VaranDragon wrote on Feb 3, 2025, 08:54:It isn't so much that people want to see the world burn, at least for me. It's more the case that the people of the US have prospered so much under the safety net that regulations provide, they no longer believe there are any threats. This is like the patient that feels better after taking a few doses of medicine so they feel like they don't have to take their medicine anymore.DarkCntry wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 21:13:
It doesn't surprise me that you, Cutter, have no issue with freezing things that support people who have trouble supporting themselves, or supporting efforts to expand access to what would otherwise be unavailable to groups...but what does surprise me is how you think that doing any of this is going to help a taxpayer, short or long term.
What is surprising to me is how many people are watching the Trump "runaway train" from the sidelines, and quietly cheering on for it to continue it's rampage come what may. There seem to be lot of people in the world who enjoy watching the world burn.
DarkCntry wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 21:13:
It doesn't surprise me that you, Cutter, have no issue with freezing things that support people who have trouble supporting themselves, or supporting efforts to expand access to what would otherwise be unavailable to groups...but what does surprise me is how you think that doing any of this is going to help a taxpayer, short or long term.
DarkCntry wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 21:13:Cutter wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 16:49:I have, and here's the problem...
Have any of you actually taken a look at the stuff they're freezing? I have. They have the complete list online, the monies they receive, and what they do. Even a cursory skim through the list is pretty mind-boggling. A lot of it seems to have no real purpose, or graft, or corporate welfare, or total overlap with other similar programs. And you're talking hundreds of billions of dollars per year here. And this has been going on for decades with no oversight or even anyone questioning the need of all these programs, never mind their efficacy. A lot of these programs get 10s, or even 100s, of millions per year with no perceivable benefit. Government should be regularly reviewing this stuff yet the money has been flowing without question for decades now. If I were a US taxpayer I'd actually be pretty happy about this.
While there are a few programs that were questionable for effect, the far vast majority are not being shut down for fiduciary reasoning, but for dog-whistling reasons. Half of the programs support social services for marginalized communities.
Things like Meals on Wheels supporting people...the NSF supporting grants for research...funds for tribal nations...various state health networks...and countless other programs are affected by this. The amount of pork cut with freezes like this is minuscule and will result in more taxpayer dollars being sent to shore up to cover the gaps being made.
It doesn't surprise me that you, Cutter, have no issue with freezing things that support people who have trouble supporting themselves, or supporting efforts to expand access to what would otherwise be unavailable to groups...but what does surprise me is how you think that doing any of this is going to help a taxpayer, short or long term.
Cutter wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 16:49:I have, and here's the problem...
Have any of you actually taken a look at the stuff they're freezing? I have. They have the complete list online, the monies they receive, and what they do. Even a cursory skim through the list is pretty mind-boggling. A lot of it seems to have no real purpose, or graft, or corporate welfare, or total overlap with other similar programs. And you're talking hundreds of billions of dollars per year here. And this has been going on for decades with no oversight or even anyone questioning the need of all these programs, never mind their efficacy. A lot of these programs get 10s, or even 100s, of millions per year with no perceivable benefit. Government should be regularly reviewing this stuff yet the money has been flowing without question for decades now. If I were a US taxpayer I'd actually be pretty happy about this.