How can the United States be $19 billion dollars in debt in the National Flood Program?

Source, please.

I would seek a secondary source before crediting anything seen on Fox News.

@Qingu Jinx, you owe me a Coke.

Yeah, I’m guessing he’s not going to provide one. Here’s what I’ve found:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5500492/national_flood_insurance_program_has.html?cat=3

Sounds like the program wasn’t thoughtfully run—it subsidizes wealthy people who don’t need it, and people who continually build in flood-prone areas even after floods destroy their homes—and is need of serious reform.

They don’t charge the premiums they need to to keep the program solvent. Thus the federal government picks up the rest of it. It has always been thus. The program should be privatized so people who live in flood prone areas pay the full cost of living there.

It won’t be, because so many wealthy people and people in government have their fancy shore homes that they could never afford if they had to pay the full cost of flood insurance. So the rest of us will be stuck cleaning up after our leaders messes, and happy to do so, since the program makes insurance affordable for poor people, too. Never mind that sane people would never build homes in these areas. But if you can get your home rebuilt for free after a flood, what’s not to like?

@Qingu Thanks for the good links. I didn’t know about this.

We will always be in debt, get use to it.

I don’t have a problem with the fed. government subsidizing cheap insurance for poor people who are stuck in flood-prone areas, but I agree that it is ridiculous for the government to subsidize cheap insurance for rich people who should GTFO.

BECAUSE IT IS RUN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. EVERYTHING THEY DO IS OVER BUDGET.

@Qingu, You do realize that the government doesn’t subsidize anyone. People who pay taxes do. You know, those rich people who should GTFO.

Yes yes, if only wealthy people didn’t have to pay taxes that end up helping the have-nots. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?

The problem with the poor people who are unable to afford flood insurance or move from areas prone to flooding is that they aren’t pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps, bunch of god-damn welfare queens.

@Qingu I think I got your sarcasm. Again, Nobody ever said that the rich should not pay taxes. The liberal mindset is amazing.

@missingbite That’s simply untrue. The rich have a long, unsavory tradition of attempting to escape their fair share of taxes, and with the aid of their right-wing lackeys beginning with Reagan, they have now largely succeeded.

@dpworkin Give me a break. A lot of people try to pay as little as possible. Hell several of Obama’s staff have been caught not paying taxes and claiming ignorance. Tax cheat Tim Geithner source. Rahm Emanuel and others source. Please get off your high horse that all liberals are great and conservatives are evil. It’s total bullshit and you know it. Some rich people do great things with their wealth because it is the right thing to do and not because the government tells them to source. Is it safe to say that you would rather those rich people like Gates and Buffett not have the money they make and the government redistribute it for them? There’s a plan.

You are speaking anecdotally of a few individuals. I am speaking of a deliberate social policy. Go read a book.

I’ve read plenty of books. I wasn’t speaking of a few individuals, i just gave examples of a few. I could give many many more if you like. I hope you don’t think democrat politicians have anyone’s best interest in their minds but their own. If you do, maybe you should read a few books. Almost all politicians lie and care only about getting re-elected and themselves.

So we agree. Good.