Dave, You make good points and I acknowledge them...But as you also live in Florida run to the back window and watch the rain pour down, then quickly run to the front window and enjoy the sunshine and make plans for a beautiful day. We all see the rainbow spectrum through our own eyes and "in the moment" we decide on the depth of the beauty of it. When I think of the of government I agree with George that the less intrusive it is the more it is held in high regard. Yes we have roads, police and teachers and we can all agree we appreciate these things. But we also are the people who pay for them even though our involvement in how, when and why these cost are paid and used in government is very limited regardless that we are the folks paying the bills. Remember government is also responsible for every military man and woman killed and injured in not only the current wars but every other war we have been in. I know you have sons you love and cherish as I do, how would you feel if they were killed in a senseless war that no one will remember the reason we were there. I manage a large farming investment of 3,000 acres 30 miles from town, we employ up to 300 workers during our peak season. We have no fire hydrants, fire protection, sidewalks, sewer, water, limited police intervention, high speed internet or roads on our property other than what we have invested and built for ourselves. But we manage to pay $100,000 per year in property taxes. What do we get for the money we pay into the system? What we get is more government intervention like the local county testing my well water because its a business and classified as it was a restaurant. It's only $350 per year for a 10 minute inspection but mandatory. Or you can have the USDA come in and tell you that a dozen trees have a new disease so we must burn those trees but we will not only burn only those trees but burn a 1900' circle around every diseased tree. So a dozen trees turns into 100,000 trees and soon your profitable business is losing a million dollars per year. And while the burning is going on very important minimum wage officials with badges to prove their worth tell you to get out of the way and that you have no say in the matter. Then to add salt to an open wound the USDA decides that the issue on the new disease is a no win situation and pulls out with no apology. The result of this is the business you have built is decimated with blow flies on the rotten fruit of the upside down trees and you have no say or choice but to pick up the pieces. But it could be worse we only lost a million dollars per year for five years and your bring home pay which is dependent on the net revenue is 50% less than what you hoped for. As I mentioned above with Obama, his ideology is much different than mine and I have no love or affection for government. I must be looking out a different window than the one he is using or your for that matter the one you are looking through...
I can think of a few that may fit that category.....Iraq for one. I grew up in Florida....in Jacksonville......industrial Jacksonville. Without a doubt this state is more pristine....more beautiful and full of wildlife and birds 31 years later than I can ever remember it as a child. All of those efforts to clean up the waste and regulate those that would destroy my wonderful state have been very well worth it to me and I so applaud all of those forward thinking people that had a hand in not only preserving but improving it for my return. And then we have a guy....an outsider....a non-Floridian like Rick Scott who wanted to bully through legislation that would make it off limits for any group or community to stand in the way of zoning changes that anyone wanted for developmental or industrial reasons. No thanks.....I have seen the butt-ugliness of places like the south of Chicago.....industrial areas of south Detroit....etc...etc etc... It was disgusting and I can't imagine anyone trying to make a life in such brutal environmental wastelands. Rick Scott is an asshole.
Not at all Dave. Dangerous implies reckless. I am a danger to those that would do me harm. I'm a teddy bear to those that wish me no harm. That is a "In control Dude". My emotions do not control me. Logic, perception, and attention in public is what drives me. I am proactive so I don't have to become reactive. I am the type person that is always checking my peripheral vision. I teach Cindy to do the same thing by seeing something and asking her where the "xxxxx" is. Fill in the x's with any object. I want her to be constantly aware of what is around her. The key to staying out of trouble is knowing where the trouble is and giving it a wide birth. I don't go looking for trouble, but I am always looking out for trouble to avoid situations.
Enough government to protect and preserve the freedoms for which the Pilgrims crossed the pond and our Founding Fathers risked death and fought a war against the world's greatest power, not too much to impinge upon those very freedoms...... The views and philosophical footing of this President and his party are in direct and stark contrast to those that formed the basis of our country and evidenced the immense wisdom of our Founding Fathers.....the decline of this great society is as a direct result of our departure from those basic principles......imho Why is it that you somehow believe that this current version of societal sheperds Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the Hungarian Soros have superior vision to that of Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Adams, et al ? Seriously?
You have a point Gip and no doubt it is Hamilton's fault that we're borrowing massive sums daily from our most threatening strategic competitor - China - in order for us to have enough cash to pay our own citizens not to work...... Clearly a successful business model if ever there was one......
No ill wished on you BT but it would be...let's say......useful.....if you were suddenly thrust into a position of having to run your own household on minimum wage. Everyone out there with no job isn't a dirt bag scum......
I agree with you..... Your turn.... Do you really believe that Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the great patriotic Hungarian are even in the same wisdom universe with our Founding Fathers? Do you really believe that the Founding Fathers got it so wrong that these giants of society need to p!ss all over many of the most fundamental of the values held so dear to us at the birth of our country in favor of their own designs for the conduct of our society? Really?
Neither side.....GOP, Dems or even the Tea Party can operate with the purity of the heart that our founding fathers had the luxury of. Too much baggage is an unfortunate part of our nation's politics and it is dragging us down.
Funny Ralph.....but none of that existed prior to 2009? It was non-existent for W's 8 years? That's OK.....the GOP legions believe it so I guess.... :roll:
I take that as a no.....the question the lib/dems have to answer then is why are you supportive and indeed actively pursue policy actions and initiatives that are in direct contradiction of those core values that gave birth to this great nation? Simple question.....