Three ways to address the budget deficit

[Peri]

Here's an interesting thread on how the budget deficit could be addressed - and why it won't. Tea baggers, take note!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/0...udget.deficit/

[Anthony703]

Originally Posted by Peri

Here's an interesting thread on how the budget deficit could be addressed - and why it won't. Tea baggers, take note!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/0...udget.deficit/

For starters--you offer up an opinion that is completely false on it face, then you compound your insulting demeanor by using such a repugnant term as teabagger.

This clown has no idea of the history of the deficit problems this nation has had since fdr and his claim that the prescription drug legislation was so bad for the budget completely leaves out all of the entitlement legislation that preceeded it. And clintons budget surpluses--just like social security--were all on paper and left out the extent to which he had gutted the entire government in the process of trying to show something that wasn't. Also missing in the clinton years was the completely false reporting of the just how healthy the economy was at the tail end of his tenure. Also completely absent in his opinion piece--the events of 9/11 and how it impacted the country as well as the world. The entire implication of the swamp is that had the u.s. not reacted to that attack, everything would be as it was prior to the twin towers falling. You et al act as if the problems in this country are an isolated incident, when in reality--all of the euro socialist countries are in far worse shape than the u.s. The e.u. is on the verge of coming apart at the seams for no other reason than their socialist spending cannot be supported by their economies. And those terrible bush tax cuts--considering that few if any jobs originate from the lower economic tier of the nation, the only way to get the monies invested in those new jobs is to rely on the upper tiers to make those cash outlays and not soak them for everything the feds can. Why is it that this clown did not mention the increased tax revenues resulting from those tax cuts, shocked the holy snot out of all of the naysayers, just as those tax revenues increased on every other occasion that taxes and tax rates were cut.
Anytime--that you find the need to fall back on such a disreputable network as cnn is always the first indication that your desperation is beginning to reach a fever pitch. Whether you or obama like it or not--he is going to be compelled to enact some level of rational economic policy and not continue to go for the failed radical tactics of attacking the successful for being nothing more than--successful.

[Bubba]

The guy has a lot of good solutions. The only one that is problematic is the mortgage interest. Most people are paying mortgages that are more than what they could rent for. I think stripping that would reduce home sales.

The prescription drug plan is just another Republican method of ruining the Government while stuffing the coffers of the pharm industry. It was really quite brilliant. Had to be a Rowe idea. The proper way to do it would have been to negotiate fair prices with the pharm industry. Then it would have helped elderly people and not cost the gov so much money. They did it the other way so that pubs could point at Medicaid and cry about how much money it's losing

I don't know what kind of medical plan they can come up with that won't cost a bunch.

I'm beginning to think the pubs might have the right idea. Just demolish government. Let the corporations take care of everything including the military. If you are the wrong color or gay and don't have the ability to make it on your own, then just euthanize them or keep them in cages and use their organs for more deserving people.

It's always funny how the party of NO makes all the messes and then points at the dems and ties to pin it on them.

Tony is right about one thing. The rest of the world is laughing at Obama and his inability to keep the party of NO on a much shorter leash.

[Anthony703]

Originally Posted by Bubba

It's always funny how the party of NO makes all the messes and then points at the dems and ties to pin it on them.

Tony is right about one thing. The rest of the world is laughing at Obama and his inability to keep the party of NO on a much shorter leash.

What you seem to have failed to notice--the only programs that are in dire straits of bankrupting the country are the result of progressive ideologies. The new deal, the great society and all of their gold plated boondoggles capping the socialists greed for free-stuff instead of free-dom.

Additionally--if you were to track the price of oil over the past two years, that price is a virtual mirror of the unemployment rates. The cost per barrel of oil hits $80 in january of 08 and unemployment soars in response and then matches the climbing cost of oil as it hit $140. Millions lose their jobs as a result, as well as their abilities to pay their inflated mortgages, which the feds strongarmed the banks into giving them. Millions of such bank loans translates into trillions of losses for those banks and--economic collapse. And all of it--the result of progressive opposition to any rational domestic energy plan and their irrational support for the community reinvestment act leading the way over the cliff.

[rmr76]

Sadly we are sit here while both parties send our freedoms away. It just makes me sick. . I wish there was something to do to stop them but all we do is vote one big spender over the other. They talk the talk but never walk the walk. We work hard for our money and they spend it and if we don't fork over money we be punished.
did I miss something our are we nothing but slaves.

[Anthony703]

Originally Posted by rmr76

Sadly we are sit here while both parties send our freedoms away. It just makes me sick. . I wish there was something to do to stop them but all we do is vote one big spender over the other. They talk the talk but never walk the walk. We work hard for our money and they spend it and if we don't fork over money we be punished.
did I miss something our are we nothing but slaves.

What is truely sad--so many, including yourself, have absolutely no idea of the the what, whys and whens of economics. And the result--depression and the personal view that you are nothing but a slave. And what really exemplifies that ignorance--the citation offered up as some sort of support for this particular thread. It is nothing but the typical incoherent nonsense the left has been building thier sand castles on for decades. Where is the mention of the vast array of social programs that are permantly funded in ever budget, year in and year out? Those represent trillions of $ each and every year that make the drug prescription legislation of late, pale in comparison.
Because true economics is not taught in the public ed system, students of that sector of society find themselves completely overwhelmed by something they know nothing about. Economics is very much like a river and naturally flows in one particular direction, trying to control it only puts off the inevitable and failure to learn about it will kill you--literally.

[rmr76]

Originally Posted by Anthony703

What is truely sad--so many, including yourself, have absolutely no idea of the the what, whys and whens of economics. And the result--depression and the personal view that you are nothing but a slave. And what really exemplifies that ignorance--the citation offered up as some sort of support for this particular thread. It is nothing but the typical incoherent nonsense the left has been building thier sand castles on for decades. Where is the mention of the vast array of social programs that are permantly funded in ever budget, year in and year out? Those represent trillions of $ each and every year that make the drug prescription legislation of late, pale in comparison.
Because true economics is not taught in the public ed system, students of that sector of society find themselves completely overwhelmed by something they know nothing about. Economics is very much like a river and naturally flows in one particular direction, trying to control it only puts off the inevitable and failure to learn about it will kill you--literally.

Economics is based on theories and feelings from what I can tell and there are as many opinions on economics as there are blades a grass on my lawn or even subdivision. All I know is I need the money I make so every time I am taxed that is taken food from my family and setting me back. Not to say we need some taxes for services like fire departments, police, screwools and some other things including a strong defense but I believe that most of that money is wasted. If economics is like a river that flows we have a Tyrant roaring river like the Mei Kong flooding and full of muck. It would be better if it were a small brook that just trickles by.

[Peri]

Originally Posted by rmr76

Economics is based on theories and feelings from what I can tell and there are as many opinions on economics as there are blades a grass on my lawn or even subdivision. All I know is I need the money I make so every time I am taxed that is taken food from my family and setting me back.

Yep, economic opinions are like...well, certain exit points from the corpus shall we say. We all got 'em. :-) And we all have our favorite talking heads, bloviators, what have you. It's not hard to have an opinion, what's hard is to keep an open mind when reading OTHERS' ideas.

I think this CNN commentator makes a good case for, first, the prime causes of the current huge deficit. The three items he chooses to discuss as ways we could "fix" the problem aren't the ONLY way to do so, but it does give you a sense of proportion.

It's difficult to make the case that these events weren't contributing factors to the deficit. (Of course Republicans won't acknowledge these, but that's to be expected.)

The first was to have massive tax cuts, which was a decision made in the wake of the Clinton surpluses.

The second decision was to have a massive new entitlement program -- prescription drugs for the elderly -- which took the fastest growing part of the American population and joined it to the fastest-rising costs in American health care, which is prescription drugs. It was therefore a marriage made in budgetary hell.

And the third, of course, was to have two wars that were going to be funded without any tax increases, the first time in modern American history that that decision was made. ... A partial exception was Vietnam, which produced an economic catastrophe in the 1970s.

So, rmr76, what's your opinion of this analysis? Again, what he's pointing out here is how the budget came to be broken in the first place; not whether the current administration's contribution is good, bad, necessary etc.

(And speaking of budget breakdowns, does anyone have any clue why the Republicans voted in lockstep against the "pay as you go" Senate bill? I mean, besides the obvious "party of No" reason?)

[Bubba]

Same old same old Peri. If they voted for anything Obama put out there it would go against their policy. I think it's great. I'm sure you heard that Obama is going to have an open forum where they compare the Republican health plan to the Democratic health plan. Pro's and cons of each. Let the public hear what is actually in each plan instead of what the mis info sources are putting out. The pubs are giving Obama an incredible amount of ammunition to use against them. He's just like a master mechanic. "Yes Mam, 41% of your injectors are just sitting there all plugged up. No wonder your engine runs so poorly. I would suggest you replace them with some injectors that work."

[God Bless America]

Originally Posted by Bubba

Same old same old Peri. If they voted for anything Obama put out there it would go against their policy. I think it's great. I'm sure you heard that Obama is going to have an open forum where they compare the Republican health plan to the Democratic health plan. Pro's and cons of each. Let the public hear what is actually in each plan instead of what the mis info sources are putting out. The pubs are giving Obama an incredible amount of ammunition to use against them. He's just like a master mechanic. "Yes Mam, 41% of your injectors are just sitting there all plugged up. No wonder your engine runs so poorly. I would suggest you replace them with some injectors that work."

But of course. One week with JOBS as the number one priority and we're back to the holy grale of the progressive agenda--universal health care. What a surprise.

Look, if your stupid Democrats in Washington hadn't wasted the last year cutting backroom deals and fighting amoungst themselves, you'd have your ridiculously expensive health care bill. It was 2700 pages of 110% Democrat CRAPOLA, and you're ****ed at Republicans? Naturally you carry their water and blame everyone else--no responsiblity for your crummy Democrat majority and self-absorbed President. But then refusing any responsibility is a big thing to you live-off-someone-else's-back liberals. Americans are just too stupid to understand the O's superior intellect, right Dubba? He's just trying to do what's best for them, but they're too stupid to realize that, right?

Go ahead and keep lookin in that mirror and telling yourself how great you look in that donkey suit. And don't forget to smooch that picture of Barry, too. But please, it's time to wash that Obama t-shirt. I can smell it from here....