Declaration of Dependence

The task of weaning people from the national nipple won’t be easy.

Linda Bowles (1952-2003), National syndicated columnist

The problem  with socialism is that eventually you run  out of other people’s money.

Margaret Thatcher(1925-2013,  My Years at Downing Street

Despite warnings that  government is running out of money,  Washington politicians seem to have made a Declaration of  Dependence.   The reason is abundantly clear.   Government dependency via entitlement programs is where the votes are.

If there were such a Declaration, it might read like this.

·         Whereas,  Medicare now has 50 million recipients.  With our aging population and 10,000 baby boomers joining the rolls each day,  that number is likely to double by 2020.

·         Whereas, Medicaid now has 60 million dependents.  With Obamacare, that number will grow to 90 million in 2014, and is likely to go to 150 million, give or take 10 million, by 2020.

·         Whereas,  food stamps  and other government assisted food programs now help feed 100 million people. With the continued slow growth (2%) of the economy,  that number is likely to continue to creep upward.

·         Whereas,  Social Security now sends checks to 63 million people, 51 million over 65 and 12 million under 65 who claim disabilities, and those numbers will mount with the aging population and with continuing slow growth of the economy and an unemployement and underemployment rate of over 14%.

 

·         Whereas,  talk about cutting entitlement programs is a political weapon that will be used against you, why not continue with federal largesse.  Using other people’s money to show your compassion is a political winner, as long as there are more have-nots than haves.

Thereby and therein , we hold these political truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Re-election, Voter Dependency,  Pursuit of the Federal Dollar, and the right to redistribute other people’s health and wealth.

Tweet: Declaration of Independence from government is being replaced by Declaration of Dependency on government, for that is where the votes are.