No wonder people love government-sponsored programs. They're all about "free money."
-Wes
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Repeating History?
After the recent collapse of the stock market created by the sub-prime mortgage mess, my jaw dropped when I saw this sign promoting the "FHA's Purchase Stimulus Act of 2009" (I think they mean the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) as I left work today:
No wonder people love government-sponsored programs. They're all about "free money."
-Wes
No wonder people love government-sponsored programs. They're all about "free money."
-Wes
Dr. Wes,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the humor of what you are trying to say. Just like we often think of "meat" as something in a styrofoam package, we often think of government handouts as "free".
Still, not all of us who approve of government programs are stupid enough to think the money isn't coming from our own pockets. I paid 33% taxes or more living in Norway and it was worth every penny.
I prefer government programs when they fill a social need and are part of a democracy that is actually responsive to the public. That makes me a shareholder and I can cast a vote about what's done with my money and so on. I don't always get my way, but that's what compromise is frequently about.
Note I said "actually responsive to the public", which as we know is not the case in the USA because our government only responds to the rich and famous and the people they used to work with at private corporations.
Dr. Wes,
ReplyDeleteI've seen various versions of these signs in my Chicago neighborhood, too. Rather than a government program, I believe they are pedatory scams designed to take advantage of folks who are having difficult financial problems.
One of your patients