Spoiled Rotten

 

Entitled petulance reigns supreme.

Government largesse has risen well beyond anything that could possibly have haunted the founders in their worst nightmares. Government no longer provides just services that are mandated, taxpayer dollars are spent as if there is an infinite supply of funds for all manner of, not only unnecessary services, but those that government has no business providing. When this great nation was founded, power to the federal government was intentionally limited. The majority of the power was delegated to the States. The US Constitution tasked the federal government to provide for a national defense, finance the government, transact with foreign nations, regulate commerce, and any matters that impacts all states.

Today, the federal government employs over 2 million people, operates 15 departments and over 400 agencies. Since Congress has been unable to pass a budget, Congress has used a continuing resolution to fund the government. The federal government spent in excess of $6.8 Trillion in 2024 and has spent over $3 Trillion so far in fiscal year 2025. The national debt is approaching $36 Trillion. Interest payments on the debt are approaching $1 Trillion annually. Currently, the federal government spends more than $1 Trillion over their receipt of taxes and fees collected. Every year overspending leads to increasing the national debt. The federal government borrows over $1.5 Trillion per year. This is absolutely not sustainable.

Without reduced spending, the US will become a debtor’s nation, beholding to those who hold our debt. Or worse yet, our currency will no longer be amenable as an investment, and we will no longer be able to secure those loans. If the US dollar loses value on the world stage, other countries will no longer trade in the dollar, setting the stage for hyper-inflation. Without reduced spending, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will become insolvent. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was instituted to root out fraud, waste, and create efficiencies in the federal government. It has paid dividends in identifying wasteful programs to the tune of over $100 Billion in its’ first month of existence. Yet, democrats cry bloody murder over the possibility of downsizing and creating a more efficient government. Democrats sue and radical judges enjoin the executive branch. George Soros funds leftist protests that vilify the process of identifying fraud and those exposing a government run amok. How could forcing government to be accountable to the people be problematic?

President Trump has already declared Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as off limits to any cuts in benefits. Any cuts made will to be to end the fraud and waste that is discovered, and it is estimated that Medicare fraud is in excess of $100 Billion annually, Social Security over $700 Billion, and Medicaid over $100 Billion. There is almost $1 Trillion that is depleting those entitlements every year, bringing those programs ever closer to bankruptcy. Yet, democrats cry in unison that Trump is going to eliminate those benefits and the legacy media amplifies their false complaints. Democrats are bitter clingers to their bloated, wasteful government and the benefits they derive from fraudulent spending. Do the math. How can so many of our elected representatives, from both parties, inflate their net worth by 10’s of Millions while earning an annual salary of under $200,000? The question is, where is that money coming from? Is it just from “shrewd” stock trading, or something more nefarious?

“A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands. And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.” Hosea 12:7-8

Legacy programs that many depend upon for retirement and medical benefits is in danger of failing. Waste and fraud are sucking the very lifeblood from those programs. Without eliminating the bloat, inefficiency, waste, and fraud, what will those who depend upon those programs do when the benefits end? Democrats should be cheering Elon and DOGE so that their constituents can enjoy their retirement without fear of losing their homes, feeding themselves, and having the wherewithal to receive necessary medical treatment. Before Trump was President, many of the democrat leaders bemoaned the waste and fraud and called for reform. The reason for the change of heart is apparent. Obstructing Trump is more important than saving Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. They are hellbent to destroy Trump even if it means destroying this nation.

“Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul. Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity, from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness, from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil, whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.” Proverbs 2:9-15

Yet there are those that say Scripture does not pertain to current times.

 

 

Breach of Contract

Conservatives and libertarians constantly rail about our overreaching Federal government. The founders gave the Federal government strict limits and granted the States wide ranging powers. James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers, “It is to be remembered that the general government is not to be charged with the whole power of making and administering laws. Its jurisdiction is limited to certain enumerated objects.” In order to place checks and balances on the Federal government, three distinct branches were created, judicial, legislative, and executive. The Founders did not intend for the Federal government to expand and assume the responsibility to dictate how its’ citizens live their lives. The Federal government has overstepped its authority and usurped the freedoms of its citizens to their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by attempting to control decisions better left to those who are most affected by them. Healthcare is not the responsibility of the Federal government. Those who cannot provide for themselves due to disability or economic disparity can fall under the umbrella of a societal safety net. Those who can provide for themselves should be allowed to do so.

After a democrat Congress and President Obama enacted the boondoggle known as the Affordable Care Act, many republicans ran vowing to dismantle Obamacare and won majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Now they have a chance to finally repeal this, regardless that Chief Justice John Roberts authored the opinion to save it, illegal takeover of 1/6th of our economy and allow government to dictate what we must have in health insurance coverage at, what has become, an unreasonable cost. Obamacare should be repealed and the Federal government should get out of the way.

Employer provided health insurance became a staple of workers benefits during WWII. Employer provided health insurance plans became the norm due to wage controls imposed by the federal government during WWII. There were increasing demands for goods and there was a limited pool of available workers. Federally imposed wage and price controls prohibited employers from raising wages. The War Labor Board declared that sick leave and health insurance, would not count as wages for the purpose of wage controls. Employers responded with offers to provide health care coverage. Over the years, this staple of employee benefits has escalated the cost of health care unreasonably.

The following is a plan to subject the health insurance industry to a free market system and minimize the government’s role in providing health care.

• Increase the amount allowed to be placed into a Health Savings Account to $15,000 per year for families, $8,500 for single.

• Designate the contribution made by the employer to any employer provided health care plan as taxable income. (Democrats have been looking for ways to do this for years.)

• Allow the option for employees to “opt out” of their employer provided health insurance and receive 75% of the employer contribution to health insurance as taxable income. (Those who choose so, can designate this as salary only and will not be required to purchase health insurance, but will also be responsible to make payment to any health care provider if services are required.)

• Allow the option to designate, up to the maximum allowed, of that income to their HSA as non-taxable.

• Allow health insurance to be purchased across state lines, granting consumers the privilege to “shop for the best price and coverage appropriate to their needs and forcing health insurance providers to compete in the marketplace as other insurance (auto, life, property) companies do.

• Remove Medicare and Medicaid from the control of the Federal government, (reduce taxpayer contributions to FICA accordingly) and transfer authority to individual states to manage both programs and have the authority to levy taxes to appropriately fund them. (Most states already provide an alternate plan to augment those programs, ie; Wisconsin has Badger Care.)

I believe that this system would move government out of the way and allow the free market system to determine the appropriate cost for health care. This will also eliminate the escalating premiums that employers have been forced to accept to provide this benefit to employees. This will also allow those who do not want to purchase health care the choice to increase their income that will, in turn, put more of that income into the economy and add to the tax base. Averaging the employer contribution to each full time employee’s family health insurance premium at $1,000 monthly and assuming there are 55,000,000 persons in the US receiving that benefit, an additional $11,000,000,000 would be freed for those businesses to reinvest in their companies, enabling them to expand their businesses and create additional employment opportunities to reinvigorate the economy.

The constitution is a written contract with the citizens of the United States. We did not sign up for this overreaching Federal government that is bloated beyond anything the Founders envisioned. $20 trillion in debt is unacceptable. It is time to downsize the Federal government and let us citizens make our own decisions. Getting out of the way of our health decisions is just a start.