What DOES the US Fed. Govt do Well?

[my2¢]

I suppose it does most things well enough that I don't even notice them and am not sitting around concerned about anything.

You must be earning minimum wage if you don't notice the Feds when you get paid.

Nah, I've got all I need and so their cut doesn't affect my life style.

 

[flacaltenn]

WHY don't u tell us where gov has failed ?

IS it the gov created internet that u are using?

Govt didn't CREATE the Internet. BBN and other consultants did. The Govt ADAPTED the communications protocol to make a ruggedized and more survivable comm network. It would have happened anyways and 95% of the infrastructure and operating code were privately developed and funded.

Govt rarely INVENTS anything. They may be the 1st customer.. Like in the case of the "integrated circuit". But they are not very equipped at all for internal R&D except in the Medical Field and some military specialties.

The BiG exception that I noted before is the Intel areas. THESE are bastions of competence in the Fed Govt. It is awesome and creative power. But they are NOT micro-managed. Only a handful of leadership knows what they do or even how much it costs. I worked in that area and will always be in awe. I also worked at Kennedy Space Center briefly but fled because of the calcified, overmanaged and underpaid contractors that did all the science and engineering for the Shuttle. It was not real innovative or exciting technology. By the time it flew -- it was years obsolete.

 

[OnePercenter]

You are either really confused or in the wrong thread. We are discussing Social Security.

Social Security has a 2 trillion dollar 'surplus' that has grown every year for decades.

If SS is doing so great, why do they want to keep increasing the age you can collect?

Sounds great on paper, but do you want to see a 66 year old guy collecting your trash? Do you want to see a 66 year old roofer carrying bundles of shingles up two stories to the job site, or a bricklayer laborer carrying 8" blocks to the job sites?

It's not a solution to our SS problem.

Congress having stole all our money is hoping people will die before they can collect a dime of SS. Can you imagine your average 70 year old still working on the factory floor, DUMB!

Or even my job for instance. Do you want to be the vehicle in front of me when I'm 67 years old on a snowy day when the traffic suddenly stops and I'm driving my tractor-trailer weighing 75,000 lbs?

I've been sick most of my entire adult life so I don't plan on living a real long time. But, I can't trust our federal government for support. That's why I'm still a landlord after all these years and still contribute to our companies IRA plan just in case. I only wish I had all the money I (and my employers) put into Social Security and invested it myself. I would be able to retire early and have more money to spend.

Or having 68 year guys on my roof in the Summer laying tiles? I thought the left was more compassionate than that...

The left is? It's the right that doesn't want to pay people. Quit lying.

 

[OnePercenter]

You are either really confused or in the wrong thread. We are discussing Social Security.

Social Security has a 2 trillion dollar 'surplus' that has grown every year for decades.

If SS is doing so great, why do they want to keep increasing the age you can collect?

Sounds great on paper, but do you want to see a 66 year old guy collecting your trash? Do you want to see a 66 year old roofer carrying bundles of shingles up two stories to the job site, or a bricklayer laborer carrying 8" blocks to the job sites?

It's not a solution to our SS problem.

Congress having stole all our money is hoping people will die before they can collect a dime of SS. Can you imagine your average 70 year old still working on the factory floor, DUMB!

Or even my job for instance. Do you want to be the vehicle in front of me when I'm 67 years old on a snowy day when the traffic suddenly stops and I'm driving my tractor-trailer weighing 75,000 lbs?

I've been sick most of my entire adult life so I don't plan on living a real long time. But, I can't trust our federal government for support. That's why I'm still a landlord after all these years and still contribute to our companies IRA plan just in case. I only wish I had all the money I (and my employers) put into Social Security and invested it myself. I would be able to retire early and have more money to spend.

Dude, the Dem's proposed seizing your IRA a few years ago. It pains them they have to wait until you die or retire to begin collecting taxes on IRA's. I am forced to pay the maximum into SS every year, yet all the money I have had seized they have already spent.

Another lie

IRAs, 401(k)s and You - FactCheck.org

 

[Marion Morrison]

The question, jillian, is do they do any of that well? I submit that a two billion dollar airplane that can be knocked out of the sky by a bird strike is not a very good investment. I submit that Social Security is in debt up to it's eyeballs and that by the time my daughter would hope to be receiving her "benefits" she will be getting nothing for all of the tens of thousands that she will have "given" the government. The VA? How many dead veterans before their time does it take to wake you up on that issue? Or how about the billions in Medicare fraud that is allowed to occur every year?

You see jillian, it is not the fact that they do it, anyone can do a job using other peoples money. A monkey could do it. The question is do they do it well and arguably I can't think of a single program that the US government does now that can be considered a good job.

Ronald Reagan and The Great Social Security Heist : FedSmith.com

April 20, 1983, The day of shame.

Why did the theft NOT STOP under Carter, Clinton, Obama? Why is it an "untouchable" subject? Every American worker is being ROBBED TWICE for the same contribution.. How come NOBODY in leadership will even acknowledge the $30 or $40Bill deficits that are NOW "covered" by China buying NEW Treasury debt? Why did both parties and the media CONDONE the lie -- that there was anything valuable in the SS Trust Fund? 80% of America still BELIEVES that lie..

And since they not only mismanaged, but ROBBED that "Universal Program" and then largely LIED about it --- give me one good reason why we should trust them any NEW "Universal" anything..

It's because of incompetence and lack of leadership - that's why. The 2 parties just fight for control of the cash machine. YOU don't count for much. Neither do your reps in Congress.

YET -- Every day on USMB -- the partisan wars drone on. AS THO --- re-electing one corrupt dysfunctional team over the other is gonna MAKE the Massive overgrown govt more professional and effective.

And now, the truth.

Social Security Bunk - Again - FactCheck.org

Go start a thread about the $TRILLS of dollars in liquid assets in the SS Trust Fund. I'll end it by page3. Along with your belief in the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. Done this 5 times -- you and your fucking fact checker will lose. There is NOTHING with which to pay bills in the SS Trust fund. It's a book-keeping fiction for worthless IOUs. Nothing was "invested". No DEBT was recorded. It was stolen from you when they SPENT the surplus and made no debt entry on the treasury. And NOW they're making debt entries on the Treasury and you're paying to recover the money they STOLE FROM YOU -- with interest.

The true meaning of "dupe" is anyone that doesn't how the current SS shortfalls are paid for.. Or that they were robbed TWICE...

Both the SSA and CBO TELLS you this. It's on the back pages of EVERY annual SSA report. No ones reads the fine print..

Before you start that thread and you and your "factchecker" get demolished -- here's my opening and CLOSING gambit..

Federal Debt and Interest Costs

Gross debt, which comprises federal debt held by the public plus Treasury securities held by federal trust funds and other government accounts, is sometimes used to evaluate the government's overall fiscal situation. At the end of 2010, gross federal debt totaled $13.5 trillion--the $9.0 trillion in debt held by the public plus $4.5 trillion in debt held by government accounts. More than half of the latter amount is held by the Social Security trust funds. Because those trust funds and other government accounts are part of the federal government, transactions between them and the Treasury are intragovernmental; that is, the government securities in those funds are an asset to the individual programs but a liability to the rest of the government. The resources needed to redeem the government securities in the trust funds and other accounts in some future year must be generated from taxes, income from other government sources, or borrowing by the government in that year.

[It's now BORROWING from you to cover the money they stole from you]


http://www.socialsecurity.gov/history/pdf/tr09summary.pdf

Social Security’s annual surpluses
of tax income over expenditures are expected to fall sharply this
year and to stay about constant in 2010 because of the economic recession,
and to rise only briefly before declining and turning to cash flow
deficits beginning in 2016 that grow as the baby-boom generation retires.


The combined difference grows each year, so that by 2016, net revenue
flows from the general fund would total $369 billion (1.8 percent of
GDP). The positive amounts that begin in 2016 for OASDI, and started in
2008 for HI, initially represent payments the Treasury must make to the
trust funds when assets are depleted to help pay benefits in years prior to
exhaustion of the funds. Neither the redemption of trust fund bonds, nor
interest paid on those bonds, provides any new net income to the Treasury, which must finance redemptions and interest payments through some combination of increased taxation, reductions in other government spending, or additional borrowing from the public.


Go for it. Try telling folks there's $2Trill of ANYTHING valuable in the SS Trust Fund...

I'm done with that here..

Fixing the problem is easy.


-Base Federal tax for corporations at 30% of revenue.

-Raise minimum wage to $23.50/hr. Based on where minimum wage should be using 1970-2017 rise in food, shelter, and transportation.

-Eliminate all business subsidies (deductions/write-offs/write-downs) except for employee expenses which are deducted dollar-for-dollar on all city, state, and Federal taxes and fees with the Feds refunding city, State, and fees.

-Companies with unlimited employees; employee expenses above the deduction are subsidized at 100% with funds usually give back to the States.

-Adjust Social Security and private/public retirement and pension payments using 1970-2017 price structure.

-Remove the FICA limit.

-Back down ALL costs, prices, fees, to January 1, 2009 levels and hold them for 10 years which will eliminate inflation.

-Recall ALL off-shore investments tax free, and disallow any further off-shore investments.

-Make inversion illegal.

My plan would reduce business costs for employees and taxes to 30%. That's a 15%-30% drop.

My plan would put BILLIONS into the economy daily.

My plan would put the $100 trillion plus currently owned by corporate America back into the economy.

My plan would end all welfare.

My plan would significantly increase social security and pension payments.

My plan would hold prices for 10 years, thus eliminating inflation.

 

[flacaltenn]

WHY don't u tell us where gov has failed ?

Well right now -- it's totally failing to govern. Both sides. Pretty obvious. I got tired of the Partisan death match and started this thread since virtually NOTHING is happening what with the "resistance" and all. And an imbedded insurgency in the Big Brother domestic spy operation spilling and leaking ultra CLASSIFIED political shit all over the place.

It's also failing on MOST foreign policy. It hasn't CRAFTED budget in over a decade. It's total debt is DOUBLE what it was 10 years ago. And Congress is controlled by 4 people. Because of PARTISAN work rules, not the Constitution. The other 500 might as well go home. They are muzzled and irrevelant. There isn't a "trust fund" that hasn't been raided. Ask the Indians. And we're in the middle of 3 wars and the big Baby Boomer bust that they KNEW was coming and didn't prepare for. O-care is collapsing from neglect and bad design. My toilet and heat pumps dont' work anymore thanks to "govt intervention".. GE pays NO Income Taxes because the govt hands them $60 in tax credits for every "Energy Star" major appliance they sell. And Elon Musk is famous for running 4 companies ALL feasting off the government tit.. While folks would be competing with him stay away from those markets because he's the favorite bitch of the government...

Nope... not even close to done.

Isnt it obvious why all you droids are fighting EACH OTHER over PARTIES??? If you ever stuck your heads out of your bunkers --- you'd see what you're fighting over. And it ain't pretty. The Fed Govt has been WEAPONIZED as a political tool. And the 2 parties get mightily pissed when they are NOT in control of the vending machine. So they WANT you to hate EACH OTHER and not them... Should be obvious. But it's not.. Unfortunately....

 

[flacaltenn]

Social Security has a 2 trillion dollar 'surplus' that has grown every year for decades.

If SS is doing so great, why do they want to keep increasing the age you can collect?

Sounds great on paper, but do you want to see a 66 year old guy collecting your trash? Do you want to see a 66 year old roofer carrying bundles of shingles up two stories to the job site, or a bricklayer laborer carrying 8" blocks to the job sites?

It's not a solution to our SS problem.

Congress having stole all our money is hoping people will die before they can collect a dime of SS. Can you imagine your average 70 year old still working on the factory floor, DUMB!

Or even my job for instance. Do you want to be the vehicle in front of me when I'm 67 years old on a snowy day when the traffic suddenly stops and I'm driving my tractor-trailer weighing 75,000 lbs?

I've been sick most of my entire adult life so I don't plan on living a real long time. But, I can't trust our federal government for support. That's why I'm still a landlord after all these years and still contribute to our companies IRA plan just in case. I only wish I had all the money I (and my employers) put into Social Security and invested it myself. I would be able to retire early and have more money to spend.

Or having 68 year guys on my roof in the Summer laying tiles? I thought the left was more compassionate than that...

The left is? It's the right that doesn't want to pay people. Quit lying.

We're talking about the GOVT EXPECTING ALL Americans to work older. That's not the way careers go in some fields that are brutally physical or tiresome. This "one size fits all" solutions biz stinks. CHOICE is what gets you freedom to thrive. Not taking away choices.

If he OWNS the roofing company, this 68 year old has paid the FULL FREIGHT for FICA over his working life. That's 13+% of his income now. Govt TAKES 13.5% of his income for a retirement insurance plan that he won't be able to use until he's 68.. You think he's gonna be grateful for you saving his "SS payments"?

 

[Lakhota]

NaziCons act like they would prefer government be turned over to corporations. Should we just scrap the Constitution and privatize everything? I don't think that's what the founding fathers had in mind. Nothing works right if it's bastardized. We need to de-bastardize our government.

 

[westwall]

Like he VA hospital? Post office?
Dude, the waste alone from those programs could probably get everyone out of the street.
There is a difference between doing something and doing something well.

The Post Office funds itself.

Ok lol

I don't know why you are laughing when it is true. Do some research and find out how many of your tax dollars it takes to send a letter. The answer is none.

Hmmm. I just did the research and you are not correct.

American taxpayers give an $18 billion gift to the post office every year

"The United States Postal Service's financial troubles have been well publicized in recent years. The worst of it came in 2012, when the USPS lost a whopping $15.9 billion dollars, followed by $4.8 billion and $5.3 billion in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Post office officials have often attributed the losses to the decline in demand for first class mail in favor of more efficient modes of communication, and congressional mandates that the USPS do things like deliver mail on Saturdays and to unprofitable parts of the country. In fact, the USPS claims that if it weren't for such requirements, it would more or less break even.


But as Robert Shapiro—former Treasury undersecretary and chairman of the economic consultancy Sonecon—points out in a new analysis, American taxpayers subsidize the USPS at a rate that surpasses the costs associated with any Congressional mandate. He estimates that, all told, the subsidies and legal monopolies that Congress bestows upon the post office is worth $18 billion annually. These include:"

U.S. Post Office gets an $18 billion gift from taxpayers every year

Financials

Hmmm... I read the article that you didn't and it says that if they didn't have to do all of the BS that the federal government requires them to do, they would break even.

If you look at the numbers, that retirement pre-funding crap is the killer.

The article was written with an agenda.

But it IS factual. Your statement was not.

 

[Skull Pilot]

What's not right about it --- is the dead silence. NOTHING being said about the fact that we are in that SS crisis that everybody warned about for 40 years. That there is NOTHING OF VALUE in the so-called Trust Fund. And EVEN OBAMA wouldn't defend his deficits because it would call attention to the LIE about Soc Sec sitting on MOUNTAINS of valuable paper in the Trust Fund..

INSTEAD -- the 2 parties have us fighting over the results of an election. Literally banging it every hour of every day. And they offered 2 damaged candidates. EITHER OF which were guaranteed to have a fucked up admin full of contention and resistance.

Nobody intends to do any work in DC. They HAVE what THEY WANT.. And now it's all about the power to operate it for THEIR advantage... To be the executors of that power. To dole out handouts to corporations, groups, foreign entities. To place insurgencies into the Deep Intel areas to harass their competiton.

When is America gonna STOP -- voting for these winners and take back the control of their govt? Is it AFTER the Civil War ---- or before???

SS taxes were raised under Reagan to deal with this very SS crisis, the problem is congress stole all our damn money. I laughed when they opposed Bush suggestion that we could invest part of our SS in the stock market. Congress claimed we might lose money on the investments, what vs them stealing every last dime of my money and spending it?

AND where was/is the supposed free press? This is precisely the type of issue they should be spanking congress for and its total silence.

Why if folks actually KNEW then that the SS Trust Fund was robbed clean empty -- Bush MIGHT HAVE CONVINCED people to use the ample surplus (at that time) to defray some REAL future costs. Couldn't have Bush "save the future" for Soc Sec --- can we now???

There's no way to save it short of increasing taxes to create another surplus. But because nothing has changed in DC there is nothing to stop these morons from "borrowing" the surplus again and pissing it away a 2nd time.

IMO SS should be taken away from the Federal government and a non partisan independent body be created to manage it in the best interests of the people with AMPLE safeguards to shield it from corruption and stupidity. If any company had managed a fund as badly as government has managed SS the people would be in prison.

Bush wiped out the surpluses with unnecessary tax cuts.

all a surplus is is a one year stat where the government didn't spend more than it took in

and when we have the debt that we do a one year surplus is meaningless

 

[Skull Pilot]

What's not right about it --- is the dead silence. NOTHING being said about the fact that we are in that SS crisis that everybody warned about for 40 years. That there is NOTHING OF VALUE in the so-called Trust Fund. And EVEN OBAMA wouldn't defend his deficits because it would call attention to the LIE about Soc Sec sitting on MOUNTAINS of valuable paper in the Trust Fund..

INSTEAD -- the 2 parties have us fighting over the results of an election. Literally banging it every hour of every day. And they offered 2 damaged candidates. EITHER OF which were guaranteed to have a fucked up admin full of contention and resistance.

Nobody intends to do any work in DC. They HAVE what THEY WANT.. And now it's all about the power to operate it for THEIR advantage... To be the executors of that power. To dole out handouts to corporations, groups, foreign entities. To place insurgencies into the Deep Intel areas to harass their competiton.

When is America gonna STOP -- voting for these winners and take back the control of their govt? Is it AFTER the Civil War ---- or before???

SS taxes were raised under Reagan to deal with this very SS crisis, the problem is congress stole all our damn money. I laughed when they opposed Bush suggestion that we could invest part of our SS in the stock market. Congress claimed we might lose money on the investments, what vs them stealing every last dime of my money and spending it?

AND where was/is the supposed free press? This is precisely the type of issue they should be spanking congress for and its total silence.

Why if folks actually KNEW then that the SS Trust Fund was robbed clean empty -- Bush MIGHT HAVE CONVINCED people to use the ample surplus (at that time) to defray some REAL future costs. Couldn't have Bush "save the future" for Soc Sec --- can we now???

There's no way to save it short of increasing taxes to create another surplus. But because nothing has changed in DC there is nothing to stop these morons from "borrowing" the surplus again and pissing it away a 2nd time.

IMO SS should be taken away from the Federal government and a non partisan independent body be created to manage it in the best interests of the people with AMPLE safeguards to shield it from corruption and stupidity. If any company had managed a fund as badly as government has managed SS the people would be in prison.

lol, you want SS to put its revenue in a big jar and stash it under a bed somewhere? lol, you're retarded.

so it's better to let the government use it as an off the books slush fund?

and I want to be able to control MY money because handling money is another thing the government sucks at doing

 

[gipper]

Not only does government NOT do anything right but the purposeful harmful actions they take, harm a majority of Americans. However, the 1% does extremely well.

 

[TNHarley]

They run social programs very well and provide a safety net to many who need it.

Like he VA hospital? Post office?
Dude, the waste alone from those programs could probably get everyone out of the street.
There is a difference between doing something and doing something well.

The Post Office funds itself.

That's why it's broke.

its broke because they wont let them make a profit.....

It's supposed to be that way

 

[Skull Pilot]

They run social programs very well and provide a safety net to many who need it.

Like he VA hospital? Post office?
Dude, the waste alone from those programs could probably get everyone out of the street.
There is a difference between doing something and doing something well.

The Post Office funds itself.

That's why it's broke.

its broke because they wont let them make a profit.....

It's supposed to be that way

which is why I use UPS and Fed Ex
Better service better pricing because they actually have to care about their customers the Post office doesnt

 

[Iceweasel]

It's so easy to say "the gov sucks". Sure it ain't perfect , but is it really that bad? You imply private companies do things better , but there's endless stories of private industry fuck ups .

It's just such an easy, and lazy move to shit on the government.

It's so easy because it's so true. anyone with any first hand experience knows. I don't have to pay for private fuckups so you make zero sense.

 

[Iceweasel]

If I recall there were numerous problems with the space program where people died and we had to start over and try again. All human systems are the same, there are no exceptions.

Now just multiply this by ten thousand re medical and scientific research, certification of qualified doctors, meat inspectors, building inspectors, engineering miinimums, etc.


Private companies screw up continuously and it costs people their lives. They don't do anything better than the government because both are simply made up of human beings, most of whom are doing their best.

You know nothing about government. Private business is accountable, they have to survive by making more than they spend. Not true for government. Space X, a private company, is being used now, oops, there goes that theory. Science doesn't advance in the private sector? Most everything around you came from it, including the computer you type your idiotic posts on.

 

[TNHarley]

I'm sure the Donald appreciates all the support guys

 

[gipper]

Like he VA hospital? Post office?
Dude, the waste alone from those programs could probably get everyone out of the street.
There is a difference between doing something and doing something well.

The Post Office funds itself.

That's why it's broke.

its broke because they wont let them make a profit.....

It's supposed to be that way

which is why I use UPS and Fed Ex
Better service better pricing because they actually have to care about their customers the Post office doesnt

I thought this statement profound...anyone else?

The state exists to enforce the dominance of Elites: everything else is propaganda, misdirection and obfuscation.

Of Two Minds - We're in a Boiling-Point Crisis of Exploitive Elites

 

[Harry Dresden]

The Post Office funds itself.

That's why it's broke.

No. The reason it is broke is the federal government requiring it to pre-fund all of the employee retirement benefits, something it requires of no other government organization or private business.

Yes, that's true, but only to make sure it isn't a problem for the taxpayer down the road if they need a rescue.

The PO is their own worst enemy. So many times when they lost my mail I was tempted (or actually did) start paying more of my bills online. Last week I complained about the carrier putting one of my tenants mail in my mailbox. All the mailboxes are clearly marked with the tenants name, but the lazy SOB doesn't want to walk to the next unit to put his mail in the proper box. The woman said she would contact the carrier, and it was fine for about three days. After that, the same shit.

Today I went down there to see if they could trace an envelope I sent two weeks ago where the agent stated they never got it. It had very personal information in it such as my pay stubs, my income tax returns, my insurance companies and so on. They said without the receipt (that I lost) they couldn't do a thing even though the envelope had to be signed for. I should have Fed-Ex'd it.

sounds like you dont have a regular....if you do the person sucks.....

Irrelevant. How regular do you have to be to put the mail in the proper mailbox? I can teach an 8 year old how to do that. Just look at the name on the envelope, match it to the name on the mailbox, and like magic, the mail is properly delivered.

yea it is relevant...a regular carrier who has been on the route awhile knows where everyone is names or not on the boxes and can do his route,usually, in 8,most of them anyway,the reserves are pushed to get done in 8 hours and then go help carry routes that are down,because not enough carriers and if you are on routes you dont know,you can fuck up real easy......and that letter that was "lost" they should have been able to find it, if it was certified....and fedx fucks up too,i have seen that quite a bit on my route...

 

[Harry Dresden]

They run social programs very well and provide a safety net to many who need it.

Like he VA hospital? Post office?
Dude, the waste alone from those programs could probably get everyone out of the street.
There is a difference between doing something and doing something well.

The Post Office funds itself.

That's why it's broke.

its broke because they wont let them make a profit.....

No, it's broke because technology is making them extinct. It's also broke because nobody there seems to give a shit when problems arise.

in letter delivery maybe.....in other parts of the delivery no....and most regulars give a shit about the people they deliver too...i know i did and at christmas my customers showed me they appreciated me....