Posted by David, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Dec 16, 2012 at 10:05 am

This story exemplifies WHAT is wrong with America TODAY.

Since we, in this country, have in the past, and most recently

mandated the state, local, and federal government's false promise

of "Cradle to Grave Security", we are less free, less productive,

and less happy.

HELLO ? Is there anybody home in the Land of the Proud and the Free?

Property Values and Rents are a direct function of market place economics.

In other words, 'you get what you pay for'.

It is a small wonder that the Asians and Europeans are literally eating our

lunch in the Global economy. The poor and pathetic people of this country

have banded together as an unruly mob and are extorting value from those who

work, produce valuable goods and services, and PAY TAXES!

Meritocracy? I call it a Kleptocracy!

For those of you who are so steeped in their lower class resentment that

you would not know a solid argument, even if it bit you on the nose...

I have a simple message :

PROSPERITY CAN NOT BE LEGISLATED.

Posted by Market economics yeah right, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Dec 16, 2012 at 4:58 pm

"Property Values and Rents are a direct function of market place economics." and "Prosperity can not be legislated."

So why are the prosperous, I mean the rich, constantly asking for legislative privileges, like zoning changes to increase their profits, and legislation to lower their taxes. and legislation to exempt them from production rules, like safety or the use of poisons.

And crooked bankers who cheated on home loans, is that marketplace economics? or is it lying, cheating, stealing. Is all that market economics?

Posted by Anon., a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Dec 16, 2012 at 11:34 pm

> Since we, in this country, have in the past, and most recently mandated the state, local, and federal government's false promise of "Cradle to Grave Security", we are less free, less productive, and less happy.

Huh? What on Earth are you talking about? Are you kidding?

And how do we have cradle to grave security in America? I wish you people who talk in these kinds of code words would just once explain to people in plain words what you were talking about, because it seems to me that the meritocracy you talk about is a diversion to constant demands for special privileges such as lower taxes and political favoritism and the "Cradle to Grave Security" you mention is an attempt to protect people from being trampled and killed by people who just do not think or care about average people. It's merely another version of trying to protect might makes right.

Posted by Anon., a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Dec 16, 2012 at 11:43 pm

> The poor and pathetic people of this country have banded together as an unruly mob and are extorting value from those who work, produce valuable goods and services, and PAY TAXES!

And the whole idea that paying taxes for the rich drives them into poverty while raising the undeserving riff-raff into "Cradle to Grave Security" is just such a bizarre claim. The whole thing is that this is supposed to be a representative democracy, but folks like you are so anti-democratic that you have to drum up some nonsense reasons to ignore the will or rights of the people ... or the environment to justify what is exploitative and abusive behavior - all based on the small amount of taxes that is being asked of those who are successful to pay.

If the so-called "productive" class has so much entrepreneurial zeal, why can't they figure out how to do social programs and deliver justice more efficiently so taxes could be less? The real answer to this is that they do not have to pay more to smarter people, or deal with the political demands of a more intelligent and educated populace.

The anti-"Cradle to Grave Security" is really a pre-emptive strike on a system that would help reduce stress and ensure resources to everyone else which would have a negative impact on those elites who are hell-bent on keeping everyone else down. Hardly anything ever found in writings on freedom or justice. The whole Republican song-and-dance is about making people weak and stressed so they are unable to participate politically in pursuing their best interests because it might cost you a few cents in the short run, and a corrupt way of life that America never was supposed to be about in the long run.

Posted by Literally, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Dec 18, 2012 at 12:01 pm

"It is a small wonder that the Asians and Europeans are literally eating our lunch in the Global economy."

This reminds me of the time right after Sarah Palin resigned as governor, when her press secretary said, "The world is literally her oyster."

I just finished my lunch, a turkey sandwich. No foreigners of any kind ate any of it.