Public Roads, Public Parks, and the Public Health Care Option
 

Public Roads
Public Parks
and the
Public Health care Option

By Rich C.

Yesterday I found myself on a public sidewalk, next to a public road, near a public park, holding
public health care option sign.

I wanted to see for my self, some of the craziness thats been on TV.
While I was there taking in the sights, engrossed in what was going on.

I got to thinking about how many social programs that we have in the United States.
And how much we really depend on them.

I realized that a lot of the things we take for granted, like the water we drink, the toilet we flush, and the trash we throw away are all taken care of by social programs.

We drive on public streets, taking our children to public schools or the public library
We rely on public servants like the police the fire department, and the military to help keep us safe.

Not to mention the countless other programs we barely think of unless we need them, like Social Security, the Food and Drug Administration or the Veterans Administration.

Heck, everything about our government is a social program.
And everyone there, from the president himself to white house pages, are all public servants, and on the public payroll.

I was just standing there thinking for a while with my sign in my hand.
When noises from the other side of the street attracted my attention.
Someone from a passing car yelled something out the window, and other people started yelling back.
Something about Socialism destroying America.

I wondered if the people on the other side of the street understood the irony of holding an anti public health care option sign while standing on one of the most successful social programsin America.
The public highway system.

But I guess this is still a free county, and they have every right to be there.
I was glad they were. At least they were participating in this thing we call a Democracy.
Its more than I had been doing for a good long while.

The next time you turn on the faucet, take out the trash or hear a siren in the distance think
about all the good things public options already do for us.
And think about supporting the public health care option.

Come on out to the next health care rally, I'll meet you there.
Or contact your local congress person.
Because we can do great things, if we work together.
Yes we can.

I can accomplish all of those things, and sometimes do, with better efficiency and productivity privately if the world's (and history's) largest armed government didn't claim monopoly on it all. I don't have any empty slogans to back it up, sadly.:(

Maybe the question is, " How much public stuff SHOULD there be?"
Or maybe, " Is there a better use for the public funds that do all that stuff?". Could any of it be dome better by private enterprise?"

My thoughts, and I've never heard it proposed anywhere exactly, is simply un-incorporate, all government park and recreation area. That way, nobody has claim to it, everyone can use it, and any secret installations now become transparency of government. Then these private co-ops, or whomever, can come in and with local ballot measures approve any public use establishment, such as raceway or dirt track, campground commons building, ski resorts, even a community garden, and then much of that can be farmed out to local, again ballot approved, sponsors for restaurants or special events so that no new tax needs to be levied. Put a time limit to be renewed on all projects or limitations of use of 2 years and the measure is still desired, it continues to be funded.

It also creates a useful measure for community service deployment, instead of pointless grandstanding by politicians claiming to affect change by using babysitting or cleaning litter boxes at the SPCA to mask doing anything that actually matters. Included in the service program are any teenagers or vagrants wishing to cause damage or take up residence. Enforced by private security motivated by the fact that if enough complaints are filed, and sustained, they lose the contract. Bear with me, foreign concept this - accountability...

Voluntary involvement always trumps 'I've got a gun, a ticket book, and a brick room with a cast iron bar door, you even get a roommate named Jed who likes men when he's drunk, and that's why he's here'.

Ditto with roads. Remove the half of the price of a gallon of gas that is taxation, and people can set up a private contract with maintenance companies in localized districts. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the funding or drive through craters, if they can make it at all, but best of all there's now accountability and if the road workers are hiring 10 people to stand around and hold a sign, they don't get paid. Believe it or not, there are people who don't "pay their fair share" now with threat of imprisonment and death even, and it's pretty childish to use that as an excuse to think that enough people won't contribute willingly.

Since this is a nation of sniveling children, they can even get little banana stickers, or gold stars for contribution amounts to put on their bumpers informing everyone driving behind them how wonderful they are, inclue a property tax reductions until those are abolished.

It's actually very simple and in fact, a "regressive" system. Strangely, one that actually works. You know, because, it's the one everybody engages in every single day in almost everything they do. It also prevents monopolies by relieving the government any power over business.

Trash and water are a profitable business.

Taxpayers are already broke, and the government is running deep into the red. We can't afford public healthcare.

Taco Bell textbooks in our schools ???

The KFC Yellostone National Park ?

Here's a question for you, What purpose is served by the mowing of highway right of Ways? How are the roads improved by this "public" service?

The purpose is to keep the country from looking like a third-world country that it is slowly on its way to becoming.

I'm confused. Are you saying the government should give up ownership of the land, but not sell it to private interests? If so, then the land is free for anyone to walk upon, build a shelter and call it home. Furthermore, if the government is to lose its park lands, I see no reason why it should keep any land. Thus anyone with enough money could conceivably buy a state.

What about highways? There are thousands of miles of road that are in between towns. And thousands of towns that even with 50% participation (a ludicrously high example) could not afford road repair. Not to mention, the road already exists. If the government isn't going to own the road, who is going to buy it from them? And why would I contribute to the maintenance of the road if there are others allowed to use it who do not? And who allows or disallows them?

This is nonsensical. In the history of this country, let alone the world, it has been shown that a lack of government oversight results in monopoly.

Can anyone point to a modern state that has provided universal health care without a public option?

I consider a social program to be something that attempts to influence or control the way you live your life. If I dont want to go to a public park or a public library I don't have to. My water comes from my well, my sewage goes into my septic tank, my trash is collected by a private hauler, and my fire dept is all volunteer(of which I am a member). VA healthcare, of which I am also a member but CHOOSE not to use because I prefer the insurance I pay for , is not a right. It is earned. I agree that everyone from the president on down to the pages are OUR public servants, but they seem to have forgotten this. The government has gotten to the point where they not only want to control every aspect of our lives, but they want us to pay them to do it while they live in the lap of luxury. Now don't take this the wrong way Rich, but what do you do for a living? If you are a Govt employee, or a community organizer, I can understand your point of view. FWIW- I am a self employed Electrical contractor so you can understand my point of view.

What about defense? Education? Do you think either should be private? Should children only get an education if their parents can afford private schools?

In my area the purpose is to keep the phone company repair guys employed when the brain dead county roadworkers mow over their terminal pedestals! :eek:This would not happen if the mowing was done by a private contractor because they actually have to be competent at what they do or they're out of business. Kind of like how most building inspectors are failed contractors. So basically , you get all the people who can't hack it in the real world telling you how to run your life. Brilliant:mad:

I don't consider national defense to be a social program. But I bet if we privatized it , it would be more efficient and cost less. About the education- unfortunately in most cases your children will only get an education if you can afford private school. The public schools are too busy teaching diversity, political correctness, and victimhood to actually give the kids an education they can use to compete with the
Asian and Indian kids who are being given an old fashioned ACADEMIC education.

Its sounds like your a little paranoid to me. If you really think the goal of social programms are set up to try and influence controll over the way you live your life.

If your fire department is staffed by the people of the area volentarrily then it is true socialism.
Where did the money come from to build the buildings, pay for the firetrucks, etc..
Probably a government grant in there somewhere.
Which makes it a social program.

The dump that your trash is taken to by the private garbage collection you have is probably at least partially supported by government programms.

Hell, even that Coca Cola your drinking is subsidized by the government.
The government subsidizes farmers that grow corn.
And the main use of corn today is for sweetners like high fructose corn syrup that goes into soft drinks.

Government grants and subsidies have also paid for many things about the generation and distrobution of electricicty in the US.
The grants to develop new technology of generating power down to the lowly city telephone pole.

Every one of us owes our jobs to the government in some way or another.
We are all part of a society.
No man is a complete island all to himself.

This is what democracy is.
We the people are the government.
Government is not something seperate from us.
There is no, "they" that are trying to controll you in government.
This is a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Big business, is the one that wants to control you.
Get you to buy more, spend more, work more.
Become a volentary slave.

The origional post in this thread was written for one of the major community organization programs.