Originally Posted by neuropel
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You're missing the point. I never said the govt doesn't have a legitimate role to play. I'm talking about quality and efficient use of money. The examples you listed are either regulatory in nature (CDC, SCS) or DO have more efficient and better quality competition in the private sector (DMV, Hospitals, SS - would be more efficient**), or are in my mind legitimate because they are needed but there is no profit to be made so they are subsidized by the entire tax base (libraries, school lunch, SCHIP etc.)
**I've probably already turned this too political for these boards.....but just an item for though......
-SS over your lifetime will return 1-3% on your "investment"
-A savings account will return 2-4%
-A well diversified stock portfolio will return 10-12%
Who do you think does a better the Govt or the private sector? Even WITH the recent market crash had you been investing for the last 30-40 years at the same rate you were paying SS I guarantee you would STILL come out on top. The reason people were starving is that the populace isn't disciplined enough to save and invest, and as evident by the credit crunch they are already living above their means. I'm not totally apposed to a mandatory system of investment, however it is apparent that the govt does not provide a very good ROI. I'm also biased because I'm 28 and I know there will be no money to pay for SS when I retire, in fact by most estimates Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security will be over 50 Trillion in debt by the time I retire.