Harrisburg mayor asks God to balance the budget

otisptoadwater wrote:

archer wrote: Your defense of the wealthy just proves my point that when it comes to helping reduce the deficit conservatives are not about to touch their sacred cows....the wealthy and big corporations. But medicaid and other programs for low income Americans are fair game.

You are so right, let's rape the people who have worked hard to improve their own plight and offer jobs to others through increased industry and expanded capitalism. After all, attacking those who made themselves better by hard work and dedication should be made to suffer for their "sins" against those who are not as motivated or wait for the US 'Gubment to pay their way for them.

Last time I checked in the USA you are not entitled to a job, a house, or health care but many think those issues are rights. I'm not having it. I grew up poor and I'm not ashamed of it mostly because I pulled myself up out of the dirt by working hard and not expecting or taking hand outs.

By your notion I ought to stay home and wait for the checks to arrive in the mail box, let some one else go and bust their ass for 50-60 hours a week, they owe me.

You're building a very nice strawman there....I said none of those things, but it appears your prejudices against liberals are doing your thinking for you.

What I have said, and what I truly believe is that EVERY sector of America has to tighten it's belt, if you are going to go after the middle class....and the lower classes, then go after the wealthy and the corporations. Nothing is sacred when the ship is sinking. Why is that so hard for conservatives to understand......you cannot fix this economy on the backs of the middle class any more.....they are done, finished, talk about trying to squeeze a stone....they have little else to give. Yet the rich keep getting richer....and the corporations are making record profits, and no one on the right has the guts to say that they too need to contribute to this country, not just take from it.

I'm not going to debate you archer, I don't see the point because you only understand one side of the facts of this issue and many other related topics. You are certainly not someone I can sway with opinion, reason, or even pure logic. You see the world the way you see it and I beg to differ. Let's agree to disagree (or continue the mindless banter that I have observed on this site since I joined, pitting conservatives against liberals on principal often without facts to back up any statement by either camp).

Check this link out and maybe consider that someone other than the poor and middle class are picking up the tab in the US of A: http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/guess-who-really-pays-the-taxes

otisptoadwater wrote: I'm not going to debate you archer, I don't see the point because you only understand one side of the facts of this issue and many other related topics. You are certainly not someone I can sway with opinion, reason, or even pure logic. You see the world the way you see it and I beg to differ. Let's agree to disagree (or continue the mindless banter that I have observed on this site since I joined, pitting conservatives against liberals on principal often without facts to back up any statement by either camp).

Check this link out and maybe consider that someone other than the poor and middle class are picking up the tab in the US of A: http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/guess-who-really-pays-the-taxes

Ok

oh.....your link is to a 2007 article...the economy is quite different now.....as I'm sure you have noticed.

Call it what you want, the tax structure has remained the same, Barry was even decent enough to carry over the "Bush tax cuts" to "help" the lower and middle class. 2007 tax policy is almost exactly the same as 2011. Now all we have to do is wait for the tax increases and cope with increased energy prices. Just wait for the EPA and the White House to sponsor new laws mandating higher mileage figures for cars and trucks... Oh wait that already happened.

archer wrote: Right. The rich are getting richer...what stone would be getting squeezed?

Every bit of extra income helps.

Too little too late.

Yeah, I'm sometimes in awe of how hard Paris Hilton has worked...Improved her plight, and expanded capitalism. All that hard work and dedication will surely pay off...

And of course, in your world there is no in-between... There are only two classes...The hard-working Paris Hiltons of the world, and the vermin who sit at home waiting for a government check.

That sure leaves a lot of folks in-between that worked hard all their lives and saw their pensions and savings THAT THEY EARNED go down the tubes, and their jobs killed or off-shored, (while those hard working people who expand capitalism, like Paris Hilton, go on their next shopping spree on Rodeo Drive),......etc.....

As has already been stated so eloquently:

archer wrote: Your defense of the wealthy just proves my point that when it comes to helping reduce the deficit conservatives are not about to touch their sacred cows....the wealthy and big corporations. But medicaid and other programs for low income Americans are fair game.

Well, I've muttered incantations to my rock to balance MY budget... I hope it works, but I figure I have just as good a chance as the Harrisburg mayor.

archer wrote: Your defense of the wealthy just proves my point that when it comes to helping reduce the deficit conservatives are not about to touch their sacred cows....the wealthy and big corporations. But medicaid and other programs for low income Americans are fair game.

I don't know who this was directed to, but I am defending mathematics not the wealthy. Medicaid and Medicare, and now Obamacare are broke and massively underfunded. The math doesn't add up. If it makes you feel better to stick it to the wealthy >$250K club, have at it. Its only $100 billion/yr. Its chump change. It will be the centerpiece of Obamas campaign I am sure. What are the rest of your plans to balance the budget, and pay for massive future unfunded commitments?

You keep asking "What's YOUR plan?"... How many times do we have to articulate what our plan would be? It's been articulated over and over again. You don't like it. OK, fine. But stop asking "What's your plan?" when it's been stated over and over again. Either your reading-comprehension skills are in question, or you aren't capable of understanding.

Or chooses to ignore it.

This problem can't be solved by just taking money from the rich. There has to be an attractive environment for businesses to hire so people can get back to work. Full employment will bring the economy back, income redistribution will just prolong the inevitable collapse of our economy. You can take from the rich and give to the poor which will boost the economy in the short run, but how many times can you take until the well runs dry or the "rich" money moves elsewhere?