Kenyans ... can't live with 'em.

I want to know why we can't raise the tax rates. If you were running a business and hemorrhaging money, you'd have to do something to both cut costs and raise revenues. You can't do both; you turn off the lights at night and raise the prices of your goods and or services.

I think the biggest part of the problem is the fact that politicians are only representing the people that voted for them, not everyone in their district. I may not have voted for the other guy, but you got elected, so you represent me, even if I don't support you. It just has lead to so much asinine partisanship.

Originally Posted by new_skul

I want to know why we can't raise the tax rates. If you were running a business and hemorrhaging money, you'd have to do something to both cut costs and raise revenues. You can't do both; you turn off the lights at night and raise the prices of your goods and or services.

I think the biggest part of the problem is the fact that politicians are only representing the people that voted for them, not everyone in their district. I may not have voted for the other guy, but you got elected, so you represent me, even if I don't support you. It just has lead to so much asinine partisanship.

Because we all don't want to be paying high tax rates so the worthless ****** down the street with 4 kids can have an xbox360, cell phone, and 60" TV.

We should cut spending and not increase taxes otherwise we would constantly be increasing taxes to pay for stupid ****.

Originally Posted by Archimedes

You're right. We should just do away with education altogether and increase military spending.

That dog won't hunt with me, hotshot.

We have to CUT ACROSS ALL AREAS OF EXPENDITURE.

And contrary to your political naivate' there are Republican congressman who publically promote this belief.

Originally Posted by TechnoDonut

Then why did the republican party ask for it?

I don't suppose you've ever haggled before.

If you can take off 33 billion then you can take of 35, right?

Originally Posted by new_skul

I want to know why we can't raise the tax rates. If you were running a business and hemorrhaging money, you'd have to do something to both cut costs and raise revenues. You can't do both; you turn off the lights at night and raise the prices of your goods and or services.

I think the biggest part of the problem is the fact that politicians are only representing the people that voted for them, not everyone in their district. I may not have voted for the other guy, but you got elected, so you represent me, even if I don't support you. It just has lead to so much asinine partisanship.

Extending the Bush tax cuts is like the only bipartisan thing that has happened in the last 2 years.

it was also one of the stupider things that happened in the last 2 years.

any budget discussion that doesn't start with DOD cuts is not a serious discussion. medicare, medicaid, and social security are all self-funded from payroll taxes. DOD and tax cuts for the rich is where all the money is disappearing.

Originally Posted by DrMeithos

Extending the Bush tax cuts is like the only bipartisan thing that has happened in the last 2 years.

And Obama wanted to repeal them soooo badly simply because Bush got them through congress and it was a public reminder of something good that came out of that presidency.

Anyone that believes in the almighty super-efficient federal government is going to be against those tax cuts simply on principle alone.

The DoD really needs to cut spending. I was actually reading the FY 2011 budget overview for them and spending from 2001 - 2010 doubled. Medicare also needs to be slashed, social security should probably be killed altogether, the tax code needs to be re-written to eliminate loopholes (the top 1% pays ~17% less on their taxes the the rest of the top 10%), torts need to be reformed to reduce waste there, and foreign aid needs to be eliminated and then renewed on a case-by-case basis.

Essentially, all aspects of government need to experience pretty severe reductions in spending, and instead we get entitlement spending out of our asses and politicians talking about slashing minor social programs instead of things that would make a difference. The discretionary spending where most of these cuts come from is something like 10% of the budget, the rest is considered mandatory spending.

Precisely.

I agree 100% with that

LOL @ DOD CUTS

It's like every TW liberal got the exact same talking points. It must have been on John Stewart or something.

But yeah the DoD is bloated and needs cuts.

Originally Posted by JoMo

LOL @ DOD CUTS

It's like every TW liberal got the exact same talking points. It must have been on John Stewart or something.

But yeah the DoD is bloated and needs cuts.

DOD is just the starting point, to ignore it and focus on Planned Parenthood and NPR is sort of an issue.

Originally Posted by new_skul

I want to know why we can't raise the tax rates.

The conventional wisdom is that raising tax rates can hurt economic growth and you normally don't do it when your economy is in the ****ter.

We much prefer to print and disseminate money further devaluing our currency and our economic standing abroad. Notice lately how everyone has been treating US Treasury bills like they are dipped in aids water? At some point (read NOW), inflation takes over and puts us all out in the streets as surely as if the PTB would have just let the ****ter have us in the first place.

Choices are grand, aren't they?

Originally Posted by JoMo

LOL @ DOD CUTS

It's like every TW liberal got the exact same talking points. It must have been on John Stewart or something.

But yeah the DoD is bloated and needs cuts.

or it could be that tw liberals know that defense makes up over half the discretionary budget

Originally Posted by JoMo

It's like every TW liberal got the exact same talking points. It must have been on John Stewart or something.

That's kind of like wondering why every single person on the sinking titanic is complaining about water.

Originally Posted by FngrBANG

And we have no budget? I mean, everybody knew that 2011 was bound to get here.

What has Obama been doing? WTF was Congress doing prior to the 2010 elections?


YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT!

You do realize the same god damn thing happens nearly every time?

Take FY 2007

That wasn't passed prior to the 2006 elections, in fact one of the first acts of the newly democratic congress was to pass continuing resolutions to fund the government first through a certain period and then within a month they had an agreement with Bush and passed one to fund the rest of the year.


The difference is that you didn't have people on both sides of the floor itching for a shutdown

Originally Posted by FngrBANG

And we have no budget? I mean, everybody knew that 2011 was bound to get here.

What has Obama been doing? WTF was Congress doing prior to the 2010 elections?


YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT!

Originally Posted by {FSC}Godfather

focus on Planned Parenthood and NPR is sort of an issue.

becaue everybody depends on what NPR has to say. It affects every aspect of American life don'tchaknow.

Originally Posted by Kizzak

You do realize the same god damn thing happens nearly every time?

Every time hah?

And how many times have they "shut down" the gov't--total? You did say EVERY TIME didn't you.

Here, Let me Yahoo! that for you...

Budget Showdown 2011: Q & A ***8211; How Many Times in US History has the Government Shutdown Over the Budget? | History Musings***8230;

Originally Posted by FngrBANG

Every time hah?

And how many times have they "shut down" the gov't--total? You did say EVERY TIME didn't you.

I was referring to the failure to get a budget done before the new fiscal year (which is what you were talking about in the thread)

Most of the time, it's passed in January or Februrary, but re: this year vs previous years as I said before:

The difference is that you didn't have people on both sides of the floor itching for a shutdown