Guest Post by John Stossel
Never before have presidential candidates offered voters so much “free” stuff.
Kamala Harris wants you to “collect up to $500 a month.”
Elizabeth Warren says, “We need to go tenfold in our research and development in green energy.”
No one has tracked the cost of all of the promises. So my video team did!
Who will spend the most?
Here are the new spending proposals from the five most popular (according to ElectionBettingOdds.com) candidates.
In my latest video, we break it down by category, education spending first:
Joe Biden wants to “triple the amount of money we spend for Title I schools” ($32 billion) create “universal pre-K” ($26 billion), provide “free community college” ($6 billion per year) and double the number of psychologists and social workers in schools ($14 billion) — $78 billion total.
That’s a lot, but much less than what Kamala Harris would spend.
She too wants to “make community college free” ($6 billion), but she’d add debt-free “four-year public college” ($80.1 billion), “increase government’s investment in childcare” dramatically ($60 billion) and “give the average public school teacher a $13,000 raise” ($31.5 billion) for a total of $177 billion.
Pete Buttigieg rarely says what his proposals would cost, but he at least seems to want to spend less than Harris.
He touts “free college for low- and middle-income students” and would give teachers more money. Assuming his plan is like Harris’, that brings his education total to $87 billion.
Elizabeth Warren would spend much more.
“You’ll be debt-free!” she tells students. Taxpayers, unfortunately, will be deeper in debt, since she would “forgive” most existing student debt and make public college tuition-free ($125 billion).
She also wants a “Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act” ($70 billion).
These big-ticket items put her in the first place so far.
But wait! Bernie Sanders would spend even more.
He’d completely “eliminate student debt,” “make public colleges and universities tuition-free” and provide universal daycare and pre-K. That totals $280 billion, so Sanders “wins” in education spending.
I assumed the self-described socialist would be the biggest spender, but he’s got lots of competition! Let’s look at health care spending.
Harris, Sanders and Warren all propose “Medicare for All,” including for people here illegally.
Sanders goes further, saying, “Under our plan, people go to any doctor they want.” He admits it will cost between $3 trillion and $4 trillion per year, about what the government now spends on everything. How will he pay for that? Well, somehow the rich will pay. Or Martians. Somebody.
Sanders, Harris, and Warren all said they’d ban private health insurance — although Harris now says she’d let private companies sell “Medicare plans” that “adhere to strict Medicare requirements on costs and benefits.” She also claims her “Medicare for All” will be cheaper than Sanders’ version, but as of now, there is no independently calculated cost.
When it comes to the environment, all Democratic candidates but Biden say they support the Green New Deal, which Republicans say would cost $93 trillion. For our ranking, I went with the lowest estimate we could find: An economist who likes the idea says it will cost around $500 billion a year.
Welfare? Harris would increase benefits and have the government pay your rent if it’s over 30% of your income ($94 billion), and Friday she offered $75 billion to black colleges and minority entrepreneurs.
Warren wants to spend more ($50 billion) on housing.
Sanders would increase food stamps for kids ($10.8 billion), boost Social Security benefits ($19 billion) and guarantee everyone a government job ($158 billion), for a total of $187.8 billion.
President Donald Trump, who says America will never be a socialist country, hasn’t been a responsible spender either.
Since he took office, spending increased about $500 billion per year. Trump did propose some cuts, but when Congress ignored his cuts and increased spending, he signed the bills anyway.
Now he says he’d spend even more: $200 billion a year for infrastructure, $8.6 billion for the border wall construction, $1.6 billion for more NASA funding and on and on, for a total of $267 billion.
We can’t afford it! The federal government is already $22 trillion in debt — $150,000 per taxpayer.
While Trump’s $267 billion is bad, the Democrats’ plans are worse. We counted $297 billion proposed by Biden, $690 billion from Buttigieg, $3.8 trillion from Warren, $4 trillion from Sanders and $4.3 trillion from Harris. That would double what the entire federal government spends now.
Senator Harris “wins” the free stuff contest.
Taxpayers lose.
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Hahahahahahahahahaha! Snort! These clowns are killing me. If they get elected, instead of dying laughing, we may just die.
Well, if there are that many braindead idiots out there willing to elect these assclowns then the country is way beyond dead anyway…
Just a ruse to get elected. The average economically challenged American will momentarily look up from their I-gadget. Just here the word free,and pull the lever for one of these clowns. It is so sad to see the country that I grew up in go down this Marxist road. God if you are gonna help us.Please do so soon.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Somebody, from somewhere, will have to pay.
The government does not produce anything. It can only provide products and services by first taking something from someone elsewhere.
It is simply wealth redistribution, via legalized plunder and theft.
-All under the false moral high ground of helping people who will not learn to provide for themselves, and earn what they desire.
Pay the price for what you want, and it shall be yours.
So simple. So true.
Yet so misunderstood, by people who fail, by standing on principles of gain, via envy, of those who have successfully figured this out.
By granting repetitive generosity on someone else’s dime, you create a parasitic class and take away all incentives to earn that which is a worthy harvest.
A harvest that should typically only be granted to those who plan and labor for it, one way or another.
When the giveaways become scarce, or cease, the recipients revolt, sometimes turning violent.
Yet again, their flawed expectations, when no longer met, create a false justification, projected as rights that have been removed.
The original compassionate idea of giving a hand up so that person would, in turn, reach out for another in need seems valid.
Why it fails to work is the lack of humility. When one is “entitled” by statute, then one’s problem should, by law, be resolved by goverment. So, follow the logic.
They are owed the free stuff. By “civil society” even if they refuse to be assimilate. Not only are they not ashamed…they are standing on the LAW when the sell that EBT card. It is their card to sell for drugs.
Just business transactions.
Private property is not quite the black/white issue once thought
Studies, many if them, have shown that if you help someone, they do not think better of you for it. Quite the contrary. If you help someone, they resent you. That is the fact of it. And there is a lot of people resenting productive taxpayers right now.
What studies have shown is that if you ask someone for help, they think better of you. I find that interesting, and I try to incorporate it into my business and private life often. It really is fascinating how it works.
L,
Your comment made me remember another comment I heard some years ago about givers and takers. They both are worse off for it. The taker is always worried and angry that the free shit will be taken away and are always working on the giver psychologically. The giver is unhappy because they feel many things ranging from guilt to afraid of losing a relationship.
My son in law is doing this exact thing to his mother. A damn shame because I’d bet if he changed his efforts to contributing to the family business the floodgates would open and he and my daughter would have a fulfilling life based on effort. Sad really.
no good deed goes unpunished Very hard lesson for me to le arn
The old maxim of “From each according to their ability. to those according to their need” This was tried in the Massachusetts Colony at Plymouth. It was encoded into the colony charter. The Governor quickly found out the colony would starve and die because Calvin resented Malcolm getting the same rations but for less work. The fuck it attitude quickly set in. The Governor decided to throw the charter to the wind and sectioned everyone a piece of land and the ability to barter their goods among themselves. I.E. Capitalism at work! The colony thrived. Imagine that! For this everyone in the colony gave thanks that the Governor had the good sense to get rid of socialism in the Plymouth Colony! My issue is that 99% of the people of the united States do not know that blatant socialism was tried and failed at the Plymouth colony. Yet the still think it is a good idea. At the very least, that bitch, Fauxahontas should know the history of her own f’n state!
I hope someone does an article on Williamson and the “dark psychic forces”. She is right about there being dark psychic forces, but completely wrong about (((who))) is wielding them. The people who want to take away our guns, redistribute our wealth, and ban us off the internet are the ones wielding the dark psychic force. And they won’t be happy until they get to line Americans up by the millions in front of trenches and shoot them and suck in all that soul energy. That’s their demonic wet dream and they are trying hard as hell to make it a reality. That’s what it’s all about. Some filthy asshole standing on a checkered floor in front of a flight of 13 stairs topped by a giant obelisk or owl statue reveling in the death and destruction. Probably with blood smeared all over the walls. Dawn of a new day…
Sounds like this place.
http://mileswmathis.com/mofo.pdf
Williamson is part and parcel of the dark side. She wants repatriations, whites to apologise to blacks and is probably all for gun control. She’s a fraud. I’ve read some of her books, autobigraphical excerpts included and she admits to being all f’d up spirituality so she gobbled up some New Age touchy feelie BS and spewed it out in little prayers and meditations. She’s all for humility which is why she’s so humbly running for president. Her Trump darkness is of the same fabric as white people bad.
What a disgusting display of pandering. The Democrats are going to throw the election to Trump by making the alternative so utterly repugnant.
In grade school we had a mock political election when I was a sixth grader. We formed parties, had a caucus with delegates, and chose candidates.
The guy who promised the most free stuff won. Not much has changed.
While I agree they seem nuts. Closing a few military bases would pay for much of this. Priorities?
Where the hell do you come up with that nonsense? That’s your typical liberal line of BS. Show us some facts and figures to back up your claim.
Don’t get me wrong, I would be the first to agree that the Military is a huge money pit that needs to be revamped but the fact is even it you eliminated ALL of Military spending which is around 6oo Billion or roughly 16% of the total Federal Budget that is not going to cover new spending that is in the Trillions.
You could close every single military base tomorrow, cut the pentagon budget by 50%, and sell off all of the warships etc. and STILL would probably give us about 2 years. Just like you can tax every billionaire at 100% of all of their net worth, and give us about a year and a half.
You want to know what would cut the deficits, permanently? Break up the medical monopolies.
Notice none of these assholes even brought up the fact that we could balance the budget AND cut the cost of healthcare by about 80% in an afternoon if they just enforced the law.
A simple statement would be – “Upon election, I will instruct my AG to immediately enforce anti-monopolist law against all health insurers and providers”. The mere THREAT of doing that would IMMEDIATELY force the “healthcare” market to adjust. That is how you tell whether a politician is full of shit or not. Notice how NONE of them – including Trump has made that statement? You think the President does not have that power? Any politician that is for real, and not just a jabbering talking head will say that. That is a FIX, not just a stupid talking point. Until I hear those words uttered, I would not vote for any of these asshats under any circumstance. And all of their “promises” are about as valid as Trumps were before he was elected.
Oh and BTW, the FIX for student loan debt would be – ready for it – get the Government out of the student loan business, and make student loans bankruptable. That would fix the cost of “education” in – you guessed it, an afternoon. Again, solutions vs. just jabbering idiots.
on the side of this very page is the cost of war counter, insane endless wars have cost 5 trillion – Healthcare in the USA to Gabbards point is sick care it is a greed filled monopoly with billions and billions in parasitic insurance companies – attorneys and a host of other clowns that have nothing to do with making anyone well just making America poor.
I cant speak to the green new deal I have not read it. but there should be a plan and people thinking outside the status quo to find solutions. There should be incentives to adopt a cleaner more renewable lifestyle.
Just like the system of railroads, highways, the space program, the public library system. and heathcare in most developed countries. the solutions are too big for private companies to deliver and still make a quarterly profit.
It is undeniable that the environment is suffering in big and profound ways because of the way we choose to live. the factory farms, the never ending wars that make a few rich and the rest of us poor or dead, the oil lobby and lobbyist in general that will eventually destroy democracy. The overwhelming waste in the system. I am quite sure if there are future generations they will think us quite a selfish generation.
Another tale from the front lines.
Re: Marianne Williamson.
Back in the late 80’s, a series of personal failures economic, and career struggling had me seeking solutions, while working a job that had many frustrations + stress.
A friend pointed me to a church, a ‘modern’ one, biblically based.
Unity denomination & ideas.
The one mentioned here was
founded by a former alcoholic, who was a big believer in helping people by teaching personal growth and building success using positive self esteem.
Wednesday nights were less religious themed, and guest speakers were brought in, to teach those success principles.
Well known authors.
Og Mandino. Wayne Dyer, etc.
Teachings of Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, etc.
And much later, Ms. Williamson.
She eventually became the head minister there, long after it’s creator had passed.
She brought in a diversity mindset, and the musical program started pandering to black Baptist culture.
The infighting soon grew among the church leaders and congregation.
Two memories during Williamson’s tenure.
One weekend, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith was in the house, and how Marianne fawned all over him, seated in the front row, was cringeworthy.
My last time in a seat at that place, around ’95, was when that progressive, Pollyanna talking ‘leader’ started talking about banning guns.
By that time, blacks had become dominant in the congregation, and it was headed downhill fast.
I was seated behind a black family of four, with just the matriarch. No male father. The eldest male, around 21, was obviously dragged there by Mom. He was sleeping off a hangover, and snoring.
His younger sibling was nudging him, and I heard: ” Dawg! Wake up, man. We’s in Church!”
The early years in that place gave me tools, tips and advice that helped me get my life back on track.
When things started changing at that place, I was too slow to recognize the degradation, and stayed a bit too long.
That in itself was a helluva lesson.
I was young then.
We learn from mistakes, and move on.
Update: I haven’t been there in 20 + years.
The building has been up for sale for at least 5 years.
The Church of Today?
Ran into the ground, with the influx of diversity, progLib women, and failing to thrive economically.
It’s former leader, a mystical Californian author, is now trying to become the next POTUS.
She arrogantly thinks she’s all that, and a bag of chips.
But she’s also a moderately wealthy white woman, with zero experience in politics.
Doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hell, of winning the nomination.
Ignore her.
This is typically what happens when the Gospel isn’t the primary focus of a church. Jesus gets replaced with spiritualism, materialism, politics, degeneracy, and people go elsewhere. Unitarian universalism is just another term for ecumenism or religious diversity.
I haven’t willingly stepped into a Protestant church in almost thirty years because those Pharisees have nothing of value to teach me anymore.
Regarding Williamson, well …
It’s my opinion that her views will play well with spiritualist liberals but the secular humanist bunch in the mix might not like her philosophy very much so she’s going nowhere.
I call’em CINOs Christian In Name Only! They attend religious ceremonies so they can be socially seen. It is holy roller virtue signaling. In my opinion, this is where virtue signaling got its start with irreligious assholes pretending they were Christian when in essence they were the agents of Satan. Why would a church of Jesus display the flag of Satan anyway? Go to any church and you will see openly displayed the united States Battle Flag. A pure symbol of evil on display in a supposedly house of Jesus. I boggles the mind!
Remember the early Christians didn’t need a church. Christ was their rock as he is mine! BTW, I do not identify myself as Christian. That label has been abused by the Satanist. I identify myself as a follower of Jesus’ ideals and teachings.
Have a great day!
BTW, there is a hot race for the Governor of Mississippi going on right now! The two leading candidates both claiming to be Christian. A true follower of Jesus knows immediately these individuals are lying. A true follower of Jesus would never yearn to be elected to an office of Satan.
I rest my case my God, God of Abraham, Moses, Father of Jesus and the Creator of all things!
You know she’s jewish, right?
BTW, Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” should be required reading, though he probably ripped off most of it from Wallace Wattles. Read them both and throw in some Jim Rohn, and you’ve learned more than you’ll get in 4 years of college now a days.
Who is Jewish? Williamson or Kamala? Probably all of them if you look close.
http://mileswmathis.com/smallit.pdf
Wattles was a student of New Thought and it was Phineas Quimby who got that ball rolling. Mary Baker Eddy was a student of Quimby and she ripped him off right royally and started Christian Science. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures which essentially states that if your belief is strong enough you can be healed from anything and everything. If you die? Well, you didn’t believe hard enough.
http://www.phineasquimby.wwwhubs.com/
Anonymous, did that church (physical premises) develop the ‘dusky sheen’ ?
Good story. I saw a similar demise to a strong church. Sad when the celebrity status frightens the Ghost.
Heil
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The Democrats (especially Warren) are a product of the Higher Education culture. Professors work a few hours a week and try to compare that labor to those who do real hard labor. They actually equate the 2. No, actually they think their mental labor is harder. They are use to idol worship from students that want good grades and actually think the Higher Education has real world value. They live in an academic bubble where any problem can be solved with enough of the money they want to take from you. After you have sweated in the hot sun or froze in the winter while they sit in climate controlled offices. They can then be treated as saviors and heros by those that get your hard earned money. Also, while living high on the hog while lecturing about the rich while taking donations that will have to be made good. That’s when the middle class screwing really begins. You didn’t vote for them so you are a sub-human. When you are just wanting to provide for your family. Because they don’t care about you. They mask their Selfish behavior behind moral superiority. How much is their net worth again? And the HE factories produce new voters every year for them.
I think she was a poor dirt farmer from Oklahoma or something like that
https://elizabethwarren.com/meet-elizabeth
WHOEVER WINS….WE LOSE. It has ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY!!