Rand Paul’s Crazy Budget Cut Plan

2 Responses to Rand Paul’s Crazy Budget Cut Plan

1. Ken says:

   July 7, 2011 at 2:15 pm

   The goal to eliminate the Department of Education has been part of the Republican platform ever since it became a cabinet position in the late 1970’s. So I guess the platform of the Republican party in the 1980’s was scary and the structure of the US was scary before 1979. I would ask you, if education in the United States has improved since 1979??? Our rankings in the world have dropped significantly with the most alarming drop coming in the fields of Math and Sciences. Are states just simply incapable of running schools without help from Washington DC?? Would that money invested in Education not be better served by going directly to schools instead of to fund a bureaucracy??

   The Department of Energy was also created as part of the cabinet in the 1970’s. Presidents Nixon and Carter both warned about our overreliance on foreign sources of oil. Little to nothing has been done since to change this over 30 years since. I ask you how our energy policy has improved since this was created as a cabinet position since the 1970’s? And if nothing has improved and one could argue the energy policy is now worse, then what actually is the purpose of the Department. As far as I can tell they are just insiders with the oil companies. I still remember the secret meetings VP Cheny had with Enron and other energy companies. Certainly does not sound like an agency that helps the American taxpayer, but it certainly costs the US taxpayer. Granted we need a nationwide energy policy, but it does not have to be a cabinet position. It never was before it was created in the 1970’s and we certainly made do as a country.

   As far as the last, I don’t have as much of an opinion on HUD, as I think that at least serves a function and actually does something concrete, but holding a liberterian position in believing that the government should not be in the housing business is not crazy. Would you say it is crazy to get the US government out of the mortgage business after the Fannie and Freddie debacle, which again was put on the tab of US taxpayers? I would give Rand some credit, since his father was one of the few who correctly predicted the financial problems many years before it happened.

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   • William Brighenti says:

     July 7, 2011 at 2:33 pm

     The mandate “no child left behind” has left every municipality broke. Unfunded mandates are a disaster. You can thank George Bush for such stupidity.

     The federal government guaranteeing mortgages has proven to be a disaster as well. So I agree about HUD.

     And the Department of Energy has accomplished nothing. I agree.

     But Social Security and Medicare are successful programs. I would keep both of those.

     Of course, the government needs to give the Boston Red Sox money so it can purchase ball players to get and remain in first place.

     Barefoot Accountant

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