Comments on: The phony-as-a-$3-bill debt deal

By: aligatorhardt

aligatorhardt — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:12:39 +0000

Out of control military spending is the key to our debt. Now that China is refitting an old air craft carrier bought from the russains, military leaders are crying for no cuts, even though we spend more than all other countries combined. We do not need 1000 bases all over the world, especially in modern countries that can defend themselves. What are we getting for out money by occupying Iraq and Afghanistan? We have now been in those conflicts longer than Vietnam. The politicians want ot lay the bill on the poor, but are they sending troops overseas? are they getting anything out of these occupations? No, only military contractors, many with no-big fluffed up contracts are getting rich off the taxpayer’s money, and much of these costs are not even shown in the budget. Medicare is 12% of the budget and that and Social Security has been paid for with payrole deduction of workers over their entire lives, but has been spent on unrelated uses.

The Bush tax cuts, the wars of choice alone could solve our debt problem if they were done away with. The needs of the people are the legitimate use of tax money. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget

By: GMYS

GMYS — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:43:13 +0000

Outstanding assessment of what took place, Gregg. The general public does not understand that the spending “cuts” are ficticious. This is why the “Penny Plan” was so brilliant – cap spending at today’s levels then reduce it by 1% each year. Only in a plan like this can the defecit be addressed.

By: Tomslad

Tomslad — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:34:29 +0000

The smallest book in the world is Republican generated social programs.

By: IROQUOIS227

IROQUOIS227 — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:21:54 +0000

IF……..this regime were interested in lowering the debt, like most, they’d reduce spending. but not in the people’s entitlements. but on things like the Bush wars, continued by Mr. Obama, make taxes on the wealthy fair, and dissolve the republican party. Bring offshored jobs back to the US. realize that the US was never elected to be the “world POLICE,” further, the US IS NOT THE ONLY SUPERPOWER IN THE WORLD. China owns a good deal of the US, Russia could easily defeat the US militarily, and the US continues to use terrorism, lying, cheating, murder, and other perverse tools to push it’s deviant agenda.

By: DrJJJJ

DrJJJJ — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:15:23 +0000

Our $14T National debt represents 25% of TOTAL world debtFYI and doesn’t include the $66 Trillion in unfunded entitlements the PIMCO leader made mention of today! Time for government to get leaned out until they’re glowing white hot! Big government is the problem, not the answer and honesty is the best policy! Tea anyone?

By: auger

auger — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:00:47 +0000

There is reason to believe Mr Easterbrook is preaching to the choir. Most people under 30 are too disgusted to read this column, so that leaves the rest of us. The realization that the budget debate is cheap theater is the cumulative result of the savvy observing many cycles, and seeing the bleakly obvious. I doubt we ever left the late 1970′s recession – just kept borrowing from Peter to pay Paul

By: zotdoc

zotdoc — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:59:20 +0000

The US needs tax revision. A flat tax,everyone pays,no exceptions, no exemptions, no deductions. Or a sales tax without an income tax. Our system now pits one group of voters against another. Of course the voters who make less than whatever the govt determines to be “rich” are in favor of taxing the rich. The politicians understand this and use it to get themselves re-elected. Everybody needs some skin in the game – everybody needs to feel each increase in taxes. When that happens, a lot more voters will pressure their elected politicians to “not spend” a fortune on some stupid government program. With the current tax system, spending will never be controlled because its easy for some to vote to spend others money on the latest “good idea”, as long as they don’t have to pay anything for it.

By: lotuslandjoe

lotuslandjoe — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:39:30 +0000

The debt crisis was a smokeshow for most of Americans for the following reasons:
Americans actually cut their consumption in June, this is a clear symptom of a middle class not able to cope with high fuel prices and a poor job outlook.
Opinion leaders are still insisting that making the wealthy pay more tax is bad because it hurts ‘those who create jobs’. Americans can see that ‘those who create jobs’ are not creating jobs, they are taking the money and running. The real issue behind the debt crisis is Government’s inability to raise revenue through taxation.
There is a growing gap between those that have that those that do not have. Throughout history this has been the fuel of bloody uprisings and revolutions. Americans are beginning to be afraid that those with nothing left to lose will continue to be ignored by society and will begin to foment violent unrest.

By: chapapet

chapapet — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:26:34 +0000

I attempt to avoid the bickering, the surveys, the rhetoric and focus on my personal situation to have a reliable source to compare…
We have a Congress that is battling the forces of hard opinions in the United States and parts of the world and it is justified by them as being in the best interest of “all” Americans…
Time to be honest and say it is politics, as each party looks for leverage at our expense and their gains…
So the comparison is or, rather a question; “do we have anything in common with that person who represents us in Congress?”.
True or False: Did Congress receive a $3,000.00 per month COLA adjustment this year?
Thank you.

By: TommyUK1

TommyUK1 — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:19:50 +0000

Reading all of the article and your varied comments the one thing that stands out is that everyone has their individual interests at heart rather than the US as a whole. Comments are rarely supported with facts other than those gleaned from odd sources and inevitably focussed away from the issue onto your own special requirements.
The common theme of a lack of leadership both now and in the recent past demonstrates how poor the pool of talent must be from which you draw your politicians. As voters are you voting with your heart or your head? I suspect neither, your being drawn along by media hype and fear of change beyond your norms.
If I were to say what should be done in the first instance it would be to call your elected representatives to account. How many of you have even considered a face to face with them?
You will always get the leadership you deserve, if you are apathetic before, during or after an election then you only have yourselves to blame for allowing such a terrible mess to happen. It is not too late, get off your backsides and do something useful like challenging them in person, you all have the right of access so use it.