With a little over eight months until the 2008 Presidential election, many are starting to ask the questions that will ultimately decide their vote. That said, I have THE question to help you decide which way you should cast your ballot:

Who’s job is it to take care of you? (Pick One)

               Mine           The Government’s

I am a huge proponent for personal responsibility and believe strongly that it is NOT the government’s job to take care of me. Thus, whoever is elected will not make my life any better… however, they could make it worse. As I continue to live in a free, capitalist society, I can continue to work hard, create jobs, and ultimately create more wealth, but if the government continues taking more and more in the way of taxes and regulations, at what point do entrepreneurs throw their hands up and say “It’s not worth it?”

Why am I so adamant about this? Let’s look at a few issues:

Housing/Real Estate/Mortgage Crises – Many people have seen their adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) rise over the last year, and have pointed their fingers at the government and said, “fix this!” Others have seen the value of their home drop significantly, and have been unable to get out from underneath their situation. They too, have pointed the finger government’s way. Is this the government’s fault, or even their place to fix the situation? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Home ownership is not for everyone. Most likely those who have ARMs in all reality, could not afford the house they purchased to begin with, and had to opt for a less than favorable financing arrangement. Why in the world should the government bail you out?

Retirement/Social Security – This is probably one of the most evident places that government should not be involved. Why in the world as an able-bodied, working citizen, would I (or should I), ask the government to take my money and hold on to it for when I retire? To me, this idea basically says, “work your whole life, spend everything you have, and then, we will take care of you.” How about we throw a little bit of personal responsibility in there and A) live on less than what we make, B) invest our own money in good growth stock mutual funds, and C) take care of our own retirement. It’s shocking to me that the government has a plan that tells me I’m not smart enough to take care of my own money, yet their program is inching closer and closer to bankruptcy every day.

Universal Health Care – Oh boy, this is a big one these days. Now, not only am I not smart enough to take care of myself during retirement, I guess I’m not smart enough to take care of myself during my working years either. It looks like big government is about to strike again and start taking care of our health care for us. Having served in the military, I’ve seen Universal Health Care at work, and it’s not pretty. Yes, all prescriptions are filled for free. Yes, all surgeries are performed for free. Yes, all check-ups and regular care is free. However, the quality of service is subpar. Think about it this way, if a doctor has his patients given to him, guaranteed that they will keep these patients, and then told they will only make half of what a private doctor would make – what would motivate this doctor? If you answered absolutely nothing, you would be correct. What would drive innovation? Discovery? Medical breakthroughs?

Regardless of your thoughts on these issues, how about we ask a different question, where does the money come from for these government programs? It comes from able-bodied, tax-paying citizens, and the more we make, the more they take. Kind of sounds like a redistribution of wealth to me, and correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t that sound an awful lot like socialism? If we continue to let government take care of us, when does it end? What’s next? Are they going to provide housing for us? How about a car? Why not go ahead and throw in season tickets to our favorite sports team!