hmmmm...that ought to cut the middle class right out of this country. I would rather cut spending, cut corporate interests in our elected officials, cut lobbying, and cut fooling ourselves that we can do anything about this economy without increasing revenue.
Knock Knock, what middle class? In the past two years, many of my middle class friends in the local area have had their clocks cleaned by this economy and have been knocked down to the lower class. Only a few friends have maintain or prospered.
You really don't have a clue of what's going on ....do you?
hmmmm...that ought to cut the middle class right out of this country. I would rather cut spending, cut corporate interests in our elected officials, cut lobbying, and cut fooling ourselves that we can do anything about this economy without increasing revenue.
Knock Knock, what middle class? In the past two years, many of my middle class friends in the local area have had their clocks cleaned by this economy and have been knocked down to the lower class. Only a few friends have maintain or prospered.
You really don't have a clue of what's going on ....do you?
and you think cutting taxes (including for the very wealthy), cutting regulations, cutting union contracts, and cutting the government is going to bring back the middle class? You would be the one with your head in the sand. Most of those have been tried, and failed......why make the same mistakes over again?
I realize that liberals and conservatives are NEVER going to agree on the fundamentals of economics (this seems to be a major rift), but I still wonder about the line I underlined in my initial article:
The bankruptcy of the big blue states would symbolize the bankruptcy of Democratic party policies to wide swathes of the voting public.
I don't mean to oversimplify what is clearly a very complex series of problem...but would the defaulting by Blue States be a reflection of failed liberal-Democrat policies in those states? To look at the data Science Chic presented you would think these states should be operating with a surplus. Instead these three Blue States in particular (CA, NY, IL) have been flirting with disaster for years. One could argue that it's the very Democrat Party policies, applied at the state level, that sunk these three huge ships.
So what about the pending bankruptcy of the red states, such as that bastion of low taxes, anti-union, anti-regulations, Texas. Texas is now in such dire straits that they are slashing budgets for school children, closing down programs for mentally impaired, cutting college funding, talking about eliminating Medicare, etc. For all of their anti-federalism bluster, Texas is now dependent upon the federal government for 40% of their budget rather than on revenue derived from in state jobs and companies. How do you believe the Republicans are going to fare with the lower and middle class with the cut backs and elimination of many programs those families are dependent upon?
My point being is that despite your focus on blue states and democrats, red states and republicans are equally in trouble in this economy.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
Something the Dog Said wrote: So what about the pending bankruptcy of the red states, such as that bastion of low taxes, anti-union, anti-regulations, Texas. Texas is now in such dire straits that they are slashing budgets for school children, closing down programs for mentally impaired, cutting college funding, talking about eliminating Medicare, etc. For all of their anti-federalism bluster, Texas is now dependent upon the federal government for 40% of their budget rather than on revenue derived from in state jobs and companies. How do you believe the Republicans are going to fare with the lower and middle class with the cut backs and elimination of many programs those families are dependent upon?
My point being is that despite your focus on blue states and democrats, red states and republicans are equally in trouble in this economy.
Fair point. I have to say that though I'm certain there are similar problems in other states (Red or Blue), I simply haven't heard as much about it. I suspect this is because it's not as newsworthy or spectacular as the failure of California or New York. I don't see the defaults being limited to Blue States and the impact will be felt nationwide.
Still the same question stands though, does a failure of state governments in large "True Blue States" reflect the failure of Democrat policies there?
No more than the failure of state governments in large "True Red States" reflect the failure of Republican policies there. The perceived "failures" of all of the state governments is more due to the economy at large than any particular state policy.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
Something the Dog Said wrote: No more than the failure of state governments in large "True Red States" reflect the failure of Republican policies there. The perceived "failures" of all of the state governments is more due to the economy at large than any particular state policy.
I reject your analysis. States unfunding their generous pension systems has been easier to hide during the years of good economy but it was always looming on the horizon. And easy to kick down the road because you hoped you wouldn't be governor when the bill came due.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Then what about Texas, it currently is in a severe budget crisis, even though it represents the ideal conservative principles and is now funding a huge percentage of its government functions through federal subsidies. It has a deficit that is about 1/4 of it's annual budget.
Something the Dog Said wrote: Then what about Texas, it currently is in a severe budget crisis, even though it represents the ideal conservative principles and is now funding a huge percentage of its government functions through federal subsidies. It has a deficit that is about 1/4 of it's annual budget.
Or Arizona, a "true red state" with a budget deficit amounting to 36% of it's annual state budget.
Or Georgia, a budget deficit of 25% of it's annual budget.
Or Nevada, a budget deficit of over 50% of it's annual budget.
According to your logic, these states should be flush since they have "successful" Republican policies.
No, because the Republicans are just as bad about the pension problems. The Governor of New Jersey is the first (R) I have seen willing to take on the public service unions. Owens did nothing. Arnold did nothing.
It would be quite interesting to see California secede. I suspect they wouldn't want a large military so they could run the state more like Sweden. Would they grant amnesty to Latin Americans?
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
