The first idea is to change the Senate rules so that filibustering is highly visible and those filibustering are known and accountable. No more secret holds. No more fiilbustering of debate. -There are often good and valid reasons to filibuster legislation, but there is no good reason for secrecy, no good reason to filibuster debate, and no good reason to make it so easy as to be trivial.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the carbon tax to go to extending the reduction in the payroll tax. For all of it’s benefits, the carbon tax would be a regressive tax (like payroll, sales, and property taxes) falling hardest on the poor, who pay out a larger share of their incomes on those items. This is something that British Columbia is already doing, and it’s working well—though it’ll work better if other states and provinces jump on board.
There are myriad methods of dealing with the issues presented in this cartoon. Mr. Toles offers only one of the many, equally controversial, choices, and turns focus and argument on that one point. It will take a multifaceted approach to fix our problems. Total elimination of taxes/fees/services/etc are probably less needed than making common sense and balanced adjustments to the existing legal structure. The key to reducing costs is to locate those ‘loopholes’ lobbyists installed in bills that weakened the bills while increasing costs overall. Respectfully,C.
“You did not have a problem with Democrats Filibustering the Senate when the Republicans held the Majority in the Senate.”-It’s not a partisan issue. Changes in the Senate rules would apply to both parties.-I don’t have a problem with Republicans filibustering when there’s a good reason.-I do have a problem with either party filibustering debate. I have a problem with filibustering ANY nominee for a consumer protection appointment. I have a problem with secret holds on legilslation, and most everything secret.-I especially have a problem with Republicans filibustering specifically to damage the American economy in order to try to damage Obama.-You want to defend those?
^During the health care debate we were treated to the spectacle of seven Republicans proposing a change to the prospective legislation. Obama said he would support such a change. -Republicans immediately invoked a filibuster.-The count of 350+ filibusters in the last four years is really a count of cloture motions, so the actual count of filibusters is way higher. The example above did not have a cloture motion filed.
“How is the picking of winners of this alternate energy going for our dear Prez?”" So just how many federally-funded energy companies have failed? A total of five have gone bankrupt, according to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. All of the failed companies that the Committee identified came from just two programs that received significant dollar amounts from the Department of Energy. Those two programs funded 63 firms. The other 58 are still in business. That’s a failure rate of about 8%."http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/22/news/economy/obama-energy-bankruptcies/index.html
No one is saying “take everything”, but the accumulated wealth of the 1% is around a quarter of all wealth. That’s $15-$20 trillion, or more than enough to completely pay off the deficit.The Republican proposals on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid add up to $300 billion in savings over 10 years, compared to Obama’s $1.6 trillion in revenue. So the main rallying point for the GOP is to inflict suffering on the elderly & the poor in order to pay for about ONE DAY of Federal spending.If you think the GOP is serious about cutting the deficit, I have some prime swamp… err, I mean prime water front property I want to sell you.
“It was LBJ who stole money from the SS Fund to fund his ‘War on Poverty’ Odd how the Liberals on this Board are not screaming how horrible a President LBJ was to steal money from The Middle Class Senior Citizens to give to people who do nothing at all.”
Tigger, spend a few seconds on Google and see when the raiding of the SS fund really ramped up. It was in 1987, during Reagan’s 2nd term. The amount taken from SS prior to that by all Presidents combined was small. And in fairness to the conservative Republicans in this forum, the raiding of the SS fund continued during every President since then. But the real damage began in 1987.
May I suggest a nice warm vacation spot like Mexico City? Quite possibly the most polluted city on the face of the Earth. Perhaps you might make it a vacation and a learning experience at the same time.
braindead Premium Member over 11 years ago
The first idea is to change the Senate rules so that filibustering is highly visible and those filibustering are known and accountable. No more secret holds. No more fiilbustering of debate. -There are often good and valid reasons to filibuster legislation, but there is no good reason for secrecy, no good reason to filibuster debate, and no good reason to make it so easy as to be trivial.
ARodney over 11 years ago
I wouldn’t mind seeing the carbon tax to go to extending the reduction in the payroll tax. For all of it’s benefits, the carbon tax would be a regressive tax (like payroll, sales, and property taxes) falling hardest on the poor, who pay out a larger share of their incomes on those items. This is something that British Columbia is already doing, and it’s working well—though it’ll work better if other states and provinces jump on board.
chazandru over 11 years ago
There are myriad methods of dealing with the issues presented in this cartoon. Mr. Toles offers only one of the many, equally controversial, choices, and turns focus and argument on that one point. It will take a multifaceted approach to fix our problems. Total elimination of taxes/fees/services/etc are probably less needed than making common sense and balanced adjustments to the existing legal structure. The key to reducing costs is to locate those ‘loopholes’ lobbyists installed in bills that weakened the bills while increasing costs overall. Respectfully,C.
kamwick over 11 years ago
Time for you and Ima to go on vacation…how about joining Rush in Costa Rica?
braindead Premium Member over 11 years ago
“You did not have a problem with Democrats Filibustering the Senate when the Republicans held the Majority in the Senate.”-It’s not a partisan issue. Changes in the Senate rules would apply to both parties.-I don’t have a problem with Republicans filibustering when there’s a good reason.-I do have a problem with either party filibustering debate. I have a problem with filibustering ANY nominee for a consumer protection appointment. I have a problem with secret holds on legilslation, and most everything secret.-I especially have a problem with Republicans filibustering specifically to damage the American economy in order to try to damage Obama.-You want to defend those?
braindead Premium Member over 11 years ago
^During the health care debate we were treated to the spectacle of seven Republicans proposing a change to the prospective legislation. Obama said he would support such a change. -Republicans immediately invoked a filibuster.-The count of 350+ filibusters in the last four years is really a count of cloture motions, so the actual count of filibusters is way higher. The example above did not have a cloture motion filed.
corzak over 11 years ago
“How is the picking of winners of this alternate energy going for our dear Prez?”" So just how many federally-funded energy companies have failed? A total of five have gone bankrupt, according to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. All of the failed companies that the Committee identified came from just two programs that received significant dollar amounts from the Department of Energy. Those two programs funded 63 firms. The other 58 are still in business. That’s a failure rate of about 8%."http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/22/news/economy/obama-energy-bankruptcies/index.html
Uncle Joe Premium Member over 11 years ago
No one is saying “take everything”, but the accumulated wealth of the 1% is around a quarter of all wealth. That’s $15-$20 trillion, or more than enough to completely pay off the deficit.The Republican proposals on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid add up to $300 billion in savings over 10 years, compared to Obama’s $1.6 trillion in revenue. So the main rallying point for the GOP is to inflict suffering on the elderly & the poor in order to pay for about ONE DAY of Federal spending.If you think the GOP is serious about cutting the deficit, I have some prime swamp… err, I mean prime water front property I want to sell you.
Uncle Joe Premium Member over 11 years ago
The Democrats didn’t misuse the filibuster the way Republicans have for the last four years.
Marty Z over 11 years ago
“It was LBJ who stole money from the SS Fund to fund his ‘War on Poverty’ Odd how the Liberals on this Board are not screaming how horrible a President LBJ was to steal money from The Middle Class Senior Citizens to give to people who do nothing at all.”
Tigger, spend a few seconds on Google and see when the raiding of the SS fund really ramped up. It was in 1987, during Reagan’s 2nd term. The amount taken from SS prior to that by all Presidents combined was small. And in fairness to the conservative Republicans in this forum, the raiding of the SS fund continued during every President since then. But the real damage began in 1987.
rwgate over 11 years ago
May I suggest a nice warm vacation spot like Mexico City? Quite possibly the most polluted city on the face of the Earth. Perhaps you might make it a vacation and a learning experience at the same time.