Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party |
- Americans depend more on federal aid than ever
- The entitlement crisis: How Obama’s health plan will add to the nation’s debt burden
- Restricting firearms makes us less safe
| Americans depend more on federal aid than ever Posted: 26 Apr 2011 12:35 PM PDT By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY | 4/26/2011 Americans depended more on government assistance in 2010 than at any other time in the nation’s history, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data finds. The trend shows few signs of easing, even though the economic recovery is nearly 2 years old. A record 18.3% of the nation’s total personal income was a payment from the government for Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, unemployment benefits and other programs in 2010. Wages accounted for the lowest share of income — 51.0% — since the government began keeping track in 1929. The income data show how fragile and government-dependent the recovery is after a recession that officially ended in June 2009. The wage decline has continued this year. Wages slipped to another historic low of 50.5% of personal income in February. Another government effort — the Social Security payroll tax cut — has lifted income in 2011. The temporary tax cut puts more money in workers’ pockets and counts as an income boost, even when wages stay the same. From 1980 to 2000, government aid was roughly constant at 12.5%. The sharp increase since then — especially since the start of 2008 — reflects several changes: the expansion of health care and federal programs generally, the aging population and lingering economic problems. |
| The entitlement crisis: How Obama’s health plan will add to the nation’s debt burden Posted: 26 Apr 2011 12:29 PM PDT Buffalo News editorial | 4/20/2011 President Obama's preparation for the presidency was a career in helping the poor through funds provided by the government. He had no experience in economics. His cause was So now that we are faced with an economic crisis of debt that could severely wound the country, he is ill-equipped to face the problem. It is only under duress that he has been forced to address it. The crisis we have is partially caused by unlimited spending by the legislative and executive branches. But the real culprits that have to be addressed are the three big entitlements: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Between them they represent the majority of the nation's non-military expenditures. Elected officials are afraid to correct the situation because they believe they will suffer defeat at election time. If this isn't bad enough, we have Obamacare in the wings. It is highly unpopular because it is poor legislation and does nothing to address the main problem—skyrocketing health care costs paid by American families. Raising the age on future recipients of Social Security to 69 is certainly a benign move. People are living longer, in better health and working longer. They don't need early retirement and the country can't afford it. |
| Restricting firearms makes us less safe Posted: 26 Apr 2011 12:23 PM PDT Monday, 25 April 2011 11:43 Written by Erich Pratt | USA Today Several states are passing Stand Your Ground laws and loosening their concealed carry laws, making it easier for people to defend themselves … and that's a good thing. Consider what happens when decent people can't protect themselves. Amanda Collins was a student at University of Nevada's Reno campus in 2007. Even though she had a concealed carry permit, she was unarmed the night she was brutally raped by James Biela. She had left her gun at home because she was scared of what could happen to her if she was caught disobeying the laws prohibiting firearms on campus. Amanda feels certain she could have used her gun successfully that night. "I would have at some point during my rape been able to stop James Biela," she said. Amanda has reason to be confident. There are women today who have escaped the ugliness of rape because a gun was nearby.last year. Craig Kizer jumped on the sleeping teenager but was forced to flee the house after the teen grabbed a knife and the mom entered the room with a firearm, police said. |
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