Letter to the Editor:
In an interesting column, “Obama’s HHS Bigger Than LBJ’s Gov’t” Terence Jeffrey points out that the 2011 budget for Dept. of Health and Human Services will be $909.7 Billion. In 1965 the entire Federal budget was $118.228 Billion, corrected for inflation would be $822.6 Billion in 2010 dollars. HHS will spend about $87.1 Billion more than the entire Federal Gov’t did in 1965.
In 1935, when FDR started Social Security, Federal spending was 8.6% of the Gross Domestic Product. In 1965, when LBJ started Medicare and Medicaid, Federal spending was 17.2% of GDP.
In 2003, George W. Bush expanded Medicare with the prescription drug benefit, Federal spending was 19.7% of GDP. This year Federal spending will be 25.3% of GDP.
I believe that the GDP is growing at less than rate of inflation, so in real terms it is shrinking. With this administration’s anti-industrial, anti-business, and anti-oil production attitude, this trend may increase dangerously. Coupled with our growing trade deficit, a $3.819 Trillion budget with a $1.645 annual deficit, and a Federal debt over $14.3 Trillion the US dollar may lose its status as the World Reserve Currency and huge inflation will result. If we return to Jimmy Carter era interest rates the economies of many states will collapse. The Federal Gov’t and most states will be bankrupt, and no one will buy our Treasury notes. This is what some people want to cause a revolution that will bring about a socialist totalitarian gov’t. The Cloward-Pivens Strategy.
Meanwhile the Beltway Buffoons whine about cutting Federal subsidies for Planned Parenthood, the National Endowment for the Arts, National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System, all Liberal favorites and unConstitutionally funded. Let the Libs support their charities and not the taxpayers. We need to de-fund the Czars, Obamacare, and drastically reduce EPA, Dept of Energy, Dept of Education, OSHA, and many other anti-business agencies. We must reindustrialize, start producing what we consume, and put Americans back to work.
Bill Brayshaw, Seadrift
My two cents worth by G.B.
Right on, Mrs. Albrecht. Keep on telling it like it is. It’s alright for our Governor to spend 10,000 dollars of the tax payers money for a rented mansion with a private chef and another $45,000 for lawn care, but to spend the rainy day fund on our public schools. No way.
If the people of Texas keep on voting as they have soon there will no more Public Schools.
But again that might not be a bad thing because at a private school the students can be disciplined.
The way I see it way too many of students show up at school without HAVING BEEN TAUGHT MANNERS AND RESPECT for authority at home.. All our teachers can do is call the police to come take away those that are disruptive.
A good many of our school districts employ private police officers to take care of those matters. Now there will be no more money for that and the good teachers are moving on to better richer districts.
Come on parents help our schools produce better students like they do in other countries.
G.B. Robertson
The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.
Letters to the Dolphin:
Dolphin Talk P.O. Box 777
Port O’Connor, TX 77982
dolphin1@tisd.net