Considering the discussion has always been philosophical, and sometimes humorous, lets have a serious discussion. So, I am going to be reporting in addition to my campaign over the next two weeks, the arguements for and against big government. My source for big government positions is the number one supporter of big government:
http://governmentisgood.com/
To simply quote:
Let me clear about what I am not arguing here. I am saying that government is good, but not that every particular government is good. People often say they dislike the government when what they really mean is that they dislike the policies of the current Democratic or Republican administration – such as the Bush regime’s war in Iraq or its failures in responding to Hurricane Katrina. But just because the policies of a particular administration are bad doesn’t mean that government as an institution is bad. That would be like condemning film as a medium just because you are disappointed with the current crop of movies. This website is about the value of government as an institution, because that is what is under attack by conservatives. They are trying to undermine the basic enterprise of modern democratic government itself– with its substantial commitment to social programs and regulation – and that is what I am defending. I am arguing that the large democratic state and the basic functions it fulfills have been good – very good – for Americans.
Quote over. As you can see this is a website meant purely to provide the arguements for big government, which the conservatives dislike and when in office screw up, but I swear we won't be side tracked by conservatives too often.
Ahem, in other words this website is simply a creation to be a contradiction to the conservative way of thinking and to insult Republicans on the issue of big government. So, my response will be to take the high road and only quote, never use my own adjectives, to describe Democrats approach to big government.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Stand Up For Democracy
The man in the following video provides the best demonstration of Democracy and our freedoms in this country. He also highlights the dangerous path we are going down in which we allow our freedoms to be controlled by the government. A road in which we allow the government to tell us when we can excercise our freedoms.
First, as I watch the video, two things immediately stand out to me: the reaction of the guy two rows behind the man who spoke out to stand up and push the speaker back to his chair, and the voice of the man who spoke.
Do not ever resort to violence as a rule of civility.
Now the man's voice stands out to me because of the passion. This man was lied to, promised a chance to speak to someone meant to listen to him, and then not given the opportunity promised to him. His voice says everything.
Our system is not broken, the people within it are. At no point in my career do I ever want to have someone brought to emotional hysteria because of my policies or a lack of communication between my staff and myself. The best way to do this is to make certain people always can communicate with me and I will do my best to always reply to e-mails within the day while I am on city council. If I am given the opportunity to serve in higher levels of government at the state level I gaurantee within a week I will respond. If I am lucky enough to go to Washington and not be the president, within a month. No letter or e-mail will go without a reply and I gaurantee that.
By a reply I do not mean it will be the standard message either. There will be no standard message. I think serving the people should require that I write more to my constituents than I do the bills I sign because we need simplified legislation that everyone can read.
It is an interesting thing that I think of these thousand page bills now, yet the New Deal legislation passed by Roosevelt was eight pages. Perhaps the largest government involvement in our economy in history and it was done in eight pages. We do not need a thousand page health care bill. We need a ten pages or less policy in all legislatures across the country. This will also cut down on the wasteful spending because the other projects will not be added in.
First, as I watch the video, two things immediately stand out to me: the reaction of the guy two rows behind the man who spoke out to stand up and push the speaker back to his chair, and the voice of the man who spoke.
Do not ever resort to violence as a rule of civility.
Now the man's voice stands out to me because of the passion. This man was lied to, promised a chance to speak to someone meant to listen to him, and then not given the opportunity promised to him. His voice says everything.
Our system is not broken, the people within it are. At no point in my career do I ever want to have someone brought to emotional hysteria because of my policies or a lack of communication between my staff and myself. The best way to do this is to make certain people always can communicate with me and I will do my best to always reply to e-mails within the day while I am on city council. If I am given the opportunity to serve in higher levels of government at the state level I gaurantee within a week I will respond. If I am lucky enough to go to Washington and not be the president, within a month. No letter or e-mail will go without a reply and I gaurantee that.
By a reply I do not mean it will be the standard message either. There will be no standard message. I think serving the people should require that I write more to my constituents than I do the bills I sign because we need simplified legislation that everyone can read.
It is an interesting thing that I think of these thousand page bills now, yet the New Deal legislation passed by Roosevelt was eight pages. Perhaps the largest government involvement in our economy in history and it was done in eight pages. We do not need a thousand page health care bill. We need a ten pages or less policy in all legislatures across the country. This will also cut down on the wasteful spending because the other projects will not be added in.
Pursuation
As an odd combination of Republican, conservative, libertarian, and a follower of factual logic, I am often disregarded as an opponent to all sides. I was snarled at by Republicans for stating that Barack Obama was a naturally born U.S. citizen, and my belief in basic human rights was called "a liberal fantasy" at a Democrat's forum. With me enjoying rap music and also being gay, many respond "how can you be a Republican!" and some believe that being libertarian instantly means you are a progressive, which I am not.
So, to all who insult, push, and expect me to fulfill some belief this message is for you.
I am responsible for myself. My actions are my responsibility and your actions are your responsibility. I will not apologize for the torture of the Bush administration, nor will I say it was not torture. I will condemn torture but not apologize for what I did not cause or take part in.
The town hall meetings across the country I will encourage and take part in questioning and furthering the discussion of the health care issue. I will not apologize for the rude actions of some, nor will I say it is right. Dialogue, not screams, should be the goal of the town hall meetings. The meetings should allow discussion instead of question and answer formats.
You are responsible for your actions, and nothing can change that. You do something, you are responsible. You hurt someone, you are responsible and justice will be carried out. You earn a reward, you keep that reward for yourself. Your actions led to both outcomes, and you are equally deserving of the results.
You are not deserving of my kindness, respect, or friendship until you earn it. I will give the basic civility to meet someone, but I will not give my trust to those who do not earn it. You are not entitled to anything from me until you earn it.
Some call me aggressive, and this is not true. I respond to aggression. You push, insult, or take from me I simply push, insult, and take back. I will not be treated badly without making certain those who cause suffering also know what I felt, but no more than what I felt. Does this mean I break the law? No. They break the law, I use the justice granted to me for being a human being. However, my friendship is not gauranteed to anyone as a human right; until you earn it you will not recieve it from me.
So stop complaining and accusing and lying about me. I have had enough. Basic civility has made me keep my silence for many years, but I have finally had enough. You doubt my efforts and goals, I accept that. You insult me and the people who have earned my friendship and my trust is something I will not accept. Be civilized and hold discussions instead of riots.
So, to all who insult, push, and expect me to fulfill some belief this message is for you.
I am responsible for myself. My actions are my responsibility and your actions are your responsibility. I will not apologize for the torture of the Bush administration, nor will I say it was not torture. I will condemn torture but not apologize for what I did not cause or take part in.
The town hall meetings across the country I will encourage and take part in questioning and furthering the discussion of the health care issue. I will not apologize for the rude actions of some, nor will I say it is right. Dialogue, not screams, should be the goal of the town hall meetings. The meetings should allow discussion instead of question and answer formats.
You are responsible for your actions, and nothing can change that. You do something, you are responsible. You hurt someone, you are responsible and justice will be carried out. You earn a reward, you keep that reward for yourself. Your actions led to both outcomes, and you are equally deserving of the results.
You are not deserving of my kindness, respect, or friendship until you earn it. I will give the basic civility to meet someone, but I will not give my trust to those who do not earn it. You are not entitled to anything from me until you earn it.
Some call me aggressive, and this is not true. I respond to aggression. You push, insult, or take from me I simply push, insult, and take back. I will not be treated badly without making certain those who cause suffering also know what I felt, but no more than what I felt. Does this mean I break the law? No. They break the law, I use the justice granted to me for being a human being. However, my friendship is not gauranteed to anyone as a human right; until you earn it you will not recieve it from me.
So stop complaining and accusing and lying about me. I have had enough. Basic civility has made me keep my silence for many years, but I have finally had enough. You doubt my efforts and goals, I accept that. You insult me and the people who have earned my friendship and my trust is something I will not accept. Be civilized and hold discussions instead of riots.
Former Website Evolves
The joshh19.webs.com website has changed, and although no longer part of my campaign, it is for a good cause. I encourage you to check it out, and hope you learn from the successful experience of Josh Haskell and his tips for a successful diet (nothing is being sold, its honestly to help people.) Enjoy.
What is the value of one life? / My Health Care Insurance Reform
There is no price, or value to a life. It is however too valuable to give away. Some say the elderly or the young are less valuable than those who are 15-40 years old. It is an idea under the surface of some more radical beliefs. In practice, it is not desired but a resulting system of value for nations which seek to provide limited resources to as many as possible.
No life at any point is any less valuable than that of another. When I wrote about race I spoke of the equality of all people, our inherent possiblity being equal. I stand by than and wish to expand upon it. No matter how old you are your potential for success is the same as anyone else.
We are social creatures and every life we come in contact with leaves an attachment which, if broken, causes pain. A system which considers the attachment to the elderly as less valuable than the attachment to the young, or the "productive", will eventually dehumanize our emotions and remove our ability to connect. This will make us no longer human.
So when you look to countries which provide universal anything, be it college, health care, housing, think of how they value life. When a government you live under proposes giving everyone a part of something which is finite, question how they will value human life.
When I look to this health care insurance proposal by the House of Representatives, and Congress, and Obama's unwritten yet often spoken of proposal, I think of the various groups having more lines given for certain groups. I do not want, under a universal plan, to see veterans, or the elderly, or the young, or the rich, or the poor get a different deal from this. All people are created equal and should be treated as such.
As for what plan would be best, in terms of the government option in the health care insurance reform, I believe that a new approach needs to be taken. Instead of getting covered when your problem arises, have a system in which people are in a position to be prepared to pay for the treatments they need.
Having a bank account, one that will not be taxable, which will have an interest rate paid by a bank, like a regular account, but a fund-match program by the government. The money can only be retrieved after a person has gotten medical attention, which can have a system similar to a credit card where the account is instantly accessed at the store, in this case a hospital or doctor's office.
This program will be in combination with other insurance plans, but a government gaurantee of $1,000,000 for emergency medical treatments, usable only when the account has been overdrawn and for a chronic condition (cancer included). This could be expanded that chronic conditions always be covered by the government, while basic health care such as doctor visits and emergency surgery be paid for by the currenty system in combination with the bank program.
A law with this could be written, in common understanding (instead of "legal speak"), as the following:
A. Health Care Bank Fund
1. A savings account only accessable by medical practitioners.
2. A savings account which will have a match-fund through government funds.
3. A savings account not accessable for any other purpose.
B. Chronic Conditions Gauranteed Treatment
1. A government fund to cover the first $1,000,000 of a cancerous disease.
2. Upon the excess of $1,000,000 a secondary fund from which citizens choose to donate will be drawn upon.
2a. This secondary fund will be funded by citizens choosing an option on their income tax to donate.
3. A government fund to cover the unlimited cost of other chronic illnesses.
New law over. It isn't 1,000 pages long. It will improve the financial side which has to pay for treatments. Does this solve the rising cost of health care? No, but it is a start to the reform we need. It gives people another option, which is good. That option is not taking away other options, which is good.
More of my health care plan is in the works.
No life at any point is any less valuable than that of another. When I wrote about race I spoke of the equality of all people, our inherent possiblity being equal. I stand by than and wish to expand upon it. No matter how old you are your potential for success is the same as anyone else.
We are social creatures and every life we come in contact with leaves an attachment which, if broken, causes pain. A system which considers the attachment to the elderly as less valuable than the attachment to the young, or the "productive", will eventually dehumanize our emotions and remove our ability to connect. This will make us no longer human.
So when you look to countries which provide universal anything, be it college, health care, housing, think of how they value life. When a government you live under proposes giving everyone a part of something which is finite, question how they will value human life.
When I look to this health care insurance proposal by the House of Representatives, and Congress, and Obama's unwritten yet often spoken of proposal, I think of the various groups having more lines given for certain groups. I do not want, under a universal plan, to see veterans, or the elderly, or the young, or the rich, or the poor get a different deal from this. All people are created equal and should be treated as such.
As for what plan would be best, in terms of the government option in the health care insurance reform, I believe that a new approach needs to be taken. Instead of getting covered when your problem arises, have a system in which people are in a position to be prepared to pay for the treatments they need.
Having a bank account, one that will not be taxable, which will have an interest rate paid by a bank, like a regular account, but a fund-match program by the government. The money can only be retrieved after a person has gotten medical attention, which can have a system similar to a credit card where the account is instantly accessed at the store, in this case a hospital or doctor's office.
This program will be in combination with other insurance plans, but a government gaurantee of $1,000,000 for emergency medical treatments, usable only when the account has been overdrawn and for a chronic condition (cancer included). This could be expanded that chronic conditions always be covered by the government, while basic health care such as doctor visits and emergency surgery be paid for by the currenty system in combination with the bank program.
A law with this could be written, in common understanding (instead of "legal speak"), as the following:
A. Health Care Bank Fund
1. A savings account only accessable by medical practitioners.
2. A savings account which will have a match-fund through government funds.
3. A savings account not accessable for any other purpose.
B. Chronic Conditions Gauranteed Treatment
1. A government fund to cover the first $1,000,000 of a cancerous disease.
2. Upon the excess of $1,000,000 a secondary fund from which citizens choose to donate will be drawn upon.
2a. This secondary fund will be funded by citizens choosing an option on their income tax to donate.
3. A government fund to cover the unlimited cost of other chronic illnesses.
New law over. It isn't 1,000 pages long. It will improve the financial side which has to pay for treatments. Does this solve the rising cost of health care? No, but it is a start to the reform we need. It gives people another option, which is good. That option is not taking away other options, which is good.
More of my health care plan is in the works.
New Website URL
Alright, after some slight complications, a new campaign website is located at http://randyhughesking.webs.com/Index.html . Enjoy.
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