Phil Gingrey swings to the ‘yes’ column on Boehner plan
A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, who has been a staunch opponent of the debt-ceiling proposal pitched by House Speaker John Boehner, just confirmed that the Marietta Republican has switched to the “yes” column – an important get for Boehner that could show itself in a vote later today.
Previously, the Boehner plan required a select House-Senate committee to propose a series of off-setting budget cuts before President Barack Obama could request a second increase in the debt-ceiling next year.
Gingrey was won over by the inclusion this morning of an additional requirement, mandating that Congress also send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Here’s his interview with Jamie Dupree of AM750 and 95.5FM Newstalk/WSB:
For those of you keeping score, that means six House Republicans from Georgia now support the Boehner plan. Two – Tom Graves of Ranger and Paul Broun of Athens – remain in opposition.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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198 comments Add your comment
Mr. KnowitAll
July 29th, 2011
1:49 pm
If Harry Reid and the empty suit, not to be found, impotent, POTUS do not accept this proposal, it should be withdrawn and Cut, Cap and Balance resubmitted as our final bottom line offer.
jd
July 29th, 2011
1:57 pm
But, Mr. Knowitall, Bush is no longer president.
rdb
July 29th, 2011
2:08 pm
jd,…sad to say, if he were, we would be at a different juncture at this point in time1 Would we not?
Stop Spending
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
If Gingrey votes for this he should put his place on the market. Stop Spending money we dont have.
Its just like your own finances – if you dont have money spending more isnt the answer.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
2:11 pm
I swear. If Boehner’s bill contains a balanced budget amendment, it only confirms that Gingrey, etal have reading comprehension and math issues. So what does 287, 67, and 38 equal. What it takes for the House, Senate and State ro ratify an amendment.
Rural Education
July 29th, 2011
2:16 pm
A balanced budget amendment would guarantee tax raises. The Federal govt, unlike the states has too many potential emergencies to be hamstrung by this idiotic measure.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
2:16 pm
Gingrey was against PAYGO that would have taken effect immediately, but is gungho about a BBA that would take years. Yep, those liberals are sure sneaky.
Bobby
July 29th, 2011
2:28 pm
It’s DOA with the balance budget amendment in there. If the Republicans were so concerned about a balanced budget why didn’t they pass such an amendment when they were in power? As a matter of fact under Bush the prescription bill was passed with no offsets as to its cost yet now the same Republicans want to put limits on spending. Not a bad idea mind you, but hypocritical on their part nonetheless.
David
July 29th, 2011
2:30 pm
A balanced budget amendment could be written in such a way that it would not automatic require higher taxes, plus it could allow for emergencies. It would be as simple as saying within the budget that spending is capped at a specific percent of GDP and that if there is a supermajority in the house and senate congress could vote for additional debt needed in an emergency.
Oh and PAYGO was a way to force new taxes not a way to reduce government spending.
David
July 29th, 2011
2:33 pm
Perhaps, just maybe the Republicans are pushing so hard now because since Obama took office we went from low to mid Billion dollar yearly deficit spending (horrible and unacceptable) to low TRILLION per year deficit spending. Think about honestly for 1 minute people 1.2 Trillion increase in the debt limit would get us 9 months.
memyselfandI
July 29th, 2011
2:35 pm
Bobby–you said it all!
clem
July 29th, 2011
2:35 pm
cannot believe how stupid some of these comments truly are…..tea party folks need to go
clem
July 29th, 2011
2:50 pm
That same day, one of my brothers-in-law e-mailed me a long and involved joke about a man who was born with a silver screw in his stomach instead of a belly button. As he grew up, he furtively searched for a way to have the screw removed; finally, at a monastery in Nepal, he found a monk who could make it happen. To make a long story short, a giant screwdriver appears out of a purple mist, removes the screw, and disappears out the window. Jubilant, the man jumps up, and his rear end falls off. The moral of the story is, “Don’t screw around with things you don’t understand—you can lose your butt.” Appended to the joke was the notation that Congress is screwing around with things it doesn’t understand, such as the economy, and that’s why we are all losing our butts. Lawmakers may not realize they are becoming national jokes, but they are.
ByteMe
July 29th, 2011
2:58 pm
Perhaps, just maybe the Republicans are pushing so hard now because since Obama took office we went from low to mid Billion dollar yearly deficit spending (horrible and unacceptable) to low TRILLION per year deficit spending.
So let’s look at the real numbers instead of the imagined ones:
FY 2008 spending: 2,978,433,000,000. (ends Oct 2008, before Obama)
FY 2009 spending: 3,521,699,000,000 (ends Oct 2009, after Obama)
FY 2010 spending: 3,455,982,000,000
But that’s only a $600 Billion difference. So where does David get “trillions!”?
Revenue.
FY 2008: 2,523,638,000,000
FY 2009: 2,104,614,000,000
FY 2010: 2,161,746,000,000
Sure, we have a spending issue, but we also have a revenue issue. And that won’t change until demand increases. And demand isn’t going to increase while unemployment is high. And unemployment won’t come down until demand increases. Bad cycle to get caught in. Only way out is for government to stimulate demand.
DannyX
July 29th, 2011
3:01 pm
The Republican way…
Senate Republicans- Filibuster, filibuster, block, filibuster, block, block. filibuster…
House Republicans- Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! We’re not getting our way. Pout. Pout. Waaaaaa!!
mike 'hussein' smith
July 29th, 2011
3:04 pm
Going cold turkey on federal spending is no longer an option for many people — the poor, the infirm, the unemployed and the elderly. It could have been done maybe in 2001 after Clinton’s surpluses, but of course the Supreme Court elected an MBA who didn’t know diddly about math.
BuckheadBill
July 29th, 2011
3:05 pm
Mr. Gingrey, what did Harry (the little worm) Reid promise you. You are a disgrace to the State of Georgia. I will send money to anyone that runs against you in the next election.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
3:09 pm
Broun and Graves forgot that Pelosi is not the Speaker, so they don’t need7 72-hours to read the bill. Or, maybe they do if it is more than two pages. Reading is fundamental, but it’s worthless if you can’t.
Marty
July 29th, 2011
3:09 pm
This debt ceiling crisis is going to bite Republicans in the ass come election time. What a bunch of cry babies.
Bill
July 29th, 2011
3:14 pm
Mr. Gingrey may have been good in the dental field, however,
I find him to be be abysmal in the political arena with no real ideas of his own.
Big Daddy
July 29th, 2011
3:14 pm
Gingrey is a hypocritical politician. Redundant, sure — but he should enjoying losing his ass in 2012.
EW
July 29th, 2011
3:16 pm
I know some people think that the Tea Party must go but in reality they are the only true group willing to put up a fight against Washington. What is happening today is really stupid and shows that nobody has a backbone anymore. This is exactly what happened when the dems took over it came down to all politics, I believe all Americans both Democrats and Republicans are the losers here because we have a deal to raise the debt with no real controls put in place to stop the out of control spending. We the people need the congress to answer to us! The Tea Party at least has an inroad to forcing debate, when has the Senate answered to a political foe in recent years – hasn’t happened and trickery is used to force agendas down our throats. I want the Tea Party to be a place where all Americans can come together and be a force to trump congress. I personnally wrote to Phil Gingrey, who has fought hard at times, that I will no longer support him I know there is somebody else out there who is not scared to vote outside party lines. I really like Phil but this vote should be NO on this bill! He should have started a revolt on the leadership because that is where the problem is!
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
3:18 pm
Buckhead Bill. Harry is in the Senate! You meant to say that Boehner learned from last time to just call his folks to his office rather than holding up a vote while handing out checks on the floor of the House.
Justin
July 29th, 2011
3:18 pm
@ Marty….I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to them getting slaughtered in the 2012 election. Let them keep doing exactly what they are doing!
Twobees
July 29th, 2011
3:21 pm
I could care less about his opinion. He is nothing but another Republican who helped run up the debt in this country and has been one of those who hasn’t been man enough to stand up and accept responsibility for the actions that former President Bush did which was the beginning of most of our financial problems. I will NOT lower myself to support any person or political party who truly doesn’t care about the people of this country and actually wants to take steps to lower the standard of living for a majority of people in this country. One day soon I hope people remember…this is a government of the people FOR THE PEOPLE! My suggestion to all: WAKE UP!!!
clem
July 29th, 2011
3:22 pm
tea party star congressman at his finest:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/28/ill-congressman-responds-to-child-support-report/
dixiedemons
July 29th, 2011
3:25 pm
It looks like J-BO and the Tea Party Hobbits have managed to jump over the low bar they set for themselves. They could consider it a win if the Senate and the Pres were not jumping higher. Almost time to start over , AGAIN.
clem
July 29th, 2011
3:27 pm
another fine tea party congressman in action for wall street:
http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/May11/0503/0503wispirg.pdf
jconservative
July 29th, 2011
3:28 pm
Here is the text of a Jan 2011 balanced budget amendment. I believe they are using the same text today.
Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts by a rollcall vote.
`Section 2. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the public shall not be increased, unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote.
`Section 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the United States Government for that fiscal year in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts.
`Section 4. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless approved by a majority of the whole number of each House by a rollcall vote.
`Section 5. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The provisions of this article may be waived for any fiscal year in which the United States is engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security and is so declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole number of each House, which becomes law.
`Section 6. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and receipts.
`Section 7. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the United States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government except for those for repayment of debt principal.
`Section 8. This article shall take effect beginning with the later of the second fiscal year beginning after its ratification or the first fiscal year beginning after December 31, 2016.’.
EW
July 29th, 2011
3:28 pm
Just tell me why the speaker didn’t send the Cut, Cap and Budget bill to the senate and say that’s our bill you get yours and then we can discuss and work off of the two bills. That would have kept the Tea Party happy and all other Republicans as well. We have a real problem in leadership as we have a bunch of losers who don’t know how to get things done! You don’t settle on crap when you can eat steak!
Ray
July 29th, 2011
3:33 pm
$405B lost in this tea-bag tantrum.
OneFreeMan
July 29th, 2011
3:33 pm
They can’t control spending without amending the constitution? Why not submit a blanced budget without an amendment? Oh, that’s right, their buddies wouldn’t get the big government contracts while enjoying tax cuts.
Bought and paid for congress.
clem
July 29th, 2011
3:35 pm
ray, that’s twice what the dummies were asking for in cuts over 10 years…are the tea party folks going to replenish those funds?
amazing
July 29th, 2011
3:36 pm
What a joke! An amendment has to be approved by a 2/3 majority in the Congress and Senate. In addition, it requires 2/3 maority from state legislatures. This is simply adding a new demand that will not be resolved in the time necessary to deal with the immediate problem. It is apparent that the inmates are now running the asylum called Congress!
DannyX
July 29th, 2011
3:37 pm
Remember to leave $500 million for Georgia, and another 300 million in the budget for the Republican Georgia and Republican South Carolina. Governors from Georgia and South Carolina have gone begging for fancy dredging projects they want to drown in federal dollars.
Keep that Race to the Top money flowing also!
Georgia’s Race for the Money.
Don’t let all that good Republican begging go to waste. Good luck Governor.
Ghost Rider
July 29th, 2011
3:37 pm
Rural Education:
“A balanced budget amendment would guarantee tax raises. The Federal govt, unlike the states has too many potential emergencies to be hamstrung by this idiotic measure.”
Sir or Ma’am, I fail to see why that would require a tax increase. Can you explain to me why we can’t cut spending? We do NOT have a REVENUE problem. We HAVE a very serious SPENDING problem. I think that a balanced budget requirement would be a very good thing to have considering the out-of-control spending in which the federal government is engaged.
jaypat
July 29th, 2011
3:49 pm
If you’d like to get a better view of what is really going on here, read this:
http://michael-hudson.com/2011/07/debt-ceiling-for-progressive-repealing/
Wilma
July 29th, 2011
3:57 pm
Let’s have a vote on Harry Reid’s plan in the Senate.
O Yeah, there isn’t one.
But then let’s vote on Obama’s plan.
Oops…He does not have one. His spokesman says it’s not the President’s job.
So the only plan which has passed a one branch of the government is the Republican plan. And Reid says he won’t consider it and Obama says he will veto it.
My my. Who is being intransigent?
Road Scholar
July 29th, 2011
3:59 pm
Good for Gingrey; please hold onto your voting ballot for Boehmers’s plan so you can eat it when the grown men in the Senate vote it down.
deegee
July 29th, 2011
4:00 pm
Ummm, Stop Spending, here’s a news flash for you, the federal budget is not just like your own personal finances. It’s a little more complex than that, but how would someone that rides around in a beat up, 1990 Ford with a Fair Tax bumper sticker know that?
Commonsenseagitator
July 29th, 2011
4:01 pm
It is truly pathetic that people in Georgia actually think that anyone on the tea bagger party cares about them unless they are millionaires. No one in this state other than Democrats seem sto be able to read and comprehend what is happening in Washington right now. You have a bunch of 5 year olds elected last year that think they own the world and all they are doing is destroying the country. Idiots, the bunch, morons galore in this once proud state of ours. Stupid people
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
4:04 pm
Ghost Rider. Explain why the GOP were against PAYGO when the liberals were trying to tell you we had a serious spending problem? Remember the Blue Dogs told you that you had a debt problem when the per capita was at $30K per person? If Boehner does not get 287 votes, who is he trying to fool?
Frustrated
July 29th, 2011
4:04 pm
Ray – You’re spot on. Does anyone realize that the 405B lost in actual wealth (green dollars in market losses) and any losses due to increases in the interest rates caused by a credit rating drop, is a de facto tax increase? I agree that spending needs to be roped in, capped, reduced, et al, but playing chicken with the debt ceiling and causing wealth loss is ‘the same thing as a tax increase’, only without any output (be it policemen, Medicare, veteran’s benefits). Let’s all remember this as we have these discussions. This Debt Ceiling impasse is resulting in increased taxes and no additional revenue, just due to what’s happened so far. This is no way to run a government. The Tea Party has every right to push their agenda, but the way they’re doing it is hurting everyone, Dems, Republicans, and Tea Partiers.
Frustrated
July 29th, 2011
4:12 pm
The saying goes ‘a good compromise is one in which no one is happy’. Republicans won’t like revenue increases, Democrats won’t like spending cuts, and the Tea Party won’t like the lack of a BBA. I fail to see why tjis is so difficult to understand. If you want a non-compromise, single party system, Venezuela is a one-stop flight away.
seabeau
July 29th, 2011
4:12 pm
One ,We need to demand that the States call for a Constitutional Convention to forever restrict and control the power of the Federal Government. James Mason was right!!Two, Eliminate Political Parties. The Constitution has no provisions for political parties,both major parties and their cronies are only intent on maintaining and strengthening their power at the expence of the good of the country!! Three, Only those persons who pay Federal Income Taxes should be permitted to vote in Federal Elections.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
4:16 pm
For those reading impaired and depend on audio aid, the President is required to submit a budget to Congress by the first Monday in February. Obama has done so, why else would you know we have a deficit and that he added the Bush Wars to the budget? Oh, you weren’t told that? My bad.
Don Abernethy
July 29th, 2011
4:16 pm
If he votes to raise the debt ceiling he will not get my vote next election.
Frustrated
July 29th, 2011
4:20 pm
Don – Have you ever voted for anyone who has supported raising the debt ceiling?
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
4:33 pm
Jokes on budget: GOP doesn’t pass budget then tells Pelosi they don’t like hers! Ryan submits 47-page budget with no numbers! Ryan budget was so bad, the CBO scored it so low, it was like. The average SAT score fro South Georgia!
Ghost Rider
July 29th, 2011
4:35 pm
Commonsenseagitator:
“No one in this state other than Democrats seem sto be able to read and comprehend”
If you’d learn to spell and write more precisely, you might actually be understood. Perhaps you can get one of these “5 year olds” to teach you?
Many of the Democrats attended school in the APS system. Care to reconsider your statement?
Ghost Rider
July 29th, 2011
4:37 pm
Sandra:
“The average SAT score fro South Georgia!”
I believe you meant to say “the average SAT score from Atlanta”, didn’t you?
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
4:56 pm
OK Gingrey. How many bills have you sponsored or voted that have created net new jobs? None! You have voted for every thing Bush signed and we had hugh net losses, and against everything Obama signed that has created a modest net increase. What a record!
Last Man Laying Down
July 29th, 2011
5:16 pm
Did Dr. Phil (Gingrey) take the Hippocratic Oath or the Hypocritic oath? Or is he just a pragmatic and realistic observer of the reality of defaulting vs. principled harakiri?
festus
July 29th, 2011
5:20 pm
Thanks to the US Congress, I now understand Madame Defarge.
* Too Big to Fail *
July 29th, 2011
5:22 pm
`
What a bunch of Republican knuckleheads,
Herbert Hoover would be real proud of them.
.
GaBlue
July 29th, 2011
5:24 pm
How many jobs would “job creators” create IF “job creators” WOULD create (U.S.) jobs …. with their tax cuts (while that black man is still in the White House)????
Any ideas?
clem
July 29th, 2011
5:27 pm
big corps have created jobs some 2.4 million overseas, while cutting 2.7 here
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
5:27 pm
How many votes needed to pass PAYGO? 278! How many to pass a BBA? 5,000! How can the GOP be taken seriously when they can’t count?
John
July 29th, 2011
6:02 pm
Republicans are a joke…while they’re fighting about raising the debt-ceiling because of the deficit, they partially shut down the FAA which is adding $200 million to the deficit each week it’s shut down. Not to mention the jobs that are being lost as a result…didn’t Republicans run on a jobs platform? Was that platform to create jobs or eliminate jobs?
Cobbian
July 29th, 2011
6:04 pm
What needs to happen is that the debt ceiling needs to be increased. Todays spending is a result of votes in the past by the House and the Senate. They get to change the future, but they can’t change the past.
It is the duty of the House and the Senate to come together to create legislation together that will survive the potential of a presidential veto. All of that is how the constitution says our government should function. What Gignrey agreed to will not survive that gauntlet of passing the Senate and then surviving a presidential veto.
What we are seeing is the tyranny of the Tea Party.
kfire66@gmail.com
July 29th, 2011
6:23 pm
This stunt reminds me of the Clinton impeachment..only this time Republicans are impeaching veterans, active military, seniors, and investors….THAT’S THEIR BASE…THE GOP IS IMPEACHING IT’S OWN BASE…!!!!!!
The Centrist
July 29th, 2011
6:44 pm
The GOP House just passed a bill that is at least 67 votes short of becoming law, even in the House!
TSA on the way to second base
July 29th, 2011
6:54 pm
WOW, I CANT NOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE REALLY DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON…LOL
blame the Tea Party, ha, yes lets blame a grass roots movement that want to restore constitutional government and bring fiscal responiblity to DC
Sure, just let those that have been in DC for decades run it all; they know better than us
LMM
July 29th, 2011
6:58 pm
It makes me quite upset that the Repubs pass a bill that does not cover all that is necessary. As someone who doesnot make 250K or more, as soon as I find a job, I am going to be so happy to pay taxes! GE, other companies, Big Oil – pay no taxes but they tax their employees. That does not sit well with me nor does the thought that the Rebub have that it is OK. If we want to add revenue to the country, close the tax loop holes, get the taxes owed to the US and fairly tax everyone in the US. Case closed. Also, just because the Repubs have passed this bill, S&P may still downgrade our credit rating. And who’s fault will that be????? Not President Obama’s for sure. I really hope the voting population is paying attention because it seems that the Repubs hat Obama so much and don’t want him to be re-elected, they are willing to do anything for their cause no matter how it affects this country as a whole.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
6:59 pm
Did I just hear Boehner just say that he put tax revenues on the table? Gingrey must have given him some laughing gas.
WAW
July 29th, 2011
7:06 pm
Just in time for the evening news and with another little diddy for their pledged Sold My Soul To The Devil owners. Bull, nothing more, nothing less than smoke and mirrors. They have all signed a pledge and are owned servants, they are “the Help”. “One nation under God” Nope they didn’t pledge to God!
John
July 29th, 2011
7:07 pm
“WOW, I CANT NOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE REALLY DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON…LOL
blame the Tea Party, ha, yes lets blame a grass roots movement that want to restore constitutional government and bring fiscal responiblity to DC”
Just how is not wanting to raise the debt ceiling restoring constitutional government when section 4 of the 14th amendment states…”The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.” The Constitution clearly states we must pay our bills. Raising the debt ceiling has nothing to do with future spending…it’s to pay our current bills approved by Congress (both Democrats and Republicans) in the past.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
7:07 pm
TSA. How can anyone blame the tea party when they haven’t done anything and didn’t even follow their own rules? Needing 287 votes but only got 220? A bill that was more than a page long? Passing a bill in less than 72-hours? No blame, just pity.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
7:10 pm
Conservatives like Gingrey created 90% of the mess, but don’t even want to take 50% of the blame.
Smoke
July 29th, 2011
7:17 pm
A friend reminded me that just because Obama submits a budget to Congress, according to the GOP logic, that is not a plan.
Madashellandwonttakeitanymore
July 29th, 2011
7:21 pm
Has anybody pointed out it was the Republicans between 2001 and 2007 who ran up the deficit. Bill Clinton left office with a balanced budget. Now that Osama’s dead, we ought to be out of Afghanistan, and never should have been in Iraq. But the dumb people of Georgia vote Rich and Stay Poor. Wake up! The Republicans want to keep most of the populace barefoot and pregnant. The rich get richer, and the dumb people of Georgia are too stupid to realize they will always be poor.
B. Thenet
July 29th, 2011
7:22 pm
Well good thing they attached the Balanced Budget Amendment, I am sure they have the 67 votes needed in the Senate to push that through…..
What a self indulgent bunch this crop of GOPers are.
Buckhead Boy
July 29th, 2011
7:31 pm
“GOP logic.” Now there’s a great oxymoron.
John
July 29th, 2011
7:35 pm
Here’s what conservative Charles Krauthammer had to say today…
“Under our constitutional system, you cannot govern from one house alone. Today’s resurgent conservatism, with its fidelity to constitutionalism, should be particularly attuned to this constraint, imposed as it is by a system of deliberately separated — and mutually limiting — powers.
Given this reality, trying to force the issue — turn a blocking minority into a governing authority — is not just counter-constitutional in spirit but self-destructive in practice.”
Shabootyquiqui
July 29th, 2011
8:02 pm
Gingrey and the House Repubs (and by extension all the rest of us) are being sandbagged. The debt ceiling will get increased right away. But just watch, the balanced budget amendment, the future committee that would identify off-setting budget cuts – none of that’ll ever happen.
clem
July 29th, 2011
8:03 pm
right on charles krauthammer
clem
July 29th, 2011
8:18 pm
mcconnell is refusing a majority vote in senate on reid plan, which in effect is a filibuster….hope folks understand what a bunch of jerks these guys are
heck the house plan only passed 218-210….my guess is that all repubs instructed their stockbrokers to bet against usa as someone did today on a futures order
yuzeyurbrane
July 29th, 2011
8:40 pm
These Teapeople are not legislators but extortioners. They are trying to use extortionate tactics to get laws that would never pass either the normal legis. process or in a referendum with the American people, which 2012 could be. Accordingly, they should not be given the respect that a loyal opposition deserves. . . because they are not loyal but are traitors to our democracy. The most important thing we could do as a nation next year is to defeat their candidates and send this lunatic fringe back into their know-nothing caves.
John
July 29th, 2011
9:33 pm
Headline: Six out of eight US Congressmen in Georgia declare themselves to be “big government” Republicans and Democrats.
We Georgians should remember when they come up for reelection.
John Konop
July 29th, 2011
9:38 pm
We cannot fix the problem unless we are all honest about the math. The solution is simple when you look at the mess. Cut military and entailments and raise tax revenues by 4 %. I would rather see this done by a lower flat tax and eliminate write offs
….. CM: Bruce Bartlett is former Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary under the first George Bush and a policy adviser to Ronald Reagan. Bottom line, let’s look at the numbers right now. We’ve got a chart coming up. This shows the Bush tax cuts were responsible for increasing the debts. Now, we have about a $14 trillion debt right now, half came out since the turn of the century, and more than 40% of that has been from tax cuts.
BB: That’s right. When Bush took office, we had a debt of about $6 trillion. The projections from the CBO were that we were going to run a $6 trillion surplus. By this point, if we had done nothing, we would have paid off the dead debt, but we added about $3 trillion of tax cuts. We lost about $3 trillion of revenue because of the slower economy and added about $6 trillion of spending, largely due to two unfinished wars and a Medicare drug benefits and a lot of other things. So, instead of getting — paying off the debt–we ended up with about a $14 trillion debt.
CM: Some of these clowns, not all of them, running around saying Barack Obama is a Socialist, he drove up the national debt to $14 trillion and dance around in a circle and congratulate each other. That’s not true.
BB: No, i think the dirty secret is that Obama is a moderate conservative. If I were a liberal democrat, I probably would be upset.
CM: The point is a $1 trillion debt, and another poring (?) is from the prescription drug bill. The whole rest of that is from a lousy economy under Bush and these two wars he came up with.
BB: That’s right. The Republicans keep saying the tax cuts are the key to prosperity. The 2000s are evidence that that is not true. We had booming economies in the 1980s and ’90s. If we went back to those taxes, we would be better off.
CM: What is the argument against the kind of tax policy– let’s just say it again. It seems like a heck of a great economy with the tax rate of about 39.6, as opposed to 35?……..
td
July 29th, 2011
9:48 pm
GaBlue
July 29th, 2011
5:24 pm
How many jobs would “job creators” create IF “job creators” WOULD create (U.S.) jobs …. with their tax cuts (while that black man is still in the White House)????
Any ideas?
Well if you really believe this to be true, then why are you not starting a drive to ask Obama to do the most patriotic act in his life and make the extreme sacrifice for the country he loves and resign from office so that more American people can go back to work?
Martin Williams
July 29th, 2011
10:16 pm
Thanks GOP. I see unemployment in this country around 15% – 16% by 2014. If people think things are bad now, wait two to three years from now, more people will be in soup lines like 1945. This has NOTHING to do with our current president. America went to two WARs and for the past ten years continue to give tax breaks to some of us. The tax cuts are actually creating millions of overseas and not here. Now we have a group serious idiots Tea Party people trying to blame current administration. Where was the Tea Party when president Bush took us to war with a tax cut for some of us……..WOW.
Marlboro Man
July 29th, 2011
11:12 pm
The lick each other for 2 days and they narrowly pass a bill that is tabled, dead. Now legislation that never becomes law is failed legislation. And they are proud of failure.
clem
July 29th, 2011
11:31 pm
john, broun is a national laughingstock and graves getting there too
td
July 29th, 2011
11:42 pm
clem
July 29th, 2011
11:31 pm
A national laughingstock in whose circles? Surely not in the majority of the Republican held districts (which btw is the majority of the country). If you are talking about in the liberals eyes then I am sure he does not care and neither does his constituents.
Bluto
July 29th, 2011
11:42 pm
Republicans = Devil Spawn
td
July 29th, 2011
11:44 pm
clem
July 29th, 2011
11:31 pm
john, broun is a national laughingstock and graves getting there too
Lets compare Broun to Pelosi, Frank, Reid? How about in this state and let us compare him to Hank Johnson. Not laughing so hard now are you?
td
July 29th, 2011
11:46 pm
Marlboro Man
July 29th, 2011
11:12 pm
Where is the Senates bill? Obama’s bill? At least the house has passed 2 bills and attempted to “save” the country. What have the Dems done so far?
td
July 29th, 2011
11:51 pm
John Konop
July 29th, 2011
9:38 pm
How about freezing the rate of growth of all programs for 6 years and cutting every Federal agency by 1% every year for the next 6 years? I think Rand Paul said this would balance the budget. Surely, every agency can find 1% savings in their departments without effecting benefits.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:20 am
“Where is the Senates bill? Obama’s bill? At least the house has passed 2 bills and attempted to “save” the country. What have the Dems done so far?”
They were working on their bills in a bipartisan fashion until the Republican walked away. They walked away from the gang of six, they walked away from negotiations led by Biden, then Boehner walked out of the last one with Obama.
...
July 30th, 2011
4:11 am
democrats unite and give obama your money.He knows what to do with it!
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
5:57 am
“The state of Georgia is near the bottom among states for SAT scores and graduation rates.” — Chip Rogers. City of Atlanta may have cheated at the elementary or middle school level, but they hang in there. Many southern conservatives drop out of school and rest still have lousy SAT scores.
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
6:11 am
td. Our total discretionary, and mediaid spending, plus including Bush Wars costs is $2 trillion. So, your 1% plan would reduce the deficit by $12 billion over six years. Back to the drawing board.
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
6:15 am
conservatives gave their money and China loaned funds to Boehner, Ryan, and Bush, and they have no clue what they did with it!
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
6:18 am
OK, td, other than the silly “Guam” statement, what has Johnson said that can even close to comparing the stupidity of the Georgia GOP delegation voting for the BBA?
Atlman
July 30th, 2011
6:57 am
This blog confirms the ignorance and down right stupidity of democrat voters… Why do democrats and many Republicans (looking at you Saxby) hate fiscal responsibility? Actions speak much louder than words. Austerity is going to take place sooner or later. We can do it by choice now or force later. 2012 can’t get here soon enough.
Ghost Rider
July 30th, 2011
8:05 am
Martin Williams:
You really bought into the Democrats fantasy world, didn’t you? God bless you, child! One day you will see the truth, whether you want to or not.
JW
July 30th, 2011
8:06 am
At least most of you people don’t have Graves representing you. Apparently he has no earthly clue as to what is even happening in Washington. Just needed a guaranteed paycheck, generous retirement benefits and free lifetime medical, I guess.
clem
July 30th, 2011
8:46 am
td, in this state? if it weren’t for al, miss, & sc we’d be national laughingstock….
Ray
July 30th, 2011
9:14 am
JW – absolutely, Graves is the poster boy for rightwing ego, greed, and incompetence.
Great write up in the North Georgia News explaining how Graves election to the House has been devastating to his district…shame, good folks up there in Union County.
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
9:16 am
Atlman. So where is the a pattern of fiscal responsibility shown by conservatives and Saxby? 8-years of rubber stamping insane budgets, cutting taxes for big time entertainers, athletes, wall-streeters, and clueless corporate execs in order to create deficits, and creating massive debts by funding supplemental budgets.
Ray
July 30th, 2011
9:22 am
Smoke – keep in mind that the rightwing platform is based upon lies. Were they to play with the truth there would be no GOP.
Can’t make a rational argument with the irrational.
Obama $1.5T for the debt – Bush owns $6.1T…and the Senate is still loaded with those GOP who wore skirts for ole ‘w’ as they gleefully rubber-stamped his assault on America.
Really, who needs al qaeda when you have the GOP?
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
9:24 am
Can anyone show me the link to the Ryan “Roadmap” Budget Plan that has some comparative numbers to show what budgets will be cut and sources of revenue? What I found was just like his first 42-page budget. A bunch of unsupported assumptions, but no numbers!
Ray
July 30th, 2011
9:40 am
Protecting tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil during a time of war – a time when our best are making the ultimate sacrifice – says it all.
Tom Price even said he was willing to not pay our active military or our veterans if we defaulted.
At least the new GOP doesn’t pretend to be Christian anymore.
Ol' Timer
July 30th, 2011
9:48 am
I just read an article that said Apple was sitting on more cash — over $70 Billion — than the U.S. government. Interesting fact is they paid ZERO in U.S. taxes in 2010.
Now, the GOP/Tea Party is willing to shut the government down to protect the tax cuts and shelters that allow this abuse.
I don’t understand this reasoning.
And these same folks accuse Obama of being a socialist and communist and dictator while supporting these same companies that had rather do business with communist China than with Americans.
I think the reason I can’t understand their reasoning is because they’re unreasonable and irrational!
Clinton "Skink" Tyree
July 30th, 2011
9:53 am
And, these same companies that are getting by tax free in America are lobbying to bring these billions home again TAX FREE!
The gap between rich and poor broadens and we sit back and support the notion that a diminishing middle class and a burgeoning class of oligarchs is good for America.
Ignorance abounds!
* Too Big to Fail *
July 30th, 2011
10:03 am
The corporation APPLE INC. has more cash reserves than the U.S. government,
something is wrong with this country.
A middle class revolution may be the answer.
Marlboro Man
July 30th, 2011
10:08 am
TD- What part of failure do you not understand? Blame solves no problems. To fail is no accomplishment, they have none. If you want to play the “at least we tried” fine, but no results is no results.
You can ask for a Corvette for you 16th birthday but if you know you won’t get it, at least you tried…and you would have wasted your time. One party does not control it all.
DLink
July 30th, 2011
10:32 am
Scroll to the bottom of the link. It’s a summary of the biggest causes of the massive deficit the U.S. now faces, and the very first things that should be addressed in looking to repair said deficit. Wow, I looked over my own post and read it as sad deficit. Back to work Congress!
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/latest-developments-in-debt-1058895.html
John
July 30th, 2011
10:45 am
Interesting how facts are thrown out of the window by Republicans. They claim to be the fiscally responsible ones…that Obama created this huge deficits. Well, here are the facts…mostly added under Bush’s presidency. Notice how Bush’s tax cuts added $1.6 trillion to the deficit…and Republicans want to say we have just a spending problem.
Q: How did the debt grow from $5.8 trillion in 2001 to its current $14.3 trillion?
A: The biggest contributors to the nearly $9 trillion increase over a decade were:
—2001 and 2003 tax cuts under President George W. Bush: $1.6 trillion.
—Additional interest costs: $1.4 trillion.
—Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: $1.3 trillion.
—Economic stimulus package under Obama: $800 billion.
—2010 tax cuts, a compromise by Obama and Republicans that extended jobless benefits and cut payroll taxes: $400 billion.
—2003 creation of Medicare’s prescription drug benefit: $300 billion.
—2008 financial industry bailout: $200 billion.
—Hundreds of billions less in revenue than expected since the Great Recession began in December 2007.
— Other spending increases in domestic, farm and defense programs, adding lesser amounts.
clean up your yard
July 30th, 2011
11:37 am
Gingrey is a useless tool who cannot even get out of his own way. He has never had an original thought in his life and has to ask the tea party before he goes to the bathroom. He would not know leadership if it bit him in the butt. Just useless.
clean up your yard
July 30th, 2011
11:46 am
I’m sure Gingrey is having a wonderful day with his pals after they wasted most of the week trying to hijack the US Constitution with their phony bill. It only took the Senate 2 hours to toss that puppy into the trash where it belonged. All you guys do is pose for your base- where is your leadership for the country? Oh I forgot- you have never cared about the country – it is and has been always about tax cuts for the wealthy and making war.
RetiredSoldier
July 30th, 2011
11:57 am
Clean-
Where is the senate plan?
Where is the President’s plan?
The house has produced two plans.
Who sin’t doing their job?
td
July 30th, 2011
12:06 pm
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
9:16 am
Atlman. So where is the a pattern of fiscal responsibility shown by conservatives and Saxby?
The Tea party was started due to the establishment Republicans turning into Democrats and spending like a drunken sailor.
captguitarman
July 30th, 2011
12:07 pm
PRO: The Congress and the Administration would not even be having this conversation, and none of this would be an issue at all, and the printing presses running 24/7 at the US Mint would not miss a beat — had it not been for the Tea Party. The Pubs and the Indies recogonize that fact and say thank you for opening the door for some meaningful structural change to how things are done in Washington. CON: A distinct minority faction inside one House of the US Congress is not going to successfully dictate financial policy to the majority in the House, the majority in the US Senate, or to the President. Note, I said “successfully.” They do have the power to “unsuccessfully” dictate policy, force a default, and like the rest of the nation, rue the day that happened for a long time to come.
The chilling effect of just talking about a default ought to be enough to bring these guys to their senses, but, no offense, they are extremists. Can extremism sometimes be a useful catalyst? Absolutely – this debt ceiling thing is now actually an issue being debated. What extremists do (on both sides), however, is behave like moths in that they are perfectly willing to fly right into the flame and take everyone and everything else with them. They do well at applying common sense and reason to policy issues, but they are unable to apply common sense and reason to their own political behavior and strategy. Adding a constitutional amendment to this already heady mix of issues proves it. They are not strategic minded. They have one a great victory in the field, but instead of a suicide mission with a now weakened army chasing the enemy into its reinforced stronghold, which could eliminate all of their gains in an instant, they should now retreat, work on strategy, and then wait for more enforcements in November of 2012. With the presidency or with t he senate, or both, in 2012, then another victory is possible, But right now it isn’t, and if they push the nation into default, that will be the end of them. Let’s hope and pray that some of that common sense that they are constantly preaching about has also stuck to them.
clem
July 30th, 2011
12:10 pm
john this says it too:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/a-few-more-charts-that-should-accompany-all-debt-ceiling-discussions/242790/
Ray
July 30th, 2011
12:10 pm
Retired Soldier –
You don’t put a plan in writing during negotiations in adult world. The GOP was being given access to Medicare, a 3-1 cuts over revenues, and instead of making one of the best real conservative deals ever in Washington, they got on their knees for Rush Limbaugh and have basically re-elected Obama.
BTW – the tea-bag idea that the default was just not so would have, as announced brazenly by Tom Price, halted active military pay and all veterans benefits.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:16 pm
clean up your yard
July 30th, 2011
11:37 am
Gingrey is a useless tool who cannot even get out of his own way. He has never had an original thought in his life and has to ask the tea party before he goes to the bathroom. He would not know leadership if it bit him in the butt. Just useless.
Pelosi is a useless tool of the socialist.
Lewis is a useless tool of the NAACP.
Reid is a useless tool of the unions.
Obama is a useless tool of all three, plus wall street and the banking industry.
We can call names all day that may or may not be true. What is the solution.
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
12:21 pm
“The Tea party was started due to the establishment Republicans turning into Democrats and spending like a drunken sailor.”
So what do Republicans in Georgia do???? They elect ex-Democrat Nathan Deal governor.
Deal voted party line on everything, including all the big Republican socialist programs, and unfunded wars. Lots of spending, at the same time he supported the irresponsible Bush tax cuts. He is a career politician. He is involved in some very questionable no-bid GOVERNMENT contracts, is personally bankrupt.
Anyone can see why Georgia Republicans/Tea Party have absolutely no credibility. Way to show ‘em.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:25 pm
RetiredSoldier,
Do you do anything but listen to the Republican talking points. Do you not recall the Democrats and Republicans trying to work together until Republicans storm out of the room like crying babies. They walked out of the gang of six talks, they walked out of the talks led by Biden and finally out of the talks led by Obama. Republicans decided they could do it own their own and then try to force it onto the Democrats but as we see, it’s not working. Boehner has lost control of his own caucus.
All that said, Democrats have a plan…in case you haven’t been following the news, it’s the Reid plan. Here is a link showing the differences between his plan and the Republican plan.
http://news.yahoo.com/details-rival-plans-spending-debt-181154389.html
td
July 30th, 2011
12:30 pm
captguitarman
July 30th, 2011
12:07 pm
Why would it be the Tea Parties fault if we default? Why is it always the Republicans fault if they do not give into the Socialistic demands of the left? Is it not you our theory that the tea party is bringing national attention to a major problem that will ruin this country if it is not fixed? I think the American people are waking up and seeing through this Socialist propaganda driven agenda of the Democrats.
No children are going to starve if we cut the budget by 20%.
No elderly are going to die in the streets.
yuzeyurbrane
July 30th, 2011
12:31 pm
There will be no real reform until the middle class is “mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore.” They will then form a real middle class movement–not the fake 1 the Koch bros. created with the Tea Party and throw out the Tea People and all their sycophants. Sorry, td and Centrist, you’re screwed. No more no sacrifice for 40 something narcisists.
Ray
July 30th, 2011
12:34 pm
Cutting Medicare to preserve unnecessary big oil subsidies makes us Pakistan.
Charge the GOP with treason.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:36 pm
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
12:21 pm
You are correct and he was not my first choice. The difference is that he attended many Tea Party events during the campaign and made promises that he would change his ways. So far so good in the state.
He was also a 1000 times better choice when you compare him to Barnes. It is looking more and more everyday that the American people are going to make the same assessment about the Republican candidate next year when they compare him/her against Obama.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:40 pm
Ray
July 30th, 2011
12:34 pm
Cutting Medicare to preserve unnecessary big oil subsidies makes us Pakistan.
Charge the GOP with treason.
What Republican has proposed to cut Medicare for any current recipient or any person over the age of 55? Obama did cut $500 billion to put into Obama care.
You are just out there using the Socialist propaganda to scare people so that you group can give more control to the government.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:43 pm
td, look at the polls…a vast majority of Americans…Democrats, Republicans and Independents…want both spending cuts as well as revenue increase by raising taxes on the rich.
It’s easy for Tea Party members to demand cuts…but ask what are they willing to cut and see how difficult it becomes. Ask the Tea Party members, especially the older members, if they are willing to buy their own health insurance so we could gut medicare? Or willing to live off their own private savings they may or may not have so we could gut social security? The answer of course, would be no. I’m reminded of the famous Tea Party sign…”keep your government hands off my Medicare”. Problem is everyone wants to cut spending as long as the spending cuts affects others but not themselves.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:44 pm
“You don’t put a plan in writing during negotiations in adult world.”
Well then tell me how a plan that exists only in one’s head can be scored by the Congressional Budget Office.
In April, Obama gave a speech that “outlined” his desired budget.
Following the speech, an aide to Ryan contacted the budget office at the White House. The president had been vague about how he’d achieve his goals for cutting spending and reducing debt. So the Ryan staffer asked for specifics. Where did the numbers come from? What were the assumptions? What was the spending baseline? Could the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculate the cost of Obama’s plan?
Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the Congressional Budget Office, told the House Budget Committee that his office was unable to estimate the long-term viability of the “budget framework” President Obama outlined in his April 13 budget speech.
“We don’t estimate speeches,” said Elmendorf. “We need much more specificity than was provided in that speech for us to do our analysis.”
Remember this when you vote in November, 2012. This mess is of Obama’s making.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:47 pm
“No children are going to starve if we cut the budget by 20%.”
Really? There are children currently starving in our country today. If you would open your eyes you would see homelessness and starvation happening now. But of course, the wealthy wouldn’t be starving if we raise taxes a little…and some of those starving children could be helped.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:49 pm
It was embarrassing to see Congressman Scott on the House floor talking about “Republican cuts to Medicare and Medicaid”. Republican David Dreier called him on it by correctly asserting that the Republican bill forbid those two items from any cuts. He asked Scott to show him where those two programs were subject to cuts.
Scott couldn’t produce the goods. But then you don’t have to when you have a comfortably gerrymandered district comprised of people who largely don’t know right from wrong.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:49 pm
yuzeyurbrane
July 30th, 2011
12:31 pm
The Tea party is a real middle class movement made up mostly of suburban people that have never been involved in politics. The establish Republicans hates them because they force them to keep to conservative values and they can not control them and the far left Progressives hates them because they are the true conservative believers that are focused on fiscal responsibility and smaller government.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:53 pm
The libs who talk about budget cuts are either uninformed or liars.
Even the Republican plan increases spending by $7 trillion over the next ten years.
If you saw me put a $5 bill in the cup of a homeless person (thereby increasing his “funding”), would you grab me by the collar and castigate me for taking away his “funding”?
You people either need to learn about baseline budgeting or stop saying things that aren’t true.
Edward
July 30th, 2011
12:53 pm
Lets keep giving tax breaks to the “job creators” who only create jobs overseas, not here. Let’s continue to give tax breaks to big oil and other big corporations who are hauling in record profits that are going into their pockets instead of creating jobs here. Lets continue funding two useless wars that have cost considerable lives and resources.
Yes, there is definitely a spending problem. But it isn’t Social Security and Medicare that are at fault.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:55 pm
“What Republican has proposed to cut Medicare for any current recipient or any person over the age of 55?”
td, did you see the Republican town hall meetings after they voted on the Ryan plan? Seniors were outraged. While they themselves may not be affected, they want to protect their children and grand-children…one of the Republican talking points (about addressing the deficit) coming back and biting them in the **s.
If you would do just a little thinking, it wouldn’t do anything for the deficit for years to come. It does nothing for the deficit now.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:55 pm
Edward,
If we stopped giving tax breaks to “big oil and other big corporations who are hauling in record profits that are going into their pockets instead of creating jobs here”, what amount would that total?
RGB
July 30th, 2011
1:04 pm
Those of you who believe tax increases are our Savior should know that the “cost” of the Bush tax cuts for 2 years was $544.3 billion or $272 billion/year. CNN reported that the bulk of that cost — $463 billion — is for the extension of cuts for families making less than $250,000.
Only $81.5 billion is attributable to the extension of cuts that apply to the highest income families” (or what liberals term the “evil rich”)–and that covers 2 years.
Our annual deficit is $1.6 trillion under Obama which means that if we removed the evil tax cuts for the rich for 40 years, we will have paid for just one year of Obama’s deficit.
Now that you know that idea doesn’t work, what’s next?
Still opposed to cutting the increase in spending?
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
1:05 pm
td @12:46…”The difference is that he attended many Tea Party events during the campaign and made promises that he would change his ways. So far so good in the state.”
How so? From the ethics side he has his friends and family program running full steam. On the money side he has teamed up with the liberal Atlanta mayor on a trip to Washington begging for federal pork for THREE separate projects, dredging, toll lanes and the federal education program. Feds in education?????
At least we know the credentials for Georgia Republicans, “better than Barnes.” Thats it. “Better than Barnes.” Just go to a meeting where a failed politician can scream “BETTER THAN BARNES.”
Hey Nathan, you are a career politician that just bankrupted the country, you are also personally bankrupt, and an ex-Democrat…..What can you do for Georgia Mr. Deal?….”Better than Barnes”… the really not so bright crowd goes wild. “Next we want Herman Cain for President” they shout!!!
Yikes.
td
July 30th, 2011
1:06 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
12:47 pm
“No children are going to starve if we cut the budget by 20%.”
Really? There are children currently starving in our country today
Where are they at? If you see any why have you not called DFCS? The only way children are hungry is if their parents are neglecting them by not feeding them, by not going to a DFCS office and getting Food stamps or by selling their food stamps for drugs or alcohol. When school starts back poor children get free breakfast and lunch and the parents continue to get the same amount of benefits. A family of 4 in this country with no income gets $668 per month in food stamps plus their children receive free breakfast and free lunch. $668 is more then I spend per month on food for my family of four so children are only starving if their parents are neglecting them.
If you are seeing starving children and are not reporting them to DFCS then you are just as guilty as the parents for negligence.
td
July 30th, 2011
1:19 pm
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
1:05 pm
“How so? From the ethics side he has his friends and family program running full steam. On the money side he has teamed up with the liberal Atlanta mayor on a trip to Washington begging for federal pork for THREE separate projects, dredging, toll lanes and the federal education program. Feds in education?????”
Or you could say he is trying to get back the tax money Georgians pay in taxes back to Georgia. This is the whole problem with a big Federal government. We pay all these taxes to the almighty centralized government and then have to beg them to get back OUR money for needed projects in our state.
This is why the entire Federal DOE should be axed and those portions sent back to the states. Dredging ports is the responsibility of the Federal government and we want to create more jobs in GA then say in SC, NY or Pa. If the money is spent on a interstate highway then it is the Federal responsibility. If it is a state road then it is the responsibility of the state.
td
July 30th, 2011
1:20 pm
RGB
July 30th, 2011
1:04 pm
These Socialist seem to go away when you start presenting them with facts.
John
July 30th, 2011
1:30 pm
“Dredging ports is the responsibility of the Federal government and we want to create more jobs in GA then say in SC, NY or Pa. If the money is spent on a interstate highway then it is the Federal responsibility. ”
td, isn’t that socialism. Republicans want to eliminate whole parts of the federal government citing Constitutional define roll of the federal government. So, where in the Constitution does it state the federal government is responsible for dredging ports or building roads?
John
July 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
1:06 pm
You talk about getting help via DFCS with food stamps or free breakfast and lunch at school. Do you really believe everyone who needs help is getting it. Also, isn’t this socialism which you claim, like Republicans, to be against. If Republican had their way and eliminate all these programs, don’t you think we would have a bigger problem with homelessness and starvation?
td
July 30th, 2011
1:48 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
Where has any Republican ever said they did not want to help people (temporarily)? No, it is not the responsibility to take care of someone from Birth to grave (that is socialism). I think most Republicans believe in small Federal government and it is the states right to do most functions of government.
John
July 30th, 2011
2:01 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
1:48 pm
So now you have your definition for socialism…taking care of someone from Birth to grave? Can you name anyone that was taken care of the federal government from the moment they were born to the moment they died? So, I guess taking care of someone for 10, 20, 30, 40 or more years is not socialism if they lived past that age?
As for as your question….Where has any Republican ever said they did not want to help people (temporarily)?…Republicans have been trying to eliminate all social programs for years. But if you believe Republicans don’t want to eliminate these programs to help people temporarily, then aren’t you saying Republicans are socialist? Think a little before you speak…you use the term socialist as a bad think and use the label for Democrats but then say you and Republicans support socialist programs.
td
July 30th, 2011
2:09 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
“Do you really believe everyone who needs help is getting it.”
No I do not but is that the governments responsibility to make sure everyone gets help? Should not people take some personal responsibility for anything? The government provides a program so that no one should starve in this country. If the people do not take advantage of the program then it is on them.
You are getting away from the central premise of my point. No (responsible) person in this country is going to starve with even a 20% decrease in the Federal governments budget.
Now, do you think the government should take care of people that do not want to take care of themselves? How much responsibility should the government have for people that choose to not get an education, who choose to do drugs, who choose to become alcoholics, who choose to have children out of wedlock and before they can pay for them and who choose to spend all of their money today instead of saving any for tomorrow?
Just the Facts
July 30th, 2011
2:14 pm
Hey ByteMe.
FY 2009 is Bush’s budget!!! It spans October 2008 – September 2009. Revenues cratered as a result of the Bush recession.
Why do our deficits always explode under Republican presidents?? Research it if you don’t believe it. The most hypocritical bunch of cry babies ever imagined.
double
July 30th, 2011
2:15 pm
Td we all can’t live off rice.We like corn and taters.Put your home address out there so these hungry.homeless can visit you.You say they all choose to live this way by making wrong decisions in life.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
2:18 pm
In the mid-60’s 25% of federal budget dollars went from the government to individuals.
Today that figure is 66%–two-thirds of all federal outlays go directly to citizens–not for roads, bridges, or national defense.
Ours is rapidly becoming a European-style welfare state. The question is whether you want to continue down that path and have a European-style economy or do you want to reverse it?
Their standard of living stinks compared to ours. The gravy train is almost out of gravy.
td–you’re right. Logic baffles and confounds liberals. They can’t engage on that basis. Hence Pelosi’s ‘We’re Trying to Save World From GOP Budget, Trying to Save Life On This Planet as We Know It”
td
July 30th, 2011
2:18 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
2:01 pm
Like I said most social programs should be taken care of by a church. The state government should set up temporary safety nets for anyone that the churches can not care for. If you call that socialism then I guess what we are currently doing is communism.
Yes, socialism is a bad thing. Socialism takes away the incentive for people to go out and work hard. It gives people an entitlement mentality that is counterproductive to giving a person a great work ethic. The Governments responsibility is to give everyone a fair shot to make it but is not to be involved in the outcome. People have to be able to fail and start over, people have to know that there are consequences for their actions and know if they make the wrong choices then they will have to pay for their mistakes. Sometimes their mistakes will require major consequences but so be it.
td
July 30th, 2011
2:21 pm
double
July 30th, 2011
2:15 pm
Td we all can’t live off rice.We like corn and taters
That would be rice and beans. So if you can not afford anything more than rice and beans due to the choices you have made then it is the government’s responsibility to take care of you?
deegee
July 30th, 2011
2:43 pm
I just hope that people will finally get off of their dead azzes and vote in the next election. The only reason that those tea party fanatics won a few seats in the last election is that the silent majority didn’t vote. Get out and vote and vote for independent candidates in the next election.
John
July 30th, 2011
2:54 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
2:09 pm
Perhaps you could start by getting educated yourself. Do you honestly believe people are homeless because they choose to be? How many people (including educated people) have lost their jobs over the last few years? Is it because they chose to loose their jobs? I guess you also believe everyone who lost their homes due to foreclosure also chose that as well.
Another piece of education…people don’t choose to become alcoholics or drug addicts. Disease just like heart disease or cancer, etc. Or do you believe people choose to have heart disease and cancer as well.
td
July 30th, 2011
2:55 pm
deegee
July 30th, 2011
2:43 pm
My friend the tea party people are what use to be the silent majority. The vast majority of them have never been involved in politics. They are the hard working suburban moms and dads that see their children not being able to have a better life then they have because the government is spending their future.
Ghost Rider
July 30th, 2011
3:00 pm
Breathes there a liberal with an IQ higher than room temperature?
John
July 30th, 2011
3:06 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
2:18 pm
“Socialism takes away the incentive for people to go out and work hard. It gives people an entitlement mentality that is counterproductive to giving a person a great work ethic.
Unemployment insurance is a socialist program. So tell me, where is the incentive for someone making a 6 figure income to not look for work and live off unemployment when there revenue drops to $300 or less a week?
You have a very simplistic view of things…not always that simple.
John
July 30th, 2011
3:15 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
2:55 pm
“My friend the tea party people are what use to be the silent majority. The vast majority of them have never been involved in politics.”
That’s part of the problem…they’re uneducated. They don’t understand compromise, especially when we have split government. When we have people like Michele Bachman, Sarah Palin and others saying failing to raise the debt ceiling is not big deal, that the Democrats are just trying to use scare tactics at the same time disregarding the words of economists (on both the left and right), Wall Street and businesses that are all saying we must raise the debt ceiling.
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
3:16 pm
GOP fiscal responsibility. Fighting to keep fund a fighter jet that has no useful purpose because it will retain jobs. But, then tell you that government does not create jobs. Does that mean that Government can only retain jobs, therefore that is being fiscally responsible?
td
July 30th, 2011
3:41 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
3:06 pm
How is insurance a socialistic program? How do you figure? Is not UI and set amount for a finite period of time? Short term safety net? This is not socialism but compassionate conservatism.
I have not seen to many 6 figure income people get laid off and not get back into the work force within 6 months. They may have had to take jobs at even half their pay and below their skill set but they have a work ethic because they have not wanted and depended on entitlements all their life.
How is life not simple? One has to eat, sleep and breath. A person has to find a way to gather the resources necessary to accomplish these tasks. We in this country are given the opportunity to get a education and it is up to the individual to either get it or not. Everyone is told from early in life that if you do not get an education then your chances of being very successful in life is slim. The individual has a simple choice to make and one should be ready to live with the consequences of this decision. How many times has every individual been told of the negative consequences of doing drugs or drinking? You are then presented with a choice to either do them or not. Everyone should have the common sense to know that if you can not take care of yourself then you do not practice activities that will cause you to have to take care of another person. Anyone that is smart enough to get a job and have the income and credit to purchase a house should know that you buy what you can afford. Everyone should know that the economy can turn and could lose a job and you better make arrangements just in case.
Yes, sometimes one gets curve balls thrown there way but if you plan then you should be able to overcome in the long run as long as you have taken all the basic steps to prepare your self.
Are you saying know that it is the governments responsibility to take care of people long term that do not plan for bad times? I think it was horrible for the government to bailout all those companies that did not plan correctly.
td
July 30th, 2011
4:10 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
3:15 pm
Do you agree that we HAVE TO stop the spending and pay off our debt for the future of the nation? When have you ever seen a Democrat willing to really cut a program (besides defence)? If the Dems are not forced to make the necessary cuts then it will never get done. I think what the tea party is doing right now is a very patriotic act. They are not taking the easy political move and just raising the ceiling but taking a potentially dangerous political stand for my children’s future. It is a rarity for politicians to think about anything but the next election so this is not the typical political game. We should all be calling our leaders and telling them we are in favor of the Tea parties stand and want them to take the same stand for our children’s future. To do otherwise means you are a selfish individual and are only thinking of yourself.
yuzeyurbrane
July 30th, 2011
4:22 pm
td, read Article VIII of the Ryan bill as posted on his own website. It is carefully tucked away but provides for draconian across the board cuts in govt. programs, including present recipients of Medicare and SS, if a convulated formula of debt not exceeding certain percents of GDP is not met. These measures are so extreme that they are likely to be triggered and yes even people like me who are over 65 would have their benefits reduced. I am not saying that you are not repeating this over 55 talking point in good faith, but it says something about the koolaid Ryan and his buds are dispensing.
Edward
July 30th, 2011
4:35 pm
RGB & td: OK, where are all the jobs that these “job creators” with the tax breaks are creating? You people keep defending the massive tax breaks (yes, they are massive no matter how much you try to explain them away, don’t piss on my leg and try to tell me it is rain) but THERE ARE NO RESULTS that the tax breaks are doing what the GOP claims they are for doing. WHERE ARE THE RESULTS???? SHOW ME THE RESULTS!!!!!
You can’t, because the money goes into the pockets while the corporations continue holding their hands out for government money. Pathetic and hypocritical, all of you.
Edward
July 30th, 2011
4:37 pm
I think I will set up camp in td’s yard, he’s such a kind-hearted christian, surely he won’t mind me and a couple hundred others living there.
td
July 30th, 2011
4:59 pm
Edward
July 30th, 2011
4:35 pm
Let us use a little Obama logic on you so that you may understand. If it was not for the tax cuts then the unemployment rate would be 16%. That means the tax cuts are working to create jobs.
td
July 30th, 2011
5:05 pm
Edward
July 30th, 2011
4:35 pm
Everytime I drive down the street I see help wanted signs, I read article after artcle in this paper talking about all the workers that are needed in South Georgia. I bet the help wanted ads in this paper have jobs.
If you do not like any of the jobs then why not start your own business? I am sure you have a marketable skill set don’t you?
td
July 30th, 2011
5:09 pm
Edward
July 30th, 2011
4:37 pm
I think I will set up camp in td’s yard, he’s such a kind-hearted christian, surely he won’t mind me and a couple hundred others living there.
How is it Christian to have the government take care of you? How is it Christian to have the government give you an entitlement mentality? How is it Christian to have the government strip you of your work ethic?
John
July 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
3:41 pm
“How is insurance a socialistic program? How do you figure? Is not UI and set amount for a finite period of time? Short term safety net? This is not socialism but compassionate conservatism. ”
TD, please educate us on the definition of social programs and compassionate conservatism. Are you trying to say any program that has a finite period of time is not a social program? Every program, including medicare, medicaid and social security has a finite period of time…some that period ends at death but it’s still a finite period of time. We don’t keep checks going out indefinitely after someone dies.
“I have not seen to many 6 figure income people get laid off and not get back into the work force within 6 months. They may have had to take jobs at even half their pay and below their skill set but they have a work ethic because they have not wanted and depended on entitlements all their life. ”
I know several personally. Just watch the news and you will see people who have been out of work for over a year…the 99ers. Many companies that have jobs are posting “unemployed need not apply”. And you want to believe people are out of work because the want to live off the government. Wake up, get out from under that rock, whatever and see what’s going on out there.
“We in this country are given the opportunity to get a education and it is up to the individual to either get it or not.”
Really? Can you name any college that is free for anyone who wants to attend?
td
July 30th, 2011
5:23 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
Really? Can you name any college that is free for anyone who wants to attend?
Excuse me K-12 education for free. But while you are thinking about it, those people that apply themselves and excel with there free education can almost always pick any college they want to attend for free. I have one niece that just received her degree from Cornell for free and another niece that will complete her degree from Georgia Tech this year not only for free tuition but they are giving her spending money for her to go to their University. I also think the HOPE pays for you to go free to college if you took advantage of your HS business.
John
July 30th, 2011
5:24 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
4:10 pm
“Do you agree that we HAVE TO stop the spending and pay off our debt for the future of the nation? ”
While I agree just as Democrats do that we need to cut spending, do you not agree that we also need to increase revenue? Can you name a single company that is run by believing all that’s needed is spending cuts and there’s no need to look at increasing revenue? What about individuals? Have you never left a job for another one with better pay? The Bush tax cuts added $1.6 trillion to the deficit and somehow you want to believe we only have a spending problem.
As far as your believe that the tea party is doing the right thing…do you realize the mess that could leave us in with the amendment they want to pass? If we had already had it, there would have been no help for 9/11, Katrina victims, aid to flooded areas, ect. If we don’t have the money, cities and states could be told “tough, we can’t help you”. Bush would not have been allowed to go after Bin Laden and then take us into war in Iraq since we all know the wars are on the credit card and not paid for.
td
July 30th, 2011
5:52 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
5:24 pm
“While I agree just as Democrats do that we need to cut spending”
I have been hearing this for twenty years and have yet to see one actual cut (besides defense spending) that a democrat has ever voted for. Please show me if I am wrong? I know several times that the Republicans have put several major cuts in bills and every time the Dems have voted them down.
Did you happen to read RBG’s post earlier telling about the Dem. myth of increasing the Obama tax cuts (yes since Obama signed a bill to extend them they are now his tax cuts)? It will only increase the revenue by $81 billion per year and we are borrowing $4 billion per day. Also, on that topic, why should the top 1% taxes be raised from 35% back up to 39.5% when 48% of households pay 0% in income taxes? Since you are all about fairness, where is this fair?
The balanced budget Amendment allows for emergencies and if I am not mistaken wars are not even counted in the amendments. Another left wing myth.
td
July 30th, 2011
6:04 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
5:24 pm
“Can you name a single company that is run by believing all that’s needed is spending cuts and there’s no need to look at increasing revenue?”
Since when has the government become a business. A business is in business to make a profit are you telling me know that the government is trying to make a profit?
“What about individuals? Have you never left a job for another one with better pay?”
How much of the GDP of our nation should the government have? They are getting into my pay everyday. Why do they need 22 to 25 cents out of every dollar produced? Do we really need that many services? When I am short on money the first thing I cut is my discretionary spending. I cut back to basic cable, turn off the texting on my phone, do not go out to eat, postpone vacations or try to sell something.
If the government wants to increase its revenue then why do they not open up more lands for grazing, oil exploration, mining? Allow the opening of more refineries where they can increase the tax revenue. What is wrong with these measures? Now I may make my conservative friend mad here but I would charge other countries for having our bases in them and for protecting them.
double
July 30th, 2011
6:44 pm
Goes to show youTD. All time I thought was fish heads and rice.TD if all were started under same ideal conditions,same enviroment then your greedy apprasials could have some merit.You only show your low mentality,jealous non christian ways when you make those foolish statements. A child raised exposed to all the elements you refere to so much,have nothing near the opportunities as a child in a good christain home with both parents.
clem
July 30th, 2011
6:59 pm
stop with the bs on 39.6 tax rate…you got your clock cleaned several weeks ago, no need to rehash but per : http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html#Data
http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html#Data
td
July 30th, 2011
8:24 pm
clem
July 30th, 2011
6:59 pm
First off the current rate is 35% and the rate the Dems wants to make it is 39.5%.
“you got your clock cleaned several weeks ago,”
You my friend like to re write history. I found and posted the link to prove the point the bottom 50% of tax payers pay hardly any actual taxes. Yes, per the figures the average amount the top 1% pays after deductions is 23.27% but the tax rate is 35%.
Some other interesting figures for you:
The top 1% pays 38.02% of all taxes paid. The top 5% actually pays 58.72% of all the taxes paid.
The top 1% is 1,399,606 households, the top 5% is 5,598,423 while the bottom 50% is 69,980,290 households. So in other words 6 million people are picking up the bill for 70 million people. Remember the 70 million households represent people that actually worked and filed taxes. Then you have to add in the leaches of society to really see how much of the tab so few have to provide for.
td
July 30th, 2011
8:41 pm
double
July 30th, 2011
6:44 pm
“were started under same ideal conditions,same enviroment then your greedy apprasials could have some merit”
My wife came to this country when she was 14. She could not speak a word of English and had not went to school since she was in the second grade. She had a mother and 6 other siblings and they lived in sub standard housing provided by their sponsor church and received Food stamps. Does this sound like “ideal conditions”? She worked in the fields during the summers picking berries and in a Chinese restaurant on the weekend during the school year. She finished HS, received a college degree and now has a very good job making pretty good money. She has one sister that is a computer programmer, one that is a pharmacist, one brother a manager of an local insurance company and another a VP of a major corporation. How did they accomplish all of this since they had all these barriers put in their way?
I have five people that work for me that came from poverty, went to college and have a great work ethic. I actually look for these type people to hire because they work the hard and do not think they are entitled to anything but an opportunity.
You dems and your socialistic entitlement mentality is the real problem in this country. You tell people that they were not born with a silver spoon so they do not have a shot in live except to depend on the government for handouts. It is not the rich people that keep you down it is your own attitudes and beliefs.
double
July 30th, 2011
10:35 pm
Td this is more of you bull$$hit and spin which you are good doing.Some will do good others will fail.Only an idiot would think all is equal,all will be responsible.I wish it was an ideal world.It’s not.and with all your imagination you can’t make it so.I do not doubt your wife is intelligent and a hard worker,someone had to help your ignorant a$$ up the ladder.
td
July 30th, 2011
11:09 pm
double
July 30th, 2011
10:35 pm
Typical liberal tactic. When you can not defend your philosophy you resort to calling names. I guess you are one of those that have not taken advantage of the opportunities this country has given you and it is all someones else’s fault and not your own. It is never to late to start but you my friend are going to have to so some soul searching first if you really want make it.
John
July 30th, 2011
11:24 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
5:52 pm
Look it up…Clinton cut spending. He left us with a balanced budget and projected surplus. Bush came in with a Republican led Congress and cut taxes, brought us in wars on the credit card, squandered the surplus leaving us with a deficit.
Problem is not a single Republican wants to raise revenue in any way…whether is cutting out loopholes for the wealthy, cutting subsidies to the most profitable corporations in the history of the world (which by the way is spending) or going up on rates.
John
July 30th, 2011
11:38 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
5:52 pm
“The balanced budget Amendment allows for emergencies and if I am not mistaken wars are not even counted in the amendments. Another left wing myth.”
No myth…where is the text does it contain emergencies or war, here is the text…
“SEC. 301. REQUIREMENT THAT A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT BE SUBMITTED TO STATES.
(a) In General- The Secretary of the Treasury shall not exercise the additional borrowing authority provided under subsection (b) until the Archivist of the United States transmits to the States H.J. Res. 1 in the form reported on June 23, 2011, S.J. Res. 10 in the form introduced on March 31, 2011, or H.J. Res. 56 in the form introduced on April 7, 2011, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, or a similar amendment if it requires that total outlays not exceed total receipts, that contains a spending limitation as a percentage of GDP, and requires that tax increases be approved by a two-thirds vote in both Houses of Congress for their ratification.
(b) Amendment to Title 31- Effective on the date the Archivist of the United States transmits to the States H.J. Res 1 in the form reported, S.J. Res. 10 in the form introduced, or H.J. Res. 56 in the form introduced, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, or a similar amendment if it requires that total outlays not exceed total receipts, contains a spending limitation as a percentage of GDP, and requires tax increases be approved by a two-thirds vote in both Houses of Congress for their ratification, section 3101(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking the dollar limitation contained in such subsection and inserting $16,700,000,000,000.”
John
July 30th, 2011
11:44 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
6:04 pm
“When I am short on money the first thing I cut is my discretionary spending. I cut back to basic cable, turn off the texting on my phone, do not go out to eat, postpone vacations or try to sell something.”
And when you do that and still cannot afford your mortgage/rent, electricity, food…what do you do? Don’t you look at trying to increase your revenue by looking for a higher paying job or a second job? Possibly sell some items?
John
July 30th, 2011
11:58 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
8:41 pm
“You dems and your socialistic entitlement mentality is the real problem in this country. ”
You keep digging yourself further in the hole. You talk about socialistic entitlement programs and just before you wrote the above sentence you talk about your wife’s mother, siblings and herself immigrated to this country and received food stamps…ie. socialistic entitlement program. You wife’s family benefited from the very same socialistic entitlement programs you claim to be so evil and want to cut.
double
July 31st, 2011
12:06 am
TD now you are a motivational speaker.No you are very hard headed,and I do not call you names except where I think they fit.In my opinion it is(you insert approprate word) to think ,and state all hardships are self caused.I do think most immigrants appreciate the opportunities this country has to offer and take advantage of them.But they can have bad luck,and lost opportunities same as others.Lms says I live in a trailer.regardless I know life is unfair and we are not all given the same hand.If your wife’s family has done as well as you say,then I can see what encouraged you to be successful. Behind every successful man You know what I;m saying.
clem
July 31st, 2011
7:44 am
td, you should be proud of your wife and inlaws….but are you saying they should have paid income taxes in their early american days when they were making low incomes? would you have considered them part of the unwashed 50%? the only aid they received was from church?
unfortunately, i think there is still an entitlement mentality in part of the american society due to our country’s horrid history on slavery…but not being of that ethnic group i find it hard to be too harsh in my judgement…for i have not walker in their shoes….and many of them have succeeded but they likely face bigger obstacles then you and i….i should probably hush because i know i don’t know enough about this issue or a remedy but wish it were not so.
last thing, society my guess is much like a bell curve, not everyone can attain the far right end….whether thru genetics, upbringings, or other factors is it just that so few have so much while others have so little, and so many fight so hard to enjoy a decent standard of living for their families? i guess deep down this progressive wishes it weren’t such a dog eat dog world, but i need to take that up with the creator.
td
July 31st, 2011
9:42 am
John
July 30th, 2011
11:58 pm
“You keep digging yourself further in the hole.”
Where am I digging. First off: I have said numerous times that it should be first the church to help the poor and then the states responsibility to set up a SHORT TERM safety net. Newt and the Contract with America passed and Clinton signed Welfare reform in 1995. Part of the reform was to turn AFDC from an entitlement program that a person could receive forever to TANF and TEMPORARY program (I think Georgia had a 5 year lifetime limit) designed to help people get back on their feet. This is a program I can support. Food Stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and all other social welfare programs should be re designed in a similar manner.
td
July 31st, 2011
10:00 am
clem
July 31st, 2011
7:44 am
“but are you saying they should have paid income taxes in their early american days when they were making low incomes?”
Yes, they should have paid something even if it was just 1%. Everyone must have some skin in the game. To truly have a progressive tax system then everyone has to pay. The less you make the less you pay but we can not say that we have 70 million people pay 0% and continue to say we have a fair tax system.
“would you have considered them part of the unwashed 50%”
The 50% that pay no taxes are not the “unwashed” because they actually work. The “unwashed” are the ones that refuse to work that the rest of us have to support.
“the only aid they received was from church?”
The church sponsored them so they should have been able to support them. If they could not totally done it then the state should have had a short term temp program to help them get on their feet.
“and so many fight so hard to enjoy a decent standard of living for their families?”
And those families should be helped by churches and states to win the fight and think for the most part they are. The people with a true work ethic make it in this society. It is the ones that are lazy, have an entitlement mentality and want everything given to them that do not make it and I do not fill as though we should support that way of life.
deegee
July 31st, 2011
10:08 am
Wow, immigrants on food stamps. Doesn’t that just chap the hide of our tea party patriots. Just curious, how did they come here legally, work legally and stay here?
td
July 31st, 2011
10:26 am
double
July 31st, 2011
12:06 am
” to think ,and state all hardships are self caused”
No hardships are part of life. Getting laid off from a job, getting sick and going through a bad luck streak are just part of life and everyone has these times. Not being prepared for such hardships and not having the right attitude is the fault of the individual. Not expecting excellence from yourself is the fault of the individual.
td
July 31st, 2011
10:33 am
deegee
July 31st, 2011
10:08 am
Wow, immigrants on food stamps. Doesn’t that just chap the hide of our tea party patriots. Just curious, how did they come here legally, work legally and stay here?
Where have you ever seen a Republican or Tea party say anything negative about LEGAL immigration?
They were refugees from a war torn area of Asia. Legal immigrants and now all of them are producing citizens that are in that top 25% of wage earners. BTW: They are more anti illegal immigration and more hard core conservative than I am. They can not believe that in this great country that we actually have native born people that are to lazy to take advantage of all the opportunities that this country gives.
td
July 31st, 2011
10:42 am
John
July 30th, 2011
11:44 pm
“And when you do that and still cannot afford your mortgage/rent, electricity, food…what do you do? Don’t you look at trying to increase your revenue by looking for a higher paying job or a second job? Possibly sell some items?”
Yes, why are we not opening up more land to increase grazing fees coming in? Why are we not fast tracking oil drilling leases in the gulf of Mexico, in the shale fields on the continental shelf? Why are we not opening up the fields in Alaska? Just take those few steps and look at how many more jobs it would create and how many more taxpayers we would have contributing instead of taking. Yes, I will support you efforts 100% on getting these measures implemented.
Can we get together and get a bipartisan effort going on these points?
deegee
July 31st, 2011
10:49 am
Okay, so they came here as refugees. They received a benefit from the US government just by the nature of their refugee status. The US is famous for meddling in foreign wars, making a mess of the political landscape then having no recourse other than to offer refugee status to tens of thousands of people. El Salvador, Somalia, Bosnia, Viet Nam come to mind. Why do you suppose the US stays out of civil wars in Africa?
I have every bit of respect for your wife and in laws. But for the grace of the US State Department, they are no better than any other human being that comes to the US in search of a better life.
td
July 31st, 2011
11:36 am
deegee
July 31st, 2011
10:49 am
I thought Somalia was in Africa and are we not involved in Lybia now?
“Why do you suppose the US stays out of civil wars in Africa?”
Because there were no communist trying to take over Africa? Since the end of WW2 to Ronald Reagan all the wars the US were involved in were due to a communist faction trying to take over a country in a geopolitical interest of the United States. Besides South Africa and the oil countries in North Africa there are no other parts of the continent that are in our geopolitical interest. We have also not been in a war on the continent of South America for the same reasons.
deegee
July 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
Oh, yes, the commie threat. Recently I purchased a pair of pants that were made in Viet Nam. My brother works in Southeast Asia and took a bike tour of Viet Nam that included exploring the Viet Cong tunnels. Very enterprising, those commies I would say.
Yes, I know that Somalia is in Africa. We high tailed out of there in a hurry. Some of our Somali refugees are now finding their inner Al Qaeda and traveling to Yemen for training. What about the drug war in Colombia? You think we haven’t spent a bundle in arms and influence there?
td, you really need to stop listening to Boortz and start looking objectively at the world.
td
July 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
deegee
July 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
“td, you really need to stop listening to Boortz and start looking objectively at the world”
How do you know my points are the same as Boortz? Do you listen to him everyday? I have probably listened to Boortz 10 times in the last year. I am willing to bet you that I watch and listen to more liberal shows than you do.
clem
July 31st, 2011
6:20 pm
why should we listen to repubs:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/07/28/us/charting-the-american-debt-crisis.html?hp
Ghost Rider
July 31st, 2011
8:04 pm
clem:
“why should we listen to repubs:”
Because you should always listen to those more intelligent than yourself?
clem
July 31st, 2011
8:39 pm
the repub party….why let facts get in the way or is it we don’t need no stinkin’ facts….
clem
July 31st, 2011
9:00 pm
and apparently ghost cannot read or comprehend: since 1981 13.3T added to national debt….9.5T for repub prezs (71%) and of the 78 times since 1961 the debt ceiling raised….how many times under Rs…49 times or 63%….granted obama will add considerably more but he inherited economy in very deep recession, two wars unfinished, big business trying to gouge main street even more, a polarized political system….why on earth would anyone want that job and even if they did really how much should we expect with knuckleheads on both sides
td
July 31st, 2011
9:37 pm
clem
July 31st, 2011
9:00 pm
Remember that only Congress can spend money. Presidents can not. How many of those Republican Presidents had a Democratic Congress? I know the Dems controlled the house for 40 something straight years until Newt’s revolution. During Newt’s term the budget was balanced and the debt started to go down (Clinton years).
Reagan always had a Democratic house and was on a mission to win the cold war by out spending the USSSR in an arms race. Guess what he won. The Democratic controlled House under Tip said sure but in return you are going to have to agree on more domestic spending and Reagan gave in because he was on a mission to win the cold war.
The first Bush had a war in Iraq and was duped by the Dems. Remember we gave into them on “No new taxes” with the promise of cutting spending. The Dems never cut the spending and as a result he lost re election.
Clinton was dragged into actually balancing the budget by Newt after Newt shut the government down ( now you Dems want to rewrite history and say he cut spending).
The second Bush gave into Ted Kennedy for goal of Education testing and to make sure our children could read. In return Kennedy wrote the NCLB bill that dramatically expanded the Federal DOE. (I think Bush made a huge mistake here)
The second Bush listened to Kennedy again on is Prescription drug benefit plan. (I do blame Bush for this mess as well).
Least let us not forget that the cost of Obama care has mostly been deferred until after 2012. This bill will totally bust the budget. With the Feds paying 80% Georgia has done a study that said our on states cost is going to be close to $2 billion per year to add all these new adults to the Medicaid roles.
The NY times seems to conveniently forget to talk about the fact that the Dems controlled at least one branch of Congress for every year but two since 1961 and all money spent has to come out of the House.
deegee
July 31st, 2011
9:53 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Those poor republican presidents. They’re always getting duped by the Dems and there’s nothing they can do about it. They can have the presidency and both houses of congress all at the same time and the Democrat agenda is just to tempting to resist. HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Clinton raised taxes. No small wonder we had a budget surplus when he left office. Geez.
double
August 1st, 2011
2:30 am
The first Bush started a war in Iraq(research April Glaspie) in order to take attention from failed savings&loan(Neil Bush and Bush family)2nd Bush lied weapons mass destruction(not poison gas) cut taxes during his wars.Passed part D drugs coverage,at what cost?Created more drugs on street.And they were duped by the democrats.Now TD trying to dupe others.Believe Clem sharper then TD.(than)