Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Live from Denver

Ok, to be honest, I am not in Denver, although I wish I was. But not for the Democratic National Convention.

I am very politically minded, but I refuse to tell anyone where I stand politically. Suffice it to say this: I am a combination of the two parties, and I am ok with that. But as I listened to Hilary Clinton's speech tonight I came to a conclusion: Lots of promises often consist of hollow words.

Clinton called for the support and "salvation" of the American middle class. She spoke that the hope of the nation resides on the middle class. They are in need of a tax break, so that the receipts incoming can get ahead of the bills outgoing. She spoke of the need for universal health care, the end of American dependence on foreign oil by the support of renewal energy resources, and an overhaul of the American educational system. She also spoke of ending the war in Iraq, yet in the same breath mentioned Putin/Russia's invasion into Georgia. She spoke of greater support for our service men and women and a greater package of benefits for our veterans. She spoke of government for the people rather than the select few.

The problem she neglected to mention was the need for more money. She calls for tax breaks for the middle class; where will the funds come from to support these great overhauls? There is a need for universal health care so that all people will receive medical treatment. (AMEN to health care for all!) But...one small problem: where will these funds come from? These ambitious needs require a LARGE increase in taxes from ALL of the American people. She called for a need for economic growth and stability, yet also called for greater taxes on industry. How do these ideas coincide? Can we support business growth and expansion while simultaneously increasing the taxes demanded from said institutions? She calls for the need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. A couple of small problems: By increasing our dependency on "renewable" energy resources like ethanol we inevitably drive up the cost of grain for the average consumer, placing a greater burden on the poor and middle classes. (If the cost of grain increases, then the cost of beef/meat increases due to the cost of feeding these animals...)

ALL of these platform issues require HUGE amounts of financial support. Clinton spoke of our dependence on monetary loans from the Chinese... If we can't support our failing economy now, how do we expect to do any better in the future with NO economic changes in the long haul?

While the Democrats expound a position of "Change," we must realize that it will take dollars (not just change) to make these policies a reality. Who will wind up bearing the burden of these costs? The very economy they espouse wanting to save... And, ultimately, the middle class individuals who are having to pay for those who refuse to take initiative for themselves...

2 comments:

Mandy said...

Don't learn the hard way like Vern: Democrat = Excommunication. It's in the Bible.

Daniel said...

Haha. Thanks for your Biblical posting; can you remind me what verse that is in again?