10-14-2019, 11:35 PM
(10-14-2019, 10:12 PM)Kinser79 Wrote:(10-14-2019, 09:17 PM)Ragnarök_62 Wrote: 1. Certainly agree with local government handling cops,firemen, prisons, and most roads. I'd of course like to nuke private prisons since their lobbying tends to provide and incentive to jail folks for almost nothing.
2. Medicare for all would also offload medical care from the employment costs. It would also allow folks to change jobs if so desired since healthcare isn't part of that equation.
3. OK, well the Republicans need to get off this Dat's socialist for things in Norway, Sweden, etc. I've heard our Republicans in Oklahoma call these countries socialist.
4. Wrt. your examples of local governments. Hey, can't disagree. Those are examples of some sort of spoils system along with cronyism. They forgot that tax donkeys can move away along with the destructive effect of taxes being too high. It doesn't help to have sanctuaries for illegal aliens either. In fact, Illinois's taxes are so messed up, it's in a death spiral at present. They should do what Oklahoma did and do something about pensions. Obviously, California has problems with the lights staying on.... sort of like Venezuela . As for the cities you mentioned, yeah, I don't want to live in shitholes either. Typhus isn't my idea of a good time.
5. On the other side their are indeed the Red variety of shitholes as well. Alabama is a shithole because their justice system is all fucked up. Folks die in their jails at too high a rate. Our next door neighbor Kansas became a shithole from too much cost cutting. There are costs that can be cut that I'd like. I'd love to delete all tax breaks.
If some government wants to encourage something, don't use a tax break, use an appropriation so it's all out in the open and a fixed cost can be assigned. Oklahoma has some shithole tendencies due to private prisons. We need criminal justice reform bit time. The folks who designed out medical marijuana referendum made it impossible for the fucking religious right from mucking things up with their elected buddies.
As to 1: I'd favor a constitutional amendment requiring that the detention of prisoners be held either directly by the states or the Federal government. Anything else leads to attempting to profit on the misery of others and ultimately isn't what a prison system should be used for. The goal of a prison should be to reform those who can be reformed and remove from society those who cannot. A profit simply shouldn't be made off of that.
As to 2: Myself I'd prefer an all private system, particularly a system where in one buys their own damn insurance and doesn't get any handouts from the government to buy it. Seeing as Taxation is legitimized theft the government really creates no wealth it only can move it around. That being said, failing that, then the government should take the whole works over like the UK.
Either way healthcare is a finite resource and you end up either paying in dollars or time. Just ask a Canadian about their system sometime--we have plenty down here and they mostly hate that they have to wait months and months to even see a doctor.
As to 3: Have you ever considered that these particular Republicans are morons? Politics does not usually attract the best and brightest regardless of party.
As to 5: With Kansas they went too far into cutting. That can happen and when it does the results are usually bad. As for Alabama, it has always been fucked up and it is unlikely to ever get un-fucked up unless they toss the whole works out and start from scratch and I'm not holding my breath for that.
I would say that Oklahoma is a bit behind the times if the Evangelo-Cons are still in charge of the GOP there. Give it a cycle or two.
Basically agree with the above except:
1"...Buy your own insurance". It's a tradeoff. I prefer paying taxes as opposed to " the risk of having a car wreck or some major health issue crop up and sending my ability to pay to 0". So I think risk tolerance as well as assorted political stances play a risk in a preferred policy.
2. As for our "Evangelo-Cons", I hope your right. They don't like all of the "dopers" as per a work buddy. I think they need to get a license and see what it's all about. No Big Pharma needed. Like you know, Amnesia Haze is the best I've found so far for colitis.
---Value Added 