Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Where Is the Wealth of Nations?

[Rick <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Mon, 2007-10-15 at 15:01 -0500, Mike Miller wrote:

> I'm not familiar enough with the current system that I would be able to 
> characterize it accurately.  Are you saying that the government currently 
> is only giving money to people and not doing things that encourage those 
> people to move their lives forward?  My wife is a social worker and I can 
> tell you for sure that she and her employer do a lot to help people to 
> improve their lived, but those people are all disabled in some way (mental 
> illness, brain injury or debilitation due to old age).
> 

Well, having seen it from the other side, as a credit manager for a
lease to own place, I can assure you that there are a significant number
of folks who tell their social worker one thing and do something
different. Where we're talking about the disabled and mentally
challenged, my rules change considerably, especially for disabled
veterans. But, those are specific instances which I believe are already
treated differently.

> I think you are basically right in your attitude.  I don't know enough 
> about current programs to critique them.  I think there is a huge amount 
> of variation from state to state.
> 

While I'm ecstatic that you approve of my opinion, your second sentence
contains the real issue here. This job belongs to the state/local level,
not the federal government. 

> I'll let Vern respond to your accusation that he is "dead weight" that 
> "the rest of us have to carry around."  I think you probably misunderstood 
> something.
> 

Hrm...

> > The way I see it, the democrats want to provide handouts to the
> needy by 
> > taking it from the rich. I like to say that this is a lot like
> feeding 
> > the wild bears at Yosemite. There are signs all over that say,
> "Don't 
> > feed the bears" why is that? Because if you feed the bears, they
> become 
> > dependent on it and become dangerous when the handouts stop.
> 
> Now that you've had your government handouts, are you dangerous?  In
> what 
> sense has the government made you dangerous?
> Mike


I thought we were talking about bears. =)

As previously stated, there's a big difference between a handout, as in
being given money, and a hand-up, as in guaranteeing a loan that you
still have to pay back, with interest. 

Additionally, the college loan is actually a twofold benefit because
you've not only decreased the number of people who are likely to rely on
an entitlement program, but you've probably increased the net worth of
that individual which translates very directly into increased future tax
revenues for said person. Not to complicated.

Rick

-- 
Society has always seemed to demand a little more from human beings than
it will get in practice. 
George Orwell


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