Social Programs, which one would you support?

If our government were allowed to fund one, and only one, of the following social programs, which should it be and why?





(1) Free public education for all US citizens, starting at kindergarten up through Associates Degree (or comparable professional certification).


(2) Free health-care (medical and dental) for all US citizens for life.


(3) Food stamps that can only be used to buy food for children who are US citizens, but that would be enough to eliminate child hunger nationwide.


(4) Retirement pay (social security) for all US citizens who worked at least 20 years in the US, starting at age 65.


(5) Disability pay for all US citizens who are unable to work because of physical disability, injury or illness.


(6) None of the above. Give the money back to the taxpayers.





If the government could only fund one of these programs, which would you pick, and why.

Social Programs, which one would you support?
Absolutely education, as it's the key that allows anything close to equal access to the nebulous concept of the American dream.





I don't like #6 because that essentially throws away the government as one essential tool we use to deal with issues that affect us all. I don't have any kids receiving public education, but I'm happy to pay taxes for it because it is so essential to the economy, and to my safety, as it also prevents crime. But, along those same lines, I believe that the others are also issues that affect us all.





Of course, implicit within the question is the notion that the nation can't afford to fund all those things, and I think this is a flawed assumption. Half of all discretionary spending goes to the military, and our military spending is equal to that of the rest of the world combined. I think we could safely shift money away from that without in any way endangering our security. Plus there's the 12% or so that goes to paying interest on the national debt.





Finally, it could easily be suggested that something like national health care would quickly pay for itself by promoting business (that would no longer be responsible to insure employees), shifting treatment from cures (very expensive) to the inexpensive prevention that comes with frequent care, and by greater efficiency. It's popular to denigrate the efficiency of all things governmental, but Medicare is actually far more efficient than any private insurer, devoting only about 5% of its money to administration as compared with something like 20% for private companies.





Many similar arguments could be made for the other services.





So, while within the constraints of the question I'd select education, I think all the services mentioned are not only affordable, but could even be profitable.





After all, how much benefit is each of us really receiving for a billion dollar stealth bomber, when we're facing people armed with knives and hand grenades?








By the way, thanks for helping to elevate the tone of this forum. I disagree with your positions sometimes, but I like that you don't resort to the uninformative name-calling that seems so ubiquitous, and actually challenge people to think seriously about serious issues.
Reply:Number 6. Give me liberty or give me death!
Reply:It would have to be #1, because education is the key to preventing the need for all of the others, but as far as I know public education is free up until college correct? Or at lest free for the students.
Reply:2 because id have a lot less debt right now and i could afford college
Reply:#4
Reply:Our government could have funded all these but it would have required a little diplomacy in the middle east.





GWBush can't say diplomacy so he chose WMD's.
Reply:Wow tuff choices but I have to say 1 because an ingnorant country would cause all the others to be much worse but a well educated one could make the others more bareable. Good question.
Reply:(2) Free health-care (medical and dental) for all US citizens for life.





Its scary how many Americans diagnose themselves or refuse a trip to the doctor because they don't have insurance.





Our taxes don't pay for health insurance. We all pay ourselves. With free health insurance, that money is back in our pockets.
Reply:I can only pick one? This sucks....I would have to go with free health care. So many people need care and can't afford it. It seems to work in Canada, why not here?


I wouldn't mind getting in a number 1 as well!
Reply:Free health care. Insurance is way too expensive and everyone deserves to be taken care of medically and dentally ( ?). Even if they are poor.
Reply:Definately number 1. If we did that, future generations would be to afford or fix the rest.





Not health care,...never. People get sick and die. That's either natural or God's will...leave it be.
Reply:Eh, why choose? Reduce Pentagon funding to levels commensurate with REAL threats to sovereignty/security ... and fund them all. Quit giving Israel $3billion / year, and add that to the pot, too.





And why limit health care etc. to US citizens? Its' another topic, but we should drop the hypocrisy, insitute guest worker program commensurate with numbers of aliens ACTUALLY REQUIRED in the economy, and have employers chip in for their insurance etc.





Without those foreign nationals ... who's gonna pick our crops, build our bridges, etc... really? Anyone arguing against their presence should be willing to take up the slack ... and the dirty/difficult jobs that they perform.
Reply:I'd like to say all of them, but the most important is #1 education is the hope for the future.
Reply:#6) if the tax money wasn't taken out of the check to start with each of us could afford all of the rest.
Reply:#6!
Reply:(1)


My husband works hard for his money, and it hurts every time we look at the check to see how much was taken out in taxes.


We should get to keep the money we earn. I'd rather get a bill in the mail for my school taxes though, instead of pay some crazy high tuition.
Reply:Good question, a better one is how do we get our elected officials to ask these type of questions. (1) Free education is going to by far outweigh 99.9 % of any social economic programs I could possibly fathom. I think all the other choices would not be as big a problem as they are now had we higher education available as a country. I believe that individuals and families having the opportunity to further their education, they would in turn be able to provide themselves and their families with health care,nutritious food, they would earn more because of the level of education. That would allow them to contribute more to savings for retirement, or better care for disabled loved ones. I think ignorance is the root of most social economic problems, and if we could teach people at least how to support themselves financially by having a higher paying job that a degree could extend to them issues that we now know as problems could just be small anomalies
Reply:Free health care.
Reply:6.





Your other choices lead to economic waste and innefficiencies.





At least with getting my money back, I can decide what to do with it. Invest in a private school, Get better health care, Invest....etc.. my way..
Reply:None of the above.





I will give some credance to the retirement pay, after 65. However even then it depends how much the individual paid into it.





What you are implicating is a socialist program that in actual practice has a negative effect. It creates, for a lack of a better term a broad spectrum of laziness. which in effect does not allow the betterment of the individual, or the advancement of the village to prosper.





Socialized medicine would be a good thing it would appear, however there are stop gaps already in place, for starters Most people have insurance, some people pay thru the nose as we are all aware, but in our society, I think costs could be kept under control if we weren't such a litigous society. There is a lot to discuss on this matter but, at this point I can only say that I disagree w/ it. If I lost my job I would have a different take on the subject i'm sure.





As an added note I'll tell you a little secret, I don't agree with most of you have to say in this forum, but I do respect you for your intelligent approach.





have a good day!
Reply:I think I would go for 5, we need to support the weakest in our society, what would they do, some don't have families.
Reply:4 or 6.
Reply:1) is the foundation of the needs of the rest. Without education, you don't have good taxpayers, health-care workers, etc. Tax money it just going to dwindle without education.
Reply:Well, of course # 1, education does lead to the possibility of all your other choices...no wait, I've heard of people who went to Yale and don't seem too bright to me ( *cough)'


Ok # 2 then, it's incredible how much we have to pay for insurance and heartbreaking when someone goes through so much pain because of no insurance...


but then again # 3 is equally as needed, although I do believe we have such program, somewhat ( a child shouldn't go hungry in the US, not with all the money we spend on ridiculous stuff)


but hey ! who's going to take care of me when I'm older....





ALright, I give up, it's impossible to choose.. I want it all. Does that make me a communist, a socialist or just plain dumb?


Utopia is such a tempting concept though ......
Reply:#1


With a good education, you can get a better paying job with health insurance(2), a retirement plan (4), and long-term disability(5).





Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for life.





Interestingly enough, the governor of our former state (MA) recently passed a bill giving every student in the top 25% of their class a four-year scholarship at any state college (and he's a Republican). It's nice to see the "other party" actually waking up and realizing that the key to bettering society is giving society a better education.
Reply:Free public education. Liberal professors are paid way too much!
Reply:Number 6... i have a family to take care of.. we are a democray..not a socialist country
Reply:Surely # 1.


provided it becomes obligatory to a certain minimum level, of say, college .


you can tackle a lot of problems, with proper education !
Reply:Hopefully we would never have to make such a choice, but I fear we could lose them all anyway. It would be better to cut them all to preserve them all.


Sorry coragryph, I have to pass on this very difficult question.
Reply:This question is relatively simple to answer. I'm surprised, however, at how many people opted for free education and free medical. I guess the country has turned into a selfish lot these days.


Of all the choices you listed, the most important is food stamps for the children of disadvantaged families. Of all the groups who benefit from your list of programs, it's these children who cannot fend for themselves. In most cases, hungry children are the victims of their parents mistakes and misfortunes. These children are the responsibility of us all. In a child's life there is always hope of the future.


Shame on the rest of you for thinking only of yourselves.
Reply:I would go with number 1. If more people were educated, then the need for some of the other programs would diminish.


2. People should WORK to get health care


3. I dislike welfare and the sense of entitlement it fosters.


4. If you have a good job and work your whole life you should be able to save for your retirement. Don't spend every dollar you make and then expect the government to take care of you in your old age.


5. Disability insurance...


6. I am sick of paying so much in taxes. We have a 6 figure tax bill, 3 kids in college, and things we want to do. I shouldn't have to pay for LaToya's 10th kid. Flat tax...