All those handouts have to come from somewhere. Whether it be housing subsidies, food subsidies, energy subsidies, immigrant aid programs or whatever...that money comes from taxes paid by working people or retired workers. It's not government money, it's not magic money that just appears. It's my money. It's your money. Unless you don't pay taxes.
If I see someone starving I'll buy him/her a meal. I'm not going to hand over my checkbook and say go ahead, you can eat every day. But that is what the goverment programs do. It's a blank check to NOT take control of your own life and responsibility for yourself. There are no federal programs that will pay my family's hospital costs, I have to purchase my own insurance or take a chance. But there programs to help illegal immigrants. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E2DD1E3CF933A2575BC0A9629C8B63
CUT THE CRAP! Since there are fewer jobs, at least in this area the seasonal immigrant population will likely decline next year. That means the price of lawn services, landscaping services, and snow plowing will probably go up for those who can't be bothered with taking care of their own chores. On the other hand, that frees up jobs for people who live here, if they're not "too good" to take them.
Jim, if you actually study what a democracy is, it has no classes. Our country does have several of the pillars of democracy. What we lack is complete pluralism. The government supports, controls, or is involved in far too many areas of our society. Under the false premise of allowing the government to "protect" us, we're undermining the pillars of democracy. You can't blame "the government", because the government is us. If that's not the case, then we are failing in our mission to be a democracy.
