With his singular style, Tom Toles tackles the complex issues of the day. This Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist skillfully targets political, economic and social concerns — in particular complicated environmental issues — with a clear-eyed precision that hits the mark every time.
© The Washington Post - All Rights Reserved.
Mike Thompson by Mike Thompson
Gary Varvel by Gary Varvel
Comments (66) (Please sign in to comment)
Sr NONliberal said, 4 months ago
Getting close to game over; wish we could have elected someone who knew how to make it work.
cjr53 said, 4 months ago
@Sr NONliberal
Exactly. Vote the r/w, republicans and tea party out.
mickey1339
said, 4 months ago
I posted a few other boards with this question. Other than insane levels of blaming others, what is proposed (in real terms) to reduce the deficit and balance the budget? Please give real numbers and programs, like cut this program, raise taxes more etc. Thank you.
Night-Gaunt49 said, 4 months ago
@mickey1339
We need good paying jobs, the rich need to pay their fair share and 9-15% just doesn’t cut it. End our external empire and war in Afghanistan now.
Doughfoot said, 4 months ago
@mickey1339
And thank you. Really, since Social Security is pretty much paying for itself, and can be perpetual with relatively slight adjustments (though what adjustments is a problem), and a certain amount of spending is unavoidable to keep the country going, there are really only two elephants in the room: Defense/Security/Intelligence spending and Health Care (Medicare/Medicaid/Etc.) spending. To reduce spending any significant amount, you have to reduce one or both of them significantly. And even they overlap with military medical spending (VA hospitals, etc.). With out huge cuts in those, you can’t balance the budget or pay down the debt at current levels of revenue.
Get rid of all the waste you want, cut all the little programs that don’t mean much to the majority, but may mean everything to some people, and you will have inflicted a lot of pain, but you won’t solve the problem.
When the boat is sinking (if that is not too alarmist a metaphor) it won’t help to patch the pinholes when you are ignoring the two large gaping ones!
Robert Mills said, 4 months ago
@cjr53
Who do you vote in? People who will spend us deeper. Id want scrooge in there, A miser would pinch pennies and help save money
cjr53 said, 4 months ago
@Robert Mills
Look at overall trends, you will find that the r/w-republicans spend, spend, spend, such as two wars not on the books. They leave the cleanup for when a Democrat is back in the White House. All the while shouting “tax and spend” about the Democrats. Also, look at the overall trend on which Americans hold the most wealth and how that has changed since 2000. The rich rich are richer and the middle class and poor have no improvement. That is the one thing shrubster & cheney actually were successful with when they occupied the White House, appointed by SCOTUS. The job creators aren’t creating jobs in America. The rich rich are hoarding money and any jobs they create are in foreign lands where the labor is cheaper and the environment is okay to pollute, that’s cheaper for business. It also shifts the clean up responsibility to others where it should be part of the cost of doing business. Also, check what the house has been doing, making bills that try to undo health care and other silly stuff. They r/w promised “jobs, jobs, jobs” yet have done nothing, they’ve only focused on trying to discredit the President. Is that not treasonous? When the middle class and poor have no earned money to spend, all the rich rich will have no customers. But of course the old “Company Store” model will return with never-ending debt for the lucky few that have a job.
cjr53 said, 4 months ago
I’d also like to see some very tight limits on how much money is gifted to foreign nations, especially Afghanistan. Including bringing our troops home today.
dannysixpack said, 4 months ago
we need to have tax incentives for multi-national companies (american and foreign) to operate factories here. We need to have tax penalties for companies that send jobs abroad and profit here.
Bruce4671 said, 4 months ago
@Night-Gaunt49
Yes yes , let’s look at that.
We need good paying jobs. From who? Which person is to supply them? What do you want to do? How hard will you work to fulfill the goals of whoever hires you? How many times will you strike for higher wages and better benefits? But really the pertinent question is from who?
The “rich” need to pay their “fair” share. OK I get it. People that have a bunch of money that they were willing to work hard to get or were fortunate enough to “invest” in other hard workers that made a product that gave them billions, need to step up to the plate. So how do you propose they pony up? By giving that money to the government to divide up as they see fit? While the government efforts to supply food and services to the poor are laudable, it isn’t like a “good paying job”. I have a feeling you know exactly what it is like to live on unemployment. So, again, yes those with resources need to step up to the plate and create good paying jobs. Most of those types (as defined by the government) are small business people. Their thoughts?
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/business/279443-poll-72-percent-of-small-businesses-say-regulations-are-hurting-
Once again, if you were to take the entire wealth of the top 2% and shoot them in the head (it’s been done just saying) how long would it fund the government as we run it today AND once that wealth is gone where will the next flood of ready cash come from?
And finally, the very best suggestion you make. End the eternal war around the globe. Of course we would have to have some cooperation from those that hate us so much (our fault) but still.
OK your personal peeves aside, make some other suggestions.
Omnius said, 4 months ago
@Sr NONliberal
Yeah like war criminals bush and cheney who bankrupted our country? Let’s not forget that it was you republicans who ran up the debt after Clinton balanced the budget. It was you republicans who did all that financial deregulation that allowed greedy, corrupt Wall Street to nearly destroy our economy.
Omnius said, 4 months ago
So sad that the tea baggers have to play crisis management by creating a fake crisis every few months do they can Whine Baby Whine.
Ms. Ima said, 4 months ago
The O legacy. In 4 years he will walk away and not have to repay anything he spent. His kids and grandkids will have trusts set up so they won’t have to pay any taxes. Being the dictator has it’s advantages.
jonesb said, 4 months ago
@Robert Mills
You had a chance to vote for one, Ron Paul.
CDK said, 4 months ago
@cjr53
Look at overall trends, you will find that the r/w-republicans spend, spend, spend, such as two wars not on the books.
That’s two wars that would not be if Democrats had not voted “YES”
The rich do not hoard money like millions in a locked vault.The invest it in companies that hire humans. Stop the Move on rhetoric.