Taking care of medical issues for returning soldiers, who suffered injuries, wounds, exposures to toxic chemicals, and so on, that's one thing. They were in the direct employ of the United States at the time, defending the nation's interests or carrying out its policies. Of course it should be the taxpayers' responsibility to take care of them. The US Constitution specifically assigns the federal government with the task of defending the nation -- FOR THAT REASON, it's legitimate to do so.

But the US Constitution doesn't give the federal government any power to spend the people's money on medical aid for NYC first responders, or any other particular group of people anywhere else. And by the automatic operation of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, that issue is automatically "reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Now it's a done deal.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/02/obama-signs-providing-aid-sept-responders/

This is exactly what is driving the country into the ground.

A guy called into a local radio show I like last night. The topic was this aid bill for the NYC responders. The caller said, "Well, I just think they ought to be taken care of, and they deserve our support. Myself, I'd be happy to pay something to take care of them." And I just about ripped the radio out of my truck's dashboard.

"Fine, asswipe!!!! Fire up your checkbook and mail one to the Red Cross or one of the other charities that were created to manage exactly the sort of transaction that it appears would make you feel better about yourself. But LEAVE ME OUT OF IT!!!!"

This is the wealth of a nation being stolen, bit by bit, steady as a clock, with unremitting force.