A little help on government programs?

[Moderate Dem]

I don't post here often, I'm a liberal posting in a generally conservative forum (Hannity, as the poster ddye). I need a little assistance if someone would be so kind.

Can anyone list some successful government programs/regulations? I know some examples, like the GI Bill, the FDA, the Interstate Highway System and the like, but the righties in that forum always use the old, "The government never does anything well" rhetoric, and I'd like to nail them to the wall.

I can hold my own in a political debate, but some of those guys are much better at research than I am. So please give me some successful government programs that I can shove in their faces...

Thanks

[annabanana]

1. I'd say they'd concede that the Army, Navy, Air Force & Marines are

a few government programs that they have no quibble with...

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. same here anabana...

Did you read my post on Haliburton's no bid situation in Iraq?

[Moderate Dem]

7. Thanks, but they'll say that was "Constitutionally mandated"

...and they'll be right. I need stuff like the GI Bill (which, when you think about it, was one of the most socialistic programs EVER) that goes against the hypocritical "small government" arguments.

It's tough arguing with those people. Anything from the Democrats is called perverting the Constitution, but they're like bulldog attorneys finding ways to argue that the programs THEY like would be supported by the Founding Fathers.

Thanks again!

[annabanana]

19. "Constitutionally mandated" or not.. how would that make any difference

as to how well it was administered?

[ejpoeta]

2. well, imagine if we didn't have the FDIC protecting our money in the banks.

when banks started going under we didn't have that rush on the banks like in the depression. that is only because we knew our money is protected by FDIC.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. highly recommended

[napi21]

4. Social Security, Medicare, Post Office, Fire Departments, are some

of the most successful. I can speak with at least some authority because my husband & I have been retired since last Oct. and live on SS only & have Medicare ins. We do have a little saving, but I guarantee you it wouldn't last more than 5 years if it weren't for SS.

[pkdu]

6. ...and these

Coastguard
NASA
PostOffice ( I like John Stewart's line about "for 40 cents they come to your house , pick up some piece of crap and take it to the other side of the country")
Medicare/Medicaid

[OHdem10]

8. Social Security and Medicare have been successful and have

kept Millions of Senior Citizens independent. No one notes
how families would be impacted if instead of these programs
individual families would have their grandparents living with
them.

Secondly no one ever makes mention of the fact the Senate and
House go into these funds and use them for other things.
Example: Regan left I O Us in Treasury as he borrowed
from SS to de defense build up. Democrats are also guilty.
When they do not want to raise taxes, they raid these funds.

[lunatica]

9. Do farming subsidies count?

How about the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulating the quality of food produced in the US. From milk being homogenized to all the rules to make sure slaughterhouses don't mix feces and meat in the same packaging for consumption.

then there's the CDC (Center for Disease Control)

The national vaccination programs starting with the Polio Vaccine way back when, and the eradication of Small Pox (although that may have been an international program started by the Rockefeller Foundation).

The National Guard who step in during natural disasters to keep the peace and to help the states.

[lapfog_1]

10. Federal Programs and Agencies...

The DoD. One can argue about this, but the military people are actually quite competent at what they do.

The DoE. Again, one can quibble about the maintenance of our nuclear arsenal, but the people that work here are very very good. and the basic research they sponsor is fundamental to our technological progress.

ARPA/DARPA. Well, we would not be communicating like this without them.

NASA. I worked for NASA for 10 years. Very good people doing an outstanding job. BTW, in case anyone complains that it's a waste of money... forget Tang... NASA invented those semi truck air dams and spoilers, did all of the wind tunnel testing at the facility that was across the street from my office (the world's largest wind tunnel). The improvements in gas mileage alone saves the trucking industry more money than NASA costs every year (at least, it used to, don't know about today's figures). We wouldn't have any
of the climate data on the earth without remote sensing pioneered by NASA (and still run by NASA).

Army Corp of Engineers. They get a lot of criticism for things that go wrong, like the New Orleans levees. But they also do a lot of things right... and they are learning. People complain that the flood control projects aren't environmentally sound, but when you look back at the floods that happened before those projects, and project forward to our current population... There is good with the bad here.

EPA. Until the Bushco years, they were actually quite good at improving the environment. They can be effective. People don't remember what LA smog was like back in the early 70's. Not that the smog is gone, but it is better now, and there are a lot more cars and people there.

Post Office. For under $.50 you can send a document anywhere in the country. They don't get enough credit, imho.

BLM / US Forest Service. They do a *lot* with not much money or that many people. They need more money and more people.

FBI. Again, another federal agency that gets a lot of bad press, but if I wanted a crime solved, I'd still try to get them involved.

Secret Service. Is there anyone in the world better than these people at doing what they do? I don't think so.

I could go on, there are a lot of federal agencies and programs that are effective. When the freeper types make these blanket stmts about "government run stuff is horrible"... start naming federal programs like Medicare, VA and agencies/departments like DoD and ask if THEY are what is being referred to. It usually shuts them up... or they start complaining about the DMV... which, of course, is not federally run.

[Moderate Dem]

11. Thanks, I am bookmarking this. It WILL be used!

[Bandit]

12. How about TVA and the electrification of rural America.

Imagine these people's lives today if the government hadn't provided for the electrification of America..

[rucky]

16. one of the biggest and most overlooked

[Statistical]

13. Police departments & Military are things they couldn't argue with

The founding fathers were very afraid of a Police state and most cities (much less rural areas) had no formal police depts for the first 80 years or so.

The founders were also adamant that the US not have a standing army.

So law enforcement and military (especially the size and scope of ours) are two examples of "big govt" that they would be hypocritical to support.

Being pro strong national defense (by a large standing army) and anti "big govt" is illogical and hypocritical.

At least people like Ron Paul are consistent. He is one of the few Republicans who wants a massive reduction in the military and pull us out of all overseas locations.

[rucky]

14. Head Start; USPS

[yewberry]

15. Okay, a few:

Head Start--loved by even the Republicans until 2002
Americorps--for every $1 spent, we get benefits from $1.60-$2.60
CDC
Direct Student Loans
FMLA
Human Genome Project
Mine Safety & Health Administration
National Parks System
National Crime Information System
National Weather Service
Peace Corps
National Biological Service
Food Labelling
National Consumer Product Safety Commission
Clean Water Act (RIP...)
WIC--we save $2-$4 on Medicaid for every dollar spent on WIC
National Health Service Corps
Cooperative Extension Service
Bans on leaded gasoline, DDT, PCBs, and CFCs

[rucky]

20. Good list! (and a kick)

[whyverne]

17. I think your wasting your time.

Basically all progress is brought about by big government. Clean water, sewage, highways, bridges, the Internet, railroads, airports, snow removal, disaster cleanup, financial safety nets, workplace safety, food distribution, disease control...

You want to argue with Utopians who say that everything would be better without big government? You might as well argue with fundies about evolution. Good luck.

[Moderate Dem]

18. It would seem that way

but it's sooooooooo delicious when you can make them look like such utter imbeciles that the more "sensible" conservatives start to distance themselves from the wingnuts.

It makes all of the frustration worthwhile. I have nothing against a reasonable, non batshit crazy conservative. The problem is that they seem to be a dying breed.