The fiscal cliff

[Dr.Who]

Politicians fear the cliff but that does not mean that we should.

It is really more of a hill and in a nutshell it says that if they don't get their act together we will be in deep doo doo so the law forces them to get their act together. What it requires is an end to the Bush tax cuts ( that everyone knows is good for the economy but dems won't admit to needing), and end to the obama social security tax cuts, and a .25% across the board cut in spending.

Ok so first of all that point two five percent cut in spending is nothing - who cares?

Second while reinstating those taxes would harm the economy by a small percent that is far preferrable to continuing to rack up debt. If the cliff would help then we should hit it.

But it won't help. reinstating those taxes would harm citizens, harm the economy, and not result in greater revenue for the gov. The point two five cut in spending would help but simply by way too small an amount.

Whether we hit the cliff or not does not really matter unless you are a politician and you lose votes.

We need to keep the Bush tax cuts and we need to cut spending in some way by about 50% not point 25. Regarding the Obama social security tax cuts: sure it is nice not to pay that but since we are allegedly paying it to ourselves we are not funding our own social security making the system even MORE unsustainable than it already is.

The biggest obstacle to gov finding a solution to this mess is first that they are addicted to spending and second that obama wont keep the bush tax cuts unless he can alter them so that everyone gets them except the rich and the House will not go for a system that is even more progressive. Both sides think they can play a game of chicken with the tax cuts based on what happens to the rich.

We the people need to support all tax cuts that benefit all citizens equally. More importantly we really really need to get the gov to do what all of us have to do when we have budget issues - make a budget and tighten the belt.

 

[dogtowner]

200k jobs will be lost in VA just from the Dod cuts. probably needed but painful. there will be far more from the rest. but maybe we need to nottom out with a good old fashioned depression to get people's attention. Ohio is seeing the unsustainability of the welfare hammock with the cuts to foodstamps. Patty Murray wants the cliff. Clearly doesnt care about anything other than ending the Bush cuts as it also ups the lowest bracket as well.

its coming as the only will.is to pin it on the other party.

 

[Cruella]

its coming as the only will.is to pin it on the other party.

The Republicans need to get out of their way. They should all vote "present" like Obama did.
That way they can't be blamed.

 

[dogtowner]

The Republicans need to get out of their way. They should all vote "present" like Obama did.
That way they can't be blamed.

i liked that Boehner popped up right sfter the election with Romney's plan as it showed iniative where the dems show none.
let them own it. BO has no Hitler to save his arse like FDR did.

 

[Cruella]

i liked that Boehner popped up right sfter the election with Romney's plan as it showed iniative where the dems show none.
let them own it. BO has no Hitler to save his arse like FDR did.

No Hitler, but he's headed to Russia to be "more flexible" with Putin.

 

[BigRob]

Sequestration is so devastating that it will cut a MASSIVE $1.2 trillion out of the budget....over 10 years. So, its a cut of $120 billion a year.

The GAO puts out a report every year on government waste, overlap, etc, and it was estimated that simply eliminating the waste, duplication, and overlap in the programs they ID, would save about $100 billion a year. Sequestration targets specific programs of course, but how about we start with waste the GAO is identifying for us as well?

 

[dogtowner]

Sequestration is so devastating that it will cut a MASSIVE $1.2 trillion out of the budget....over 10 years. So, its a cut of $120 billion a year.

The GAO puts out a report every year on government waste, overlap, etc, and it was estimated that simply eliminating the waste, duplication, and overlap in the programs they ID, would save about $100 billion a year. Sequestration targets specific programs of course, but how about we start with waste the GAO is identifying for us as well?

because thsts not enough DOD to suit. GAO etal have been flagging suchbwadte for decades amd yet ghey persist. clearly there us no interest to do cleanup.

 

[dogtowner]

Sequestration is so devastating that it will cut a MASSIVE $1.2 trillion out of the budget....over 10 years. So, its a cut of $120 billion a year.

The GAO puts out a report every year on government waste, overlap, etc, and it was estimated that simply eliminating the waste, duplication, and overlap in the programs they ID, would save about $100 billion a year. Sequestration targets specific programs of course, but how about we start with waste the GAO is identifying for us as well?

because thsts not enough DOD to suit. GAO etal have been flagging suchbwadte for decades amd yet ghey persist. clearly there us no interest to do cleanup.

 

[GenSeneca]

One politicians "waste" is another politicians slush fund.

 

[Gipper]

Sequestration is so devastating that it will cut a MASSIVE $1.2 trillion out of the budget....over 10 years. So, its a cut of $120 billion a year.

The GAO puts out a report every year on government waste, overlap, etc, and it was estimated that simply eliminating the waste, duplication, and overlap in the programs they ID, would save about $100 billion a year. Sequestration targets specific programs of course, but how about we start with waste the GAO is identifying for us as well?

Not really much of a cut when you consider our $1 trillion plus deficit on a budget excess of $3.5 trillion. I say lets go over the fiscal cliff and put in these automatic cuts. It might be the only way to stop this crazy train run by libs and neocons.

It is very easy to reduce defense spending, while improving national security....just stop all this neocon bullshit and bring all the troops home and mind our own business.

Just a few years ago we were spending less than $2 trillion with almost no annual deficit. May how times change and somehow now we need to spend spend spend and borrow borrow borrow and grow grow grow government. CRAZY!!!

 

[BigRob]

Not really much of a cut when you consider our $1 trillion plus deficit on a budget excess of $3.5 trillion. I say lets go over the fiscal cliff and put in these automatic cuts. It might be the only way to stop this crazy train run by libs and neocons.

It is very easy to reduce defense spending, while improving national security....just stop all this neocon bullshit and bring all the troops home and mind our own business.

Just a few years ago we were spending less than $2 trillion with almost no annual deficit. May how times change and somehow now we need to spend spend spend and borrow borrow borrow and grow grow grow government. CRAZY!!!

It's not really much of a cut at all -- it will hurt in some areas -- mainly defense. There is nothing to gain from going over the fiscal cliff -- you get basically no cuts, tax hikes, probably downgraded again, etc etc.

 

[Dr.Who]

Sequestration is so devastating that it will cut a MASSIVE $1.2 trillion out of the budget....over 10 years. So, its a cut of $120 billion a year.

The GAO puts out a report every year on government waste, overlap, etc, and it was estimated that simply eliminating the waste, duplication, and overlap in the programs they ID, would save about $100 billion a year. Sequestration targets specific programs of course, but how about we start with waste the GAO is identifying for us as well?

I agree that that cut is small enough to be absorbed more or less painlessly. Clearly we need to cut enough so that we spend more than we take in. And we could do it right away if politicians did not get in the way. We need to stop the practice of writing thousand page long bills and get back to writing bills that have a single purpose without hidden items. Then politicians would be more accountable. A government that spends as much as this one does is not much of a limited government.

 

[BigRob]

I agree that that cut is small enough to be absorbed more or less painlessly. Clearly we need to cut enough so that we spend more than we take in. And we could do it right away if politicians did not get in the way. We need to stop the practice of writing thousand page long bills and get back to writing bills that have a single purpose without hidden items. Then politicians would be more accountable. A government that spends as much as this one does is not much of a limited government.

I used to work on the Hill in DC, and it is really amazing what you can do to hide things in legislation you don't want to come out.

For example, in regards to earmarks, you can get earmarks through without ever even putting them in a final bill. You can bury earmarks in the Conference Report on legislation, and then just tack into the legislation that the conference report is part of the bill. So you go read a bill, you don't see the earmarks, just some reference to a conference report that really has the earmarks buried in it.

 

[Dr.Who]

I used to work on the Hill in DC, and it is really amazing what you can do to hide things in legislation you don't want to come out.

For example, in regards to earmarks, you can get earmarks through without ever even putting them in a final bill. You can bury earmarks in the Conference Report on legislation, and then just tack into the legislation that the conference report is part of the bill. So you go read a bill, you don't see the earmarks, just some reference to a conference report that really has the earmarks buried in it.

I have zero doubt that you are right and this is a huge problem that needs to change. Sadly congressmen rarely write laws intended to restrict what THEY do. It is only us who get the restrictions.

 

[Cruella]

I have zero doubt that you are right and this is a huge problem that needs to change. Sadly congressmen rarely write laws intended to restrict what THEY do. It is only us who get the restrictions.

We have two radio hosts here that talk about our state's politics. Before this past election they invited people on who were running for state offices. The hosts (John & Ken) know a lot about the state's problems and issues and asked them questions. It was amazing just how ignorant those running were about the issues and how the state runs.