A Modest Proposal...

[Billiejeens]

Bump

 

[JoeB131]

The Government is the worst possible choice for healthcare.

Really? So you are going to forgo Medicare and try to find a private carrier that will insure your ass when you are sixty-five?

Good luck with that.

 

[JoeB131]

The GOP house and Senate will no doubt vote to raise the debt ceiling rather than allow the USA to default which would have devastating economic implications for us all. But the GOP will almost certainly demand concessions by rescinding some of the more onerous items in spending bills like those 87k IRS agents, transgender studies in Pakistan, a walking trail named for Michelle Obama, etc. etc. etc. that no taxpayers wants or needs and the federal government should not be spending.

Honestly, if these are the worst things that you are worried about, then your priorities are pretty messed up.

 

[Foxfyre]

Honestly, if these are the worst things that you are worried about, then your priorities are pretty messed up.

This week neighbors carried in groceries to an elderly widow that is barely subsisting in the cruel inflationary climate created or at least seriously exacerbated by the people you support. If you think transgender studies in Pakistan are more important than helping those in serious trouble right here at home, then that's on you.

I'm pretty sure I have my priorities straight.

 

[Independentthinker]

There is a lot of talk about the rich paying their "fair share".

But, instead of squeezing more money out of those who create the wealth, we start getting it back from those who spend it.

If a Billionaire's spouse is pissing away their money, do you punish the Billionaire, or the spouse?

The Roman Senate was made of rich men, well-connected men, who could only control with the will of their constituents. In order to get get the good will of those people, they created public works and welfare programs with their own money. That money kept them in power and allowed them to keep the people happy while they got their slice of every deal.

Our modern-day legislators have improved on that situation. They don't use their own money to buy our obedience ... they use OUR OWN MONEY. We are actually paying them, to give us things we want and they take their cut of the "gifts" they bestow on us.

Here is a proposal. Instead of increasing taxes on the rich, or the middle class, or the poor, or "corporations" ... we institute a tax on the people actually pissing our money away ... members of Congress.

So, I propose we tax every member of Congress $10 for every million dollars they propose adding to the budget. Every time a legislators proposes we build a Billion dollar train or give a Billion dollars to soy farmers, that legislator gets taxed $10,000.

In 2022, the US Budget expenditure was just over $6.3 TRILLION, or $6,300 BILLION, or $6,300,000 MILLION.

$6.3 TRILLION of our money spent by them on things we demand (and a lot of thing we don't).

There are currently 535 legislators in both houses of Congress. If they collectively propose a $6.3 TRILLION budget, each of them (if they make equal demands on the taxpayer's wallet) gets taxed $117,757 ... or $63,000,000 annually from Congress. The more pork a Congress-person slips into the budget, the more tax he or she pays. Budget conscious and fiscally responsible legislators pay less tax.

I'll have to say, half of your post was brilliant and prophetic, while the other half kind of slipped out of reality into the Twilight Zone.

 

[fncceo]

Am I the only poster who was expecting this thread to be about eating Irish children?

Thank you, Mr. Swift.

 

[ReinyDays]

Interesting concept but I have a personal moral problem taxing an elected leader that did not vote for these monstrosities of spending bills.

Congress has to deal with the debt ceiling tomorrow by either raising it or cutting all programs across the board which means those living on social security would have devastating losses to their incomes and the USA would default on some of its debt.

The GOP house and Senate will no doubt vote to raise the debt ceiling rather than allow the USA to default which would have devastating economic implications for us all. But the GOP will almost certainly demand concessions by rescinding some of the more onerous items in spending bills like those 87k IRS agents, transgender studies in Pakistan, a walking trail named for Michelle Obama, etc. etc. etc. that no taxpayers wants or needs and the federal government should not be spending.

It's anybody's guess whether they will get those concessions. The Democrat controlled Senate would have to agree and Biden would have to sign the legislation.

As of this morning, the U.S. debt totals almost $100k for every U.S. citizen and if assigned to just taxpayers, is approaching $300k or more than many of their entire net worth.

We cannot continue spending like the Democrats have spent. Any educated person knows taxing the rich more when they already pay the lion's share of taxes will only hurt the poorer in fewer jobs and benefits, lower salaries.

We need a Congress with integrity. I don't think we have one yet.

THAT is NOT optimistic ... I cry false advertising ...

We can only cut programs that can lawfully be cut ... SS is an entitlement ... we collected that money with a promise, and we have to fulfill that promise ... and defaulting on debt is unconstitutional, we have to pay our debts ...

The last House couldn't manage even one appropriations bill ... will this House do any better? ... stop the CRs, let the non-essential government offices shut down ... during a serious labor shortage is a great time to dump the unneeded government workers ...

 

[Foxfyre]

THAT is NOT optimistic ... I cry false advertising ...

We can only cut programs that can lawfully be cut ... SS is an entitlement ... we collected that money with a promise, and we have to fulfill that promise ... and defaulting on debt is unconstitutional, we have to pay our debts ...

The last House couldn't manage even one appropriations bill ... will this House do any better? ... stop the CRs, let the non-essential government offices shut down ... during a serious labor shortage is a great time to dump the unneeded government workers ...

I don't think you realize what you're asking for here. For the U.S. government to default on its debt would have terrible effect on the U.S. economy and also global impact. Obama's irresponsibility cost us our stellar credit rating in 2011 but we were able to regain it in a relative short period of time. To default on our debt would mean the U.S. would lose its credit rating and likely not be able to borrow from anybody except maybe some wealthy countries charging usurious interest rates or demanding concessions that would hurt us for generations.

But we could eliminate a lot of the most irresponsible spending in that obscene 1.7T omnibus bill if the Democrats would just concede that as the responsible thing to do.

 

[JoeB131]

This week neighbors carried in groceries to an elderly widow that is barely subsisting in the cruel inflationary climate created or at least seriously exacerbated by the people you support. If you think transgender studies in Pakistan are more important than helping those in serious trouble right here at home, then that's on you.

I think the government can Chew Gum and Walk.
We can do both.

We have inflation because Trump and Obama didn't do what Biden is having to do now a lot more harshly, and that was raise interest rates to cool economic activity. It really has nothing to do with "transgender studies in Pakistan" or hiking trails named after Michelle Obama, which you apparently consider the worst things ever.

 

[Foxfyre]

I think the government can Chew Gum and Walk.
We can do both.

We have inflation because Trump and Obama didn't do what Biden is having to do now a lot more harshly, and that was raise interest rates to cool economic activity. It really has nothing to do with "transgender studies in Pakistan" or hiking trails named after Michelle Obama, which you apparently consider the worst things ever.

You cannot blame this inflation on Trump and Obama. At all. It isn't all Biden's fault either but he and the Democrats damn sure have exacerbated it instead of fiscal policy that would have allowed it to naturally subside. That is 100% their fault and a few Republicans, most who were leaving anyway, who voted for these insane bills.

If you think transgender studies in Pakistan are something the American taxpayer should be funding at this time, so be it. There are mega millions wasted in stupid stuff like that. I think it is criminal when we have so many Americans struggling just to keep a roof over their heads and a bit of food on the table and not one penny was allocated to stop the invasion of thousands of migrants illegally crossing our border every single day.

 

[zaangalewa]

OhPleaseJustQuit

What for heavens sake do you "disagree" with in the last three cases here where you used this message? And by the way: What is your nationality?

 

[pknopp]

I don't think you realize what you're asking for here. For the U.S. government to default on its debt would have terrible effect on the U.S. economy and also global impact. Obama's irresponsibility cost us our stellar credit rating in 2011 but we were able to regain it in a relative short period of time. To default on our debt would mean the U.S. would lose its credit rating and likely not be able to borrow from anybody except maybe some wealthy countries charging usurious interest rates or demanding concessions that would hurt us for generations.

But we could eliminate a lot of the most irresponsible spending in that obscene 1.7T omnibus bill if the Democrats would just concede that as the responsible thing to do.

Can we cancel McConnells bridge?

 

[pknopp]

I think the government can Chew Gum and Walk.
We can do both.

We have inflation because Trump and Obama didn't do what Biden is having to do now a lot more harshly, and that was raise interest rates to cool economic activity. It really has nothing to do with "transgender studies in Pakistan" or hiking trails named after Michelle Obama, which you apparently consider the worst things ever.

Biden doesn't control interest rates.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

OhPleaseJustQuit

What for heavens sake do you "disagree" with in the last three cases here where you used this message? And by the way: What is your nationality?

.


Personal information. None of your fucking business.



.

 

[candycorn]

Who creates the products and services on which the consumers spend?

The corporations that pay no taxes.

 

[zaangalewa]

.


Personal information. None of your fucking business.



.

You don t know what you disagree with? How to disagree with a question for example - what you did do in one of this three cases?

And by the way: The political party "the democrats" of the USA (1792/1828 - xxxx) and the Nazis (political party NSDAP 1920 -1945) have absolutelly nothing to do with each other. The Nazis had been enemies specially of the German democracy and in general of all democracies ... ¿like you? ...

 

[JoeB131]

You cannot blame this inflation on Trump and Obama. At all. It isn't all Biden's fault either but he and the Democrats damn sure have exacerbated it instead of fiscal policy that would have allowed it to naturally subside. That is 100% their fault and a few Republicans, most who were leaving anyway, who voted for these insane bills.

Bullshit.

Here's what the two main drivers of inflation are. 1) Increases in costs of commodities (particularly petroleum, but also metals, etc.) on a global scale, and 2) the labor shortage in the US driving wage increases.

Now the former was caused largely by Covid and how badly Trump fucked that up. Demand went down for commodities, and then sprung right back up again. Now those commodity markets are stabilizing or even going down. The labor issue, however, is more complex.

The Labor participation rate has been dropping since 2011, when the Baby Boomers started retiring en masse. At the same time, we made it harder to replace them with foreign workers because too many white people lived in mortal fear that their daughters might start dating Mexicans. What should have happened in the Teens was that interest rates should have been increased once unemployment dropped below 5%, but it wasn't. Everyone loved bragging about low unemployment, without realizing that if it stays too low for too long, eventually, you have companies poaching each others employees and you are paying someone $20.00 an hour to flip burgers.

If you think transgender studies in Pakistan are something the American taxpayer should be funding at this time, so be it. There are mega millions wasted in stupid stuff like that. I think it is criminal when we have so many Americans struggling just to keep a roof over their heads and a bit of food on the table and not one penny was allocated to stop the invasion of thousands of migrants illegally crossing our border every single day.

Okay, maybe you should educate yourself. The package you whine about was a $25MM aid package to encourage democracy and women's rights in Pakistan. Um, this is actually a GOOD thing. The last thing you want is Pakistan to go the way of Afghanistan, because the have 20 times as many people and nukes. So we really do have kind of a vested interest in promoting democracy and women's rights in Pakistan. Oh, and it was approved under Trump.

US Congress clears $25 million for democracy, gender programmes in Pakistan

The US Congress on Tuesday approved USD 25 million civilian aid package for Pakistan to strengthen democracy and promote women's rights in the South Asian country

www.business-standard.com

But by your logic, I guess, we should wait until the Taliban takes over Pakistan. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Biden doesn't control interest rates.

You think Powell would be raising interest rates if Biden was opposed?
Now, I have mixed feelings on the interest rate thing. Fortunately, I locked in my mortgages before they jacked up this high.

But I question the wisdom of trying to control inflation on the backs of working people, to be honest. This is what Carter and Reagan did back in the 1980's, and it was devastating for the middle class. I also question if it would work. The 1980's strategy worked because Baby Boomers were entering the workforce, but now they are leaving it.

 

[sparky]

We need a Congress with integrity. I don't think we have one yet.

Having skin in the game, being remunerated via performance might actually amount to bona fide representation

~S~

 

[pknopp]

You think Powell would be raising interest rates if Biden was opposed?

Yes.

Now, I have mixed feelings on the interest rate thing. Fortunately, I locked in my mortgages before they jacked up this high.

But I question the wisdom of trying to control inflation on the backs of working people, to be honest. This is what Carter and Reagan did back in the 1980's, and it was devastating for the middle class. I also question if it would work. The 1980's strategy worked because Baby Boomers were entering the workforce, but now they are leaving it.

FREE MONEY!!!!

 

[Foxfyre]

Can we cancel McConnells bridge?

We can and should cancel absolutely every program, project, expenditure that is not necessary, useful, beneficial to all the people in all 50 states and/or should never be the prerogative of the federal government.