My thoughts on a recent Bloomberg speech

http://www.mikebloomberg.com/en/issues/public_health/mayor_bloomberg_delivers_opening_address_at_ceasefire_bridging_the_political_divide_conference

I think Bloomberg’s speech makes some very good and even idealistic points. So in the spirit of sharing some of my own idealism, there are a few things that got my blood pumping. Probably because it raises a red flag for me whenever someone advocates all the things that government has to do to make our lives better. Too much of a victimized entitlement mindset exists in our country and that has helped the liberal wing to push ever greater levels of Socialism into our lives.

He does a nice job of pointing out issues that partisanship and the federal government contribute to. But I don’t agree that state and local leaders are doing such a great job either. Schwarzenegger’s “solution” to the “gay issue” was to pass a law that allows school kids to choose whichever bathroom or locker room they want to go into. And the local “leaders” in New Orleans were an abysmal failure to their constituents before, during and after Katrina. Chicago Mayor Daley seems to get that lower taxes are good for business and individuals, but the Cook county board and ILL Governor Hot Rod certainly don’t. I do agree with Bloomberg’s call for voters to hold all of our elected officials accountable, because we as a free society and a market economy are ultimately the ones who are able to forge a sustainable program for health care, immigration, conservation, you name it.

I have to say that the comment about Mexico’s great program for moving people out of poverty drove me through the roof. If it’s worked so well then why do we have so many illegal’s coming across our borders? It’s the same rationale that socialized medicine proponents use in comparing us to Europe and Cuba. Meanwhile wealthy citizens of those countries go somewhere else for treatment and people in the UK are pulling their own teeth because a good dentist is hard to find. A very telling quote on the topic—“Financial incentives encourage higher performance – that’s human nature, and it’s the foundation of our economic system. Why shouldn’t government tap into that? It may prove to be the best anti-poverty program since the Earned Income Tax Credit – or it may not. But we’re not afraid to find out.” Financial incentives are the foundation of a free market (i.e. limited government interference) economic system. Why shouldn’t government tap into that? Because it’s not their money! Politicians take money from you and me and our families in the form of taxes to fund every single social program they sponsor; no wonder they’re not afraid to try rewarding a welfare queen for showing up to a Doctor’s appointment or trying to find a job. We’re the ones that have to foot those bills, not the government. Hats off to NYC for rolling back some of their tax hikes, but if you lend me $100 and I eventually pay you back I wouldn’t expect you to throw me a party.

I don’t want to bang the tribal drum on global warming except to say two things. First, that there are numerous scientists from Harvard, MIT, local and national Climate institutes, and former members of the IPCC who have presented substantial proof that the globe is warming AND human beings are not to blame. Second, the scientific models also show that the planet will undergo its next cyclical cooling cycle within 7-15 years. And when that happens I can guarantee that the same politicians pushing for expensive and restrictive controls on our lifestyles to “save the planet” today will take full credit for the planet’s God given adaptability tomorrow. Of course any freedoms the average American loses in the meantime will be gone for good, like all the cigar bars in Illinois as of January 1st for instance.