French kick Sarkozy to the curb - Hollande to tax rich at 75%

[ShawnD1]

I actually worked for the DoD during the 1980's and I can tell you its no different that what I have to put up with at FedEx on a daily basis. When simple one line code changes take 20 hours of paperwork, numerous management level approvals and meetings. Trust me, the gov't has nothing on private industry.

My company is having a competition for a new slogan about diversity. It takes a lot of effort to not send in joke entries.
"We're so not-racist that we hire and fire based on skin color just to make sure each race has proportional representation in our company."

Is this really what HR does all day? Jesus god man. Is it a government requirement to have an HR department or something? That's the only possible explanation.

 

[jstern01]

...and I opine all of that is because of private businesses and the free market economy.

Are there legitimate functions of government? Yes, of course there are. I am an advocate of those that are governed least are governed best.

This is not all about governing. But also about the gov't doing for it citizens things that are best handled at the federal level. Like standards of education across the nation. Water quality standards that mean a citizen in NYC (which as some of the cleanest water) and the one in El Paso Texas, both have potable water. That in the depth of a blizzard that grandma and grandpa or the unemployed family of 4 has heating oil or a place to go. That kids at least get one hot meal a day.

It was a lot easier for communities to handle these things 100 years ago, when nation was basically agarian, but most people do not live near farms, or have the space to grow enough food.

Not all of what government does is bad. But a lot of what government does is provide basic subsistence for millions of fellow Americans.

 

[jstern01]

My company is having a competition for a new slogan about diversity. It takes a lot of effort to not send in joke entries.
"We're so not-racist that we hire and fire based on skin color just to make sure each race has proportional representation in our company."

Is this really what HR does all day? Jesus god man. Is it a government requirement to have an HR department or something? That's the only possible explanation.

still trying to figure out our new sick policy at FedEx. Not sure HR even understands it.

 

[ShawnD1]

still trying to figure out our new sick policy at FedEx. Not sure HR even understands it.

If you're sick, make sure you take lots of Benadryl and other heavy sedatives before you go out driving.

 

[dmcowen674]

End the EPA.

End the Department of Commerce.

End the Department of Homeland Security.

End the Department of Education.

End the Department of Energy.

End the Department of Agriculture.

End the Department of Labor.

End the Department of Veterans Affairs.

End the Department of Transportation.

End theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development.

There. That is a good start.

Perry is that you?

 

[1prophet]

Your thinking is why we have generational aristocracies.

And now thanks to corporations being people and intellectual property law duration continually being increased thanks to their lobbyists we have that again.

 

[nehalem256]

Who would regulate the nuclear industry if the Dept of Energy went away?

I am sure Goldman Sachs could come up with some Nuclear Meltdown Swaps. Then the free market could take care of it. ^_^

 

[CycloWizard]

So you admit, you have no idea what they do. Read the post above, for some of the reasons why they are needed, and how they manage their budgets.

By that logic, you have just admitted that you cannot justify the existence of any of those agencies. See how fun this is?

 

[CycloWizard]

I actually worked for the DoD during the 1980's and I can tell you its no different that what I have to put up with at FedEx on a daily basis. When simple one line code changes take 20 hours of paperwork, numerous management level approvals and meetings. Trust me, the gov't has nothing on private industry.

The one thing you seem to forget is that most of the government has contracted out its back office work. Many of the positions if you check out USAJOBS website are PM jobs, one gov't employee overseeing lots of contractors. And if you kill these jobs how many contractor jobs (ie private company employees) would be unemployed?

B

There's a fundamental difference though. I don't give a crap how efficient FedEx is because I have a choice whether or not I do business with them. When I give them a package, it gets where it's supposed to be on time every time.

On the other hand, I have no choice whether or not I deal with a government agency. I pay for its services whether or not I ever use them. It also looks like there are about 2.9 million contractors, so I fail to see how you can justify 4.4 million people to oversee them. Preserving the status quo to avoid the pain of transition is simply going to prolong the current mess. Better to wean the kid off the teat now to prevent him chewing it off later when it's totally dry.

 

[jstern01]

There's a fundamental difference though. I don't give a crap how efficient FedEx is because I have a choice whether or not I do business with them. When I give them a package, it gets where it's supposed to be on time every time.

On the other hand, I have no choice whether or not I deal with a government agency. I pay for its services whether or not I ever use them. It also looks like there are about 2.9 million contractors, so I fail to see how you can justify 4.4 million people to oversee them. Preserving the status quo to avoid the pain of transition is simply going to prolong the current mess. Better to wean the kid off the teat now to prevent him chewing it off later when it's totally dry.

You really are clueless. You drive on the roads that government build and maintains, use electricity that government helps to subsidize, so its cheap, safe and relatively clean. And as for FedEx if you use First Class mail, it either ships FedEx or UPS, so you really do not have a choice there either. So if the government is so bad, please move to say a place where government involvement is minimiumal like Sudan. Because like it or not, this is the way it is, and no Rep or Dem is going to change it, not while they are getting fat off the government.

 

[QuantumPion]

You really are clueless. You drive on the roads that government build and maintains,

Nope. That's done by contractors, i.e. private businesses. The government just taxes people to pay for it.

use electricity that government helps to subsidize, so its cheap, safe and relatively clean.

Nope, quite the opposite. Government taxes electricity to pay for boondoggles like Chevy Volts for rich environmentalists. Government makes normal use of energy MORE EXPENSIVE and LESS SAFE in order to promote the image that it is cleaner and safer. Irony?

And as for FedEx if you use First Class mail, it either ships FedEx or UPS, so you really do not have a choice there either. So if the government is so bad, please move to say a place where government involvement is minimiumal like Sudan. Because like it or not, this is the way it is, and no Rep or Dem is going to change it, not while they are getting fat off the government.

Sudan lacks rule of law. Libertarianism := anarchy.

 

[fskimospy]

Nope. That's done by contractors. The government just taxes people to pay for it.

It's not done by the people the government pays the money to either, it's done by the people the contractor hires. This is an utterly pointless distinction. If you remove the contractor, the government replaces it with another. If you remove the government's funds, the road is not built or maintained. So who really made the road?

Nope, quite the opposite. Government taxes electricity to pay for boondoggles like Chevy Volts for rich environmentalists.

No, quite the opposite. The government subsidizes energy production in basically all its forms.

 

[a777pilot]

This is not all about governing. But also about the gov't doing for it citizens things that are best handled at the federal level. Like standards of education across the nation. Water quality standards that mean a citizen in NYC (which as some of the cleanest water) and the one in El Paso Texas, both have potable water. That in the depth of a blizzard that grandma and grandpa or the unemployed family of 4 has heating oil or a place to go. That kids at least get one hot meal a day.

It was a lot easier for communities to handle these things 100 years ago, when nation was basically agarian, but most people do not live near farms, or have the space to grow enough food.

Not all of what government does is bad. But a lot of what government does is provide basic subsistence for millions of fellow Americans.

But a lot of what government does is provide basic subsistence for millions of fellow Americans.

Since when is providing basic subsistence a function of governments?

 

[a777pilot]

Perry is that you?

I like Mr. Perry and would vote for him if given a chance.

 

[dmcowen674]

I like Mr. Perry and would vote for him if given a chance.

That was pretty obvious especially you being from Texas.

 

[fskimospy]

Since when is providing basic subsistence a function of governments?

In some form or another governments have been doing that for centuries. I'm not sure how you didn't notice.

 

[cybrsage]

So who would regulate the nuclear industry if the DOE was disbanded?

 

[nehalem256]

So who would regulate the nuclear industry if the DOE was disbanded?

I think I covered that for you:

I am sure Goldman Sachs could come up with some Nuclear Meltdown Swaps. Then the free market could take care of it. ^_^

What could possibly go wrong?:whiste:

 

[a777pilot]

In some form or another governments have been doing that for centuries. I'm not sure how you didn't notice.

That may be true but it still does not make it a function of government.

What does government do that you feel is NOT a function of government?



This could be interesting.

 

[a777pilot]

So who would regulate the nuclear industry if the DOE was disbanded?

Good question. What is wrong with the States doing this via guidelines provided by the Congress?

The DOE has been more of an impediment to energy independence vice a help.

 

[fskimospy]

That may be true but it still does not make it a function of government.

What does government do that you feel is NOT a function of government?

This good be interesting.

Where did you get the idea that it's not a function of government? Centuries of human history disagree with you.

 

[fskimospy]

Good question. What is wrong with the States doing this via guidelines provided by the Congress?

The DOE has been more of an impediment to energy independence vice a help.

Who should Congress empower to create the guidelines? Clearly they aren't going to do it themselves, they would need a body of experts. Perhaps some department that would deal with energy.

 

[nehalem256]

Good question. What is wrong with the States doing this via guidelines provided by the Congress?

The DOE has been more of an impediment to energy independence vice a help.

I am pretty sure that most congressmen are not experts on nuclear energy safety.

If only we had a group of people who worked for the government and were such experts :hmm:

 

[cybrsage]

Good question. What is wrong with the States doing this via guidelines provided by the Congress?

The DOE has been more of an impediment to energy independence vice a help.

Who is going to coordinate the info between the States?

Not trying to bust your balls, just that some of those groups have good reasons for existing. I believe we need to greatly reduce their size and scope to do only those things which really need done at the federal level, which accomplishes most of what you desire.

 

[a777pilot]

Who should Congress empower to create the guidelines? Clearly they aren't going to do it themselves, they would need a body of experts. Perhaps some department that would deal with energy.

I opine the the Congress has a duty to make the rules, not turn that function over to an unelected body of Federal bureaucrats.

Congress dose need experts but they, congress, has a responsibility to do their job..........their job is not to delegate.