Originally Posted By skinnerbox Donny wrote: <<I have worked in government most my life and I have watched people abuse the system and watched the system fail to protect itself from abuse and fraud. I want to see our social services go to wards people who are honestly looking to be independent and I want to see the leeches get cutoff>> Sara responded: <<Leeches? You mean like government employees?(I happen to be one also...and what I see passing for a full day's work for some people...oy vay!>> This is where you score negative points with me, Donny. You're very quick to judge non-government workers who supposedly 'abuse the system,' the folks who are receiving the social services you apparently are providing. But no where do you criticize the abuse that goes on inside the system, amongst the government workers such as yourself. As Sara pointed out, that happens as well. Good for you that you've been able to find great government jobs that pay solid wages, which I'm sure were also union jobs, at least in Wisconsin. (I doubt the jobs in AZ and FL were/are union.) But you seem to have a big chip on your shoulder when it comes to the folks receiving social services. And that's not right. The amount of fraud that actually occurs is miniscule. It's a very small percentage compared to the aggregate receiving assistance. Most of the people receiving social services are not 'leeches' but you make it sound as if they are. Your contempt for these individuals is striking. And it seriously bothers me to see someone gainfully employed with good pay and benefits, enough so he can afford to buy APs and take his family to Disney World every week, be so judgmental of the very citizens who make his job possible through taxation. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Unbelievable that a self-proclaimed Christian would make such statements as "I want to see the leeches get cutoff." I guess they don't teach Mormon kids about the Beatitudes.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 When the Christians decided they should be "more like Jesus" skinner they just meant the part where he fought off brown people, socialists, and jews using only the american flag.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck I am well acquainted with several people who work for the U.S. Forest service. I have heard some of them mention what little work they actually do. This while enjoying all the benefits and perks possible, and retiring comfortably at around age fifty. Same goes for the military. I have a career Marine friend who says the bulk of his day is spent hanging at the posh officer's recreation/fitness center. These are not bad people, they are good people, who would work hard if needed. I dont think they are willfully abusing the system, as much as just going along with it. I think that could be said for people who are on government benefits as well.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer I was an EMT paid by the taxpayers. We didn't have a lot of calls where I worked, but we dropped everything and responded when one came in. As long as the Marines are ready to go when we need them I don't care what they do with their time. Some of what we pay the government for is to provide services that we need people ready to perform even if they aren't busy all the time. Even the smoke watchers in the fire lookouts didn't do much - Kerouac had time to write a book when he was a lookout - but they are needed where they are. My niece's husband is 24, he's an Army captain and he's already done a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. Right now he's at Fort Irwin training other soldiers and his training sessions are fully immersive week-long exercises. His job in Afghanistan was to find IEDs. If he spends his time when he isn't training playing pool at the Officer's Club, go for it. Next time we need him to look for bombs he'll be there. Now if you're talking about a desk jockey that performs are regular function and not an emergency one not getting a lot done, that's a whole different animal. Romney, of course, has never had to work like this in his life. He doesn't have any comprehension of what a typical person's life is like. Obama worked his way up from nothing, a true representation of the American Dream.
