Texas Governor: Federal government has become oppressive and intrusive

[bradentonian]

Just pointing out that we have too many layers and redundancy

Then we should be getting rid of those layers which are farther from the people not closest. Get rid of the federal govt. Local politics and leaders are more responsible to those who voted for them.

That's certainly a good point. I was just trying to show another alternative. I certainly think we could clear out a lot of out current government layers without missing a beat.

I also think consolidating states couldn't hurt.

Again wrong way to go, it makes each leader responsible for a larger number of people, thus less responsible to the individuals and more responsible to lobbies, corps, etc.

Ever wonder why the local schoolboard member doesn't get millions in donations like a state senator. Need smaller more local govt. not bigger. Yes economy of scale would be better, but the acountablility sucks. Keep politics as close to home as you can. Yes you'll lose some economy of scale, but then what store is more responsive to local needs, the mom and pop hardware store that stocks the right hardware for the houses built in the area, or the Big Box Chain that quit carrying them because nationally they arn't needed that much.

Consolidating/reducing state gov'ts wouldn't take power away from the municipalities, though, if anything it would likely increase their scope

[swirless]

Jeb Bush and now Charlie Crist have done a excellent job over the past 10 years with working with our budget and keeping the federal government out of here, look at the impact of the hurricanes on florida and the differences of how we in this state and our governors have handled themselves and the people of florida compared to Louisiana

[samsdad]

This exchange just keeps popping into my head everytime i read about this idiot

Governor Robert Ritchie, R-FL: My view of this is simple: we don't need a Federal Department of Education telling us our children have to learn Esperanto, they have to learn Eskimo poetry. Let the states decide, let the communities decide on health care, on education, on lower taxes, not higher taxes. Now, he's going to throw a big word at you - "unfunded mandate." He's going to say if Washington lets the states do it, it's an unfunded mandate. But what he doesn't like is the federal government losing power. But I call it the ingenuity of the American people.
Moderator: President Bartlet, you have 60 seconds for a question and an answer.
President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet: Well, first of all, let's clear up a couple of things. "Unfunded mandate" is two words, not one big word. There are times when we're fifty states and there are times when we're one country, and have national needs. And the way I know this is that Florida didn't fight Germany in World War II or establish civil rights. You think states should do the governing wall-to-wall. That's a perfectly valid opinion. But your state of Florida got $12.6 billion in federal money last year - from Nebraskans, and Virginians, and New Yorkers, and Alaskans, with their Eskimo poetry. 12.6 out of a state budget of $50 billion. I'm supposed to be using this time for a question, so here it is: Can we have it back, please?

[kevabuc]

This exchange just keeps popping into my head everytime i read about this idiot

Governor Robert Ritchie, R-FL: My view of this is simple: we don't need a Federal Department of Education telling us our children have to learn Esperanto, they have to learn Eskimo poetry. Let the states decide, let the communities decide on health care, on education, on lower taxes, not higher taxes. Now, he's going to throw a big word at you - "unfunded mandate." He's going to say if Washington lets the states do it, it's an unfunded mandate. But what he doesn't like is the federal government losing power. But I call it the ingenuity of the American people.
Moderator: President Bartlet, you have 60 seconds for a question and an answer.
President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet: Well, first of all, let's clear up a couple of things. "Unfunded mandate" is two words, not one big word. There are times when we're fifty states and there are times when we're one country, and have national needs. And the way I know this is that Florida didn't fight Germany in World War II or establish civil rights. You think states should do the governing wall-to-wall. That's a perfectly valid opinion. But your state of Florida got $12.6 billion in federal money last year - from Nebraskans, and Virginians, and New Yorkers, and Alaskans, with their Eskimo poetry. 12.6 out of a state budget of $50 billion. I'm supposed to be using this time for a question, so here it is: Can we have it back, please?

Moderator: Governor Ritchie, your rebuttal.

Governor Ritchie: I do appreciate the President correcting my obvious error in word count and he has done his Alma Mater, Dartmouth proud, showing that you can't take the professor out of the President. President Bartlet is again absolutely correct in his understanding that the Federal governments place is both in the defence of this nation as well as the civil rights of it's citizens. These are both issues outlined within the Constitutiion of the United States as being the responsibility of the central government. However, these arguments do not in any way relate to the issue that was put to him, that being, what authority does the Constitution give in respect to the Education of its citizens? The answer is, none.

Individual citizens cannot themselves defend the entire country, nor can they protect the rights of all of its citizenry. These are issues that must be tackled by the central government. The individual citizen can and does from the time of birth participate and direct the education of their children. Did the government teach the child how to walk, talk or learn basic life lesson originally? No, it was and should be the parental responsibility and that responsibilty should be directed primarily by the parent within local jurisdictions that will best suit the child and its environment. The main point being that the Constitution does not make any such mandate so that it should be left to the states to decide.

Now, it response to the President's comment about receiving 12.6 billion dollars from the central government on behalf of various other states I can make two major points. First, does the President also understand that the federal coffers received this same amount of money from the State of Florida, so, in reality, the President was only returning that which was given in the first place. I site as a source for this remark the Tax Foundations' report on Federal Outlays to States Per Dollar of Tax Revenue Received. If the President wishes the State of Florida to return the money it received from Nebraskans, New Yorkers, Virginians and Alaskans, then those states should inturn return those proceeds they received from Florida. Second, who granted the President of the United States the ability and power to decide how to divide up that which did not belong to him in the first place. It is this idea of ownership in these monies that I completely differ from the President on.

Now, to make sure that I, unlike President Bartlet, answer the question put before me, the answer to that question would be, "We will be glad to give back that money as long as you return the amount that was given to you in the first place."

This is how it would be in my Hollywood.

[SnookAU]

The governor of Texas is an un-American azz clown.

[Scholty]

State governments are either the best or more screwed up then the Federal Government....depending on which state.

Right now, I would take the Federal Government over Florida State Government.

and you base this on your years decades of dealing with the Florida State Government???

Let's see: Florida, balanced budget for over 80 straight years, no income tax, no unions. Federal Govt. income tax, enormous deficits, and loves the unions. Good Choice.

You are arguing with someone that thinks just by closing his eyes his parking tickets are going to go away.   Do you REALLY want to discuss spending, taxes and deficits with him in a logical manner?