OK...I have a plan to reduce the deficit.

[Defiant1]

Produce a new reality tv show called "Your Last 15 Minutes of Fame".

I bet it would greatly reduce the need for most of our social programs.

 

[onecut39]

I agree that a change is needed but if people wont follow the Constitution why will they follow an Amendment?

An amendment becomes part of the constitution. The bill of rights incudes the first ten AMENDMENTS to the constitution.

 

[rdean]

It will require a Constitutional Amendment that:

1) Would require a National Balanced Budget

2) Would allow deficit spending ONLY in the event of a crisis and would require a 2/3rds majority vote in Congress AND Presidential authorization.

3) Would institute a Value Added Tax, the revenues from which would apply 100% to reducing the deficit.

4) The Value Added Tax would sunset after the deficit was paid off. It could be re-instituted to pay off any new deficit spending that resulted from crisis deficit spending.

5) Would outlaw Value Added Taxes for any other purpose than paying off the deficit.
​

Yes, I know it is difficult to pass a Constitutional amendment, but I see no alternative.

Critique.

That's no plan. That's slogans and sound bytes.

A plan would be like Republican Centerfold Scott Brown applying for Obama's Stimulus money to build a broadband infrastructure in his community to bring thousands of jobs and make all those small companies competitive.

Or Sen. Mitch McConnell who applied for stimulus money to rebuild railroads in Kentucky which would connect communities leading to thousands of new jobs.

Or Rep. Eric Cantor who supplied millions in stimulus money to companies in his area. He even set up at least two job fairs to bring workers in to apply for jobs funded by stimulus money.

Or Republican Deputy Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who applied for stimulus money to build highways in California to connect communities who have been begging or help for 20 years. Connecting these communities will lead to thousands of new jobs.

Or House Minority leader John Boehner who received over 50 grants of stimulus money for contracts to rebuild infrastructure in Ohio who leads to thousands of jobs.

These are "Plans".

Now Republicans are so damn stupid, they will say, "But, but, once the bridge is built, the job is gone". Except now communities are connected. And what do connected communities do. Oh, I hate to have the explain it. It's so obvious. But I will anyway.

Connected communities create commerce. That means jobs. That means revenue. That leads to taxes. That brings down the debt.

Republicans want to stop all that. Their leaders don't, but the sheeple are too damn stupid to figure out how this works. Fuckers.

 

[rdean]

It will require a Constitutional Amendment that:

1) Would require a National Balanced Budget

2) Would allow deficit spending ONLY in the event of a crisis and would require a 2/3rds majority vote in Congress AND Presidential authorization.

3) Would institute a Value Added Tax, the revenues from which would apply 100% to reducing the deficit.

4) The Value Added Tax would sunset after the deficit was paid off. It could be re-instituted to pay off any new deficit spending that resulted from crisis deficit spending.

5) Would outlaw Value Added Taxes for any other purpose than paying off the deficit.
​

Yes, I know it is difficult to pass a Constitutional amendment, but I see no alternative.

Critique.

That's no plan. That's slogans and sound bytes.

A plan would be like Republican Centerfold Scott Brown applying for Obama's Stimulus money to build a broadband infrastructure in his community to bring thousands of jobs and make all those small companies competitive.

Or Sen. Mitch McConnell who applied for stimulus money to rebuild railroads in Kentucky which would connect communities leading to thousands of new jobs.

Or Rep. Eric Cantor who supplied millions in stimulus money to companies in his area. He even set up at least two job fairs to bring workers in to apply for jobs funded by stimulus money.

Or Republican Deputy Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who applied for stimulus money to build highways in California to connect communities who have been begging or help for 20 years. Connecting these communities will lead to thousands of new jobs.

Or House Minority leader John Boehner who received over 50 grants of stimulus money for contracts to rebuild infrastructure in Ohio who leads to thousands of jobs.

These are "Plans".

Now Republicans are so damn stupid, they will say, "But, but, once the bridge is built, the job is gone". Except now communities are connected. And what do connected communities do. Oh, I hate to have the explain it. It's so obvious. But I will anyway.

Connected communities create commerce. That means jobs. That means revenue. That leads to taxes. That brings down the debt.

Republicans want to stop all that. Their leaders don't, but the sheeple are too damn stupid to figure out how this works. Fuckers.

Oh man, I'm sorry. I did it again.

As soon as I start throwing around "facts" it kills another thread. It's almost embarrassing. Almost.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Why must we deficit spend?

It's the ultimate fiscal irresponsibility.

If you have something you feel is important to spend the money on, free up the money by eliminating other expenditures.

Keep in mind too, that several states have balanced budget requirements in their constitutions and they simply didn't adhere to it.

I'm not giving these mother fuckers one inch, because they will take a mile.

Sometimes one must spend money they don't have, for example, if your roof leaks and you don't have the money to repair/replace should you 1) put buckets in the house; 2) pray it doesn't rain; 3) borrow the money to repair/replace the roof; 4) do nothing and wait until you've saved enough?

 

[Wry Catcher]

What we need to do is...

1) Outlaw Pork Barrel Spending.

2) Outlaw Lobbyists.

3) Abolish the IRS.

4) Enact either a Flat Tax or a Fair Tax. Either will work.

5) Term limits.

6) Start deporting all Illegal Aliens by means of attrition.

7) End all foreign wars and occupations.

Our problems will virtually start eroding over night.

Wow, a tea party platform: simple solutons for complex issues.

 

[Sallow]

It will require a Constitutional Amendment that:

1) Would require a National Balanced Budget

2) Would allow deficit spending ONLY in the event of a crisis and would require a 2/3rds majority vote in Congress AND Presidential authorization.

3) Would institute a Value Added Tax, the revenues from which would apply 100% to reducing the deficit.

4) The Value Added Tax would sunset after the deficit was paid off. It could be re-instituted to pay off any new deficit spending that resulted from crisis deficit spending.

5) Would outlaw Value Added Taxes for any other purpose than paying off the deficit.
​

Yes, I know it is difficult to pass a Constitutional amendment, but I see no alternative.

Critique.

Aside from the amendment..not bad.

 

[Avatar4321]

I've got a better plan

CUT SPENDING!

 

[Paulie]

Why must we deficit spend?

It's the ultimate fiscal irresponsibility.

If you have something you feel is important to spend the money on, free up the money by eliminating other expenditures.

Keep in mind too, that several states have balanced budget requirements in their constitutions and they simply didn't adhere to it.

I'm not giving these mother fuckers one inch, because they will take a mile.

Sometimes one must spend money they don't have, for example, if your roof leaks and you don't have the money to repair/replace should you 1) put buckets in the house; 2) pray it doesn't rain; 3) borrow the money to repair/replace the roof; 4) do nothing and wait until you've saved enough?

I don't know...

Do I have the legal power to go around taking percentages of other people's income?

If yes, then I don't have to borrow. I can cut costs elsewhere while I take 30% of your paycheck.

 

[LiberalNut]

Macro-economically speaking, requiring a balanced budget at the federal level would be about the stupidest fucking thing you could possibly do. In a recession, you would have the government cutting spending and/or increasing taxes and that's exactly what you shouldn't do.

I swear, it's like these people never heard of the Great Depression.

 

[Cuyo]

It will require a Constitutional Amendment that:

1) Would require a National Balanced Budget

2) Would allow deficit spending ONLY in the event of a crisis and would require a 2/3rds majority vote in Congress AND Presidential authorization.

3) Would institute a Value Added Tax, the revenues from which would apply 100% to reducing the deficit.

4) The Value Added Tax would sunset after the deficit was paid off. It could be re-instituted to pay off any new deficit spending that resulted from crisis deficit spending.

5) Would outlaw Value Added Taxes for any other purpose than paying off the deficit.
​

Yes, I know it is difficult to pass a Constitutional amendment, but I see no alternative.

Critique.

The snag with that is that there'd be grave disagreement on what constitutes a crisis. Would you consider the current situation a crisis?

 

[LiberalNut]

I've got a better plan

CUT SPENDING!

That's not a plan, that's a catch phrase. The deficit is 1.29 billion this year, give or take a few hundred million. Please show me where in the federal budget you are going to come up with this much spending to cut. Remember, Social Security has it's own revenue stream that almost every year runs a surplus.

Good luck.

I won't be holding my breath.

 

[Avatar4321]

Macro-economically speaking, requiring a balanced budget at the federal level would be about the stupidest fucking thing you could possibly do. In a recession, you would have the government cutting spending and/or increasing taxes and that's exactly what you shouldn't do.

I swear, it's like these people never heard of the Great Depression.

Yeah, cause it only took us 12 years to get out of with with all that government spending.

Now that Depression 0f 1920. That was a depression. But it was also gone within a year because the government cut taxes and cut spending, then got out of the freaking way.

 

[Cuyo]

I've got a better plan

CUT SPENDING!

Where? And what to do with the resulting bump in unemployment?

It's never as easy as the latest Slogan Avvy...

 

[LiberalNut]

cause it only took us 12 years to get out of with with all that government spending.

Wrong. The Great Depression ended in March of 1933. There was however another recession in 1937

http://www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html

 

[Gadawg73]

You do not want to balance the budget.
All you have to do is raise the age of retirement to age 70 mandatory, never earlier, enact a means test for Medicare (paying the health care costs for wealthy retirees is criminal) and end all tax credits for those that pay no income tax (EIC and all the rest).
Budget would balance in 3 years.
And no one is willing to do any of that.
There are no conservatives over the age of 62 or in AARP, the largest street gang in America.

 

[Cuyo]

What we need to do is...

1) Outlaw Pork Barrel Spending.

2) Outlaw Lobbyists.

3) Abolish the IRS.

4) Enact either a Flat Tax or a Fair Tax. Either will work.

5) Term limits.

6) Start deporting all Illegal Aliens by means of attrition.

7) End all foreign wars and occupations.

Our problems will virtually start eroding over night.

That's ridiculous on so many levels.

 

[Sallow]

Macro-economically speaking, requiring a balanced budget at the federal level would be about the stupidest fucking thing you could possibly do. In a recession, you would have the government cutting spending and/or increasing taxes and that's exactly what you shouldn't do.

I swear, it's like these people never heard of the Great Depression.

Wait a minute.

Aside from the Constitutional Amendment thing..something like this might not be such a bad idea. And it makes sense from a Keynesian perspective.

Clinton had "Paygo" which Bush pretty much got rid of..when it expired in 2002.

Had there been some sort of "Balanced Budget" law or rule..when Bush rammed those tax cuts through in 2003, they would have had to have really done some numbers crunching into how it was going to be paid for..that is..if you get rid of a revenue stream, what are you cutting..or introducing to make up for it.

Same with the two wars. How are they going to be paid for? Or the Medicare drug benefit? Or Homeland security? Or any number of things.

Simple as this sounds..it doesn't ignore the fact there are times that you may have to get a new way of funding something..hence the VAT.

It's not far-fetched..and it's a good starting point for discussion. No plan is perfect at it's first iteration.

 

[LiberalNut]

Yeah, well, the OP started with the Balanced Budget Amendment and that my friend is idiocy.

 

[The T]

Macro-economically speaking, requiring a balanced budget at the federal level would be about the stupidest fucking thing you could possibly do. In a recession, you would have the government cutting spending and/or increasing taxes and that's exactly what you shouldn't do.

I swear, it's like these people never heard of the Great Depression.

Yeah, cause it only took us 12 years to get out of with with all that government spending.

Now that Depression 0f 1920. That was a depression. But it was also gone within a year because the government cut taxes and cut spending, then got out of the freaking way.

History is lost on these idiots.