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Lets just jump over the cliff!Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2012, at 5:21 PM
We should jump, not fall, over the "fiscal cliff." Some alcoholics have to hit bottom before they can crawl out of the bottle -- our Federal Government is an alcoholic whose "bottle" is spending far more than it takes in.
Any compromise is likely to be somewhat temporary and the intake/outgo problem will continue. Lets just "Git er done!" Jump the cliff! Government spending in the United States far exceeds our revenues, the widest spending/taxing gulf in any major economy. Not that it is likely to happen, for someone will blink and I predict it will be the Repubs. Popular opinion has swung toward Obama's plea to have the rich pay their fair share. The president's popularity is now at 56%, the highest it has been since early in his presidency, but statesmanship should over-rule popularity in this case. Fair share? Go figure. The one percent will end up paying more but that is just more SociBama re-distribution of wealth. Kiplinger says that the top one percent of taxpayers pay 37% of our total revenues and the bottom 50% pay just 2.25%. More, and more, the workers are contributing more and more to non-workers. One change proposed by Obama simply must not happen. He wants Congress to cede authority over the debt ceiling to him! If major changes are not made at the federal level that discrepancy will continue to increase. We aren't doing any favors for those who can work, but aren't. It is the old give a fish or teach to fish story. Yes, there must be jobs. Many of those are provided by the top one percent. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Former Le Mars general contractor, businessman, president of the chamber of commerce, development corporation, and Sertoma. Four year Navy vet. Served on the hospital board and community theater board. Was mayor in the 1970's, state representative in the '80's. Was Governor Branstad's legislative advisor and deputy director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Now retired, wife and I live on 6 acres south of Des Moines.
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It appears you haven't actually thought this through, the impacts of falling off the cliff. Personally, I find it appalling that Congress cannot get their act together and actually represent the 'people' that they are supposed to represent. I believe that the president is powerless if Congress has a plan and moves forward with it. Congressional override has always been more powerful than a president.
Some problems stem from only the rich being able to get into office. Voting their own pay, benefits, and retirement. This is a discussion all its own but is stated because obviously it is not in their interest to have the rich pay their fair share. The rich are not creating more jobs, else we would not be in the situation we have before us.
You mention those out of work who can work but aren't. You are out of touch with reality on your statement with the fish. Most of them are desparately looking for work but are unable to get work. They know how to work, there just isn't reliable work available. Retrain? that takes money which also is in short supply. Education overhaul is another area that could use some major tweaking, again a whole other conversation.
Falling off the cliff is most beneficial to the president, not congress. The Bush era tax exemptions must end, they do not do anything other than make the rich richer, banks bigger, and financial people riskier. It doesn't create more jobs, hasn't and won't.
Republicans will have to face themselves soon as they continue to ostricize themselves. If they do not get their act together soon and change their stance to match the population, they will disintegrate irrelevantly. The democrats need to focus as well, get unified direction and quit following the holdout tactics of republicans. Negotiations require giving and taking, not just focusing on a stance without a full workable plan.
One part of falling off the cliff that I like, the congressional embarrassment and the Bush era tax cuts would expire.
Don,
I have to go with you on this. It is hard to truly imagine how large our government debt is! Out national debt could buy every man, woman and child a very nice new car.
Think about these 5 truths for a minute.
1) You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2) What 1 person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3) The govt. cannot give to anybody anything the govt. doesn't first take from someone else.
4) You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
5) When 1/2 the people get the idea that they don't have to work cause the other 1/2 is going to take care of them, & when the other 1/2 gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that's the beginning of the end of any nation.
The little compromises that congress will make on the budget will have little effect. That is until they look at real cuts. Cutting military spending by closing so many out of country bases that we really have no business being at. Serious cuts in entitlement programs need to be done. Yes there are people that need it but soooo many more that use it as a crutch, see rule 5. They have no incentive! These are places where we need to start.
I look at the popularity of Mr. Obama equal to the winner of the last "Survivor" show. They jockeying for position making deals here and there with no real talents for what they are trying to win. The winner of the show has no more chance of surviving in them places than the POTUS has of leading this country correctly. Well stated "statesmanship should over-rule popularity". The job of our elected officials is to do what is in the best interest of our country and use the constitution for their guideline. That does not necessarily mean following what the majority of the people want. Representing the people does not mean pandering to their wants. People need to remember this is not a Democracy, this is a Democratic Republic.
The idea of Mr. Obama wanting sole control over the raising of our debt ceiling gives me chills down my spine.
Michael said; "I believe that the president is powerless if Congress has a plan and moves forward with it. Congressional override has always been more powerful than a president."
Michael, YOU obviously have given this a lot of thought but you are in left field on this one!
The Senate is controlled by D's, the House by R's and there is no way they "have a plan." They have TWO, diametrically opposed plans. And, there is no way this Congress could override a budget veto. It requires a 2/3 majority by each house.
I will not defend this Congress but you are wrong about only the rich being able to be elected. Steve King, Grassley, Loebsack, Boswell - and maybe Harkin - none were wealthy when they were first elected.
Whilst a capitalist at heart, bought up in a blue collar home, I think there is some room for that top 1% to contribute more. Many have made their fortunes by relocating their manufacturing off-shore at the cost of local labor or even fairer, let those corporations who have moved their manufacturing off-shore pay a penalty tax for every American worker they made redundant. Then see how quickly local jobs are created!!!!
As I have said, I am not sure it is fair, but yes, Don Roberts, it seems inevitable that the richest will end up paying more IF the powers-to-be get serious about deficit reduction.
The re-distribution of wealth "cliff" was gone over many years ago, right or wrong.
Don Roberts
You can't completely blame the corporations for moving their manufacturing "off shore". They are only doing what the consumer is demanding, cheaper products. They do this to stay competitive. There are plenty of Americans that will choose to purchase a product simply for its price with no thought where it's made. I don't believe you can or should charge a penalty tax because you do not like where goods are originated from. Perhaps the consumer should be charged an import tax for every non-American made product they purchase.
You are right, FREEDOM1776. Yesterdays news of Michigan becoming a Right-to-Work state slams an exclamation point to your point. A few years ago, when the average wage, including benefits, rose to $80 an hour for assembling automobiles, the handwriting went on the wall. The job did not require a great deal of education, nor pre-skills. Yet, they were making more than most college grads.
Laborers are being brought, kicking and screaming, into the real world - when doing routine work they cannot compete. Call it unfair if you wish, not can everyone have two cars and a boat.
Other industries were in a similar box - the China's of the world could produce widgets much cheaper so supply and demand kicked in. Many manufacturers continued to make their products in the USA - and went broke.
Sure, we all would like foreigners to pay a similar wage so products could once again be made in the USA but it cannot be legislated. Nor can tariffs be raised w/o starting a trade war we cannot win.
Freedom1776 It is because of Free Trade Agreements that has led to the dire straits so you can't charge a tax on imported goods. Who do you think backed the free trade agreements?? The big corporations that knew they could go off-shore at the cost of American jobs use cheap foreign labor and increase profits. Remember, it only costs .80 cents to make a pair of brand name sports shoes in China, and they cost $100 in the store........Ten years ago it cost $30 dollars to make them and they sold for $100 in the stores. The consumer thinks they are getting a bargain, but the guys laid off when the manufacturing went off-shore and still looking for a job are scratching their heads as they buy non-brand name shoes at the discount stores wondering where they went wrong.