Government = bait and switch

The collapse of Social Security seems all but assured now, since there's no money in the so-called trust fund. The Feds spent decades siphoning off the Ponzi-type contributions, diverting them to other pressing projects, like the latest West Virginia monument to the now-late Robert Byrd. Now that Social Security receipts no longer exceed annual outlays, the IOUs are looking pretty irredeemable. After all, those aren't the ONLY promisory notes Uncle Sam is staring at. What... you think a promise is a promise? Bet you think the bailouts helped, too...

Think I'm kidding about bait and switch? Social Security by far isn't the only example. Given the legendary amounts of, um, discretionary spending done at the Federal, State and local levels on everything from free needles for drug addicts to modern art, you'd think there'd be room for paring back in hard times without cutting essential services.

You'd be wrong.

See... in this economic climate, nobody with a lick of sense would support higher taxes to close a budget deficit just so a junkie can shoot up with fresh syringes. But say you're going to lay off a third of your police? Or start 'rolling closures' of fire stations? Well golly, I guess the serfs citizens will just have to cough up some more dough!

It's scare tactics and emotionalism at its finest. And it's time we called BS on it. We aren't getting what we allegedly pay for... so what's the point??