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Non-Tech : The Enron Scandal - Unmoderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bela_ghoulashi who wrote (278)	1/16/2002 6:07:27 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 3602

Guess where this new thread is on SI's 'Hot Subjects' list <G>... siliconinvestor.com

To: bela_ghoulashi who wrote (278)	1/16/2002 10:24:44 AM
From: DOUG H	Respond to of 3602

Scary is more like it. Very, very scary. Especially when you consider these trends are essentially putting putting control of the nation's capital in the hands of Demolib types who are the least efficent money managers the world has ever seen. Big Brother is coming, and he is a Democrat. 1. BIG-PICTURE: Total Government Expansion - When government officials say, 'the era of big government is over' - - citizens should ask, 'compared to what?' Three powerful & revealing graphics seldom seen, as government expansion squeezes down share of the economy remaining to the private sector. A MUST READ. 2. EYE-OPENER: Trends of Government Spending & Debt - 40% of the economy controlled by federal, state & local government spending, compared to 12% before - - $10,951 per man, woman & child - - America has moved away from the principle of Thomas Jefferson: "The government that governs least governs best." A MUST READ. 3. Federal Government Expansion Trends - Federal spending now 24% of the economy, compared to 3% before. $6,667 per person - spending trends by category - proof the culprit of debt and spending has been social spending, which increased 14 times faster than the economy, as trust in government and voter turn-out rates plummeted. A MUST READ. 4. State & Local Government Expansion Trends - explosive growth nation-wide - now 15% of the economic pie, compared to 6% post WW II - $4,284 per person. Most people know each working person today supports more seniors than prior generations, but few know each must also support more state & local government employees than ever before. A MUST READ. (also see companion report on one state- - as a template for evaluating your own state). 5. Regulatory Compliance Cost Impact Report - $3,552 per person - $977 Billion - 13% of the economy - and there is zero budgetary control. (Nobel Laureate Dr. Milton Friedman continually stressed the importance of studying this critical area - in various letters to the author. How right he was!) 6. Budget Deficits and Trust Fund Siphoning Report - How can politicians claim a federal government surplus when debt goes up? To date, all $2.2 trillion of surpluses of various trust funds have been siphoned-off (of which 69% was siphoned from the social security, federal employee pension and medical trusts) - - all spent on non-pension things and not counted in deficit calculations - an illegal act if done by private sector pension funds. (Some political leaders bragged to the general public "we ran more than $100 billion budget surplus in calendar year 1998 and 1999." They also said they want to 'save social security'. Listening to such rhetoric citizens might be misled-led to believe the federal government cut general spending to produce general government surpluses so as to save social security and reduce total debt. Fact: they ran an operational deficit (not a surplus) AND, 2000 ended with another increase in debt, to a record high - - despite claims of another surplus. A MUST READ - including the article with FY2000 & 1999 data and the fraud of those claiming to pay down debt.. NOTE: The accuracy of above finally confirmed on 10 July 2001, when Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill told AP that trust funds hold NO real assets. 7. Taxes - (see tax category below) 8. Social Security - (see below) 9. National Security - (see below) 10. The Reagan Era Report - first time government expansion stopped in 4 decades, because of tax cuts - and first time trust in government surged in 2 decades. 11. Statistical Revisionism & Wizardry - a danger to a nation? Since the mid 1990s many statistical measurements of our economy (inflation, GDP, productivity) and education quality have been revised regarding criteria - each 'pumping-up' data as if the nation is on economic 'steroids.' Now, there is almost no clean comparison with the past, to accurately know where we are and where headed. 12 126-year Spending trend Compared to other nations - the U.S. has followed the big-government upward march of others. mwhodges.home.att.net