD/DARPA) put out a request to number of universities for research area that that agency will review, approve, monitor and own at end or the individual at the universities will write a request for basic area that NSF or NIH are currently funding research (avian flu as an example) , if the request is approve and fund are approved and provide with a deliverable that is usually in public domain. Sometimes Congress gets involved place a certain earmark in agency budget for research.

The DOD also have program the University Demo Program were place like John Hopkins Applied Research Lab are set up to provide access and funds engineering . The professors become government employees and are allowed to continue to work university for number of reasons.

Or course this isn't talking at all about the Federal Funded Research Centers (quasi-private) organization developed to do research for the public good. Forget to talk about the SBIR (Small Business Innovate Research) program whcih is does the same thing.

[kappys]

Since no-one else has seen fit to answer this, I will.

I support abolishing the income tax and replacing it with consumption taxes. Food and medicine would be exempt. I would also get rid of the per-child deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, plus a whole slew of others.

I'd also keep the consumption tax to under %20 - if that's not sufficient to run the government, don't raise it - trim spending.

I've long supported a prgoressive sales tax

Food/medicine are free
Most conusumer goods/anythhing less than say $200 - 10%
Higher value goods - 15-20%
Autos - based on value, those that cost in lower 1/3 = 10%, mid 1/3 = 20%, upper 1/3 = 30%
30% for luxury goods - jewelry, boats, planes, etc.
30+% on alcohol and tobacco

[Spider]

the Government totally Fakes moon landings, secretly tracks Spider ;D , Hides UFOs , and Commits attacks on it's own people WAY better then like businesses ...

Well maybe Garmin could handle Spider

I have always wondered what the red light on my Dash is .... oh they tried to tell me it was My ABS system on my trailer , but I think it is a secret tracking device and when the government is ready , they will activate me to go punch Putin and Garmin , and Janet jackson in the throat .........Or it could be just the ABS system ;D

[Rohirrim]

Since no-one else has seen fit to answer this, I will.

I support abolishing the income tax and replacing it with consumption taxes. Food and medicine would be exempt. I would also get rid of the per-child deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, plus a whole slew of others.

I'd also keep the consumption tax to under %20 - if that's not sufficient to run the government, don't raise it - trim spending.

Having the worst income disparities in the western world, and the worst since the Depression, isn't good enough for you?

[Bronco Bob]

There is no like business that does what the FBI does, is there?

Then you agree there are things that only the government can do.

[Bronco Bob]

I can't argue with that but fortune 500 companies are expected to make money. When they don't heads roll.

If you consider $million golden parachutes as heads rolling.

[alkemical]

Since no-one else has seen fit to answer this, I will.

I support abolishing the income tax and replacing it with consumption taxes. Food and medicine would be exempt. I would also get rid of the per-child deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, plus a whole slew of others.

I'd also keep the consumption tax to under %20 - if that's not sufficient to run the government, don't raise it - trim spending.

W*gs, i'm going to be real simple on this:

If ALL my taxes (minus consumption taxes - meaning state/local/fed) - if that would be 15% or less, i'd be thrilled.

[W*GS]

Having the worst income disparities in the western world, and the worst since the Depression, isn't good enough for you?

I don't get your connection. Please elucidate.

[Garcia Bronco]

Then you agree there are things that only the government can do.

In this case it hasn't been tried, but I wouldn't want private industry in law enforcement. I do think that a private industry could run it better and more efficently from a cost perspective.

[Garcia Bronco]

Since no-one else has seen fit to answer this, I will.

I support abolishing the income tax and replacing it with consumption taxes. Food and medicine would be exempt. I would also get rid of the per-child deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, plus a whole slew of others.

I'd also keep the consumption tax to under %20 - if that's not sufficient to run the government, don't raise it - trim spending.

I think 5 percent across the board is acceptable.

[alkemical]

In this case it hasn't been tried, but I wouldn't want private industry in law enforcement. I do think that a private industry could run it better and more efficently from a cost perspective.

yes, they could outsource it. :)