Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
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Post by Boz on Dec 1, 2010 0:29:23 GMT -5
Freeman/Wright 2012.
(Clark can be Secretary of Yeah I Just Did That To You In Overtime).
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EasyEd
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 7,272
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Post by EasyEd on Dec 1, 2010 9:05:54 GMT -5
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Post by strummer8526 on Dec 1, 2010 9:17:25 GMT -5
The Hoyas read my post and continued their basketball efforts - win.
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HoyaNyr320
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,233
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Post by HoyaNyr320 on Dec 2, 2010 19:59:04 GMT -5
We're not going to solve the deficit if Republican Representatives and Senators refuse to smell the roses and realize that tax increases will be needed alongside spending cuts in order to balance the budget. I love how the high bracket taxpayers are called "job creators" - if they are such "job creators", where are the jobs? We've had these low rates for the past 3 years as the economy has sputtered! Also, we're talking about individual tax rates and not corporate tax rates. Small businesses, only some of which fall under the individual rates, have received several tax breaks under this Congress and Administration and will continue to receive them. Thank you to Congressman Ron Paul (normally the king of "No") for voting "Yes" alongside Democrats for keeping the tax cuts for 98% of taxpayers. Although I disagree with his proposal to end the income tax altogether and shut down the IRS, I wish other Republicans would be willing to sit at the table and say "a tax cut for most is better than a tax increase on everyone." paul.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1801:statement-on-hr-4853-the-middle-class-tax-relief-act-of-2010&catid=15:floor-statementsI know the Senate will not be able to get this bill through and that is very unfortunate. We could have had bipartisan tax cuts for 98% of Americans. Republicans then could have proposed as many fiscally irresponsible tax proposals as they wanted in the new session in 2011 (still waiting to hear concrete proposals besides "cut taxes" from Republican politicians other than Mike Huckabee's sales tax proposal). Instead, the debate over how to gain revenue to help pay down the debt along with spending cuts will be punted for 2-3 more years while we continue to give out tax cuts to those that need them the least.
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EasyEd
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 7,272
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Post by EasyEd on Dec 2, 2010 20:22:22 GMT -5
"We're not going to solve the deficit if Republican Representatives and Senators refuse to smell the roses and realize that tax increases will be needed alongside spending cuts in order to balance the budget."
nyr, if you really want to start solving the deficit why not let all the tax rate cuts expire thereby saving triple or more of what you'll save by retaining only the upper-class cut. I, for one, think that's what's needed as a start but I don't see either party even remotely considering that.
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Nevada Hoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Dec 2, 2010 20:36:44 GMT -5
Freezing federal salaries may be the right thing to do as long as it is a part of a bigger attempt drastically to scale back spending. And it would help if the symbolism of this move were accompanied by other symbolisms like a marked change in the president's lifestyle with emphasis on the entourages accompanying his overseas travel, his golf and basketball efforts and the places he chooses to take vacations. Did other presidents do similar things? Yes, but the current debt and deficit situation needs more positive symbolisms today. Yes, Ed, I'm doing my part.
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HoyaNyr320
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,233
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Post by HoyaNyr320 on Dec 2, 2010 21:29:58 GMT -5
"We're not going to solve the deficit if Republican Representatives and Senators refuse to smell the roses and realize that tax increases will be needed alongside spending cuts in order to balance the budget." nyr, if you really want to start solving the deficit why not let all the tax rate cuts expire thereby saving triple or more of what you'll save by retaining only the upper-class cut. I, for one, think that's what's needed as a start but I don't see either party even remotely considering that. ed, The extension of more of the tax cuts is certainly a discussion worth having. I would argue that the middle class would feel the pain of the blanket increase more than the wealthy. However, maybe the tax increase could be structured to phase in slowly so that rates go up as the economy gets better. I'd also be in favor of eliminating certain deductions that apply to both the wealthy and the middle class (like the mortgage interest deduction). I agree with you completely that Congress has to take the deficit seriously and that the middle class will have to bear some of the burden. I would point out though that the spending cuts that we need on entitlements will be felt mostly by the middle class, so new tax policy may have to compensate for that.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Dec 6, 2010 19:12:26 GMT -5
It looks like we're going to be printing money for the tax cut queens for another 2 years. I hope the votes are not there, or that the Senate Dems filibuster ceremoniously to return the favor to a small degree.
It is unseemly to be giving handouts when almost 10% (and rising after the election) of working people (without income to tax) are out of work.
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Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
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Post by Boz on Dec 6, 2010 19:17:40 GMT -5
The fact that you consider it a "handout" is where you and I will never see eye to eye.
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TBird41
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
"Roy! I Love All 7'2" of you Roy!"
Posts: 8,740
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Post by TBird41 on Dec 6, 2010 20:30:14 GMT -5
The fact that you consider it a "handout" is where you and I will never see eye to eye. Have you considered using statistics to persuade Ambassador Morgan? ;D
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The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,844
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Post by The Stig on Dec 6, 2010 22:30:52 GMT -5
So much for either party having the political balls to make the tough decisions needed to cut the deficit.
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hoyainspirit
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
When life puts that voodoo on me, music is my gris-gris.
Posts: 8,392
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Post by hoyainspirit on Dec 7, 2010 8:50:27 GMT -5
So much for either party having the political balls to make the tough decisions needed to cut the deficit. This. Let's continue doing the same thing and expect a different result.
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EasyEd
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 7,272
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Post by EasyEd on Dec 7, 2010 8:56:11 GMT -5
So much for either party having the political balls to make the tough decisions needed to cut the deficit. Hurts me deeply to agree with Stig.
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 747
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Post by SirSaxa on Dec 7, 2010 9:20:20 GMT -5
Is it actually possible we could ALL agree with retiring Ohio Republican Senator George Voinovich? As Voinovich leaves Senate, he sees a deficit of good senseExcerpts What has lighted Voinovich's fuse is the legislature's utter inability to do anything about the looming debt crisis. As the lame-duck Congress draws to a close, the only debate is about whether to add $4 trillion to the national debt (as the Republicans' tax-cut plan would do) or only $3 trillion (as the Democrats' plan would do).
"I'm afraid that we'll just kick the can down the road," he complained. "We won't see tax reform, we won't see any control of real spending."
"I'm voting against everything," declared Voinovich, one of the last of the old-school deficit hawks.
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TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 9,443
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Post by TC on Dec 7, 2010 10:30:28 GMT -5
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The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,844
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Post by The Stig on Dec 7, 2010 10:50:13 GMT -5
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
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Post by theexorcist on Dec 7, 2010 11:58:08 GMT -5
I love how the plan cuts the payroll tax which funds Social Security and Medicare. Since there's no chance it's going to be there when I retire, might as well vaporize it earlier.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Dec 7, 2010 13:14:56 GMT -5
Is it actually possible we could ALL agree with retiring Ohio Republican Senator George Voinovich? As Voinovich leaves Senate, he sees a deficit of good senseExcerpts What has lighted Voinovich's fuse is the legislature's utter inability to do anything about the looming debt crisis. As the lame-duck Congress draws to a close, the only debate is about whether to add $4 trillion to the national debt (as the Republicans' tax-cut plan would do) or only $3 trillion (as the Democrats' plan would do).
"I'm afraid that we'll just kick the can down the road," he complained. "We won't see tax reform, we won't see any control of real spending."
"I'm voting against everything," declared Voinovich, one of the last of the old-school deficit hawks. This is a courageous position to take, but it is a shame that retirement had to bring it out. Bernie Sanders, an independent, has announced that he will filibuster the tax cut giveaway. Let's hope he can muster the votes to sustain it. The plan has not been received warmly among House Dems either, and rightly so. The Blue Dogs who tended to vote with Republicans over the past two years are on their way out - and that is not lost on the Dems who held their seats. Obama is naive if he thinks he'll get any sustained support from the right because of this. Although it does not help their socialist talking points - he did spread the wealth around, but it was to them (note record corporate profits and complaints from the right about same). Instead, expect a healthy dose of talking points from the "weak kneed" playbook.
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TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 9,443
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Post by TC on Dec 7, 2010 14:43:41 GMT -5
Watch Voinovich vote cloture on Sanders' filibuster.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Dec 7, 2010 14:47:54 GMT -5
Watch Voinovich vote cloture on Sanders' filibuster. LOL. If it passes, he'll also blame Obama for adding to the deficit. That's the next talking point. These tax cuts make HCR look like child's play - cut incomes by $4 trillion and add to the deficit to boot. Nothing like failing down the size of government.
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