Obama Signs Bill To Keep Taxes Lower. Adds $57 Billion In Spending!

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I suspect you are right that medicaid goes first. It remains to be seen if the mind-set of the GOP will allow cuts in military spending of the size that could make a difference. But I don't agree with you that it will be OK to turn our backs on the people that will be hurt by this. I imagine foreign news media will have a field day covering the people being turned away from hospitals and elderly being turned out of nursing homes with nowhere to go. And ultimately we may have to cut medicare and social security as well if current trends continue. This is not the sort of society I want to live in and leave to the next generation. I am hopeful that most of this will yet be averted as people realize that tax cuts will force these sorts of spending cuts that will hurt real people!

What right do you have to money I've earned? Who are you to dictate that I help Sally Joe deadbeat with her health care?

[james&olya 1,121]

What right do you have to money I've earned? Who are you to dictate that I help Sally Joe deadbeat with her health care?

We have a collective right as citizens and members of a civilized society to determine the way that society is structured. No system is ever perfect and injustice will always exist. The worst systems, I believe, are the ones that go to the extremes of ideology, whether it is extreme socialism as in communism or extreme capitalism as in some banana republics or older, feudalistic societies. I think that a balance can be found that works on a practical level combining the incentives of capitalism and the basic safety nets of socialism (social security, medicare, public education, etc) but we need to be honest and informed as we try to sort this out. I think what passes for political debate now in this country is lacking in honesty and helping to inform and raise awareness.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

We have a collective right as citizens and members of a civilized society to determine the way that society is structured. No system is ever perfect and injustice will always exist. The worst systems, I believe, are the ones that go to the extremes of ideology, whether it is extreme socialism as in communism or extreme capitalism as in some banana republics or older, feudalistic societies. I think that a balance can be found that works on a practical level combining the incentives of capitalism and the basic safety nets of socialism (social security, medicare, public education, etc) but we need to be honest and informed as we try to sort this out. I think what passes for political debate now in this country is lacking in honesty and helping to inform and raise awareness.

you're right on that. A lot of the problems with society today is people look to government as their first option rather than their last resort for help. Government assistance should be the last place you look for help if you cannot find it within your own community. Local charities and state organizations are going to be able to provide you better help than some federal bureaucracy ever could. All the Feds can do it harm local groups/charities with their policies or things they "think" they are doing to help.

[mawilson 2,133]

First of Social Security was NEVER supposed to be paid for out of the General Fund.

It never was or is.

The Social Security Trust Fund has a $2.5 trillion surplus. The money has been

squandered by the government over the years to pay for things that had nothing

to do with Social Security.

The correct statement is, "the General Fund was NEVER supposed to borrow money

from the Social Security Trust Fund", not the other way round.

Social Security did not cause the deficit - if anything, it made the deficit

less severe.

[james&olya 1,121]

you're right on that. A lot of the problems with society today is people look to government as their first option rather than their last resort for help. Government assistance should be the last place you look for help if you cannot find it within your own community. Local charities and state organizations are going to be able to provide you better help than some federal bureaucracy ever could. All the Feds can do it harm local groups/charities with their policies or things they "think" they are doing to help.

I hope you are right that charity and state efforts can replace these federal programs. I am not as optimistic about this as you seem to be. I guess we won't know until it actually happens.

[james&olya 1,121]

It never was or is.

The Social Security Trust Fund has a $2.5 trillion surplus. The money has been

squandered by the government over the years to pay for things that had nothing

to do with Social Security.

The correct statement is, "the General Fund was NEVER supposed to borrow money

from the Social Security Trust Fund", not the other way round.

Social Security did not cause the deficit - if anything, it made the deficit

less severe.

One of those drains on the fund was WWII. I suppose we should have cut corners then instead of the all-out effort we made to defeat Japanese and Nazi German military aggression.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I hope you are right that charity and state efforts can replace these federal programs. I am not as optimistic about this as you seem to be. I guess we won't know until it actually happens.

How do you think people got help before today? Before the "great society?" and the cradle to grave welfare state?

Despite a lacking in teaching history these days, welfare did exist. It was done through private charities, local communities, churches, organizations, etc...

Sure, we still see that today, but not as much because people are less inclined to help out when they see people are getting a check from the government every week. They don't think there's a reason or need to.

We actually were a more "close" society before the welfare state than we are today. Most understood they had a role and they did what they could to take care of each other when they were in need, because they SAW that need. Now days the need isn't seen as much because people get to go about their daily lives while some government social worker helps them out....

[mawilson 2,133]

How do you think people got help before today?

They didn't.

After the Great Depression, there were two million homeless people in the United States,

and an epidemic of poverty and hunger.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Paul, send me all of your money now. I need it for Christmas.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You don't need to raise taxes to balance the budget. You need to cut the ####### out of spending first.

The other way around, my friend. First, you need to cut spending and then you can look at cutting taxes. If you do the former prior to the latter, you end up turning a balanced budget into a deficit. Just look at the 10-year projection prior to and after the the 2001 & 2003 tax cut packages and you'll see what I mean.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

The other way around, my friend. First, you need to cut spending and then you can look at cutting taxes. If you do the former prior to the latter, you end up turning a balanced budget into a deficit. Just look at the 10-year projection prior to and after the the 2001 & 2003 tax cut packages and you'll see what I mean.

there is a misconception there because the government made more money After the tax cuts because the economy was growing. So actually it was the out of control spending that put us in the mess to begin with. The current tax rates should be made permanent if anything and the budget needs to be reworked to pre-iraq war levels.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

there is a misconception there because the government made more money After the tax cuts because the economy was growing.

The misconception is all on you. The feds took in less as a percentage of GDP following the cuts. Everyone knew this would happen. Everyone was well aware that the tax cuts would turn the budget back to a deficit and start piling onto the debt that we were just starting to pay off. Did you ever wonder why the tax cuts had a sun-set at the end of this year?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

The misconception is all on you. The feds took in less as a percentage of GDP following the cuts. Everyone knew this would happen. Everyone was well aware that the tax cuts would turn the budget back to a deficit and start piling onto the debt that we were just starting to pay off. Did you ever wonder why the tax cuts had a sun-set at the end of this year?

they had a sunset because that was the only way it would get support.

Tax cuts aren't the problem... It has been and always will be the spending...

You're assuming then on a bad economy. Instead you should be assuming on a growing but stable economy. With that, there would be no issues.

[james&olya 1,121]

there is a misconception there because the government made more money After the tax cuts because the economy was growing. So actually it was the out of control spending that put us in the mess to begin with. The current tax rates should be made permanent if anything and the budget needs to be reworked to pre-iraq war levels.

Here you are just making stuff up or parroting others who do! Completely wrong on the facts!

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Here you are just making stuff up or parroting others who do! Completely wrong on the facts!

you aren't a very smart one are ya?