NYC Letter: Drink The Kool-Aid: Big Government Redux

Day 116 of CHOPE

Americans do want to pay taxes for services. Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.

Colin Powell,
former Pentagon Chief of Staff, former SOS,
and centrist postiche for the media,
way drunk on Mr. Obama's Kool-Aid
WASHINGTON May 4, 2009 (National Journal)

Whoa. [Screech of sudden braking.] Got that wrong.

AMERICANS WANT LESS GOVERNMENT,
LESS SPENDING

May 15, 2009 (FNC) - The Obama administration consistently uses the word "invest" or "investment" instead of government "spending." Even so, most Americans don't make the distinction as fully 78 percent say it means spending their tax dollars, not saving them.

In addition, 54 percent of voters think the Obama administration is proposing too much of an increase in government spending, while 6 percent say not enough. About a third -- 35 percent -- says the spending is "about right."

A majority of Democrats (61 percent) think the president's proposed spending is about right, while majorities of Republicans (85 percent) and independents (61 percent) think there is too much of an increase.

The flip side of government spending is budget cuts, and the poll finds 6 in 10 think President Obama is not cutting enough waste from government [also here and here], including 84 percent of Republicans, 66 percent of independents and 38 percent of Democrats.

... Former Secretary of State Colin Powell recently made news by saying that Americans "want more government in their life." Americans disagree. Most -- 71 percent -- say they want less government in their life. A much smaller number (17 percent) fall in the category described by Powell.

Couldn't have gotten it wronger.

CHOPE.

Too much spending. Too little cutting. Reading it all wrong.