Indiana GOP candidate: No one has the guts to let poor people wither and die
I was not trying to hurt anybodys feelings, Johnston said. I saw the opportunity to say something. I think a lot of the poor have no way out, and theres no motivation to improve your position. Its like training a child, either you enable them or force them out at some point.
The candidate made the comments in a discussion thread on the Mad Mac page, which covers local politics.
For almost three generations people, in some cases, have been given handouts, Johnston said during the discussion. They have been enabled so much that their paradigm in life is simply being given the stuff of life, however meager.
What you see is a setting for a life of misery is life to them never-the-less, he continued. No one has the guts to just let them wither and die. No one who wants votes is willing to call a spade a spade. As long as the Dems can get their votes the enabling will continue. The Republicans need their votes and dare not cut the fiscal tether. It is really a political Catch-22.
Did they learn nothing from 'legitimate rape' guy?
These sound bytes are killers--especially since the base ain't rich.
I'm going to pass up the opportunity to criticize Johnston for the more obvious reason and skip right over that to deal with what's referred to as welfare for the rich.
Regardless of where people live, I advise them to take a close look at what happens when wealthy professional sports owners petition your state gov't (and county gov'ts) to "help them" finance the building of a new stadium. Generally what happens is a bond issue is floated or an increase in the sales tax is levied and ALL taxpayers, including people who don't care one whit about sports, are essentially forced to help pay for a new stadium and all the amenities (like sky boxes) which benefit the owners and the wealthy.
Generally, the argument for such taxpayer help goes something like this: The new stadium will benefit the whole city/state and bring increased wealth to the area in the form of business, tourism, etc. Well, the same argument could be made for any public works project that doesn't funnel money to very wealthy people, so what's the REAL reason why team owners get such a benefit? Because they're well-connected, and they grease the right palms along the way. That's why.
Take a look at a lot of the sports team franchises all across the country. They're worth BILLIONS of dollars now because taxpayers from all income strata have helped the owners finance the building of stadiums in sweetheart deals that have often turned over parking and concessions to the owners that was money that once, at least in part, used to go to the cities.
The point is that most of the owners could have financed these projects privately and STILL reaped a huge financial windfall at the end of the day. But the taxpayer very often gets stuck with a big chunk of the bill and the cities give away too much in the process, all of which helped make billionaires out of multimillionaires. But you don't hear these wealthy people and their representatives talk about how gov't should not get involved in private enterprise unless or until gov't is trying to tax them or hold them accountable in some way, do you?
All I can say is let me know when a Republican doesn't bow down at the feet of a wealthy campaign contributor who wants a no bid gov't contract (like Halliburton and the telecommunications industry), or a tax break of some kind (trade associations and lobbyists), or immunity from law suits (like the gun industry and the telecommunications industry in the wake of the spying scandals of a few years ago). If and when I ever see that happen, then I'll take Republicans seriously. But not until then!
