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At a press conference this morning on Capitol Hill, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) claimed that House Republicans would trim $100 billion dollars from the budget for the rest of the fiscal year.
"As part of our effort to liberate our economy from the shackles of out of control spending," Boehner said, "the House will soon vote to cut discretionary spending by over $100 billion dollars over the last seven months of this fiscal year.”
When pressed by NBC News if the House GOP intends to cut $100 billion dollars from the budget that the nation’s government is currently operating under, Boehner said, "We're going to cut $100 billion dollars based on the budget the President submitted."
Yet, President Obama’s submitted budget for fiscal year 2011 was never voted on by Congress and thus never approved. It does not exist as a governing number.
Why?
Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became the first Speaker in the modern era to not pass a budget since the 1974 Budget Act was implemented in Congress. Due to Democrats' inability to pass a budget for fiscal year 2011, the government currently operates under a series of continuing resolutions which operate under fiscal year 2010 levels.
Boehner’s claim that House Republicans will cut $100 billion from the budget for the rest of fiscal year 2011 is dubious at best. In their “Pledge to America,” House Republicans said they would lower spending in their first year by $100 billion dollars and return to fiscal year 2008 levels or “pre-bailout and pre-Obama levels.”
Currently, House Republicans are working towards cutting around $60 billion dollars from the current budget for fiscal year 2011.
Originally, the House GOP introduced a budget that would cut $32 billion dollars for fiscal year 2011. By cutting $32 billion, Republicans would have spent out the rest of fiscal year 2011 at fiscal year 2008 levels.
That number was deemed too low by Tea Party and conservative House members. By increasing the cuts to $60 billion, Republicans spend out the government in fiscal year 2011 at a lower rate than fiscal year 2008. Thus, Republicans not only honor their 'pledge' but also double the amount of money they are going to cut. All that being said, they are not cutting $100 billion dollars in real money for the rest of fiscal year 2011.
GOP aides tell NBC News that the $100 billion dollar number is symbolically important to conservative House Republicans and that straying publicly from that number would upset a base of voting support that has become increasingly hawkish on fiscal issues. For this reason the Speaker and others in the House GOP Leadership stick to script, saying they’ll cut $100 billion dollars from the budget. It sounds better than saying “we’re going to save you 50% more than fiscal year 2008 levels.”
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Wait...Boehner being less than honest? SHOCKING! Though it might be bigger news when he attempts to tell the truth. On another matter: Dear Mark and Domenico: Will you be doing anything on the protests in Wisconsin? I am really interested in this backlash against a right wing fringe Governor.
Ah, NewDay that is fantastic. "right wing fringe" Governor? Really?
So what fringe about him?
If he is "fringe" then I suppose you and your views are mainstream, right? Do you think it's right that in some states you can be fired from a job if you refuse to be in the union?
Another day... another outright lie out of Bone-Head!
It's no wonder the righties are so truthfully challenged, just look at who their 'fearless' leader is!
Barnum was ohhh so right! There really is a sucker born every minute and they vote TEAPUBLICAN!
Fiesty - is this just fantastic? It's all about the tea party, budgets and cutting spending. Big government spending is over, Krugman is a farce, and even Obama is engaged in the cutting process.
Good times, no? So you think the Tea Party is getting weaker or stronger with all this?
I've had a revalation!
My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day. She has her food prepared for her. She can eat whenever she wants, 24/7/365. Her meals are provided at no cost to her. She visits the Dr. Once a year for her checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise. For this she pays nothing, and nothing is required of her. She lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than she needs, but she is not required to do any upkeep. If she makes a mess, someone else cleans it up. She has her choice of luxurious places to sleep. She receives these accommodations absolutely free. She is living like a queen, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever. All of her costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day. I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick in the head...
My dog is a Democrat ! And probably a member of the Canine Union!!
If the current set of "cutting" is all we're getting, the Tea Party is going to be very disappointed. The "cutting" we're seeing is barely the preliminaries, and it's tough to say that any of that will get done in the end, what with the weak-kneed GOP, and the Democrats who frankly don't give a crap.
In the success case for the GOP, them managing to trim $100 billion off of ObamaBudget, the debt ceiling will have to be raised from $14 trillion to $15.4 trillion. That's the "success" case. Some success.
Right Wing Fringe?
Because he wants public employees to begin contributing to their pension plans, like the people who pay their salaries do? Because he wants them to increase their contributions to their health care to 12% instead of 4%?
Recent studies / analysis has shown that in 2009 New Jersey's unfunded liability was roughly $173 billion not $45 billion the state reported. Illinois' calculated deficit was $167 billion not $85 billion.
California? What - approaching a trillion?
States going bankrupt is a disaster fixing to happen and public pensions are the big unsustainble reason.
Dealing with the problem, dealing with reality is hardly a fringe idea - that is unless you are a liberal in LaLa land.
Spanky, if the era of big government spending is Over, as you say, does that mean America will be closing Military bases strewn across the world? Is that part of the Plan or just a diversion?
Newday, lotsa people are watching this. Many people fought & died for workers rights, & many folks have enjoyed those rights, who're not union. However, if somehow this comes to pass, then alotta folks are gonna be taking drastic cuts in pay,No longer have vacations, work in sweatshops, & child labor laws done away with. Communism is comeing to America via the Teaparty!
Enjoy!
Okay, so lets say the government unions win. They get to keep their Cadillac benefits, their union pay scale, their cost of living increases, their pay raises, and their 100% iron-clad pensions, their early retirements. So where's the money going to come from to pay for that?
You think the states are going to go back to the taxpayers and tell them: "Hey, we know you're struggling to pay your mortgages, we know you don't have enough extra cash to contribute to your 401ks and private pensions, we know you can't afford to send your kids to college, we know you have to pay enormous co-pays for your doctor visits, we know you pay for over half of your medical insurance, and we know you'll never get a pension. But we need more tax dollars from you so our government employees can have everything you don't have."
Sure, lets see how that works.
JS1, as Senator Ted Kennedy said so many years ago, something to the Effect of "How Many Billions is Enough", before Corparate America says Suey? Yall think you see revolution over in the MiddleEast, just wait until Amereicans are FedUp.
Americans are fedup with thier hard earned tax $$ being used to Police the World, Nation building, roads & schools for people they don't even know somewhere over in the sandbox. How much longer do you think American's will putup withit, while their being put out on the Streets here in America, where they live?
Better but you some Protection, because it's coming to a Boil, sooner than you think, if these kinda things continue.
Corparate America & thier Minions(legislators) will pay the Ultimate price!
Enjoy, what little you have to enjoy, because you Yourself JS1 are just a Peon along with the rest of us!
No Bob, we in CA aren't going to the $T yet......we are about $26B, HAHAHA.... Sad, isn't it? But Governor Moonbeam 2.0 is looking to have the Obama administration help bail the state out for their previous Spending Party (Dems for years) programs.
CA Dems are very much like Federal Dems: ?When you have it, spend it; when you don;t have it, print it. Our leaders can't print it but they would like to have Obama print it for them.
Now, i'm Not advocating Violence, but there's only so much a person can Lose before they say Ef It. I got nuttin else to lose.
When you've lost your Home for the Greed of someone else & your familys out in the Streets, watchout!
How Much is Enough JS1 ? It's already like 230% above what workers make!
CEO's makeing 20 Million a year, while a worker makes 40-50 Thousand.
We can't watchem on Tv for entertainment!
So tell JS1, How much is enough?
Rick:
The CivilWar will look like a Cakewalk!
Corparate America & thier Minions(legislators) will pay the Ultimate price!
-------------------------------------
Sounds like yer'getting ready for a Revolution there Ricky. Trouble is, in Liberal-Land there is no 2nd amendment. So what you going to rush the castle with, sticks you found in the woods? Or with your 4 iron?
safecracker,
I thought I read $800 somewhere, but that may have included other stuff / or have been a projection date in a few years. (Couldn't belive it, but what is happening in California is unbelievable anyway)
Anyway that is why it was phrased as a question.
I just doogled it - la times and others are saying it is north of $500 (8 times what the state is reporting) which makes sense and adds plausibility to a higher number when carefully calculated by outside groups using normal accounting principles.
Regardless - you guys are in deep do-do.
Well I like my fringe on the top there Spanky.
Do you think it's pink or is it red? That's the important question.
talk the talk and walk with lie socked tea bags dropping from your head....just stick your tongue out and it'll fill you. cut this cut that....days, weeks, months gone already and Boenher has not created one JOB.
We the people know what it is called.....I'VE GOT NO IDEA CONGRESS.
.
Rick, KY: Don't worry. The right wing fringe will only get this when it is THEIR job that is threatened. And devie: thanks for the chuckle!
You're welcome ND. The pleasures all mine. Sometimes I just can't resist. Especially when the right wingers are so angry.
They do make it easy, right devie?
d
The GOP, under John Boehner, has found out that it is rather easy to say no from the sidelines, than it is to actually do something other than have self promoting stunts, empty budget books, etc., now, they must actually produce. They have to produce jobs, budget cuts, etc.. Sadly, they have found out, to their embarassment, that it is much harder to produce on the frontlines, than it is to criticize from the sidelines.
Because as we have seen, it's REAL easy to say yes. Yes to every spending item you want regardless of whether or not you can pay for it. Is that what you really want hq2?
You got the $42k you currently owe as your portion of the existing debt?
And again, please say it with me: the government does not create jobs. The government collects and spends taxes. You understand that, don't you hq2?
Apparently Spanky either forgot or chooses to ignore that the GOP said "yes" to every unfunded piece of legislation and unfunded war Bush wanted from 2001 through 2006? Why is medicare in more danger today that in 2005--because the GOP passed the "unfunded" Medicare Part D, adding costs to the system.
So the military, the public safety workers, the teachers, the government officials and all of the jobs at the businesses that fill government contracts aren't created by the government?
The objective journalists at MSNBC ....that don't exist!
MSNBC's Democrat talking points are not really consistent:
Any attempt to trim anything from Government: "Don't 'slash' vital programs which will let Grandma starve"
So Republicans cant get to $100 billion in cuts: "HA HA, look, you didn't cut enough"
Can't have it both ways...wait, this is MSNBC, liberals can have whatever they want..
First imply that the Republicans are lying about their amount of cuts, after which turn around and complain about all the "draconian" cuts. It is the Liberal way.
Would someone finally tell me just WHO is twisting your arm to come here?
It's fascinating the amount of bitching you & the rest of your ilk do daily about MSNBC!
But, here you are day after day...
A rational person does not continue to participate in things that cause them displeasure!
Here is what struck me: if the cuts do not exist, as the First Read story implies, what on earth are democrats crying about?
I really am going to send you guys a copy of the Canon of Ethics, you must have been sleeping off the effects of a frat party the day they covered it in class.
Don't bother No Joe, we liberals were not sleeping in class. I would suggest you send that copy to Speaker Boehner and while you're at it send another to Mitch McConnell.
Jody, isn't it funny that person here who is most likely to post links that don't support what she says is concerned about ethics?
Now that's a bald face lie! The Tea Party supports those old GOP Hacks they seem to hate. Those RINOs, They aren't taking America back to 1700's and heaven forbid they talk to Democrats! I mean really! What is the GOP coming to?
Feisty, I truly believe that no jo, bob, js1 and a certain steve are all paid trolls. They come on here and spout the same hate filled rants every single day and when challenged, they either ignore, deflect or lie. They never provide a link that actually backs up what they say and even when proven wrong, continue to tell the same lie or attack the person who has proven them wrong. Is this an attack on them? They will see it that way but it is really just pointing out what is obvious to the most casual observer.
Don't feed the trolls. Do not respond to them directly, just provide the facts that show they are liars.
poor fiesty - someone has entered her la-la land of morning coffee club and moonpies. It is a public forum or did you forget? Early Alzheimer's onset anyone?
Matthew - I thought you and beverly were close buds. lol!
If they're getting paid to post that cr@p Matthew, someone should be demanding a FULL refund! ;o)
Oh, and you missed one! ^ ... lol
Yep, Feisty, I forgot about american-2051576. Showed up right on time, didn't he (she?)? Notice the 'poor Feisty' comment? All of them have been using that same 'poor <insert name here>' phrase a lot, lately. What's funny is his non sequiter(sp?) about Bev. Do you have any idea what he (she?) is talking about? I don't think he (she?) does.
Refund? Naaah, they are doing a good job sucking in the incurious who stop in here. ITM is a case in point. Personally, I could never be paid to post lies, misinformation and the pure hated and fear mongering that they post here, you have to have no moral compass (good term, btw) or ethics to do that.
I just love it!! You all are just way to easy! LMAO! Moral compass indeed matthew! how entertaining!
Matthew, how can you state others are hateful? My goodness, no one is more hateful that the keyboard queens who continually spill their hate all day long!
Now you did it Matthew - you had to go and kick the hornets nest didn't ya? lol
Well, Feisty, it's fun to watch them fly around banging their heads into the wall. Call me sick but it's fun. ;-)
Just call me the new but kinder and gentler 'Eric, Salinas, CA'. He's the one who taught me the 'bait and twitch' trick.
The MSM is all over the protests in the Middle East but tries to ignore/minimize protests by working Americans in Wisconsin.
Go figure!
So tell me, Newwaves, what do you make of Wisconsin democratic senators slipping into the crowd to avoid voting? The police are out in the crowd looking for them, with orders from the Senate leader to drag them back inside.
Real courage by the democrats in Wisconsin. You betcha.
no joe, no bo, nj
Real courage by the democrats in Wisconsin. You betcha.
Yes Dr Jo, how true it is. What can you say about the spineless tea bagger governor who send out the Army and police for lawmakers who have not committed a crime?
That answer is cowardly.
What those nasty guys doing what they think is right. How dare they! Sorry no quorum for you!
So does any one at First Read have a base line number they want to work off of, you know, rather than just complaining all the time?
And $100 billion dollars is just symbolic. Cutting $100 billion off that ridiculous pork-laden budget Obama punted to Congress would bring that budgets deficit from $1.65 TRILLION down to $1.55 TRILLION. Big deal! In reality, it's not even a good start.
There is much work to do. When the real cutting begins, look for people that dependent on the government dime to make the protests currently going on in Madison Wisconsin look like a Sunday Tea.
I'm kinda thinking the number really ought to be $1.5 Trillion. Makes it real easy to address debt issues.
Fair enough.
So Libs, see if you can wrap your minds around this. If the Republicans are successful at cutting $100 billion off of ObamaBudget, they'll only have to so the same thing 14 more times to get the budget in balance. No help from the Democrats is coming, not if you listened to the endless parade of Democratic House members parading to the microphone last night, each one with their cry-story that the world would end if fruit cups weren't served at lunch in their inner-city schools.
You know, bob posted something the other day that was kind of interesting- there is about $800 billion in unspent, uncommitted funds, in various federal departments.
So, how about each of their budgets gets cut by the amount of unspent, uncommitted funds they are sitting on?
With the $100 billion, we are at $900 billion this year- only $750 billion to go!
Whee!
Seriously- if that is true, these departments have been seriously over funded, in some cases, for ten years. Their budgets need to be cut, deeply, and entire departments eliminated.
We need to get serious about cutting these deficits, and it needs to happen NOW.
Of course in the sliver of a chance the GOP was successful, that cut of $1.5 trillion would eliminate 100% of the discretionary spending from the budget. The remaining spending would be for the entitlements.
NJ:
You are reporting Bob as your source? And you call yourself a doctor?
Hey Ron, what's the score? I've got 9-7, that sound right?
Try to keep up, Ron. I mentioned his post. I did not report it as a "source".
You, now, are a noter story. You I am reporting as "no value".
Keep it up- yup could get promoted to inflammatory.
Ron,
"Follow The Unspent Money" - Editors / Investor's Business Daily, February 15, 2011.
Office of Management and Budget document "Balances of Budget Authority - Budget of the U.S. Government - Fiscal Year 2011" and actually the number is $703,128,000,000.
I don't recall the exact post but let me apologize in advance if I made an error and suggested it was $800. Feel free to look up what I actually said.
(You realize - this is as close as you have ever been to refuting something I ever said?)
And besides, if I didn't make to big a mistake - you can call no joe a liar for not perfecting recalling what I mentioned.
"Healthy" people realize the gist of the argument, and the intent of the point, but you guys can't handle that can you? Have no real rebuttal for that .......
have to go the ad hominem marginalizations, huh? Anyway have fun.
Thanks, bob. I had forgotten the number.
Looks like we will need more cuts, after all.
Maybe we can start with the approximately $1 billion in unpaid taxes White House and Hill staffers owe.
Oh my gosh Ron! That is HYSTERICAL! no jo is reporting YOU as no value! I thought she claimed that she never flags! Would that be another lie?
You BETCHA! ;o)
I really don't think the old bat wants to get into a pissing contest about flagging do you NDD?
It would NOT be advantageous for her... not at all...
Got that right, Feisty! But, this situation in Wisconsin is FASCINATING!
Isn't it? I am SO proud to see Democrats finally fighting back!
... by gutlessly running and hiding.
Yep ..... lol
(VOTED!)
I told ya'll an un-intelligent, weepy drunk could not lead. I also told you because he was trying to placte the tea baggers he is incapable of leadership. Symbols do not govern. Name me at what time our history have we used any symbol to govern?
Say what you want our current President will go through the fire and even to the wall; he gets it from both sides and in the middle too. But, ultimately he makes decisions he thinks is best for all sides not t just one.
Nice job Bev. Except you kind of are failing to see the forrest. See, the Tea Party has already won - it's all about spending now.
Even Obama has bowed to the spending cuts. Sure he's kicking and fighting, but it's on the cutting theme.
Great post Bev, uninspiring, boring, very WTF though.
So if I'm getting this, the Republicans are going to cut $100 million from a proposal that was never adopted, which will translate into some lesser amount of reduction based on the figures that are actually being spent in the government's current fiscal year. That's clear as mud.
Hey, what was the buget for last year?
Anybody seeing the problem of Pelosi's rather fundamental failure? Priceless if you think about it.
It's called VOODOO Economics - all smoke and mirrors and little substance. Remember the Repubs #1 priority was job creation on Jan 3 - and as of Feb 17 wot plans are there to create jobs? So be it.
Front Door and Back Door Tax Increases
By Scott Burns
As emails go, it was unusual. It was from a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. The candidate urged me to visit his website. The candidate was proposing “solutions that would make a difference.”
For me, it was the last straw.
His proposal to strengthen Social Security was to raise the minimum age for retirement from 62 to 63. He would do it in 2014. If you view earth from another planet, this is a reasonable idea. Somehow, we earthlings have to deal with the ever expanding burden of elderly entitlements.
On planet earth, however, the idea suggests a certain obtuseness about real life. According to the Social Security Administration, about 70 percent of all people take benefits at age 62. People don’t take their benefits so they can join a better golf club. Most take benefits because they have little, or no, other income. In a world of shrinking employment, those who can choose a convenient time to take their benefits are very fortunate people.
The real issue here is the honest identification of a tax. Members of both parties love to argue about the income tax because it is visible and obvious. Democrats want to increase it, at least for those in the top 2 percent of income. Republicans want to decrease it for everyone, including hedge fund managers like John Paulson whose personal income of $5 billion last year exceeded the $3.6 billion total team salaries for all 32 NFL teams.
Yes, you read that right. His personal income for the year would have paid all the humongous salaries of all team members in the entire NFL, with $1.4 billion left over.
Taxation comes in two forms, front door and back door. Taxes that are called taxes are front door. Other taxes are “back door.” We pay a lot of taxes that have never been called a tax. Politicians on both sides know this. They get to slide a lot by us simply by avoiding the “tax” label.
So, take this quiz: Which would you prefer?
See what I mean? Either way, someone 62 years old losses 100 percent of their expected income benefits— benefits that they paid employment taxes for decades to receive.
The recent bipartisan report from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform did much the same. It proposed higher taxes without calling them taxes or tax increases.
Here’s an example. Most people don’t know that one of the highest tax rates in the country is built into the Social Security benefits formula. The National Commission proposed to increase that tax from 85 percent to 95 percent. (You can find it on page 49 of the report.)
How could this be?
Simple. When you and I pay our employment taxes, the percentage that gets credited for future benefits goes down as our income goes up. Instead of calling the crediting levels tax rates, they are called “bend points.” In 2010, for instance, income up to $9,000 was credited at a 90 percent rate; income from $9,000 to $64,000 was credited at a 32 percent rate; and income between $64,000 and $107,000 was credited at a 15 percent rate. Quite a difference. In effect, the tax rate rises from 10 percent of income to 85 percent of income when it comes to determining future Social Security benefits.
The commission proposes to increase the number of bend points and decrease the crediting rates. The net effect will be to lower future Social Security benefits. Like the Republican Senate candidate, the commission also proposes to increase both the full retirement age and the early retirement age.
The point here is not to hurl howls of execration at an unnamed Senate candidate. Nor is it to criticize a serious and well-intentioned report from a bi-partisan commission. The point is to draw a line in the sand. It is time for you and me to say, “Enough!”
No more semantic abuse.
There is none in the Constitution. There is none in the Bill of Rights. But we get it constantly from both parties.
Next week: A $2.6 trillion token of honesty and what your check from the U.S. Treasury should be.
Yep, sit down and protect yourself, for it's coming through the back door!
Couldn't agree more with you SG. Couldn't agree more. The trouble is, that line should have been drawn decades ago. It reality, it's too late now.
Anyone under 50 that thinks they'll see one thin dime of their Social Security when they retire, all the money they and their employer paid in for them for all those decades, you may want to rethink that concept. Oh, and feel free to get angry. You earned it, and you paid for it.
It was Scott Burns Opinion not mine. My opinion may differ, but what I agree with is that both republicans and democrats play with words. In Texas republicans replace the word tax with fee. They claim there is no income tax in Texas, but republicans pass a fee on business profits called the franchise fee. So you can put lip stick on a pig all you want, but it is still a pig.
Scott Burns is not a political pundit.
Feisty
A rational person does not continue to participate in things that cause them displeasure!
Two things come to mine
a) doing the same thing over and over again yielding the same dreadful result is crazy
b)participation in displeasure is masochistic
Thanks for asking Feisty. My niece has cancer of the brain. She's out of ICU. She'll be home Friday. I'm not quite sure what treatment she'll opt for.
I'm think since she's young it won't affect her outlook on life. Really I don't think so she is a sweet girl and has lots of energy. I worry her job may fire because of the repetitive treatments from the insurance costs.
Don't get me wrong, of course, I worry about her too
hugs
Wow ... this " hormonal man" is out there ! I want some of what hes drinking ! This political hack hasn't done a dam thing.... but make cocktail hour !If its true about his affairs ...i think he should do the right thing and step down .....for the good of the party ! SO BE IT ! Funny how when your a smart a$$ ....Johny boy how it bites you in the A$$ every time !
Obama still does not get it. His budget proposal proves that. It is not possible to cut our way out of this mess. More taxes and regulations will only make the situation worse.
How can any rational person advocate spending BILLIONS on high speed rail when roads and bridges are crumbling all over the country? Why would we spend more on a failing education system when some charter schools get far better results at far lower cost?
Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats believe in big government and intrusive regulation. They believe in taking from the people who work hard and get educated to achieve and give it to the people who do not try to better themselves.
We need to end all of the wasteful and inefficient government programs to make it easier for people to live off the system than to be productive members of the economy. I am tired of paying taxes to pay for the person in the checkout line in front of me using food stamps to buy food only to follow that up with using a large amount of cash to by cigarettes. I am tired of paying taxes so government workers can get salaries and benefits far beyond what I get in the private sector. I am tired of paying taxes to support people who have little incentive to work and achieve. Our government is dysfunctional, inefficient, and to big. It is our huge, dysfunctional, and wasteful government that is holding back our economy and job growth.
Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats rammed into law a healthcare bill the American people did not want and will do little to lower costs. I am tired of paying more for healthcare because I am subsidizing the smokers and others who make lifestyle choices that are not consistent with good health. If we would allow healthcare insurance rates to take into account VOLUNTARY lifestyle choices we could reduce the burden on people who make healthily choices and give incentive for people to stop making the unhealthy choices.
All of the programs that make it easy for people to not work or not try to better themselves must be eliminated. If we want job growth we need to eliminate all of the burdensome regulations and useless paperwork faces by business and we must reduce the number, amount, and complexity of all the taxes paid by business and individuals. One place to start with spending cuts would be the outrageous salaries and benefits paid to must public employees that greatly exceed the private sector.
Or government even inhibits the work of the non-profit sector with piles of useless regulations and paperwork. The large cost of complying with those regulations and completing the mountains of paper only takes away from the service these organizations provide to the community.
Our representatives vote on legislation they do not understand or have not read. They add unrelated PORK to bills that are mainly concerned with issues where it would be political suicide to vote against. Why not have every elected official sign-off that they have read and UNDERSTOOD an issue before they are permitted to vote? Those sign-offs could be scanned into the public record and put on a public website.
Our representatives have a sense of entitlement that must be eliminated. If a law applies to the American People, it should apply to our elected officials and that includes things like social security, pension, and healthcare. Our government is wasteful and dysfunctional.
We must continue to VOTE THEM OUT!!!
The first ones I will vote out are republicans. If a party doesn't believe in government, it cannot successfully govern.
We should spend money on investing in the future and not on the past.
Why should I buy a car when my horse drawn wagon does just fine on dirt roads.
jody - I believe you, you have said in the past how much you hate the republicans. Please do tell us if an opposing party leaves who will provide the cash for your retirement expenses or pay for your medical? Sounds like you think that clinics, doctors and those left paying taxes will all just jump up and down to pay your expenses and give you free medical care.
Tell us, will you be able to just waltz up to the head of the line past the many remaining souls waiting for their handouts because you got rid of the republicans?
salt grass - then stop dwelling in the past. current regs probably will require you to stop and pick up the horse apples as they drop.
Has this bozo cut the salaries and benefits of the congress ? Did he end the 80% of their salaries retirements? After only working only 5 years ? If not he isn't serious about reform ! He talks a good show !
But hasn't done a dam thing yet !!!
No, he has done one thing--Speaker Boehner did give House members a week off after every two weeks they work. I plan to e-mail him to demand they get no pay for 1/3 of the year since they won't be doing the people's business. Let the Koch Brothers make up the difference.
They already have made up the difference.
Repubs can you say the word Voodoo Economics! I don't understand why Repubs are hanging around here! The FOX station is www.foxnews.com
The Speaker and the Republicans are at least taking a stand to start cutting spending and they should be admired for that rather than ridiculed.
It is a starting point and maybe if the other side ws bargaining in good faith on really cutting spending there would be less circus and more governing going on.
The Senate and the President will have a CR to either approve or kill and if they kill it and the government shuts down, it will be because the Democrats decided to shut down the government.
The Speaker has made it clear that a deal needs to be made on the 2011 spending bill about to come out of the House and that a temporary bill will not be advanced.
The ball will soon be in the Democrat's court and is about to start bouncing.
A lie by any other name is still a lie!!!! Boehner is a drunken liar!!!!!!
chris - how is that hope and change thingy working for you? shovel ready jobs? obama saying he was wrong on the money savings of his health care plan, but it looks like it will be at least untill 2016 that savings would PROBABLY kick in. And not all the regs have been written yet for it!
If boehner is a drunken liar why not have your congressman file ethics charges against him?
Spanky,
What exactly is your problem? You NEVER said anything about jobs when it was the Republican minority screaming "Where are the jobs?" at Democrats. If, as you state, the government does not create jobs, why did you not voice that same statement before the 2010 elections? As for the government not creating jobs, here again, you are completely in the wrong. When Eisenhower became president, the economy was down, he decided to build a road, perhaps you have heard of it, it is called Interstate. Machinery had to be made, people hired to build that machinery, more people hired to run that machinery and people hired to fix that machinery. Thats just one example of the government not creating jobs.
The republicans ran on the campaign to get jobs for Americans, I did not force them to make that their campaign, they did, now, as I said before, Where are the jobs? Either the Republicans should do as they campaigned, or, they are nothing but lying hypocrites that will do or say anything to get power. Which is it?
hq2 - Whether you agree or not the republicans understood that the economy drives jobs. And that business drives the economy. Provide roadblocks and unclear regs that affect potential business expansion you will get business that will not expand in the US untill the water clears.
Clinton said it best "It is the economy, stupid", something that obama is just now realizing.
Obama and his democrat cohorts had control of both houses and the executive branch for two years and our economy is barely stable enough to move on, but we got obamacare and financial reform that written regulations aren't even close to being finished.
As for roads and bridges, here in Iowa we have two seasons - winter and road construction. I suppose we can replace our heavy equipment with thousands of men, women, shovels, sledges, wheelbarrows and pickup trucks. to repair our infrastructure. Somehow I think that the manpower required to build the roads and bridges in the 50's are significantly higher than what is required today.
Perhaps you like to dwell in the past, but I am more interested in the future of our children and elderly.
Breaking News Due To Continuing Threats By Freshmen Tea Party members, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) claimed that House Republicans would trim $100 billion dollars from the budget for the rest of the fiscal year.
These folk have no idea how government works. When you don't understand that Shutting Down the Government Means that Our Senior Citizen ie; Social Security & Medicare "Won't Get Social Security Checks Or Timely Or No Medical Care Houston We Are In Serious Trouble
Only When one of their family members don't get their check or can't get Medicare benefits Due to their Irresponsible Actions, then and only then will they actually get it.
Finally you have a Speaker and other Republicans being held up to their Demands!
American,
The Republicans understand? No, they do not. They campaigned on getting jobs. Where exactly are these jobs? The Republicans ran on "NO" ever since Obama took office, then they continued on and on about "where are the jobs" now, the shoe is on the other foot, so, where are the jobs? The republicans had control of mBOTH Houses plus the WHite House for four years, and the economy was left in shambles, they could have repealed some laws they did not agree with, or that hurt businesses, but they didnt, they could have helped small businesses but they didnt, they did, I will admit, help their bank accounts, mostly at the expense of the taxpayer, but that was about all.
As for your comments about replacing heavy equipment with people, your comments are, to say the elast, confusing. You think that the manpower required to build bridges in the 1950's are significantly higher than they are today? Why, exactly would you think that?
100 billion ?
1.4 trillion short
cut spending or it's your ass Boehner
These are some ideas about cutting the National Debt. Start by closing all the military bases overseas that we know we can do without. Stop using the military as the world’s police department. Keep the amount of naval battle groups we have at ten. Stop building the F35 jet and build more F22 jet’s instead. Stop all foreign country expenditures ( Israel, Pakistan, Egypt, Korea, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Iraq,) Get all the troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq now. Stop spending money on worthless Diplomacy (if you attack us we destroy you). Cut all subsidies to any company that’s not creating jobs here in America. Cancel all subsidies and contracts to any foreign company that has made any profits from American contracts but did not reinvest that money here. Force all banks, mortgage, investment and finance companies that sold toxic investments to buy them back or lose there ability to do that type of business. Prevent any person or company from getting a government contract if that person or company is being investigated or found to have committed fraud against the government. Increase the jail terms of anyone caught and convicted of fraud involving Medicare, Medicaid and any type of government contract or program. Close the SEC and give all responsibility for fraud prosecution to the Justice Department (No more get out of jail free fines). Replace the tax code with one that is more in line with 2011 not 1986 when it was last revised. Increase the FICA ceiling.
Republicans have went from trickle down economic policies to trickle up economics...take from the poor and give to the rich.....in the end it all goes up the ladder...