Tell me...What would YOU do about this economic mess?

Not in any particular order

1. Eliminate the need to vote on a debt ceiling.
2. Force a balance budget amendment.
3. Term limits in Congress.
4. Remove all "Pork" & "Ear" marks.
5. Outlaw lobbying.
6. Remove trade balance restrictions.
7. Flat tax for corporations 20% and remove loopholes.
8. Flat tax income at 15%
9. Downsize the IRS
10. Remove all corporate welfare programs.
11. Remove all Federal individual welfare programs and assign them to the state.
12. Eliminate the war on drugs, legalize drugs and create a Luxury Sales Tax of 10% on alcholol, drugs, and gambling.
13. Legalize gambling.

that is for starters.

 

Not in any particular order

1. Eliminate the need to vote on a debt ceiling.
2. Force a balance budget amendment.
3. Term limits in Congress.
4. Remove all "Pork" & "Ear" marks.
5. Outlaw lobbying.
6. Remove trade balance restrictions.
7. Flat tax for corporations 20% and remove loopholes.
8. Flat tax income at 15%
9. Downsize the IRS
10. Remove all corporate welfare programs.
11. Remove all Federal individual welfare programs and assign them to the state.
12. Eliminate the war on drugs, legalize drugs and create a Luxury Sales Tax of 10% on alcohol, drugs, and gambling.
13. Legalize gambling.

that is for starters.

 

The first rule when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging, so first, a freeze on govt spending

Break up the pending trade deal with Columbia, panama and S. Korea into separate parts. The S. Korean deal is particularly suspect in that it allows a high Chinese content in S. Korean products with out being declared as such.

Re-negotiate ALL trade deals using a scaled tariff formula. We MUST repatriate our jobs and dollars from overseas.

Begin using REAL numbers in Washington, especially in calculating inflation. The current CPI does not include food and energy costs in computing inflation. While the 'official' inflation rate is around 2%, the real rate is around 9%. The commodities price index is up around 27%. Using an artificial rate is dangerous to use as it figures in to how we calculate projected deficits and the GDP. We will always come up with a too rosy projection so long as we use these numbers and will forever be further behind than thought.

Begin a complete review of all govt agencies. Discard useless and wasteful programs and eliminate duplication. Invest more in fraud detection in Medicare.

Abolish the DOE. The federal govt only contributes 8.3 cents on the dollar in education, but has enormous impact on the way our schools are run. We have been losing ground internationally ever since this interference began.

Withdraw from the WTO. This country has lost trillions under its auspices.

Get out of that cesspool that is Afghanistan. No matter what we do there, it will revert back the minute we leave anyway. Also, stop wasting money on Libya. We need to remain a military superpower, but need to adopt a policy of non-intervention except when absolutely necessary.

Much, much more, but these are some obvious ones off the top of my head.

 

Great plan.

If your goal is to make the rich richer and poor poorer.

 

Our tax system is regressive? I think it's probably as progressive now as it's ever been in history. And if you do that of course you can't treat all income equally...

 

Really? How does eliminating corporate welfare and term limits for congressmen mke the rich richer?

 

Rich richer? I beg to differ!

Let's look at some of the ideas independently and please point out how this will help the Rich and hurt the poor.

1. Eliminate the need to vote on a debt ceiling.

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!

(There is NO REASON to have a debt ceiling in the first place, if the government. No other country has such a ridiculous procedure. The irony should not escape you that we don't have a budget - yet we haggle over a debt ceiling. Silly.)

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2. Force a balance budget amendment.

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!

This clearly helps ALL Americans. Those Democrats that love to cite Clinton's balancing of the budget and in the same breath blame Bush for blowing the surplus should be supporting this 100%

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3. Term limits in Congress.

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!
Does HURT corporations and special interest

Many life long politicians have their "friends" in their back-pockets that keep them getting elected. If there were term limits - favoritism would stop. Additionally Congress members would have to figure out that being a politician is not a CAREER CHOICE!

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4. Remove all "Pork" & "Ear" marks.

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!
Does HURT corporations and special interest

Special projects and businesses continue to get money from "Pork" added to bills. Then when you follow the money, the same business donate money back to the Congress member that got them the "Pork" in the first place.

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5. Outlaw lobbying.

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!
Does HURT corporations and special interest

GE spent $40 million in lobbying in the last 6 months. Corporations spend 100s of millions per year for special favors. Government passes out PORK and legislation to help those that lobby the hardest. This has turned our Republic into a Plutocracy.

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6. Remove trade balance restrictions.

Does HURTS ALL CONSUMERS
Does HELP corporations.

As much as corporations ask for Free Trade, many only want it ONE WAY. Our government is a hypocrite, we ask for Free Trade and then in the same breath we hurl protectionism for a special interest or corporation. One only has to look at who definitely benefits - and it is certainly business and special interest. The poor get nothing from this and the RICH could care less. It hurts trade - that is all. The consumer (RICH and POOR) are hurt from tariffs that are pass through to consumers.

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7. Flat tax for corporations 20% and remove loopholes.

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!
Does HURT corporations and special interest!

Since this is a CORPORATE tax it has little affect on the rich or poor. However, it DOES hurt Corporations. The average U.S. corporation pays 18% in taxes (some pay nothing), however they also pay huge fees for accounting and legal to exploit the loopholes. A simple tax code would reduce their costs and also guarantee higher revenues for the government. Raising the taxes on corporations will just send them to other countries and figure out even MORE complicated loopholes. Reforming the tax code will also SHRINK the bloated IRS.

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8. Flat tax income at 15%

Does does hurt ALL income tax payers.

What many that suggest TAX THE RICH more fail to realize is that they already paid taxes on their earned income and now their wealth is just sitting in investments. Many millionaires and billionaires pay low taxes if any at all - not because of loopholes, but because their investment sit in treasuries or some other non-realized gain. A close friend that has a net worth in the millions paid NO TAX last year. Why, because his assets are in stocks and bonds - all with NON realized gains or losses. He doesn't pay taxes until he SELLS something, if he doesn't SELL he doesn't pay taxes. This is not a tax loophole, it is just the reality that we do not tax people on unrealized gains. Most of the rich's wealth is in non-realized gains. They have already PAID taxes on it.

However a flat tax means that everyone contributes and everyone receives - based on their income.

No the wealthy would NOT like a flat-tax, but neither would the poor. Sure we all pay to play.

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9. Downsize the IRS

This only helps everyone - as it means COST SAVINGS.

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10. Remove all corporate welfare programs.

This certainly helps the poor and everyone - as it means MORE cost savings.
Of course corporations would NOT like this one bit.

I would think that EVERY Democrat would want to end corporate welfare. Why should the government pay oil companies or any companies ANY money. Government's job is NOT to insure that a business makes money. This is just crazy!

The "rich" that own stocks in these companies wouldn't like this either!

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11. Remove all Federal individual welfare programs and assign them to the state.


Granted this could help the poor. However, the federal welfare program has failed horribly. The red tape and one-size fits all approach doesn't work. What is good for Detroit is NOT good for Tampa. States and local government know better as to what their local welfare needs are - rather than the federal government.

This would save ALL tax payers loads of money.

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12. Eliminate the war on drugs, legalize drugs and create a Luxury Sales Tax of 10% on alcholol, drugs, and gambling.


Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!

The war on drugs has cost billions of dollars and has also loaded up our prisons with thousands of inmates for possession charges. Why spend money when we can tax and make money from this program. Several states have already legalized mary-jane and are also making millions in tax revenue. At the Federal level this could be a windfall in income and also reduce the prison problem and also cut down on the wasted war on drugs.

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13. Legalize gambling

Does NOT hurt POOR or help RICH!
Does HURT corporations and special interest

Vegas and several states have done this - but the Federal governemnt has a stick up their butt and has raided places for inter-state gambling. This is a waste of tax payers money, law enforcement, and contradicts one state laws with another. Another dumb law that wastes money.

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The government's role is:

NOT to justify a business
NOT to help the rich
NOT to help the poor

it is to serve ALL the people - not a particular group, business, or special interest.


The government's role is to protect our rights and liberties. It is also responsible to make sure our currency holds value and not to devalue it - based on some belief it would stimulate anything.

While I certainly believe in helping the poor, I also certainly don't believe it is the government role - (not the Federal government anyway).

So while I agree that a couple of items above may certainly hurt the poor, I would argue they would be less favorable to corporations or the rich.

I set forth a place (limited so far and just some bullet points) that clearly makes sure the government meets it's priority of addressing it's Constitutional mandates. Nothing more or less. Sure Rich, Poor, and corporations may not like all the items.

Let's not forget the government serves the PEOPLE - not corporations, special interest groups, or one particular group that is labeled.

Rather than retorting with a one-liner, next time take specific issue with one that I list and tell me WHY you have issue with it.

I have given you a fair response.

 

How trite, so who will decide what is a "proper" level of taxation on the rich; you; Liberals? I am quite certain that Liberals won’t think anyone else is qualified other than THEIR deciders.

That is the terrible flaw in Liberal group think; that Government can only work when THEIR guys are in charge and that THEY are the only ones qualified to "decide" what is fair.

Right now the rich pay 80% of the taxes in America; what would be the "proper" level you speak of?

 

Someone who gets it; but may I offer something OTHER than tax cuts. Rather than continuing the current abomination let's abolish the tax code and subsidies and exchange it for a modified flat tax.

Now we're talking!

 

Yeah, get the buggers. We all now they don't pay taxes...except they do...almost all of them.

 

When you are nation states who allow the exploitation of your citizens and environment and are already third world, it is relatively easy to be doing good when nothing is where you come from.

The desperate assertions from the left suggesting protectionism and tax increases is made in ignorance of the facts and historic record of such failed efforts.

Your rant is hardly a good substitute for rational debate and facts.

Carry on; it is obvious you will ignore facts and continue your clueless ramblings.

 

That is not economics...that is philosophy, politics and wishful thinking and is closed to a few of the biggest failures in recent history, Socialism and Communism.

 

This is an idiot’s paradise; but substituting immoral behavior for real jobs is going to do nothing but make things worse and ramp up criminal behavior.

How old are you? My guess is barely in your 20’s.

 

In other words steal the remaining capital from those who earn it and allow the idiots in Government to waste more money on feel good programs that are doing nothing to move the economy.

Brilliant; but then this is the genius we can expect from mind numbed robots who spew DNC talking points without thinking.

So tell me, after the Government confiscates all this so-called idel wealth; what will they do with it wise sage?

 

There you go with the idiot strawman arguments again; why stop at a couple of million, why not REALLY exaggerate and claim it will cost 15 million jobs! That should do the trick!

Meanwhile the idiot’s argument that we should steal more of Americans wealth to prop up a corrupt and broken Government who pizzes it away on feel good legislation that does nothing to create jobs is just genius.

 

There you go with the idiot strawman arguments again; why stop at a couple of million, why not REALLY exaggerate and claim it will cost 15 million jobs! That should do the trick!

Meanwhile the idiot’s argument that we should steal more of Americans wealth to prop up a corrupt and broken Government who pizzes it away on feel good legislation that does nothing to create jobs is just genius.

 

There you go with the idiot strawman arguments again; why stop at a couple of million, why not REALLY exaggerate and claim it will cost 15 million jobs! That should do the trick!

Meanwhile the idiot’s argument that we should steal more of Americans wealth to prop up a corrupt and broken Government who pizzes it away on feel good legislation that does nothing to create jobs is just genius.

 

There you go with the idiot strawman arguments again; why stop at a couple of million, why not REALLY exaggerate and claim it will cost 15 million jobs! That should do the trick!

Meanwhile the idiot’s argument that we should steal more of Americans wealth to prop up a corrupt and broken Government who pizzes it away on feel good legislation that does nothing to create jobs is just genius.

 

Apply all possible resources and political power, leading to the proper and required multi-pronged solutions related to alleviating the "job crisis" in this nation.

Jobs are the key to resolving America's economic woes; they should be the primary focus of those who would pose as leaders (or problem solvers).

 

A brief statement outlining a vague proposal to get out of this economic mess: I can and will explain this in further detail as I conduct more research.

I agree with tax increases, but not considering any form of spending cuts is ignorant. We need to make intelligent spending cuts and reforms that improve the efficiency of the federal government, not gut it of its effcency. At the same time, we need to initiate long-term job creation policy. We also need to implement comprehensive tax reform, and an anti-poverty initiative that will set specific goals that lead to effective policy to ease people off of welfare and provide them with economic stablity and economic mobility. We need to explore new and innovative forms of taxation such as notional value derivatives transaction tax. We need to consolidate federal programs and agencies to make the bureaucracy more efficient and economical. We need to increase incentives for the private sector to invest in large-scale renewable energy projects. The last part of our economic plan should be a balanced budget amendment, which should only be enacted when we gain a budget surplus.
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The fallacy of this latest Democrat talking point about focusing on jobs is that Government cannot create jobs and turn around an economy; but it can get out of the way and remove roadblocks and idiot legislation that prevents it.

 

Trillions are sitting around doing nothing, so yes, taxing some of that and applying it to create demand would be the most effective way to keep the economy moving.

 

1.4 million government jobs have been eliminated over the past year. Why would you be surprised that massive spending cuts would result in a couple million more people added to the unemployment rolls?

Conservatives live in a la la land where they think they can cut trillions in spending and no one will lose a job because of it.

How is adding a couple million more people to the unemployment rolls going to help the economy again?

No one has explained that so far.

 

I'd agree that too many politicians only offer lip-service to "jobs"; but it is hardly a NEW talking point or one which comes strictly from "Democrats".

Also, there have been times/ways which "Government" has stood in the way of certain things... but it makes no sense to say/imply that Government action has not or cannot serve as a catalyst to promote employment.

I tend to despise the philosophies of those (mostly Tea-publican types) who believe that "private enterprise" is somehow the ONLY solution to this nation's ills; they are so typically extreme and wrong about what they are saying; often very myopic in their thinking and vision for this nation.

 

I would really like to see data on this. Everything I can find shows that the Federal Government expanded by 13,000 employees between 2009-2010.

http://www.opm.gov/feddata/HistoricalTables/TotalGovernmentSince1962.asp

To be fair, though, I was unable to find data for 2011, but then, 2011 isn't over yet.

I would also like to know if the claim of 1.4 million jobs lost were "employees" or "positions". When there is a downsizing of the Government, one game that is played is to eliminate "positions" that currently do not have a person filling them.

Also, are you are talking Federal only or All Governments. Since we are discussing Federal budget issues, it would be disingenuous to include State and Local Government employees.