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From your search and from the highly esteemed MSNBC:
From your search and from the highly esteemed MSNBC:
Stimulus won't touch most troubled bridges - US news - Life - msnbc.com
Tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads, an Associated Press analysis shows.
for what its worth, one poll.
Giethner has been massaging the actual drop dead date.
Look for more of that based on whether Obama thinks he winning the argument or not.
Americans Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling, 47% to 19%
Thirty-four percent don't know enough about the issue to say
by Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist
PRINCETON, NJ -- By a 47% to 19% margin, Americans say they would want their member of Congress to vote against raising the U.S. debt ceiling, while 34% don't know enough to say. Republicans oppose raising the debt ceiling by 70% to 8% and independents by 46% to 15%. Democrats favor raising the ceiling by 33% to 26%.
May 2011: Americans' Feelings About Raising the Federal Debt Ceiling, Among All Americans and by Party ID
These results are based on a May 5-8 Gallup poll, which asked Americans about the issue but did not offer reasons for or against raising the debt ceiling. The Congress is generally expected to pass debt ceiling legislation, although it is unclear what additional provisions will be needed in order to secure passage.
Majority of Americans Are Following Debt Ceiling Issue
A majority of Americans (57%) say they are closely following the news about "discussions to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, the maximum amount of money the U.S. government can borrow by law." Republicans are following the issue more closely than are Democrats and independents; upper-income Americans are following it more closely than lower-income Americans; and those with a postgraduate education more so than those with a high school education or less.
Americans Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling, 47% to 19%
thoughts of mine-
a)theres a LOT of room for persuasion in that 34%, Obama needs them, badly.
b)the number of Indies at 46% is big and the one Obama will be watching as well.
c) the dems will lose the argument, and they will lose it becasue they cannot be flexible, they are are ideologically wed to entitlements and distributional gov. machinations...thats not a knock, it is what it is folks.
They will lose the Public Opinion battle becasue no matter what games they play, they have offered NOTHING substantive as in, logical and serious as to cuts and NOTHING in the biggest and most meaningful area for cuts, that we all know exists- entitlements......even if one disagrees with a/the rep plan, or suggestions for cits, they, have offered one and they are seen as the drivers right now to contain costs etc etc etc..this is resonating, like it or not.
People, namely indies and centrist dems will and appear to be already there or trending ) get tired of the games of the political BS, blaming the reps for wanting to kill granny, rob SS etc etc etc .... this won't fly the way it did in the 90's, the circumstances are way to dire and everyone but the 20% or so ( which exist on each side) who are party whores, knows it.
Which is why it was so popular. I know of nothing we have got for Obama stimulus except a pile of bills.
I don't think anyone is actually foolish enough to oppose raising the ceiling. I think a more honest question would be posed as "do you oppose raising the debt ceiling without real and substantial cuts in government spending"
Too many poll questions resemble that "have you stopped beating your wife" kinds of things where you can't give a rational answer
Unfortunately, however, the Gallup question was not posed like that. So that's an indication, as I said, that most people don't understand that the debt ceiling means we've reached the ceiling already and that's existing debt commitment that MUST be paid, not future debt.
for what its worth, one poll.
Giethner has been massaging the actual drop dead date.
Look for more of that based on whether Obama thinks he winning the argument or not.
Americans Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling, 47% to 19%
Thirty-four percent don't know enough about the issue to say
by Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist
PRINCETON, NJ -- By a 47% to 19% margin, Americans say they would want their member of Congress to vote against raising the U.S. debt ceiling, while 34% don't know enough to say. Republicans oppose raising the debt ceiling by 70% to 8% and independents by 46% to 15%. Democrats favor raising the ceiling by 33% to 26%.
May 2011: Americans' Feelings About Raising the Federal Debt Ceiling, Among All Americans and by Party ID
These results are based on a May 5-8 Gallup poll, which asked Americans about the issue but did not offer reasons for or against raising the debt ceiling. The Congress is generally expected to pass debt ceiling legislation, although it is unclear what additional provisions will be needed in order to secure passage.
Majority of Americans Are Following Debt Ceiling Issue
A majority of Americans (57%) say they are closely following the news about "discussions to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, the maximum amount of money the U.S. government can borrow by law." Republicans are following the issue more closely than are Democrats and independents; upper-income Americans are following it more closely than lower-income Americans; and those with a postgraduate education more so than those with a high school education or less.
Americans Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling, 47% to 19%
thoughts of mine-
a)theres a LOT of room for persuasion in that 34%, Obama needs them, badly.
b)the number of Indies at 46% is big and the one Obama will be watching as well.
c) the dems will lose the argument, and they will lose it becasue they cannot be flexible, they are are ideologically wed to entitlements and distributional gov. machinations...thats not a knock, it is what it is folks.
They will lose the Public Opinion battle becasue no matter what games they play, they have offered NOTHING substantive as in, logical and serious as to cuts and NOTHING in the biggest and most meaningful area for cuts, that we all know exists- entitlements......even if one disagrees with a/the rep plan, or suggestions for cits, they, have offered one and they are seen as the drivers right now to contain costs etc etc etc..this is resonating, like it or not.
People, namely indies and centrist dems will and appear to be already there or trending ) get tired of the games of the political BS, blaming the reps for wanting to kill granny, rob SS etc etc etc .... this won't fly the way it did in the 90's, the circumstances are way to dire and everyone but the 20% or so ( which exist on each side) who are party whores, knows it.
I don't think anyone is actually foolish enough to oppose raising the ceiling. I think a more honest question would be posed as "do you oppose raising the debt ceiling without real and substantial cuts in government spending"
Too many poll questions resemble that "have you stopped beating your wife" kinds of things where you can't give a rational answer
Unfortunately, however, the Gallup question was not posed like that. So that's an indication, as I said, that most people don't understand that the debt ceiling means we've reached the ceiling already and that's existing debt commitment that MUST be paid, not future debt.
I have to differ. they posed a dumb question and I am sure the respondents knew the reality and gave an in your face answer.
The reality is the debt is going to go up, but their will have to be concessions made by the powers in Washington before they do. This essentially means the republicans can hold the democrats feet to the fire until they get meaningful spending concessions.
The very first effect will be interest rates on treasury bills will rise substantially. In fact, they are already rising this week. Who in their right mind is going to invest in treasuries when default can only be avoided if Democrats and Republicans work together.But what happens if we don't raise the debt ceiling? We would still have $2.17 trillion dollars in revenue coming from taxes.
That money could be used for debt payments ($205 billion) and paying Social Security ($741 billion), Medicare ($488 billion), and Medicaid ($276 billion),
What lawmakers don't like is that they would only be left with $395 billion for other programs. That means they would have to cut programs including defense which this year alone is $719 billion. That does not include the cost of Veterans' care, which totals another $124 billion.
Here's what you need to know.
We are adding 3 billion dollars a day to our debt which is now larger than the entire economies of China, the United Kingdom and Australia combined.
The bottom line is that we have to stop borrowing money to pay for borrowed money. You and I can't live that way in our households, and our nation can't live that way either.
Sources:
RealClearPolitics - The Truth About the Debt Ceiling and Default
RUGY & FICHTNER: Don't raise the debt ceiling - Washington Times
Voters Underestimate How Much U.S. Spends on Defense - Rasmussen Reports
Kirk warns Congress may punt on debt ceiling - POLITICO Live - POLITICO.com
So our bills would still get paid.
We just won't be able to BORROW more money.
Can someone explain why that is a BAD thing?
From your search and from the highly esteemed MSNBC:
Stimulus won't touch most troubled bridges - US news - Life - msnbc.com
Tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads, an Associated Press analysis shows.
So? Obviously they couldn't ALL be fixed or repaired out of the stimulus money. But many were. According to this site, it would cost $9.4 billion every year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. Notice the title infers "INVESTMENT" in our infrastructure. Why must it be federal or state governments that are just expected to make the "investment" in the first place? Where's the private sector? Seems to me the country could get back on track within a year if private builders took on the major task of fixing our entire infrastructure, not just bridges.
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From your search and from the highly esteemed MSNBC:
Stimulus won't touch most troubled bridges - US news - Life - msnbc.com
Tens of thousands of unsafe or decaying bridges carrying 100 million drivers a day must wait for repairs because states are spending stimulus money on spans that are already in good shape or on easier projects like repaving roads, an Associated Press analysis shows.
So? Obviously they couldn't ALL be fixed or repaired out of the stimulus money. But many were. According to this site, it would cost $9.4 billion every year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. Notice the title infers "INVESTMENT" in our infrastructure. Why must it be federal or state governments that are just expected to make the "investment" in the first place? Where's the private sector? Seems to me the country could get back on track within a year if private builders took on the major task of fixing our entire infrastructure, not just bridges.
Powered by Google Docs
So cut some of the pet entitlement programs.
Quit paying John to not work. Quit paying Fred to not farm. Quit giving Sue a pay raise in her welfare every time she has another kid.
Then, maybe, these projects can find their way back into our regular budget and we won't need special stimulus funds for shit that should be done
But what happens if we don't raise the debt ceiling? We would still have $2.17 trillion dollars in revenue coming from taxes.
That money could be used for debt payments ($205 billion) and paying Social Security ($741 billion), Medicare ($488 billion), and Medicaid ($276 billion),
What lawmakers don't like is that they would only be left with $395 billion for other programs. That means they would have to cut programs including defense which this year alone is $719 billion. That does not include the cost of Veterans' care, which totals another $124 billion.
Here's what you need to know.
We are adding 3 billion dollars a day to our debt which is now larger than the entire economies of China, the United Kingdom and Australia combined.
The bottom line is that we have to stop borrowing money to pay for borrowed money. You and I can't live that way in our households, and our nation can't live that way either.
Sources:
RealClearPolitics - The Truth About the Debt Ceiling and Default
RUGY & FICHTNER: Don't raise the debt ceiling - Washington Times
Voters Underestimate How Much U.S. Spends on Defense - Rasmussen Reports
Kirk warns Congress may punt on debt ceiling - POLITICO Live - POLITICO.com
So our bills would still get paid.
We just won't be able to BORROW more money.
Can someone explain why that is a BAD thing?
What are your predictions of the impact on the global economy and our own?
CHAOS. Probably a total collapse of the banking system here in the United States and to a lesser degree abroad. People taking wheelbarrows full of money to the store to buy bread. The formentation of revolution and utter anarchy in the short-term, hopefully leading to a new government and leadership of a much more Conservative variety taking control afterwards.
THEN could we *lower* the debt ceiling?!!So? Obviously they couldn't ALL be fixed or repaired out of the stimulus money. But many were. According to this site, it would cost $9.4 billion every year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. Notice the title infers "INVESTMENT" in our infrastructure. Why must it be federal or state governments that are just expected to make the "investment" in the first place? Where's the private sector? Seems to me the country could get back on track within a year if private builders took on the major task of fixing our entire infrastructure, not just bridges.
Powered by Google Docs
So cut some of the pet entitlement programs.
Quit paying John to not work. Quit paying Fred to not farm. Quit giving Sue a pay raise in her welfare every time she has another kid.
Then, maybe, these projects can find their way back into our regular budget and we won't need special stimulus funds for shit that should be done
How about closing some 500 or so American military bases around the world, cutting the defense budget by half, cutting subsidies and grants for big oil and funding the IRS to collect some 300 billion in back or unpaid taxes?
That would save or retrieve over a trillion dollars in ONE YEAR.
