Is there any party of the people?

I wrote this post back in 2012 and never finished or posted it.  I think it's just as relevant now so I'm going to put it up exactly as I wrote it then.  Some things just don't seem to change. 

            I thought I was a republican until I heard Chris Christie's keynote speech.  Instead of fixing problems with social security and Medicare he thinks senior citizens who earned these benefits with their hard earned dollars should give up their benefits to benefit some future generation.  He preaches a lot of foolishness about teachers and their unions.  Ronald Reagan once said "government can't solve the problem; government IS the problem."  One thing he is right about, though.  We desperately need some real leadership in Washington. 

            He tells us we all have to sacrifice.  That's nonsense.  If we get the government off our back we can get by just fine.  Government does have a role to play, it's just not that of our daddy.  We need government regulation of gigantic multi-nationals like oil companies.  But we need careful oversight of that government regulation to be sure it doesn't become a bigger problem.  We need real government control of our import policies.  We are letting below cost imports drive our own industries out of business.  Why? 

            I find that there are several points in the new republican platform that I can't support.  They want to pass a law making all abortions illegal for any reason.  Now I don't support abortion as a method of birth control, but making it all illegal is unreasonable.  Basically, I think the government should get out of the abortion business altogether and leave things as they are.  This is a decision that should be made by doctors, families, and religions.  It is NOT a function of government in my opinion.

            Then I hear we are going to replace Medicare with a vaguely described multi level system.  You know, Medicare is one of the few government programs that is mostly working.   It is paid for by a direct tax on income of 1.45% which is matched by employers like social security.  Medicare is made up of several "parts" the main ones being part A and part B.  These cover hospitalization and doctor's visits and pay about half the actual costs with the recipient paying the remainder.  It discourages waste because the recipient has to pay half of all costs.  It also helps to control medical care costs by limiting the amount it will approve for any procedure.  It certainly could be improved, but all in all it's a pretty good system that has worked for 47 years. 

            I find it astounding that we can't produce a good sense party in this country.  Where are all the decent people?  Obviously not in politics in either party.

            Unfortunately, that's the way I see it.