Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 3040
Joined: Oct. 2003
Posted on: Jul. 15 2011,9:38 am
(amyzone @ Jul. 14 2011,8:56 am)
QUOTE
This is my Facebook status for today...
Dear Mr. President, I heard you say you will not guarantee SS checks if the debt ceiling isn't raised. Why is it, the scare always has to do with SS, Medicare, & our Soldiers pay? Why not stop your own pay, or all of Congress, to save much more money for our country? Why use the Seniors, Soldiers, & our Needy as examples? Take the money from those who take no risks and reap the benefits?
I know...
What difference will it make to stop paying politicians? We stop the pay for an entire year to all members of Congress and the President, and we're talking about between one and two hundred million... Look at the budget figures and tell me how that will do anything. Also, why cut their pay if they're only doing exactly what their constituents told them to do?
If the debt ceiling does not get raised there will not be money to pay government employees (civilians and soldiers) or other obligations. SS & Medicare could easily be in the same category since by law the trust fund is not in a "lock-box", it has been loaned in what was thought to be a safe investment-- the federal government. Also, if the employees of these agencies are government workers, I don't know if they'll even be able to issue those payments or Medicare reimbursements to providers.
The nation decided to not get new revenue (taxes), but still spent far more than the revenue that came in... And voila, we have debt. Without more debt, and without more revenue, we default on expenses. So, Obama decides to play Captain Obvious and point this out to the American people, and somehow they're outraged by learning this.
-------------- You know it's going to be a bad day when you cross thread the cap on the toothpaste.
Bottom line is that the they both will vote for raising the debt ceiling and they both want to reduce the deficit. The only difference is that the GOP is demanding major spending cuts and as usual the donks are calling for more taxes. Gee. Which way would work in your house? When you are in debt and need to get out do you cut your spending first or do you demand that your neighbor pay it because he makes more money.
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 3040
Joined: Oct. 2003
Posted on: Jul. 15 2011,1:12 pm
(Common Citizen @ Jul. 15 2011,11:37 am)
QUOTE
Bottom line is that the they both will vote for raising the debt ceiling and they both want to reduce the deficit. The only difference is that the GOP is demanding major spending cuts and as usual the donks are calling for more taxes.
And what "major spending cuts" would this be? These same people promised to balance the budget and have the government live within its means. So far they're still overspending but telling their party they'll trim a little here and there on things like Amtrak and student loans; tax increases aren't necessary. I'd say a look at the national debt charts and the failure of voodoo economics proves them wrong.
QUOTE
When you are in debt and need to get out do you cut your spending first or do you demand that your neighbor pay it because he makes more money.
Again, before the conservatives decided that it was unpatriotic to pay taxes, we increased the progressive income tax to pay for wars. Now, fast forward and somehow we'll remain at war, but balance the budget by cutting taxes and cutting non-defense discretionary spending, while we increase spending in all other areas. They haven't quite added up how they're going to do this, but hey, neither did Reagan or Bush.
Attached Image
-------------- You know it's going to be a bad day when you cross thread the cap on the toothpaste.
President Obama earned the most generous approval ratings for his handling of the weeks-old negotiations, but still more people said they disapproved (48 percent) than approved (43 percent) of what he has done and said.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reports there was no visible progress over the weekend, despite warnings from debt rating agencies that the nation's credit rating could drop, even if there is a deal, if government spending isn't cut.
Congressional leaders' inability to convince their own party members that concessions are necessary is likely driving the dismal approval for lawmakers involved in the testy negotiations.
Approval drops to 31 percent for the Democrats in Congress, and only 21 percent of the people surveyed said they approved of Republicans' handling of the negotiations, while 71 percent disapprove.
Even half of the Republican respondents (51 percent) voiced disapproval of how members of their own party in Congress are handling the talks. Far fewer Democrats expressed disapproval of their own party's handling (32 percent) or President Obama's (22 percent) of the urgent quest to raise the nation's debt limit ahead of a looming default on Aug. 2 if action isn't taken.
I know... 
