Off the cliff we go,and in 2014 the tea Taliban and the cons will lose big

The rush lame o types and beck types are the minority

Why are FEMA workers saying that worked both Katrina and Sandy saying that disaster operations were run better at Katrina?

And why doesn't MSDNC report this?

Oh wait, I remember now. Because MSDNC is an Obama shoe licking "news" organization that does all it can to support the current President instead of having any journalist ETHICS of any kind.

Where are the articles that discuss the Billions of dollars in taxes for "medical devices" that has already cost jobs? Cook Medical said they had planned to open FIVE new plants, but that's cancelled because the "medical device" tax is going to cost too much for them to expand.

This doesn't even count the $63 per person "fee" from Obamacare that is going to cost employers tens of BILLIONS of dollars just this year alone. Wonder how many jobs that's going to cost.

I find it strange that Congress always talks about eliminating government waste and reduce spending - all they need to do is look in the mirror to find a solution, they are the problem in a nutshell.

Obama needs to be more aggressive with Congress, the people re-elected him and if pushed hard the GOP will fold – or face a serious beating at the polls again.

Propose the following:

1. Effective Jan. 1, 2013 a mandatory 10% pay cut to ALL federal employees earning over $150,000. As of November 2010, 19% of federal employees earned salaries of $100,000 or more in 2009. The average federal worker's pay was $71,208 compared with $40,331 in the private sector. In 2010, there were 82,034 workers, 3.9% of the federal workforce, earning more than $150,000 annually, compared to 7,240 in 2005. GS salaries are capped by law so that they do not exceed the salary for Executive Schedule IV positions.

The increase in civil servants salaries more than $150,000 resulted mainly from an increase in Executive Schedule salary approved during the Administration of George W. Bush, which raised the salary cap for senior GS employees slightly above the $150,000 threshold. Basic pay rates for Senior Executive Service (i.e. non-Presidentially appointed civil servants above GS-15) will range from $119,554 to $179,700 in 2012.

An annual savings of $1,230,510,000,314 (based on $150,000+) could be used to reduce the deficit by this action.

2. Cut the annual allowances in both the House and Senate by at least 50% in Washington DC. The total costs of district offices in their respective States should be provided through State funding only.

a) The average 2012 MRA of 435 Representatives is $1,446,009 for personnel, official office expenses, and official (franked) mail. Funding is provided under a single appropriations heading, “Members’ Representational Allowances,” within the House account “Salaries and Expenses.”

An annual saviings of $314,506,958 could be used to reduce the deficit by this action.

b) The average 2012 SOPOEA for 100 Senators is $3,206,825.29 for personnel, legislative assistance, official office expenses and official (franked) mail. Funding is
provided under a single appropriation subaccount, “Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account,” within the appropriation account “Contingent Expenses of the Senate.”

An annual savings of $160,341,250 could be used to reduce the deficit by this action.

3. Institute a deductible plus co-payment to the Federal employee health benefits plan similar to what is paid by citizens through private insurance programs.

4. Remove or revise all the loopholes in the tax system, or fight for a flat 20% tax on adjusted gross incomes over $25,000 only keeping the standard deduction.The Corporate tax could be fixed to a sliding scale based upon income with no credits or allowances. The government's definition of poverty is based on total income received. For example, the poverty level for 2012 was set at $23,050 (total yearly income) for a family of four.

As an alternative to a flat tax:

• Cap the mortgage interest deduction to 25% of gross income reported for the principle residence only.

• Gross income from US owned Companies operating abroad as reported on their financial reports shall be subject to full tax without credits, deductions or allowances. In exchange, revise the corporate tax rate to fixed values based upon gross revenue reported, set a minimum rate of 5% (up to $1M) with a maximum rate of 25% (over $1B).

• Change the Capital gains tax based upon gross income reported to a fixed rate value, not by the tax bracket. Short and long term Capital gain rates would need to be different.

• Eliminate or reduce other deductions or credits such as charitable donations, child credit, student loan interest, medical & dental expenses, state and local income or sales taxes, mortgage points, equity loan interest, etc.

5. Change the top tax rate to match that of other Countries (UK 45%, GER 45%, CHN 45%, JPN 40%), forget the 39.6 rate - raise it to 50% and negotiate it down if needed to make a deal.

Obama inherited roughly $12T in debt and programs when he first took office in 2009 and was forced to increase it by the actions (and/or inaction) of Congress. He has four more years to demonstrate his leadership ability to the American people. Push for a balanced budget within that timeframe and to reduce the deficit to a level below what he started with. Let’s not get trapped with another debt ceiling issue in 2013 to pay our bills.

Washington needs to stop kicking the can down the road for the next Administration. Projecting savings through austerity programs over 10 years is pure smoke and mirrors. We need to set achievable goals and review actual results year-on-year, THERE IS NO TOMORROW.

Obama should hold a National TV press conference and explain in detailed laymen’s terms on HOW and WHY we got to a $16T deficit. Reference it from where we were in 1962 to now (50 years), funding wars, aiding other Countries (list them and total amounts), disaster relief, bailouts, tax credits/programs, etc. The American people can no longer afford to provide goods/services and/or financial assistance to the world or continue to be the world’s policeman, sadly the cow has run dry.

Social Security was created to provide a retirement for ALL tax paying citizens, nothing more. It was NOT to be used as a piggy bank for Congress to raid at will in order to go to the candy store.

Medicare was created to provide basic health care for seniors. There can be minor changes to this program that would satisfy both parties and continue to protect everyone, but only if our elected officials sit down and discuss options as adults and lose their inflated egos.

Medicaid/welfare was supposed to be a temporary assistance program. However, people have learned how to scam billions of our tax dollars by being on the dole for decades, generation after generation. Truly many have pulled themselves out of poverty and have become taxpayers through government grants and education programs - many have not and continue to drain the system - this needs to stop. At the very least a fixed time limit for benefits needs to be proposed to prevent lazy people from living off other citizen’s hard work and income taxes their entire lives.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that just 5.1 million citizens earn more than $150,000 annually out of the nation’s 240.1 million workers. That means members of Congress earn more than 97 percent of the country.

The current salary (2011-2012) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year.

Congressional Leadership salaries:

Speaker of the House - $223,500

Majority and Minority Leaders for House and Senate - $193,400 (4 total)