What's the most important thing going in the USA today?

FredHayek wrote: Please explain what other puzzle pieces you have to make one trillion dollars a year. Wealth tax? 100% confiscation of people's estates? Seizing private businesses and farms to fund your healthcare plan? People lost trillions in wealth during the Obama recession and you still think we can afford a cadillac healthcare system by billing taxpayers.

None of the above Fred.....
I have heard that the wealthy have done very well during this recession

Fred, you just don't seem to be able to wrap your mind around how to balance a budget or reduce debt. Think of it like a family.....first, you look for more income, perhaps a second job......then you look for ways to cut expenses, now you can't cut expenses in just one area, say food.....you would go hungry. So you cut expenses in many areas......food, utilities, consumer products, keep the old car longer, cut back on vacations, etc.....where ever you can. Our government needs to do the same.....increase revenue and cut expenses....across the board, not with a hatchet, but surgically. It can be done if you aren't hell bent on punishing one party, or one demographic. The word is balance....learn about it Fred.

No, I think I understand much better than you about balancing a budget. Currently we are spending $3 for every 2 dollars we bring in and you want to expand the healthcare system and costs. 1.5 trillion extra is being spent every year and your and Obama's hit on the rich will be a mere pittance in the trillion plus dollars.

I would like to see $2 of spending cut for every $1 raised in taxes, and I would also bring back all the Clinton tax hikes.

Hey Fred,


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FredHayek wrote: No, I think I understand much better than you about balancing a budget. Currently we are spending $3 for every 2 dollars we bring in and you want to expand the healthcare system and costs. 1.5 trillion extra is being spent every year and your and Obama's hit on the rich will be a mere pittance in the trillion plus dollars.

I would like to see $2 of spending cut for every $1 raised in taxes, and I would also bring back all the Clinton tax hikes.

Ok.....we really are not that far apart then, if you actually had read what I have been posting....I was against the Bush tax cuts from day 1, I am still against them and would like to see them expire, or at least phased out. If we are, as you say, spending $3 for every $2 we take in, then raising revenue and cutting spending could make that spending $2.50 for every $2.50 we take in. That, however, will not reduce the deficit, only balance the yearly budget.....again, we can go after our deficit with more revenue increases, or with more spending cuts.....or, as would be preferable.....both.

My...and Obama's, hit on the rich is but one step in the process.....yeah, I know.....those rich people need coddling, they may have done well under Clinton, but they were so spoiled by the GOP and Bush that they are incapable of thriving if we ask for so much as one more dime from them. I think not.....until the GOP realizes that the wealthy will still be wealthy, even with an increase in their taxes, and major corporations will still make record profits if we don't give them more tax breaks.....this country will never solve it's cash flow and credit problems.

Why is it that many conservatives can only read one side of a ledger.....the expenses? We cannot, and should not, try to solve our economic problems with cuts alone. That would be national suicide.

SS could take care of itself, if we remove the cap on payroll taxes, and it is means tested......and possibly raise the full retirement age....medicare could be improved with a graduated premium schedule based on the senior's income. Medicaid should not be touched, but I think it could be improved if it were part of the ACA, which I would like to see go to a single payer national system.

archer wrote:

FredHayek wrote: Please explain what other puzzle pieces you have to make one trillion dollars a year. Wealth tax? 100% confiscation of people's estates? Seizing private businesses and farms to fund your healthcare plan? People lost trillions in wealth during the Obama recession and you still think we can afford a cadillac healthcare system by billing taxpayers.

None of the above Fred.....
I have heard that the wealthy have done very well during this recession

archer wrote: You heard? Is that different than some people say? I guess that doesn't require a source either.

Criticism comes back to bite at times.

Go back to the days of Clinton when the government was only spending 1.5 trillion a year instead of the 4.5 trillion it spends nowdays. Talk about inflation. How many more people does America have? I bet not triple the population. Goverment spending has expanded way too fast since 1999.

archer wrote: Fred, you just don't seem to be able to wrap your mind around how to balance a budget or reduce debt. Think of it like a family.....first, you look for more income, perhaps a second job......then you look for ways to cut expenses, now you can't cut expenses in just one area, say food.....you would go hungry. So you cut expenses in many areas......food, utilities, consumer products, keep the old car longer, cut back on vacations, etc.....where ever you can. Our government needs to do the same.....increase revenue and cut expenses....across the board, not with a hatchet, but surgically. It can be done if you aren't hell bent on punishing one party, or one demographic. The word is balance....learn about it Fred.

No, actually that isn't right. First you cut expenses, to see if you can live within your means. If your current income, after cutting waste, is unable to fund what you need, then you get an additional job or 2. Adding more income comes with negative impacts as well. Less family time, maybe higher vehicle costs, more clothing costs, etc. More income isn't as straight forward as cutting spending.

Everyone should budget. If you are even close to spending more than you make, you should spend every $$ on paper first, then in reality. If the govt. did this we would be fine now.