Without your well-placed tax dollars, the Tea Parties would have to rescue their own kittehs.
Proving that all hypocrisy is local, the Tennessee Tea Party is organizing a rally this Friday to protest “big government” at the Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium – a venue funded and maintained by the taxpayers of Davidson County.
You can view the history of Municipal Aud and see just how much “big government” has put into the building to make it safe, comfortable, and affordable so organizations like the TN Tea Party can protest its intrusion into our lives. For example, in 1978 the Metro Council designated $200,000 to paint the interior and update seat upholstery. In 1993 they allocated $1.159 million in repairs and renovations for the auditorium. And in 2001, a brand new one-million dollar sprinkler and fire alarm system was installed.
In other words, Tennessee Tea Partiers, it’s not about “big government,” it’s about smart government. And without a smart government believing that it’s a good idea to spend taxpayer dollars to keep conventioneers from being burned to a crisp, the Tea Partiers wouldn’t have a safe place to peaceably assemble.
We won’t hold our breath waiting for a “thank you.”
UPDATE: Mark NoChaser expounds: “While we’re at it, Mary, let’s not forget that the Teabaggers will drive to the auditorium on taxpayer-funded roads. While they’re at the event, their cars will be protected by taxpayer-funded police officers. They will scurry home Friday night and bang out blog posts claiming the Municipal Auditorium was filled by 3 MILLION protesters. Of course, their lights and their computers will be run on taxpayer-subsidized electricity.”
What I’m saying is that when people have small co-pays, they will consume care at a higher rate since “someone else” is paying. Obviously someone is going to end up paying through higher premiums, but what happens is a feedback loop of ever more consumption and higher premiums.
I agree, getting sick is scary, and making decisions that affect your life are emotional, but who do you want making that decision? An insurance company? Some bureaucrat? I’d rather have as much of the control as possible in my own hands.
I think your doctor visit went as it should have. It was between you and your doctor to asses the risk of an additional procedure and make the decision on whether or not you wanted to go ahead. I don’t think an administrator whether public or private that’s far removed from the situation could have made as informed of a decision, and they certainly wouldn’t be taking the same things into account as the individuals directly involved. To them you’re a name on a paper and a number affecting the bottom line.
Yeah, I’m aware that diet and exercise aren’t the be-all end-all of long life. There are all sorts of anecdotes of triathlon runners falling over dead and chronic smokers living into their 90s to support whatever partisan point one wants to make. My point is that it would be truly scary to have a “Health and Fitness” Czar out there enforcing whatever the current “consensus” is on what is healthy for us. Remember when margarine was better than butter? Now some places are banning trans fats.
“Put people back in touch with the costs…”
I don’t know what that means, and I’m not trying to be argumentative. I think most people understand how expensive health care is.
An example: my deductible is very high, and when I went to the doctor earlier this year, I had to consider whether or not I needed a chest X-ray that I would pay for out of my own pocket (about $400 — I hadn’t built up my HSA yet). The doctor said he didn’t think I had pneumonia, but couldn’t guarantee it and wanted to rule it out. At that point, I had to make a medical decision — and I am not a doctor.
I’m not saying you don’t have a good point, but sometimes it’s really difficult to be your smartest on such an emotional issue as health.
By the way, routine diet and exercise doesn’t make you immune from bad health. I had a really good friend who ran cross country in college, and she died of cancer not too long ago.
So does a proper diet and exercise. Are we going to mandate routine checkups? Balanced diets? Running 3 miles every morning? It’s insulting to responsible people that do without things and budget for health insurance to say that Papa Sam has to step in and take care of us.
If the argument is that we need to get the 14 or so million people that actually can’t get covered under a plan, then let’s do that. I’m perfectly happy with my high-deductible plan and HSA, and I’m sure a lot of folks are happy with their plans as well so no change needed there.
I’ll concede that actual care costs are too high, but I disagree on the cause of that. I believe it’s a result of the disconnect between healthcare consumers and providers. People are so used to a third party paying for things, and money coming out of their checks for premiums. Give individuals a tax deduction for insurance instead of (or in addition to) employers. Put people back in touch with the costs and they’ll be much smarter about where their dollars are going.
Perhaps the government should provide only catastrophic insurance, let private insurers cover the intermediate stuff (under a tremendous amount of regulation), and use grants and subsidies to bridge the gaps?
“I don’t believe routine coverage is any more a “right†than a gym membership or a meal plan.”
Most of the time, however, routine coverage prevents a small problem from becoming a large problem.
Maybe if folks were actually proposing a public option that would only provide catastrophic coverage then that analogy would stand, but they’re not. Our “insurance” system is seriously screwed up in this country. It works like nothing else that we call insurance. Why is a third party paying for most peoples routine doctor visits? I don’t believe routine coverage is any more a “right” than a gym membership or a meal plan.
Of course, there was a time when fire protection was privatized. And when people finally came to the realization that this was a bad idea — public safety impacts all of us — we socialized it.
Now, medicine is privatized. And as people finally come to the realization that this is a bad idea — public health impacts all of us — we want to partially socialize it.
Really? the old “why do you HATE ROADS??!?” argument.. Come on, government obviously has a role in providing things that the private sector can’t provide that are in the public commons. You won’t find very many people arguing against public funding for roads, police, fire protection or other such things. Where you do find disagreement is in the ever expanding presence of the FEDERAL government into every aspect of our lives.
Your story comes off with the smugness shared by the majority of your ilk. You imply that only liberals pay taxes and that the TTP organization is freeloading off of the taxpayers and therefore being hypocritical. We are all taxpayers. Well most of us are, anyway. What you seem to miss is that this isn’t about liberal or conservative, it’s about right and wrong for OUR entire Nation. You have the right to write this story. If you want to keep that right join us tonight, at NMA.
David, they are self supporting, and we are paying for the venue on the night we are using it. The government isn’t footing that bill.
I don’t know Ryan. Aren’t there any dry venues that had no government involvement? If not, I guess you’ll have to ask private enterprise why it didn’t provide one.
BWLIB, where else are we going to fit 10,000 people in the rain?
On a side note, the public option will be pretty much self-sustaining as well, and the HELP committee bill, which includes it, is actually cheaper than the Baucus monstrosity coming out of the Senate, but that doesn’t stop the fringe from screaming “socialism.”
straw man much?
Ryan, I guessed that this would be your reaction as it is the same reason for the Liberty Rally being held at the Municipal Aud but the TN Tea Party. But if you believe there should only be a limited roll of government, and the TN Tea Partiers believe that it is ‘immoral to confiscate the fruits of an individual’s labor,’ then why are they taking advantage of the services provided by those fruits and holding their rally there?
[...] Me With a Spoon Jump to Comments Being an inhospitable liberal elitist meanie, Liberadio!’s Mary Mancini has gone and pulled the veil back on Teabagger hypocrisy before their big Douche-a-looza in [...]
Education, police and fire departments, libraries, etc belong to state and local government. These will never be self sustaining, nor should they be because everyone uses or is impacted by them, therefore, they should help pay for them.
throw, not through, sorry..
I didn’t say they had to turn a profit… only that they should be self-sustaining.
Money cannot buy happiness, but that doesn’t mean we should through tax dollars at worthless programs that will cost more in the future.
You outlined what federal government should be involved in. Roads and national security. The rest of those should be left up to the states. Federal government should not be involved in education, fire departments, libraries, etc.
Does the police department support itself? Does the fire department support itself? Does the public library support itself? Do the public schools support themselves? Do our roads support themselves? Does the military support itself? No, these institutions are tax supported because they promote the general welfare, provide for the common defense, and help those who cannot help themselves. These are services the private sector is ill equipped to provide.
Is it really necessary that everything in this country turn a profit? Money cannot buy happiness.
Did you miss the question? It’s mostly self sustaining, isn’t it?
Most public venues are tax supported in the beginning, right? Its if they can’t support themselves that they should be corrected.
That’s the point – it’s tax supported.
You mention 2.4 million dollars in your blog…
You didn’t even mentioned it was tax supported construction.
Is that all it has cost to run the building?
Oh, no, it’s pretty much self sustaining… isn’t it?
BWLIB, you can do better.
BWLIB.. its sad the level you have to go to for a story.
I pity you.