[Hugh R]

"Alternatively, you really do believe that the more tax you pay, the more you should get from the government, and that you want to have a massive class division and a society predicated on haves and have nots."

Actually, I don't believe that since I pay more taxes, that I should get more from the Government. In looking at social programs, I think its important to recognize that a lot of these programs provide people with disincentives to improve their lot in life. Many people stay on unemployment until they run out of benefits, welfare tends to take away the incentive to look for a job. Take the example of the American Indians on reservations. Until they started allowing casinos (and afterwards) the alcoholism and unemployment rates were incredibly high, Why? because they got enough government money to get by... granted not in great luxury, but enough that they didn't have to go find a job for fear of losing their house for not paying the mortgage.

There was a story in the Los Angeles times recently about three illegals from Mexico, their three wives and their 33 children who lived in one Los Angeles house. The house burned down and they got to the top of the waiting list for subsidized housing, three houses at $1,800 per house subsidy/month. They lived in those houses for 20 years and put all 33 kids through the L.A. schools. At $7,000/kid for school times 12 years of school per kid times 33 kids, you get $2.77 million, add in $1,800 x 3 houses times 20 years and throw in another $1.08 million they got in "redistributed wealth". The three fathers worked at car washes and didn't make enough to pay taxes. So three illegal families sucked almost $4 million out of the system without paying any taxes. How many "Rich" taxpayers does it take to support them? BTW, the story in the Times wasn't putting a tax slant on the family, it was that after living here for twenty years they moved to another state because California was too expensive.

I think we need to look at these "Entitlement" programs with a jaundice eye before the people, and the legislatures, start voting on more of them.