McCain's Running mate

[lookout123]

McCain is promising old style conservatism. He is also promising to continue tax cuts. He is also promising to balance the budget and reduce the debt without raising taxes. There is no way to do this without major cuts in goverment spending. Right now social programs are the number one expenditure for government with military spending (defense and "War on Terror") at a higher percentage of GDP than any other major nation.

That's the GOOD point Rich. I don't want another "conservative" who outspends his predecessors. I want a conservative who actually remembers that FISCAL CONSERVATIVES are a big part of his support base. I want programs cut. I want bullshit expenditures to go away. I want earmarks and pork barrel spending to end. I want a smaller government.

McCain may get elected and not follow through on any of his promises to do those things and I'll be pissed about it. I certainly won't vote for someone who wants MORE programs, more earmarks, more government involvement in my life.

When pointing out these supposed flaws in McCain, you might remember there are an awful lot of people out here who see those as his strengths.

[Pico and ME]

I was directly affected by those programs. With the help of government assistance, my Mom was able to raise four kids while going to college. All four of us went to college because of financial aid from the government. All four of us are now productive adults who GLADLY pay the taxes that support those programs.

[lookout123]

Good for you. That experience probably means you support the government programs that helped you. Loyalty works that way.

If the money was just given to you so you could go to school with no strings attached and no need for repayment I'll gladly see the program cut though.

[Pico and ME]

I do understand your viewpoint Lookout. The support my Mom got was the bootstraps she needed to get her above water so that she could support her family. Once she got her degree, we were off welfare and food stamps. Hers is a success story for the way it should work. There are many others who just use the support endlessly without making an effort to improve their situation. I would hate to see the support just cut though because of those bad apples. It needs to be regulated and monitored.

[Pico and ME]

Just a side note....

The doctor who delivered me and my older two brothers, REFUSED to treat us when we went on welfare. We also had to wait years to go to the dentist until my Mom started teaching and she had Blue Cross Blue Shield.

[lookout123]

here is the deal though Pico. Every election cycle we hear horror stories of the evil conservative who wants to starve out the working poor and chain them to a life of perpetual poverty - "THEY'RE OUT TO GET YOUR FOODSTAMPS!" type of BS. Truthfully most fiscal conservatives fully support welfare programs as a crucial safety net for society. This is life and bad shit will happen. We as a society must be prepared to help the single mom with four kids put food on the table if she isn't able to do so with her current skill set.

Foodstamps? sure, for a specific amount of time.

Governement housing? sure, for a specific amount of time with benchmark rewards for moving towards self sustaining employment.

Education grants? Sure, should be performance based for continued support and negative repurcussions if they choose to leave the program.

Medical care? Absolutley, and again should be tied to some sort of benchmarks leading to a completely self sustaining citizen.

Fiscal conservatives are usually against the big government expansion programs like national healthcare, corporate bailouts, and earmarks.

it is important to remember that fiscal conservative and republican are not synomyms. I want a fiscal conservative in the white house. truthfully I'd like to see a whole lot of them in washington.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

Just a side note....

The doctor who delivered me and my older two brothers, REFUSED to treat us when we went on welfare. We also had to wait years to go to the dentist until my Mom started teaching and she had Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The doctor refused to treat you? he wasn't a participant in the state healthcare system then. most doctors only work with select insurance plans and sometimes you have to choose a different doctor based on your converage.

i don't have dental coverage today. i haven't had it in several years, actually. Dental insurance and straight white teeth, desireable as they may be, are not a right. I feel proper dental care is very important but when I weigh the cost of dental insurance against the actual cost of the care - i choose to pay the dentist out of pocket. yes, i know not everyone can do that. that's life.

[Pico and ME]

Damn, it would be really nice if political campaigns did that kind of talking instead of the button pushing they do.

Its a shame that instead it is always so divisive.

[Pico and ME]

Originally Posted by lookout123

The doctor refused to treat you? he wasn't a participant in the state healthcare system then. most doctors only work with select insurance plans and sometimes you have to choose a different doctor based on your converage.

i don't have dental coverage today. i haven't had it in several years, actually. Dental insurance and straight white teeth, desireable as they may be, are not a right. I feel proper dental care is very important but when I weigh the cost of dental insurance against the actual cost of the care - i choose to pay the dentist out of pocket. yes, i know not everyone can do that. that's life.

I just know the story by how my Mom tells it...its still rankles her today.

[lookout123]

BTW, just because I don't support a government program that benefited you doesn't mean I loathe you. If the program exists, you'd be a fool not to use it without embarrassment. As an individual I don't feel the government should be as involved in our lives as it is. I don't care for perpetual entitlement programs because I believe they suck people into perpetual poverty - the very thing the programs are created to prevent.

just my opinion.

[Shawnee123]

Then there are those of us with liberal ideals who find themselves becoming quite cynical after seeing so much abuse of the system.

There are so many who benefit from government programs, and I agree that the whole system need not go based on those bad apples, but to call the bad apples few would be an understatement of some proportion.

You and your family should be very proud of your success; in my opinion you are the sort of people the programs were made for. I just wish I could say you're the norm, though.

lookout: just an aside about your comment about education aid being performance based. It is. The regulation in place to hinder "professional students" is called Satisfactory Academic Progress, and is monitored by any school participating in Title IV programs. There are three factors assessed (we do it after every term):

1) Percentage of credit hour completion in any one term
2) Minimum GPA in any one term
3) 150% rule: student must complete declared program within 150% of the required credit hours for that program For example, if a program is 60 credit hours, student must complete that program within 90 credit hours. ALL attempted credits are considered: withdrawals, re-takes, transfers.

Appeals must be supported by professional third party documentation.

Still, the abuses boggle the mind.

[lookout123]

Good to know about the 150% rule cous. I also feel that, depending on the type of aid received, there should be some obvious type of career path associated with the degree pursued.

[Shawnee123]

Absolutely. A student must declare an eligible program, in the beginning, to be eligible for fed/state aid.

Ideally, they would also seek career counseling. Even more ideally, they would weigh their career choice against the 40 grand in loans they take out because they don't want to change their lifestyle (i.e. sacrifice) in any way, shape, or form.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Radar

Sorry but dishonesty and hypocrisy in a candidate is important to me, even if it's in their home life.

[Sundae]

I'm falling between two stools re financing my higher education at present.
I admit - it's unlikely to benefit anyone other than me. But who knows, after working for a degree in my spare time I might have more confidence in my own abilities and go for a more demanding job.

I don't earn little enough to get a full grant or even a part grant (£16,500 for full grant, £17-something for a part grant). The next jump is up to £25k, taking my £19.5k in its stride. Oddly, the other set of finances, to help with course fees, is between £24-£32k. My "household" is me and Diz, and we only bring in the aforementioned £19.5k.

So I'm waiting to hear what they come back with. At present I'll get some funding, leaving me to pay something like £160, which is eminently do-able. Just seems a shame that singletons are not properly covered. And that there is no recognition of London weighting (property is up to 3x more expensive than other areas, although wages are probably only about 1/3 higher). I know, I know. I should move. But I love it here now.

Anyway, back to McCain.