So, how well is the federal government addressing its mission statement? Specifically, how is it enhancing the lives of those of us here in the wilds of West Texas? We weren't part of the original organization, but we wisely got ourselves adopted in 1845. Since then, we've given the countless lives and vast personal and material resources to our government. We have invested heavily, yet some are blind to all we receive in return.
Speaking of only one purpose, to "promote the general Welfare," here's just some of what we return to ourselves via our federal government: Big Bend National Park, McDonald Observatory, NASA, Sul Ross State University (student grants, loans and program funding), AMTRAK; our non-commercial, public radio (Marfa Public Radio) and TV systems; food and drug safety systems including FDA and USDA (which also assists agriculture development); the federal highway system that conveys everything to and fro; money and regulation of our banking and commerce systems; transportation safety; disease and injury control; emergency response in disasters; environmental protection through research funding and regulation of pollution; employment assistance and occupational safety; housing assistance including construction funding, lending, regulation and support; the National Weather Service; and assistance to small businesses.
I left some biggies for last: Social Security is a federal disability insurance and retirement system that provides basic income for many of our citizens who contributed to it and might otherwise be destitute. TANF provides temporary assistance to needy families. Medicare is a federal single-payer health care assurance system for those 65 and older. Medicaid is the same for low-income folks (funded 50/50 by the Feds and the states). Tricare serves military families and retirees. And the State Children's Health Insurance Program with joint federal/state funding covers care for uninsured children. These health care assurance (funding) systems are ALL federal programs, but many are operated by private insurance companies as contractors for the government. Unlike for-profit health insurance, however, these programs focus on caring for people not making profit; overhead is low and client satisfaction is high. The actual care is provided by our superior, mostly private professionals, hospitals and clinics. The VA health care system provides our veterans with health care both at government-run facilities and indirectly through payments to private doctors and pharmacies. To those who consider health insurance reform intrusive, note that the government, at our request, is already deeply involved in health care financing and it works quite well.
"We the People insisted that these services be provided. It's more efficient to provide them collectively and no one else does what the government will do. Individual services may not be provided to our satisfaction, but if they are not, we have recourse. They belong to us! Consider too that these endeavors not only benefit West Texans, they also provide jobs for friends and neighbors. And each of these endeavors creates demand for other goods and services provided by our local businesses. If, as it now seems, we avoid a full-blown depression, we have this safety-net, this purpose to thank: "to promote the general Welfare."
Those attacking the federal government "know for sure" some things that "just ain't so." Believing what they say could get us all in deep trouble.
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