Government Waste?

[commonsense]

If a government had to cease offering one social service, which one should it be? Police? Fire? Sanitation? Homeless shelters? Mental health counseling? Something else?

And why would that service have the least impact after its removal?

[Impenitent]

the government should stop printing money

-Imp

[henry quirk]

police

courts

military

militia (to shoot members of the other three, in the ass, with rock salt, when they get uppity and try to disembed themselves from being heavily regulated [see how that works? law enforcers & soldiers are regulated, not private folks who, if like me, don't need any goddamn protectin' to begin with.]).

[commonsense]

police

courts

military

militia (to shoot members of the other three, in the ass, with rock salt, when they get uppity and try to disembed themselves from being heavily regulated [see how that works? law enforcers & soldiers are regulated, not private folks who, if like me, don't need any goddamn protectin' to begin with.]).

And let the trash pile up until it’s a fire hazard?

[henry quirk]

Why do you assume this?

Seems to me: all those 'essential' services would be taken up by the private sector (Joe's Garbage Collection competin' with Stan's Waste Removal competing' with Laura's Trash Takeaway and on and on).

Even the truly proper essentials (police, courts, military) could be contracted out.

[Walker]

If a government had to cease offering one social service, which one should it be? Police? Fire? Sanitation? Homeless shelters? Mental health counseling? Something else?

And why would that service have the least impact after its removal?

Student loans. Only recently, under the Obama administration, did borrowing money for higher education become a government social service and cash cow.

The Real Student Loan Crisis Is The One Obama Created
- Investor's Business Daily
https://www.investors.com/politics/edit ... -in-loans/

[commonsense]

Why do you assume this?

Seems to me: all those 'essential' services would be taken up by the private sector (Joe's Garbage Collection competin' with Stan's Waste Removal competing' with Laura's Trash Takeaway and on and on).

Even the truly proper essentials (police, courts, military) could be contracted out.

True

[commonsense]

If a government had to cease offering one social service, which one should it be? Police? Fire? Sanitation? Homeless shelters? Mental health counseling? Something else?

And why would that service have the least impact after its removal?

Student loans. Only recently, under the Obama administration, did borrowing money for higher education become a government social service and cash cow.

The Real Student Loan Crisis Is The One Obama Created
- Investor's Business Daily
https://www.investors.com/politics/edit ... -in-loans/

Good choice. Are you sure this didn’t start in the 1980s?

[FlashDangerpants]

If a government had to cease offering one social service, which one should it be? Police? Fire? Sanitation? Homeless shelters? Mental health counseling? Something else?

And why would that service have the least impact after its removal?

Student loans. Only recently, under the Obama administration, did borrowing money for higher education become a government social service and cash cow.

The Real Student Loan Crisis Is The One Obama Created
- Investor's Business Daily
https://www.investors.com/politics/edit ... -in-loans/

Good choice. Are you sure this didn’t start in the 1980s?

That link references a vague claim that college tuition costs are effectively stagnant. Here's a much more recent link with a properly sourced claim that college tuition fees are rising 8 times faster than wages....
Usual caveats apply, I don't know what level of interpretation is going into the claim in Walker's link because there is no link to the source, but if it were very true there wouldn't be an exploding mountain of student debt, so...

That site's other interesting gripe is about ISA arrangements, but appears not to understand the difference between equity and debt, which is worrying for a writer at the "Investor's Business Daily", so here's a story written by somebody who does.

As for the bit in Walker's link that suggests non-payment is becoming easier and easier... the second link there includes the telling line "like ordinary student debt, they would not be dischargeable by declaring bankruptcy", so that's not really to be interpreted as actually being easy at all.

[commonsense]

Student loans. Only recently, under the Obama administration, did borrowing money for higher education become a government social service and cash cow.

The Real Student Loan Crisis Is The One Obama Created
- Investor's Business Daily
https://www.investors.com/politics/edit ... -in-loans/

Good choice. Are you sure this didn’t start in the 1980s?

That link references a vague claim that college tuition costs are effectively stagnant. Here's a much more recent link with a properly sourced claim that college tuition fees are rising 8 times faster than wages....
Usual caveats apply, I don't know what level of interpretation is going into the claim in Walker's link because there is no link to the source, but if it were very true there wouldn't be an exploding mountain of student debt, so...

That site's other interesting gripe is about ISA arrangements, but appears not to understand the difference between equity and debt, which is worrying for a writer at the "Investor's Business Daily", so here's a story written by somebody who does.

As for the bit in Walker's link that suggests non-payment is becoming easier and easier... the second link there includes the telling line "like ordinary student debt, they would not be dischargeable by declaring bankruptcy", so that's not really to be interpreted as actually being easy at all.

So, if the student can’t discharge his loan by declaring bankruptcy, his wages and assets could be garnished? Is that right?

[FlashDangerpants]

So, if the student can’t discharge his loan by declaring bankruptcy, his wages and assets could be garnished? Is that right?

I believe so, although there is a proper process for doing that and then there are improper ones. Apparently the improper ones are somewhat too popular as the angry resignation letter sent by the Student Loans Ombudsman of the CFPB makes clear.

In answer to your original question, food stamps (in the US) and farm subsidies everywhere. Every rich country has better ways of spending that money, but it can only really be unravelled if everyone does it at once, so they all should.

[commonsense]

So, if the student can’t discharge his loan by declaring bankruptcy, his wages and assets could be garnished? Is that right?

I believe so, although there is a proper process for doing that and then there are improper ones. Apparently the improper ones are somewhat too popular as the angry resignation letter sent by the Student Loans Ombudsman of the CFPB makes clear.

In answer to your original question, food stamps (in the US) and farm subsidies everywhere. Every rich country has better ways of spending that money, but it can only really be unravelled if everyone does it at once, so they all should.

Thanks.

[bahman]

Government free means that each individual has to do the correct thing. For this, you need education though. All these I believe can be computerized. Perfect socialism.

[commonsense]

Government free means that each individual has to do the correct thing. For this, you need education though. All these I believe can be computerized. Perfect socialism.

Interesting.