To what are we entitled?

For over 30 years we’ve been hearing we deserve something that has nothing to do with our values, abilities, wealth/poverty or station in life. McDonald’s made a fortune with "You deserve a break today (ad campaign 1971)," and it’s never gone away. There’s apparently a new theme at Wendy’s, “You deserve a download with your burger.” which promotes a download of a free music file from Rhapsody. So now you deserve music with your food. I haven’t been in Wendy‘s for sometime (although I love their junior bacon cheeseburger, hold-the-mayo for $.99) so I‘m taking the word of another blogger.

But this entitlement idea is everywhere. It's the opposite of what the Bible says, and what Americans who founded this country believed. In the OT, the core values were worship of the Creator God, of being grateful, of obeying God’s commands and living to honour Him. In the NT, there is no sense we deserve anything except justice, which would be hell for being disobedient sinners. Grace is UNMERITED.

I checked the internet:

How to get every dollar you deserve . . . by getting the full value for your house”
“Helping you receive the financial aid you deserve”
“You deserve a tax break on your home office costs”
“Get the job you deserve”
“Get the raise you deserve”
“You deserve the best selection”
“Make health your priority - you deserve it”
"You deserve a true marketing partner, not someone who simply takes orders"
"The vacation you deserve"
"The advertising you deserve"
"The attention you deserve"
"Gain the exposure you deserve"

We call government programs "entitlements," and as much as Democrats want to think Republicans are uncaring, heartless boobs, it's really the Republicans who are the big spenders on entitlements. It seems whenever they get a chance, they try to outspend the Democrats. Obama will have to really open the wallet to outspend Bush. Since 2000, Medicaid up 50%, Social Security up 6.3%, Medicare up 6.6%, child nutriiton up 8.9% veterans benefits up 7.3% (this would be higher, except the Iraq War costs are offset by the deaths of WWII veterans), Earned Income Tax Credit up 13.3%, Pell grants (college for low income) up 33.1%, and welfare down 18.2% (this reflects the 1996 welfare reform whereby it is harder to qualify).

So, to how much health care are you entitled? Mole removal? Hair transplant? Gastric by-pass? Liver transplant after a life-time of drinking? Drug rehab? Smoking cessation program? Fees for Weight Watchers or Jennie Craig? Anti-biotics for STDs? For those of you thinking universal healthcare is wonderful, let me tell you I have the "equivalent" through Medicare and my pension plan and it is costing me over 19% of my pension--and that's if I'm well and file no claims. When was the last time "free" translated to that? Is this the "skin" in the game that Mr. Obama talks about? Mine's already there, thank you.

Obama's appointing people to his cabinet who haven't even paid their taxes! Where is the change? Where is the hope? Where is the money?

Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, yesterday told members of the Senate finance committee that mistakes on his tax forms early within the last decade were unintentional, and that he had repaid the more than $42,000 owed, including interest. It was also disclosed yesterday that Geithner employed a housekeeper whose work eligibility had expired during the period in which she worked for him. UK Guardian

Now that's a guy (treasury) who really understands the meaning of "entitlement." Hank Paulson is a mess, but I think he managed to pay his taxes.

From Heritage Foundation: Last week, after the Congressional Budget Office report showed that the pre-stimulus budget deficit would reach $1.2 trillion in FY 2009, President-elect Barack Obama reiterated his campaign promise to make Social Security and Medicare reform a “central part” of his efforts to control skyrocketing federal spending. Democrats on the Hill are already pushing back against any reform that would lower government spending, but Obama is correct. Spending is the problem. In the coming decades, the cost of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will leap from 8.4 percent to 18.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)–an increase of 10.2 percent. Funding all of the prom­ised benefits with income taxes would require rais­ing the 35 percent income tax bracket to at least 77 percent and raising the 25 percent tax bracket to at least 55 percent.