Maybe Republicans would feel better if it’s called user fees. It would be limited to those making over 250k a year. Bottom line is most Americans will not see their taxes raised under Obamas plan & will accept entitlement cuts in return. With no compromise we’re all going to get hosed paying higher taxes with draconian spending cuts across the board.
At the risk of sounding simplistic (an’ possibly paranoid), the world IS getting more dangerous an’ unstable by the minute … the sequestration (think: ‘military spending CASTRATION’) will hobble our defense apparatus an’ leave us vulnerable to all our enemies (there are many…). We must avoid this by making some intelligent an’ appropriate spending cuts to the defense budget as well as to other bloated budgets, including entitlements. America cannot afford to advertise to the world that we are implementing huge an’ arbitrary cuts to our defense establishment because we cannot seem to put on our big boy pants an’ make the hard decisions that we’ve been procrastinating about for ‘way too long…now we’re down to the eleventh hour, an’ the two-minute warning. None of the useless blather brothers an’ sisters in the two houses of Congress should leave town for Thanksgiving or for anything else until this is fully an’ properly resolved. To do otherwise is the height of irresponsibility an’ self-serving arrogance…We need a Congress that can man-up an’ woman-up an’ take their jobs seriously…
And blah, blah, blah, always the left’s fault to HOWGOZITie boy. So, perhaps neither is totally correct. And those Americans (last I saw about a 60% to 40% majority) that stand at least somewhat in the middle (such as myself), to whom BOTH spending cuts (to both the military and non military spending) and increases in taxes (especially for those wealthy that can well afford such increases) are also needed to trim the deficits, and even possibly eventually reduce the National Debt!
yes, the problem is we are not growing the economy fast enough. we will NEVER grow the economy fast enough so long as (let me pick on apple) we ship all our manufacuturing jobs to slave wage countries, and put the entire balance of the profits iin the pockets of 1 percent of the population. The lesson of henry ford was that the people who MAKE the goods need to be able to AFFORD the goods or you don’t have an economy. Ford was hardly a communist or a socialist, but he paid his workers so well that people RIOTED in order to try to work for ford.
the other basic, is we have to pay for what we use, not borrow (what the republicans do, so their bankers are guaranteed to get interest) or overtax (what democrats tend to do). there needs to be a balance between spending and taxing with borrowing held to a minimum. When things get out of balance a few people make a lot of money for a little time.
speaking of balance, our military spending is thie highest in the world by a huge amount. We spend on military toys that even the military has said they don’t want and don’t need. We outsource people to build and maintain our weapons of war and pay TRIPLE what we would if those jobs were regular military. But then the outsource service companies wouldn’t be making a literal KILLING by shuffling paper.
dapperdan61 said, about 8 hours ago“Maybe Republicans would feel better if it’s called user fees”-end quote.….Maybe Taxpayers know that a Tax by any name is still a Tax.-IMO “fiscal cliff” means that to continue on the current road of annual $1 Trillion PLUS deficits, into infinity, will take the USEconomy “over the cliff” of Insolvency, or “bankruptcy” just like the socialist European high tax/high gov. benefits nations….like Greece, et al.-If the USA is to survive financially the next 4 years, the Democrats must stop their focus on MORE REVENUE, HIGHER TAX RATES, and stop demanding that the GOP “compromise” (meaning cave in to Democrat demands)…
Democrats are in a big hurry to raise taxes without trimming the waste in govt. Let them establish a private fund that all registered Democrats have to pay into. After they Pay the IRS, D can do the Buffet Rule:For those that make over $50,000 put 1/4 of your income (no tax sheltering) into the Fund. Then D can finance their priorities (the way they want to) without Republican interference.
Spending on Social Security and Medicare – for currently retired seniors – for the one year, 2011 – cost $1.2 trillion.That’s 36 percent of all US Federal spending.
Spending on Defense in 2011: $718 billion.That’s 20 percent of all US Federal spending.Another 10% for government and military pensions for the currently retired. Another slice for Medicaid for the “Aged”.The United States is the largest, most expensive and most heavily weaponized retirement program in human history.
I do not agree with taxing the rich they want to tax capital gains good way to get rid of business. Cut spending first get rid of half of the senate and congress here is some of the saving , $400,590,512.37 was used (outlay) for the personal and office expenses of these Senators which equal 4 mill apiece
We outsource people to build and maintain our weapons of war and pay TRIPLE what we would if those jobs were regular military. But then the outsource service companies wouldn’t be making a literal KILLING by shuffling paper.
Do you have anything to back up that comment? Anything?
Sure do, but you’re not going to like it!
each contracted employee on the average costs 250k per year. The bulk of that goes to the employer – blackhawk / haliburton and the like, which means a large part ends up in the executives pockets. Compare that to the average wage of regular military specialist. you need me to prove regular military doesn’t even get close to earning 6 figures, let alone the USA PAYING 250k per?
of course my problem is that it’s not secure. I don’t want people of questionable patriotism working on the high tech devices that our soldiers utilize. It’s a fundamental breach of security, and indeed, a national security issue. shall we have the chinese service our jet fighters?
There will be some tax increases and some entitlement cuts for everyone. No way around it.My point is: if a person is currently receiving SS and Medicare/Medicaid from the government, then they need to stop whining about “debt” and “deficits” and “government spending” and “socialism” and “government handouts”, etc, etc.
Donaldo Premium Member over 11 years ago
inaccurate and clicheed
Dapperdan61 Premium Member over 11 years ago
Maybe Republicans would feel better if it’s called user fees. It would be limited to those making over 250k a year. Bottom line is most Americans will not see their taxes raised under Obamas plan & will accept entitlement cuts in return. With no compromise we’re all going to get hosed paying higher taxes with draconian spending cuts across the board.
ninety_nine_percent over 11 years ago
Austerity leads to economic stagnation.
wronhewitt over 11 years ago
At the risk of sounding simplistic (an’ possibly paranoid), the world IS getting more dangerous an’ unstable by the minute … the sequestration (think: ‘military spending CASTRATION’) will hobble our defense apparatus an’ leave us vulnerable to all our enemies (there are many…). We must avoid this by making some intelligent an’ appropriate spending cuts to the defense budget as well as to other bloated budgets, including entitlements. America cannot afford to advertise to the world that we are implementing huge an’ arbitrary cuts to our defense establishment because we cannot seem to put on our big boy pants an’ make the hard decisions that we’ve been procrastinating about for ‘way too long…now we’re down to the eleventh hour, an’ the two-minute warning. None of the useless blather brothers an’ sisters in the two houses of Congress should leave town for Thanksgiving or for anything else until this is fully an’ properly resolved. To do otherwise is the height of irresponsibility an’ self-serving arrogance…We need a Congress that can man-up an’ woman-up an’ take their jobs seriously…
Quipss over 11 years ago
So the USA places around 80th globally in federal government spending. But lets ignore the rest of the world
frodo1008 over 11 years ago
And blah, blah, blah, always the left’s fault to HOWGOZITie boy. So, perhaps neither is totally correct. And those Americans (last I saw about a 60% to 40% majority) that stand at least somewhat in the middle (such as myself), to whom BOTH spending cuts (to both the military and non military spending) and increases in taxes (especially for those wealthy that can well afford such increases) are also needed to trim the deficits, and even possibly eventually reduce the National Debt!
dannysixpack over 11 years ago
@ansonia,
yes, the problem is we are not growing the economy fast enough. we will NEVER grow the economy fast enough so long as (let me pick on apple) we ship all our manufacuturing jobs to slave wage countries, and put the entire balance of the profits iin the pockets of 1 percent of the population. The lesson of henry ford was that the people who MAKE the goods need to be able to AFFORD the goods or you don’t have an economy. Ford was hardly a communist or a socialist, but he paid his workers so well that people RIOTED in order to try to work for ford.
the other basic, is we have to pay for what we use, not borrow (what the republicans do, so their bankers are guaranteed to get interest) or overtax (what democrats tend to do). there needs to be a balance between spending and taxing with borrowing held to a minimum. When things get out of balance a few people make a lot of money for a little time.
speaking of balance, our military spending is thie highest in the world by a huge amount. We spend on military toys that even the military has said they don’t want and don’t need. We outsource people to build and maintain our weapons of war and pay TRIPLE what we would if those jobs were regular military. But then the outsource service companies wouldn’t be making a literal KILLING by shuffling paper.
braindead Premium Member over 11 years ago
As we all know, there is NO waste fraud or abuse involved in Dept of Defense spending. None whatsoever.
disgustedtaxpayer over 11 years ago
dapperdan61 said, about 8 hours ago“Maybe Republicans would feel better if it’s called user fees”-end quote.….Maybe Taxpayers know that a Tax by any name is still a Tax.-IMO “fiscal cliff” means that to continue on the current road of annual $1 Trillion PLUS deficits, into infinity, will take the USEconomy “over the cliff” of Insolvency, or “bankruptcy” just like the socialist European high tax/high gov. benefits nations….like Greece, et al.-If the USA is to survive financially the next 4 years, the Democrats must stop their focus on MORE REVENUE, HIGHER TAX RATES, and stop demanding that the GOP “compromise” (meaning cave in to Democrat demands)…
Thomas Devers Premium Member over 11 years ago
As if the Republicans every gave up in their endless wars – which costs money and lives.
Fuzzy Thinker Premium Member over 11 years ago
Democrats are in a big hurry to raise taxes without trimming the waste in govt. Let them establish a private fund that all registered Democrats have to pay into. After they Pay the IRS, D can do the Buffet Rule:For those that make over $50,000 put 1/4 of your income (no tax sheltering) into the Fund. Then D can finance their priorities (the way they want to) without Republican interference.
corzak over 11 years ago
Spending on Social Security and Medicare – for currently retired seniors – for the one year, 2011 – cost $1.2 trillion.That’s 36 percent of all US Federal spending.
corzak over 11 years ago
Spending on Defense in 2011: $718 billion.That’s 20 percent of all US Federal spending.Another 10% for government and military pensions for the currently retired. Another slice for Medicaid for the “Aged”.The United States is the largest, most expensive and most heavily weaponized retirement program in human history.
rini1946 over 11 years ago
I do not agree with taxing the rich they want to tax capital gains good way to get rid of business. Cut spending first get rid of half of the senate and congress here is some of the saving , $400,590,512.37 was used (outlay) for the personal and office expenses of these Senators which equal 4 mill apiece
dannysixpack over 11 years ago
josefw said, about 12 hours ago
@dannysixpack
We outsource people to build and maintain our weapons of war and pay TRIPLE what we would if those jobs were regular military. But then the outsource service companies wouldn’t be making a literal KILLING by shuffling paper.
Do you have anything to back up that comment? Anything?
Sure do, but you’re not going to like it!
each contracted employee on the average costs 250k per year. The bulk of that goes to the employer – blackhawk / haliburton and the like, which means a large part ends up in the executives pockets. Compare that to the average wage of regular military specialist. you need me to prove regular military doesn’t even get close to earning 6 figures, let alone the USA PAYING 250k per?
of course my problem is that it’s not secure. I don’t want people of questionable patriotism working on the high tech devices that our soldiers utilize. It’s a fundamental breach of security, and indeed, a national security issue. shall we have the chinese service our jet fighters?
examples are easy to find:
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2010/01/the-cost-of-military-outsourcing.html
http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/224161/the-problem-with-outsourcing-the-military
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2009/11/06/military-contractors-and-the-perils-of-outsourcing-war
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2011/March/Pages/ContractorsontheBattlefieldOutsourcingofMilitaryServices.aspx
This is a good macro – view:http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3849
corzak over 11 years ago
There will be some tax increases and some entitlement cuts for everyone. No way around it.My point is: if a person is currently receiving SS and Medicare/Medicaid from the government, then they need to stop whining about “debt” and “deficits” and “government spending” and “socialism” and “government handouts”, etc, etc.
dannysixpack over 11 years ago
about josefw,
says obama is not his president. I guess you’re not a citizen of the USA. and if you are, what nasty replies!
must suck to be you.