Congress Went to Denmark, You Got the Bill

[Felix The Assassin]

Good article TL. So sad the politicians of today are missing the entire mettle DNA those great men of yesterday had, and of course, we know current politicians have a spine made from a mix contained within a box called "jello"!

[Cerek]

Originally Posted by robertthebard Don't they get enough perks? You know, I tried to vote myself a payraise at my last job, and got laughed at. What other job can you think of where you can decide you're not making enough money from your pork programs and write yourself a bigger paycheck. Granted this has been a while, but that's on hell of a perk. Note that I don't care if it's Republican or Democrat doing it. Middle of the road politics, and it's not one side of the aisle or the other that's guilty. It's all of 'em.

The deal is even sweeter than that, Robert. Several years ago, the Congress and Senate voted in automatic payraises each year. The only way the do NOT get a pay raise is if they actively vote against the annual raise.

This allows politicians to truthfully say "I never voted for a single pay raise" while still benefitting from guaranteed pay raises each year.

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca Another example of the "right" celebrating America's failures. LOL at the pettiness of being happy the hotel ripped us off. Also an example of crying over a drop(relative to the bucket) of spillt milk. I'll be around if if there is anything significant complained about.

True to your beliefs, what are your thoughts now with health care reform? It seems the people spoke, and *now* health care reform is not the issue it once was, it seems jobs are the hot talking points.

Will the POTUS ever realize the campaign is over, and he *IS* in charge?

[Timber Loftis]

Originally Posted by Felix The Assassin True to your beliefs, what are your thoughts now with health care reform? It seems the people spoke, and *now* health care reform is not the issue it once was, it seems jobs are the hot talking points.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but personally I feel the peoples' belief was/is manipulated heavily by the media here. As I've noted before, the majority of the health care reform package is pretty good stuff that's non-objectionable.

Will the POTUS ever realize the campaign is over, and he *IS* in charge?

No. He's not that kinda guy -- I've mentioned this before. He truly believes that if you begin a "conversation" on something, then the parties involved can reach the most reasonable conclusion. On the one hand, it's the refreshing touch of an academic. On the other, it's politically naive in my opinion.

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally Posted by Timber Loftis I know this wasn't directed at me, but personally I feel the peoples' belief was/is manipulated heavily by the media here. As I've noted before, the majority of the health care reform package is pretty good stuff that's non-objectionable.

Noted. I attempt to gather news from more than one source, then compare the *core* component of the story, not the spinning heads, wind bagging approach. Recently it appears that many of the media outlets are saying the same thing, just in their rough and gruff, or sugar coated kinda way. Which leads me to believe they are looking for a unified approach to being masters of the puppet.

No. He's not that kinda guy -- I've mentioned this before. He truly believes that if you begin a "conversation" on something, then the parties involved can reach the most reasonable conclusion. On the one hand, it's the refreshing touch of an academic. On the other, it's politically naive in my opinion.

Well put.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Felix The Assassin True to your beliefs, what are your thoughts now with health care reform? It seems the people spoke, and *now* health care reform is not the issue it once was, it seems jobs are the hot talking points. Will the POTUS ever realize the campaign is over, and he *IS* in charge?

What's a soundbyte cycle these days? It's been a while since we had a POTUS who wasn't campaigning fulltime in some sort of way or another.

I'll never get the healthcare system I want my tax dollars to pay for in any practical sense. Still can't tell if it's good or bad we have gotten between no where and anywhere with the current attempt of leglislation and TBH my time to keep track in recent days is limited.

Maybe govt is supposed to be slow and complicated and as such these are nothing more than the days of our lives...

[Timber Loftis]

Like sands through the hourglass...

[John D Harris]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca I don't mind giving public servants like representatives and diplomats perks like some taking family along. I'm not scared of the deficit, we have overcome and so we shall. Little things won't be all that fix it.

I'm not afraid of the deficit either, I'm preparing for it. You're right it won't be the little things that fix it.

[John D Harris]

Originally Posted by machinehead I really really hope you meant bated breath as I'd hate to think what a redneck from Bama is baiting his breath with these days. :1puke:

you can gar-ran-tee it ain't as bad as what you puked-up

[John D Harris]

Originally Posted by Felix The Assassin it seems jobs are the hot talking points.

here is why we need to vote them all out.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/...ex.html?hpt=T1

The president's fiscal 2011 budget, unveiled last week, would direct $50 billion to job creation measures, including clean energy initiatives and road projects. Top Democrats would also like to enact the president's Cash for Caulkers proposal, which would subsidize making homes and buildings more energy efficient. The first job creation bill of the new year, promoted by Sens. Charles Schumer, D-New York, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, aids any private sector employer who hires a worker who's been unemployed for at least 60 days. That employer is absolved of paying the 6.2 percent share of the employee's Social Security payroll tax for the rest of 2010. Also, employers who keep these workers on the payroll continuously for a year would be eligible for a $1,000 tax credit on their 2011 tax returns. Democrats' other measures, however, aren't likely to get as warm a reception from the GOP. Several Republican senators have come out against using TARP bank bailout funds to jump-start lending to small businesses, and against raising taxes on the wealthy. Obama has promoted the idea of boosting small business lending by giving $30 billion in TARP funds to banks and providing these firms with a $5,000 tax credit for each addition to their payrolls.

as one of the few business owners here I can tell you folks right now not a single one of these ideas will do squat. a $1,000 taxes credit for hiring somebody, even not having to pay the employer 6.2% part of SS still will put employers in the hole. Let me explain, if I hire somebody at $7.50 that's $15,000 plus change ayear then I still have to pay the 1.6 medicaid/medicare part. Now in order to pay somebody the $15,000+ I have to increase my sales by $45,000+ just cover their wages. You have to subtract the cost of goods, non wage opperating expenses, taxes, fees, increased untilities, etc. That's just to get $1,000 in tax credits. Without the increase in sales coming first it's like when my wife and I were first married and she come home after shopping proclaiming she had saved me $100. So I said great how'd you save me $100? I bought some clothes that were 1/3 off. Great I said, I didn't know you needed any new clothes....well I didn't but I thought I would save you $100. to which I replied why didn't you save me $200 and not buy something you didn't need.

The idea that small businesses aren't growing because they can't borrow to meet payroll is just dumb. Any business that has to borrow to meet payroll needs to go out of business, period! The idea that borrowing will grow business is equal dumb, any business that borrows first without there being the increased sales to justify the borrowing also needs to go out of business. A business just doesn't borrow to buy new equiptment or expand unless there exsists before the borrowing a reason to grow. You can't borrow demand for a business. If a business has increased sales and they can demonstrate to a bank that they can keep and mantain the sales. The bank will loan them the money, that's how banks make thier money off interest from loans, the banks don't want to go out of business so they'll loan the money to those who can demonstrate they will be able to pay it back.

The Gov't needs to cut spending, and get the Hale out of the way, let the market forces take thier course.