Tuesday, August 2, 2011

545 are Responsible for the mess we are in!

I enjoyed this post. Please take a look and tell me what you think. Just click on the title or copy and paste this url:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-charley-reese-545-people-1984-073111,0,1632525.story

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man are you sounding more and more like a Republican! I agree totally, but here is the problem. Some Congressmen actually stood up against our run-a-way budget and they were call all kinds of names. You know the TEA Party Candidates. Here is the thing that sticks in Conservatives throats; Do you know how much they cut the budget? ZERO! It actually increaed over last year by $200,000,000,000.00. That's over and above Obama's so called one time expenditure for the Stimulus package. You see the stimulas package stayed in the budget.
Until we get enough candidates tha twill actually vote to cut the budget, we're at the mercy of the 545 minus the TEA Partiers

robertanton said...

I hope there is no one who actually follows a party line to the letter. From what I am watching and learning, there's no one way that is so much better or worse than the other. All of them seem to be off on one thing or another, but I guess that's just opinion and everybody has one.
The problem with the Tea partiers is that they are refusing to let the Bush tax cuts expire. Cuts that were supposed to be temporary while we had a surplus.
I've never heard of someone on a budget not looking around for ways to create a little extra income while also cutting things that are unnecessary.

Anonymous said...

Let me frame this a little different Robert. Let's pretend you build and sell WIDGETS. They are selling well and your cost of manufacturing is way too high, but sales are good so you don't bother cutting cost. All of a sudden sales drops. DO you:
A: Increase the price knowing that your sales will drop further but hoping it doesn't drop enough so you get less
B: Lower the price and hope you make up the difference on increased volume
C: Cut cost, gut overhead until you're profitable again

Here is the problem, we're spending way to much, increasing taxes isn't going to cut the run away spending. But even worse, we've increased our spending at record rates.
It's insanity!
Imagine you're making 37000.00 a year but you're spending 52000.00 a year. The answer isn't to put $10000.00 on a credit card, yet that's what Obama did and now he wants to put another 4500.00 on the credit card.
BTW, if you put nine zeros behind those numbers, those are the real budget numbers.

robertanton said...

Jim, what most ppl forget is that cutting is not the only way. You have to add revenue AND cut spending; there's the balance.
If your widgets were selling less then you might look into other avenues for sales such as online, outlet stores, mail-order; adding more revenue while also cutting a little overhead and getting rid of waste.
My problem with the Republicans on this issue is that there are holes in the tax codes that you could drive a 747 through and they've said point blank that they won't even consider closing those tax loopholes. That is Insanity to me.

Anonymous said...

Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem!
Let's say your wife put's $15,000.00 a month on your credit card buying food, paying the rent, buying clothes, shoes, new furniture, theatre tickets, dinner and lunch at resturants, jewelry, spa membership, etc...
Problem is you only make $10,000.00 a month. Do you get a second job or do you say "Honey, we need to cut back a little. Now you may go ahead and get the second job, but this still hasn't solved the problem, it's only taught her that what ever she spends, you'll work yourself in the grave to pay it.
She's paying for luxeries and she's squandering your retirement.
Sound like what's happening?
Republicans aren't against paying taxes, we're against washington maxing the credit card and us footing the bill.

robertanton said...

In your example, we don't start out where we are now. We are already in massive debt. When one is in debt, due to whatever circumstances, it often takes increased streams of revenue along with decreased spending to bring things back into alignment.
Yes, we all know that GWB maxed out the credit card; but now that we are in the mess, it is going to take more than JUST less spending to get us out of it.
Republicans are against what? lol. GWB came into office with a surplus. Isn't he Republican? Didnt he cut taxes, start wars, and begin a new medicaid program without worrying about how we were going to pay the bill?