An Obama Admission...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty - vs- Tyranny


I found the following article by Ann Althouse interesting. More than just interesting really. Refreshing and honest as well.

In yesterday's interview with Chuck Todd, Obama said:

"You know, one of the lessons -- learned from this whole process on the website -- is that probably the biggest gap between the private sector and the federal government is when it comes to I.T. ...

Well, the reason is is that when it comes to my campaign, I'm not constrained by a bunch of federal procurement rules, right?"

That is, many have pointed out that his campaign website was really good, so why didn't that mean that he'd be good at setting up a health insurance website? The answer is that the government is bad because the government is hampered by... government!

"And how we write -- specifications and -- and how the -- the whole things gets built out. So part of what I'm gonna be looking at is how do we across the board, across the federal government, leap into the 21st century."

I love the combination of: 1. Barely able to articulate what the hell happens inside these computer systems, and 2. Wanting to leap!

"Because when it comes to medical records for veterans, it's still done in paper. Medicaid is still largely done on paper.

When we buy I.T. services generally, it is so bureaucratic and so cumbersome that a whole bunch of it doesn't work or it ends up being way over cost."

This should have made him sympathetic to the way government burdens private enterprise, but he's focused on liberating government to take over more of what has been done privately. And yet there's no plan, no idea about what would suddenly enable government to displace private businesses competing to offer a product people want to buy.

Instead, we've been told we must buy a product, and things have been set up so we can only go through the government's market (the "exchange"), and the government has already demonstrated that its market doesn't work. But you can't walk away, you're forced to buy, and there's nowhere else to go. And yet, he wants us to feel bad about the cumbersome bureaucracy the government encountered trying to procure the wherewithal to set up the market it had already decided we would all need to use. {Read More}



Indeed Ann, indeed.

Via: Memeorandum

Comments

  1. I'm so sick of hearing how government oppresses private enterprise. It's such a steaming pile of bullshit. Ask them what exactly is burdening them, and aside from the odd anecdote, you get bullshit. I was watching a documentary on illegal immigration yesterday, and an employer of these folks justified his actions by saying the government had too much cost to use visas (re: costs to much to underpay people) and that if he asked applicants to provide real documentation they could sue him for discrimination (bullshit). These sleazy scumbags are bad actors and shouldn't be heeded at all. Sure they want less regulation! They're crooks! Any smart non-crook American should WANT their government to keep an eye on these crooks.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did see one big pile of BS there:

      "costs to much to underpay people".

      Umm. paying people for the value of the work is not underpaying at all. Though greedy and lazy folks who think that wages should be based on how much they whine and beg as oppose to the value of the skills and work they offer might agree.

      Delete
  2. Is it a steaming pile of BS jmj? Perhaps you've sipped too much kool aid?

    Over regulation stifles legitimate business initiative just as under regulation increase the likelihood of nefarious activity by unethical and unscrupulous business people.

    Pay attentions jmj, refuse to think only in the boxes created for you by your ideological masters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RN said: "Over regulation stifles legitimate business initiative just as under regulation increase the likelihood of nefarious activity by unethical and unscrupulous business people."

      Over-regulation also sometimes encourages this "nefarious activity". Such as the CRA, Fannie/Freddie regulations (interventions in the free market) that forced "Banksters" to make bad loans to undeserving people. Things the bankers simply would not have done without government intrusion.

      Delete
  3. According the the Small Business Administration, the cost of regulatory compliance per employee is 40% higher with small businesses than it is with big businesses. Yeah, I would say that that's pretty "stifling".............And you have to forgive Jersey, Les. Left versus right is the stew in which he swims and it is very hard for people like that to think outside of it.............Oh, and Jersey, try starting a cab company in NYC. It's easy. All that you need is a half a million bucks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I'd love to see jmj sit and have a conversation with a group of small business men I know from the town I live, contractors, auto dealers, garage owners (mechanics), and watch jmj get eaten alive. It would be a blast.

      Delete
  4. Oh, for Christ's sake, you think you cons and libertarians aren't tools? You think you think outside the box? Puh-lease.

    Show me an "over-regulation," show the American people, and they will get rid of it. Want to go back to the bad old days? Forget it. That's beyond thinking in the box, that's thinking in the Iron Maiden.

    You trust the private sector too much.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jersey said: "Show me an "over-regulation"

      Will had already said: "try starting a cab company in NYC. It's easy. All that you need is a half a million bucks."

      which indicates that Jersey might be lobbing comments without any regard to the conversation here.

      Delete
    2. My mother owned a beauty parlor and because of OSHA she had to do hundreds of dollars (back when that was a lot of money) in renovations because the sinks (for hair-washing) were several inches too close together. Yeah, I would go with "over-regulation" on that one.

      Delete
  5. Puh-lease? Damn jmj, you are beginning to sound like that nice progressive shill Ema N.

    Reread my comment. Think on it awhile. Let it roll around the cranial cavity where the grey matter is and get back to me.

    Oh, and YOU trust government too much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Oh, and YOU trust government too much."

      RN: If one must choose between the "evil" of questioning authority too much, or questioning it too little, the latter choice is far far superior.

      Delete
  6. I don't trust anyone or anything too much. I'm a cynic. As for sitting down with business people - I did it for a living for years and eating me alive was unheard of. In fact, it was my job to set them straight, and I've seen them try to pull off every sleazy trick in the books.

    That fact of the the matter is that the regulatory burden in the United States is the lowest (well, tied for lowest with Britain) in the OECD (and ten other nations to boot!) according to the OECDs economists. And the notion that somehow it restrains growth is a MYTH, as countries with much more regulatory burden have had MORE growth.

    So bullshit.

    As for the sleazy SOBs who want to dump toxic waste, treat their employees like shit, rip off their customers, and just commit economic treason against their own country, F#@K THEM. You guys worship those lowlifes. Most Americans want them REGULATED.

    Now, of course, there are always examples of bad regulation, and when they pop up we should take notice and do something about it, but this general argument that there is generally too much regulation if bullshit. It's a lie. Simpleminded fodder for sycophants of super-rich scumbags.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well my view is... given the choice of either questioning authority too much or too little I say error in favor of too much.

    When it comes to government I say it it the obligation of every citizen, please note the use of the word citizen, to question regularly the authority they have loaned the government to use on their behalf.

    This something both conservatives and liberals (progressives) in a democratic republic should understand.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are unhinged jmj. 1) we are individuals, not "you guys" 2) who mentioned they were in favor of unregulated dumping of toxic waste, 3) I'm sure you did a fine job working for government regulators, 4) Now go reread my initial comment.

    Why do you dislike Ann Althouse? Odd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RN: It does appear that JMJ is speaking entirely in terms of hyperbole and anger, and would have one believe that every single regulation out there is to prevent toxic waste/screwing workers/rip off customers/commit treason.

      Despite the example of the New York taxicab situation pointed out to him once again... a real situation of over-regulation that has nothing to do with any of the examples he listed as requiring regulation.

      Delete
    2. I can also point out JMJ sayng this "Simpleminded fodder for sycophants of super-rich scumbags." in response to a specific discussion of the problems of over-regulation of small businesses. This is not the first time someone has vented very angry hatred of small business owners as some sort of plutocrat.

      Delete
    3. And his "analysis" is exceedingly superficial. Anybody who knows anything about business knows that big businesses luuuuuuuuuuuuuv regulation. They love it because only they can afford it and because it solidifies their status in the market. Hell, some of them even help to craft the damn legislation (reference to Philip Morris and the tobacco bill) through lobbying and cronyism.

      Delete
    4. And to quote George Will here, he's a "pyromaniac in a field filled with strawmen", the one pertaining toxic waste dumps being my personal favorite (I have long been in favor of a limited EPA).

      Delete
  9. For some it is sometimes difficult to see the obvious dmarks.

    ReplyDelete
  10. There are protections for the individual and the public as a whole, they are known as laws, which are set forth by our duly elected representatives. Then there are regulations which some are laws, but a vast majority are rules that set forth by government agencies. These Rules cannot be challenged because the courts’ default position is the rule is right because it came from the government. We have some control over our elected officials and if they try to pass a dumb law we can exercise our right to vote them out.
    This does not hold true of government agencies and their rules. We are without representation and they basically can do whatever they like, even to the detriment of the people. This is over regulation! I am all for laws to protect against criminals, but I have control over the law makers to hold them in check. I don’t have the same ability for Rulemakers, which is why we got rid of King George III.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's a moderate view, Sandy, that all but one of us have. That some strong regulations are needed in many areas. but unnecessary regulation for regulation's sake (especailly to punish small business owners because they are evil "super-rich" plutocrats) are problematic, and need the close scrutiny of informed citizens.

    Small entrepreneurs are not the enemy. Jersey, you are not winning anyone over on this.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I do try to be logical and understand as much as I can about a topic before spouting off a stream of BS. I wish others would do the same. Americans (like most humans) just want to live their lives and provide a better life for their families. This idea is not new, but has been lost in all the smoke and mirrors over that last few years.

    ReplyDelete

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