Name:	lucky67 -	Reply
Subject:	Thought to ponder
Date:	2/2/2016 7:53:37 AM

Please 

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Thought to ponder
Date:	2/2/2016 8:28:37 AM

Good joke LB

Good reply GF

It is not the bum (excuse me...homeless person) on the corner the little girl (we) need to be concerned about...if he is physically and mentally able and refuses work when offered he gets no sympathy from me.  For me it is the single mom with 3 kids who works 60 hours a week and still can't pay the rent...yeah yeah yeah, she shouldn't have had the kids...she did, they are a walking around on the ground reality, too late to condemn her past actions.  You guys need to show the same concern and compassion for the kids here now walking around on the ground as you show for a fetus in the womb!

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Thought to ponder
Date:	2/2/2016 9:57:10 AM

Any suggestions or do you think they would have been better off aborted.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/2/2016 10:30:03 AM

All these people who are against abortion are only too happy to cut the benefits of pre-school and school children, i.e. Headstart programs, hot lunch programs, and after-school care, not to mention the Medicaid so many of them have to rely on for health care.  Their attitude is "protect the fetus", but then forget about them after they are born.  It makes absolutely no sense. 

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/2/2016 10:46:34 AM

It is always interesting and a bit disturbing how so many of the strongest "pro lifers" seem to,in the final analysis, believe that as far as the government action is concerned "life begins at conception and ends at birth"!

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	No Harry
Date:	2/2/2016 10:53:08 AM

As to what to do with the homeless I don't have any suggestions, do you?  It would have been his mother's decision as for whether or not he should be aborted, not your's or mine.  And he would be niether better or worse off if he had been aborted because he would not exist for such a question to be asked...that is a hard statement, but it is the truth!

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/2/2016 11:27:32 AM

Some or maybe even most but not all.

Name:	Council Rock Doc -	Reply
Subject:	Thought to ponder
Date:	2/2/2016 11:48:58 AM

Archie,

They are not starving.  They are not going uneducated.  They are not going without unlimited gratis healthcare.  They are not without lodging.  They are not freezing on cold nights.  They are not without transportation.  ETC, ETC...There is a safety net.  However, they are without job opportunities thanks to this administration.

Name:	Council Rock Doc -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/2/2016 11:56:31 AM

Archie,

Any day and twice on Sundays I will challenge you to put your wallet where your mouth is.  My gratis care in both time and money provided over the course of my career should put your argument to rest.   Why is it that those who call for more concern and caring for the poor and disadvantaged, call on others to foot said bill?  Is my time or money less valuable than yours?

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Thought to ponder
Date:	2/2/2016 2:09:39 PM

Doc, I know you will be unable to recognize this fact but it is a fact...more than 4 times as many jobs have been created in the last 7 years than the previous 8.

Here is another fact...Obama deserves little or no credit and Bush deserves little or no blame.

Bottom line, it is not true that there are fewer job opportunities available today because of Obama!  Keep believing and spouting the "talking points" points to your heart's content and I will keep believing the verifiable facts whether economic or scientific.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/2/2016 5:52:20 PM

A lot of us do donate money for programs for children, especially disadvantaged children.  I would be willing to pay additional taxes to keep these programs alive.  While I don't approve of how their parents conduct their lives, but I don't see why kids should have to pay the price. 

 I have no doubt tht you donate your time and skills gratis, and thank you for doing that.  We all know that but for the kindness of a few, these kids would have no hope at all.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 8:40:06 AM

I would point out that it was Democrats that took hundreds of billions from Medicare to give the false notion that Obamacare wasn't going to be as expensive as it has been.  Not one Republican voted for it.  Perhaps you can point out where the GOP has reduced Medicare funding.  

As for the other programs, I and most conservatives have no problem with the government assisting the truly needy, although private charities do it much more efficiently.  But that is a far cry from creating dependence on government which is always a mistake.  I paid for my children's schooling and food, why do you think I should also pay for everyone else's too?  If they are truly needy then I am all for helping out but many of these programs are designed to create dependency and that destroys a persons dignity.  We believe in personal responsibility and nothing more.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 4:43:52 PM

Medicaid, not Medicare.  Remember that the states were supposed to put more money into Medicaid, but then states like Alabama refused to do so.

In principle, I agree with you that parents should be responsible for their kids education and activities. I used to hate it in VA because in the Fall, everyone would be bringing in catalogs of expensive but worthless crap that their kids had to sell, because the school required it.  And other places I worked, I would be acosted by some group or another selling CrispyCream donuts for this or that activity. 

But on the other hand, there are those kids whose family is poor or hardly exists, and those kids really need the promise of a free hot lunch, Head start or other things these programs, funded by taxpayers, provide for them.  I don't like welfare any more than you do fir the same reason - it makes people dependent and teaches them that they don't have to work - but those are adults and I hate for young kids for the sins of the adults.  I have empathy for those kids, becasue it is not their fault. 

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 5:16:33 PM

I share your frustration with schools.  Far too much money goes into administration and not enough for good teachers, supplies, etc.  But when you have teacher's unions in bed with politicians it seems unsolvable.

I agree that the children are not responsible for the behavior of the parents.  It is a delicate balancing act to provide the proper level of support while not creating dependency.  I am reminded of the results of welfare reform as an example of how to change the dynamic.  People went and got a job when they realized the gravy train was over.  As it says in the bible, the poor will always be with us.  I prefer private charity because they are more efficient in allocating funds (many of them anyway).  But with government these programs always turn into vote buying schemes.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 5:32:55 PM

Sadly, you are right.  But then everything is political fodder for votes these days. 

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 8:33:06 PM (updated 2/3/2016 8:33:39 PM)

And the programs beget massive bureaucracies filled with faceless government workers who pull wages above the going rate for danm little productive work.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 8:53:26 PM

You know, I don't really care who runs these programs; and you are right, they would likely have to set up a new organiztion to run it.  Of course, these days they would probably staff it with nameless, faceless contractors, since they reduced the size of government.  Since AL Gore's "reinventing government" they reduced the number of federal employees and hired contractors to do the work.  I've known contractors that were really good, and I've known some that weren't worth killing.  And when I was still working, it had gotten to the point that contactors sat in the same office with the feds, did the same job and one couldn't tell one from another. 

But if someone in the private sector wants to manage these kinds of programs, I'm fine with it.  But I don't see a profit in it that would make it attractive to a private sector.  But maybe a non-profit. 

Name:	Council Rock Doc -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/3/2016 9:13:48 PM

Hound,

But the point is that you nor I nor anyone should have to pay more taxes for creating the safety net for our own citizens.  If the numbers I read are correct, our Foreign Aid payments alone per year are 1% of our 4 Trillion dollar budget.  That is 40 Billion dollars that we give out to grease palms of foreign gov'ts to get them to do what we want.  Now they take the money and do what they want anyway.  Time to reign in our foreign aid budget, (which does not even consider what we pay for foreign defense ).  

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/3/2016 10:57:15 PM

I am one of those nameless, faceless contractors....lol.  At the moment my primary objective is to get the job done in spite of my Government customer.....who is about to get fired for incompetence....my company program manager knows I was hired because a very good Govie friend told them to hire me to clean up their mess....she wanted me to pledge loyalty to the company and I refused, simply stating my loyalty was to getting the job done and if she would leave me alone to do it the company would be the winner.

Military, Government Civilian, Contractor.....you will always have dedicated servants and dolts....I agree DoD has more of the former but is not without the latter.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Amen Architect
Date:	2/4/2016 10:49:18 AM

I have to agree with you.  And I have worked with a lot of program offices in all the services  and for some reason, they seem like a magnet for the incompetent.  At least they had the good sense to bring in someone to fix the mess.  I have found that either they get entrenched with group think, or they get so impressed with being innovative, they will not listen to anyone who tries to bring them back to reality. 

From a distance of being retired since 2006, I don't defend the federal workforce.  There are the brilliant, the dedicated, those with great ideas and those with no ideas.  The arcane personnel system requires 2 years of dedicated documenting to fire anyone.  Sometimes the incompetent get promoted and political appointees are a problem.  I thought the State Department, and Commerce had perhaps more than their share on incompetence, and the NSC is filled with more than their share of 26year olds that in their experience, think they know everything.  But I have also found that in big companies, there are the same mix of people.  

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/4/2016 11:07:58 AM

Couldn't agree with you more.  We give and there isn't any quid pro quo.  One only need to look at Israel - $1.6 billion a year with thanks to President Carter.  The quid pro quo was that they didn't fight with Egypt anymore, and that money was supposed to be spent in the U.S. for their legitimate defense needs.  They no more got it, and they rebelled against spending it with U.S companies, claiming "unique" requirements.  They spend that money on building up their defense industry, and their companies now compete with U.S. companies, and complain about the U.S.  And I wonder which group in Egypt is getting the $1.3 B that we give to Eqypt. 

Last year, when Obama went to Africa, he promised them $600M.  Whenever any senior official travels anywhere, there is always a pot sweetener or something they can leave on the table -either in money, support, or equipment. 

And in return for our generosity, they force our companies into complicated off set arrangements. 

Every time anything happens anywhere, we rush to provide all this support, without reqard to the skimming by corrupt leadership in these countries and the lack of distribution systems to get the provisions, money, etc to the people that need it. 

And then there is Afghanistan.  Billions and billions of dolllars spent on Nation-building, roads, a $40M gas station, Italian goats that were procured for them to replace their goat herds that were killed in the cross fire, so they could generate more income by selling the goat fur.. but it seems they were eaten, and no one can explain where the money how the money was spent n a $40M gas station.  And then there were the millions spent to buy off and "reward" tribal leaders.  They don't love us, they will never love us no matter how many billions we spend there. 

Name:	Council Rock Doc -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/5/2016 10:12:44 AM

Hound,

Thanks for brightening my day.  Does Trump even stand a chance at changing this foreign money policy?

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Indeed Hound
Date:	2/5/2016 2:19:21 PM

Well, if you like I will recite for your the "benefits" of foreign aid......

One of the things I like about Trump is that I think he will seek a quid pro quo for agreements and foreign aid.  He wrote the Art of the Deal.  My only fear with Trump is that he will quickly get frustrated at how hard it is to get things done in Washington.  It can be glacieral  And there are a lot of egos, just as large as his, there.