I guess all the drunken sailers on leave with credit cards woke up with hangovers. They want to party some more with our money (which we don't have). More pork! Oink!
Obama is wrong about not needing new or more taxes.
We can certainly balance the budget with spending cuts and filling loopholes (some modicum).
However, we cannot hope to pay for past wars and 16T in PAST debt with austerity measures, nor by magical economic growth. Even in great gworth spurts, without higher taxes, debt tends to increase. Look at the magical growth during the Reagan term. Deficits and debt blew out of proportion, but no one cared. This is one reason why Cheney claimed that no one cares about the debt.
Frankly, we had no business thinking that we could wage wars and cut taxes at the same time. Other unsustainable spending and tax relaxation decisions were made as well.
Once again, the ONLY Republican in recent history to balance the budget was Dwight D. Eisenhower. How did he do it? He had a top tax rate on millionaires and billionaires of 91% and they still bought Mansions, Yachts and Rolls Royces.
Now if we also cut Military Spending by 1/3 we would still spend almost twice what every other Nation in the world spends on defense.
It is amazing that conservatives refuse to take responsibility for their own actions, and try to blame Obama for things he has never done.
When Obama took office the deficit was at $1.1T due to a combination of REPUBLICAN actions (cutting taxes, increasing defense spending, increasing unfunded requirements on medical care (Medicare part D) and education *No Child Left behind). Obama and the Democrats have barely touched spending - in FACT the Obama administration has had the smallest change in government spending since Eisenhower.
And that's totally ignoring the fact the PRESIDENT doesn't spend a dime - the CONGRESS is responsible for all spending and taxation.
Bottom line - fully 75% of the ENTIRE DEBT is due to Republicans lowering taxes and increasing defense spending. Therefore when Obama says "the solution to the dent and deficit will require more revenue" he is just stating the obvious - and the truth. And if Republicans would stop blocking all revenue increases and all defense cuts then we might be able to balance the budget - but as long as they refuse, it can't be done without sacrificing the poor, the old and the sick to pay for billionaire tax cuts and defense programs even the Defense Department says they DON'YT WANT.
Obama campaigned the first time to clean up Washington...Here we are 4 and a month later and you guys are still blaming the past administration...Obama has even lauded the Bush tax cuts saying they were a good idea and made them permanent...
Not just the past Administration, But I am not blaming Bush - I am saying conservatives refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions, which is true. And it is true that when Obama walked into office the deficit was $1.1T, not due to HIS actions. And it is true that Congress spends the money and sets the taxes, not Obama. And it is true that Republicans refuse to raise revenues or cut defense spending which is responsible for 75% of the debt.
However, if you want to "blame" Obama for the "Bush" tax cuts on the middle class since he has been in a position to impact them (ignoring that Republicans would never have allowed those taxes to go up anyway) then you could say that about $1T of the debt since Obama took office is "his" desire.
That still leaves the other $4T thanks to Republican actions - or inaction.
I am not saying Obama and the Democrats are blameless - I am saying that until conservative accept responsibility for their own actions we're wasting everyone's time. Like conservative s "blaming Obama" for the expiration of the payroll tax holiday, which THEY DEMANDED not Obama, THEY PASSED and not Obama, and THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR and not Obama.
agreed...and the Tax holiday expiration was the fault of both sides...It was disengenuous to come out after the cliff bill was done and say the middle class had been spared..Again both sides touted that and were wrong!..many folks got their first checks and didnt know what happened...
It is not overdramatic. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is theft. Stealing from the poor to give to the rich is theft AND morally reprehensible.
The 75% is not a made up statistic. It's an average. Depending on how you count the impact of Republican actions from Reagan to present, you get debt number caused BY THEM between 72% and 82%.
The defense spending in Q4 is a red herring. That was preparation for the sequester - if Republicans had their way we would be INCREASING defense spending even MORE, not allowing ANY cuts.
And the statement about "lost jobs from dramatic defense cuts" is also conservative propaganda - as usual. What about the lost jobs from cuts to teachers? What about lost jobs from cuts to cops? What about lost jobs from cuts to aid to the working poor, which actually drives demand? The return on investment for $1 spent on defense is DRAMATICALLY LOWER than the return from giving that same dollar to a middle class family, and has a DRAMATICALLY LOWER benefit to society than giving that dollar to a teacher or a cop.
As for "drama", Republicans want to cut people out of health care (persecuting the sick) cut Social Security (persecuting the old) and cutting support systems (persecuting the poor). It is not dramatics to suggest they are sacrificing them for the rich - IT IS A SIMPLE FACT.
Unless Obama plans on opening a lemonade stand, there's no way to raise revenue without raising taxes. Killing deductions raises taxes, let's not be confused by word tweaks.
Perhaps updating faulty tax codes is overdue, necessary, and the resulting tax increases necessary to raise enough revenue to pay down the debt. However, fair is fair. The bill to tinker with tax rates has been passed to raise revenues. Now is the time to address spending.
no more lemonade stands....unless the 4 year old selling it has a permit: from Forbes: The Inexplicable War on Lemonade Stands
I'm beginning to think that there's a nation-wide government conspiracy against either lemonade or children, because these lemonade stand shutdowns seem to be getting more and more common. If you set up a stand for your kids, just be prepared for a visit from the cops.
In Coralville, Iowa police shut down 4-year-old Abigail Krstinger's lemonade stand after it had been up for half an hour. Dustin Krustinger told reporters that his daughter was selling lemonade at 25 cents a cup during the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa (or RAGBRAI), and couldn't have made more than five dollars, adding "If the line is drawn to the point where a four-year-old eight blocks away can't sell a couple glasses of lemonade for 25 cents, than I think the line has been drawn at the wrong spot."
Nearby, mother Bobbie Nelson had her kids' lemonade stand shutdown as well. Police informed her that a permit would cost $400
The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Reply to Comment The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
We can certainly balance the budget with spending cuts and filling loopholes (some modicum).
However, we cannot hope to pay for past wars and 16T in PAST debt with austerity measures, nor by magical economic growth. Even in great gworth spurts, without higher taxes, debt tends to increase. Look at the magical growth during the Reagan term. Deficits and debt blew out of proportion, but no one cared. This is one reason why Cheney claimed that no one cares about the debt.
Frankly, we had no business thinking that we could wage wars and cut taxes at the same time. Other unsustainable spending and tax relaxation decisions were made as well.
Now if we also cut Military Spending by 1/3 we would still spend almost twice what every other Nation in the world spends on defense.
Really, leave us alone.
When Obama took office the deficit was at $1.1T due to a combination of REPUBLICAN actions (cutting taxes, increasing defense spending, increasing unfunded requirements on medical care (Medicare part D) and education *No Child Left behind). Obama and the Democrats have barely touched spending - in FACT the Obama administration has had the smallest change in government spending since Eisenhower.
And that's totally ignoring the fact the PRESIDENT doesn't spend a dime - the CONGRESS is responsible for all spending and taxation.
Bottom line - fully 75% of the ENTIRE DEBT is due to Republicans lowering taxes and increasing defense spending. Therefore when Obama says "the solution to the dent and deficit will require more revenue" he is just stating the obvious - and the truth. And if Republicans would stop blocking all revenue increases and all defense cuts then we might be able to balance the budget - but as long as they refuse, it can't be done without sacrificing the poor, the old and the sick to pay for billionaire tax cuts and defense programs even the Defense Department says they DON'YT WANT.
And that's misguided and morally reprehensible.
Quit blaming the past for this guys inactions!
However, if you want to "blame" Obama for the "Bush" tax cuts on the middle class since he has been in a position to impact them (ignoring that Republicans would never have allowed those taxes to go up anyway) then you could say that about $1T of the debt since Obama took office is "his" desire.
That still leaves the other $4T thanks to Republican actions - or inaction.
I am not saying Obama and the Democrats are blameless - I am saying that until conservative accept responsibility for their own actions we're wasting everyone's time. Like conservative s "blaming Obama" for the expiration of the payroll tax holiday, which THEY DEMANDED not Obama, THEY PASSED and not Obama, and THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR and not Obama.
It is not overdramatic. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is theft. Stealing from the poor to give to the rich is theft AND morally reprehensible.
The 75% is not a made up statistic. It's an average. Depending on how you count the impact of Republican actions from Reagan to present, you get debt number caused BY THEM between 72% and 82%.
The defense spending in Q4 is a red herring. That was preparation for the sequester - if Republicans had their way we would be INCREASING defense spending even MORE, not allowing ANY cuts.
And the statement about "lost jobs from dramatic defense cuts" is also conservative propaganda - as usual. What about the lost jobs from cuts to teachers? What about lost jobs from cuts to cops? What about lost jobs from cuts to aid to the working poor, which actually drives demand? The return on investment for $1 spent on defense is DRAMATICALLY LOWER than the return from giving that same dollar to a middle class family, and has a DRAMATICALLY LOWER benefit to society than giving that dollar to a teacher or a cop.
As for "drama", Republicans want to cut people out of health care (persecuting the sick) cut Social Security (persecuting the old) and cutting support systems (persecuting the poor). It is not dramatics to suggest they are sacrificing them for the rich - IT IS A SIMPLE FACT.
Perhaps updating faulty tax codes is overdue, necessary, and the resulting tax increases necessary to raise enough revenue to pay down the debt. However, fair is fair. The bill to tinker with tax rates has been passed to raise revenues. Now is the time to address spending.
from Forbes:
The Inexplicable War on Lemonade Stands
I'm beginning to think that there's a nation-wide government conspiracy against either lemonade or children, because these lemonade stand shutdowns seem to be getting more and more common. If you set up a stand for your kids, just be prepared for a visit from the cops.
In Coralville, Iowa police shut down 4-year-old Abigail Krstinger's lemonade stand after it had been up for half an hour. Dustin Krustinger told reporters that his daughter was selling lemonade at 25 cents a cup during the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa (or RAGBRAI), and couldn't have made more than five dollars, adding "If the line is drawn to the point where a four-year-old eight blocks away can't sell a couple glasses of lemonade for 25 cents, than I think the line has been drawn at the wrong spot."
Nearby, mother Bobbie Nelson had her kids' lemonade stand shutdown as well. Police informed her that a permit would cost $400