derek bomar;812981 wrote:what's getting cut first? would you be ok with some of your benefits being cut in order to slash spending? just curious.
Absolutely. Next question?
derek bomar;812981 wrote:what's getting cut first? would you be ok with some of your benefits being cut in order to slash spending? just curious.
jmog;813477 wrote:Why not? That is exactly why most voted for Obama and Obama himself went after that vote. The "anyone but Bush" vote.
Bush wasn't running last election. Obama was elected because most independents viewed McCain as a Bush clone on foreign policy. Independents decide all elections.jmog;813477 wrote:Why not? That is exactly why most voted for Obama and Obama himself went after that vote. The "anyone but Bush" vote.
They're too busy trying NOT to say anything that might disqualify them. All but 2 or 3 aren't viable candidates and they know that fact quite well. Anything - and I mean anything - they say even remotely controversial will be attacked by the media...and then they'll be toast.ptown_trojans_1;813489 wrote:I haven't heard specifics yet from these guys. Maybe they will eventually.
Footwedge;813590 wrote:Bush wasn't running last election. Obama was elected because most independents viewed McCain as a Bush clone on foreign policy. Independents decide all elections.
believer;813036 wrote:First cut: ObamaKare. Nuff said on that one.
Then I'd tackle military spending. I would create a team of financial, military, and industrial experts to investigate and report on the waste, inefficiency, corruption, and competitive bidding issues within the military procurement process. The report would be presented to a bipartisan commission of senators and congressmen to draw up a bill that includes the relevant parts found in the team's report. Subsequent laws would be implemented to insure military procurement is done well within fair market value (including foreign bidders) and make it highly illegal to waste taxpayer dollars on patronage purchases designed to line the wallets of politicians and corporate execs.
I'd withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya within the next year. I would phase-in a highly-trained, well-equipped Rapid Deployment Force style military team comprised of the best Marine, Army, Air Force, and Navy units and then conduct major downsizing of CONUS military units and bases. I would then withdraw all American military personnel from Europe and downsize our presence in Korea. We would stop funding NATO until all NATO countries contribute their fair share. We would make it known to the world that the United States will not seek UN, NATO, or allied approval when we feel the need to deploy American forces and that we will not hesitate to deploy small tactical nuclear weapons if necessary to quickly achieve military goals. Call me insane Ptown, but the nukes will be necessary to put teeth in our newly downsized yet lean and mean military structure.
Next we would take the federal government out of the welfare business and will no longer subsidize state welfare programs. PERIOD
We would then look long and hard at the waste, fraud, and abuse running rampant with the Medicare/Medicaid system. We would begin phasing out federal control of these programs and allow the participant to route Medicare/Medicaid dollars to a competitive privatized health insurance system over the next 2 or 3 decades.
Finally, we would create a gradual phase out of Social Security over the next few decades by providing tax incentives to employees and employers to participate willingly in expanded and more lucrative private 401K-style savings programs. We would also make a federal law that makes it illegal for ****tard politicians to dip into the alleged "trust fund" to fund patronage projects for their home districts.
Once again I do not understand the mindset that we must penalize the rich for being rich. Easy targets I suppose. Like it or not - they control commerce. What do you think they'll do to make up for the lost revenue caused by your "modest tax hikes"? Let's see....reduce employment levels, conduct overseas "investments", etc. I dunno. I would if I were in their shoes.stlouiedipalma;813765 wrote:I like your proposals on just about everything else, but we either need to raise taxes along with spending cuts or we need to completely overhaul the tax system as we know it. Since that is as likely as me shitting gold, I would be in favor of modest tax hikes on the wealthiest 2%. The Bush-era tax cuts haven't done anything to spur job growth since they were instituted, so that argument doesn't hold water.
Reduce employment levels? Sounds like an idle threat to me. Once more, so you will understand this, THE BUSH-ERA TAX CUTS DIDN'T CREATE ANY FUCKING JOBS. If you think they will suddenly do what they haven't done for the past 10 years you are living in Fantasyland.believer;813789 wrote:Once again I do not understand the mindset that we must penalize the rich for being rich. Easy targets I suppose. Like it or not - they control commerce. What do you think they'll do to make up for the lost revenue caused by your "modest tax hikes"? Let's see....reduce employment levels, conduct overseas "investments", etc. I dunno. I would if I were in their shoes.
I've stated this before and I say it again, I'd be perfectly fine with a one-time modest TEMPORARY across-the-board tax increase provided (a) the additional tax revenues are guaranteed by law to go strictly to the national debt and (b) there are guaranteed across-the-board SPENDING CUTS.
tk421;814023 wrote:47% pay no Federal income tax, why must the rich pay for everything in this country? If you want to raise more tax revenue, make the people using the most but paying the least pay more of their fair share. Pass constitutional amendment setting spending limits to the previous year's tax receipts. Immediately bring every single troop home from Iraq/Afghanistan and stop any and all involvement in Libya. Stop being the world police, charge other countries for our military service/protection. Time for those most loved liberal European countries to pay for their own safety instead of counting on the U.S.
Increase wage limit for SS, increase retirement age to 70. Take SS out of general fund and make illegal to be touched by anyone for anything except paying SS. Go after rampant government waste and abuse, cut the size of the government by 10-20%, including the military. Downsize and consolidate federal agencies, no point in having 20+ different alphabet agencies all doing pretty much the same thing. Get rid of department of homeland security, get rid of or severely cut the TSA. Cut federal business taxes, bringing jobs back to the U.S. I can't understand how anyone thinks having a close to 40% tax on businesses is going to bring any jobs to this country when there are extremely cheaper options. Need to stop all pensions in this country, all new jobs should be required to have 401K only. States can no longer afford to pay these lucrative pensions for people retiring at the age of 50.
ptown_trojans_1;813489 wrote:And they were wrong.
He said change, but stated specifics on how he would do it.
I haven't heard specifics yet from these guys. Maybe they will eventually.
Footwedge;813590 wrote:Bush wasn't running last election. Obama was elected because most independents viewed McCain as a Bush clone on foreign policy. Independents decide all elections.
stlouiedipalma;814077 wrote:Reduce employment levels? Sounds like an idle threat to me. Once more, so you will understand this, THE BUSH-ERA TAX CUTS DIDN'T CREATE ANY ****ING JOBS. If you think they will suddenly do what they haven't done for the past 10 years you are living in Fantasyland.
stlouiedipalma;814077 wrote:Reduce employment levels? Sounds like an idle threat to me. Once more, so you will understand this, THE BUSH-ERA TAX CUTS DIDN'T CREATE ANY FUCKING JOBS. If you think they will suddenly do what they haven't done for the past 10 years you are living in Fantasyland.
This time around the Obama-loving media will make the final Republican candidate look like the Evil One....the guy (or gal) who wants to take medicine away from poor babies, starve the elderly, kill trees, and make teachers oversee 75 kids per public school classroom.jmog;814080 wrote:Lets not try to act like the media and the Obama campaign did not portray McCain as a Bush clone and many idiots bought it when in the 2000 GOP primary their differences were so obvious even the blind media could see it. The media had its heart set on Obama and it did everything to convince those "independents" that McCain was McBush.
stlouiedipalma;814077 wrote:Reduce employment levels? Sounds like an idle threat to me. Once more, so you will understand this, THE BUSH-ERA TAX CUTS DIDN'T CREATE ANY FUCKING JOBS. If you think they will suddenly do what they haven't done for the past 10 years you are living in Fantasyland.
You, like most of the other Tea Party conservatives out there, feel we must balance the budget on the shoulders of the working class and poor. I'm sure that, just like all those conservative Governors out there who refused the stimulus money, you will be the first one bitching when the Federal government isn't there to help you out when the tornado knocks your double-wide off its blocks.
believer;814112 wrote:This time around the Obama-loving media will make the final Republican candidate look like the Evil One....the guy (or gal) who wants to take medicine away from poor babies, starve the elderly, kill trees, and make teachers oversee 75 kids per public school classroom.
They'll attempt to make their Anointed One look squeaky clean. They claim that while the economy is "on the mend" we need to give Barrry even more time to mop up Bush's mess. That's right...the tried and true "It's Bush's Fault" will be pulled out of mothballs.
When they figure out that nobody is buying off on that mantra anymore, they'll - as a last resort - go to the leftist playbook and play the race trump card. "White America simply doesn't want a black man in the White House."
Count on it.
stlouiedipalma;814568 wrote:Sorry I called you a "Tea Party conservative". I'd be highly pissed myself if anyone resorted to calling me that.
I'd sure like to know how to get back more than I paid. I have good tax preparers, but even they haven't been able to do that for me yet. Maybe I have to be in that top 2% to find that loophole.
I do my own taxes. I also have done the taxes of close friends and family members. I do it free of charge because I have a close relationship with them. None of them are "rich". Rest assured no one in the top 2% of income earners gets paid back more than they owe, at least not legally. Do they find loopholes to legally reduce the amount of taxes they owe, yes.stlouiedipalma;814568 wrote:I'd sure like to know how to get back more than I paid. I have good tax preparers, but even they haven't been able to do that for me yet. Maybe I have to be in that top 2% to find that loophole.
stlouiedipalma;814568 wrote:Sorry I called you a "Tea Party conservative". I'd be highly pissed myself if anyone resorted to calling me that.
I'd sure like to know how to get back more than I paid. I have good tax preparers, but even they haven't been able to do that for me yet. Maybe I have to be in that top 2% to find that loophole.
Not me. I am happy to be aligned with all those defenders of liberty and advocates for fiscal sanity. Hard to understand the twisted liberal mind that denigrates such patriots.stlouiedipalma;814568 wrote:Sorry I called you a "Tea Party conservative". I'd be highly pissed myself if anyone resorted to calling me that.
stlouiedipalma;814568 wrote:Sorry I called you a "Tea Party conservative". I'd be highly pissed myself if anyone resorted to calling me that.
I'd sure like to know how to get back more than I paid. I have good tax preparers, but even they haven't been able to do that for me yet. Maybe I have to be in that top 2% to find that loophole.
jmog;815267 wrote: The lowest few income brackets not only get back every dime they pay in federal taxes throughout the year, but they also, with tax CREDITS can easily get back much more than they paid in at tax refund time.