Major government policy processes, including the ongoing debate over the nation’s finances, resemble icebergs. The things we see on the surface—the congenial handshakes, hard-edged rhetoric and leaks to favored journalists—mask two other levels of activity.
The lowest, and most hidden, level is the one inhabited by the analysts who work out of windowless government offices; or slightly plusher digs if they work for a lobbyist, trade organization, university or think tank. These people are working the green spreadsheets, trying to model various combinations of taxes, spending and economic growth, in order to estimate how all the proposals bouncing around publically and privately will actually affect the federal budget over the next several years. They are the keepers of the estimates, assumptions and simplifications that tell us how likely we are to reach whatever budget goal their directors are trying to reach. Their work matters: let me assume 4% annual real GDP growth for the next decade, and I can make some pretty outlandish proposals smell like roses.
In between those two layers lie the real negotiations among the Congressional and executive leadership. It’s here, in what once were smoke-filled rooms, where the deals get cut. Sometimes, during the dealmaking process, this layer of ice rises up to the surface, allowing journalists, bloggers, chief economists, and just about everyone else to react to elements of a proposed deal. This is one of those times. Though I can’t say that I’m invited to these negotiations, we can infer a few things from changes in what’s above the surface.
Over the past week or so, for example, Republican leaders have been shifting their ground on the issue of upper-income tax increases. House Speaker John Boehner still maintains his opposition to tax rate increases, but he’s become less adamant about using his House majority to block them. Put that shift in the context of the steady post-election rise in President Obama’s approval ratings and the interplay among the policymaking levels becomes clearer. I think it’s significant that Speaker Boehner reassigned House committee chairs away from several Tea Party Republicans and toward more centrist representatives. Similarly, Senator Jim DeMint’s decision to resign and promote his firmly conservative stance from a conservative think tank suggests that, balance of Congressional power has shifted toward the political center and acceptance of some aspects of the president’s tax agenda. (Hearing about Senator DeMint’s decision to resign reminded me of LBJ’s colorful (and not repeatable on this blog) comment about what he’d want his enemies to do from inside the tent pointing out rather than from outside the tent pointing in.) Senator DeMint seems to have stepped outside and may prove to be an irritant to both Democrats and Republicans who stay behind.
I doubt that the Republican Congressional leadership will be able to deliver the votes needed to reach a majority in the House and to close off debate for a vote in the Senate unless the President gives ground on expensive programs such as Medicare. Recently, Obama has hinted that he would compromise. For reasons I have trouble understanding, many liberals object to means testing—higher costs for higher incomes—for programs such as Social Security and Medicare, though this might be a place for compromise.
All that says to me is that higher income folks should be expecting higher taxes and getting smaller government benefits. Just how much remains an open question. I read recent headlines about specific percentages at specific marginal income levels to be tip-of-the-iceberg, headline grabbers, aimed at testing public and interest group opinion rather than actual policy objectives, but the overall message is clear, be prepared for more taxes and less stuff. Many of us are likely to be increasingly dependent on our own means, and particularly our investment returns, to make up the difference.
***
WEBC.121212
What I don’t understand is why Republicans don’t proffer some minimum concessions to Obama, let him have a tiny amount of what he wants, and let him know that this is the limit, no more. What Obama wants is miniscule in comparison to what’s needed to get us out of this mess. Assuming Obama accepts these minimum concessions and signs it, then when the system crashes, as it surely will, they’ll be nobody to blame except good ‘ole Barack.
I like that you put this piece out. Important subject to have Webmans’ insight on. It is important to me as an RIA to keep up with this kind of news and Webman does it about as well possible.
I do not agree that high income people should be penilized for advancing themselves to the position they hold. They worked for where they are. They have contributed to SS in propotion to their income and therefore should be entitled to their share. SS is not a government benefit as all people, wage earners or self employed, have contributed and up to a point are receiving their own money back. Tax SS recepients only after their SS income exceeds their basis.If senators and house representives should have to follow the same rules as the rest of us,they would make their decisions from a different view point.
I do not understand our congress. They were elected in and then do nothing. They should all be fired or recalled. Maybe, just maybe there are humans in the USA with more intelligence than the ones there including the President. Speaker of the house is trying so hard but met with deaf ears. Listen to him he is smarter that all of you.
I cannot understand why the money cannot be taken from unnecessary studies, grants, etc instead from military, Homeland Security, medicare, etc. How many times did I hear “well a few million dollars would not amount to much”; however, awards such as the one to the “green” company that went bankrupt immediately, could be added up to a great sum of dollars.
I wouldn’t trust the stock market to deliver returns. NOT UNLESS THE GET RID OF THOSE TRADING MACHINES THAT DO THOUSANANDS OF TRADES A SECOND. (THEY SHAVE MONEY OFF YOUR ACCOUNTS WHEN THEY BUY AND AGAIN WHEN THEY SELL.) I see a recsession coming. When defense is cut, states like Texas, Cali and Virginia will have retirees losing a lot of income and they will not be shopping or going out much. Neither will anyone else. A lot of restaurant, taxi, transportation and entertaiment establishments will be affected negatively. MUCH HIGHER TAXES AND LESS BENEFITS DO NOT A RECOVERY MAKE.
The reason “liberals” oppose means testing for Social Security is not obscure. You bought it, it’s a product. You should receive what you paid for. That’s not rocket science. Social Security does not and has not contributed one penney to the deficit, it cannot do so and the law is written to prevent it from ever doing so. If Congress allows benefits to rise too high and the trust fund has cashed in all of the bonds it has bought, then checks will be reduced to reflect this. Not one penny over income can be spent by the SSA without modifications to the law being passed by Congress. That’s the truth, and this is probably the first time most of your readers have ever seen it. Look at your paycheck, people, there is a separate line item called “Social Security”. That’s what goes to the SSA, just like any other insurance annuity you would buy over time. The schmuxperts who claim SS is somehow “bankrupt” don’t ever bother to mention that by their means of accounting EVERY INSURANCE COMPANY ON THE PLANET IS BANKRUPT. Yet somehow the insurance companies have the largest and most elegant offices and buildings in every major city in America. How can they do that if they are all bankrupt? But if you try to calculate present value of every policy, without including future income, you’ll claim that everyone is broke. Ridiculous, but politicians love the fuss over SS, because it distracts from real problems, so they never correct anyone.
I am so tired of the attention grabbing, it is as if thats all they want. In my humble opinion anyone who makes more that 20,000 a month should be able to pay more in taxes. Saying that, I don’t know how much they are already taxed, but I do know that my two hard working college educated kids pay more than 35% of their income to taxes and they make less than 100,000 a year! It annoys me that we don’t get real numbers, but lots of theatrics! Don’t any of these people realize that they have a very real job to do while collecting their very good pay and benefits?
I think many liberal object to means testing for SS and Medicare because that will directly affect their SS checks and Medicare premiums. They do not want to get less in the SS checks and pay more for their medicare ins.
seventy years listening and seeing through a varity of media, one sees some did not have a handle on how the economy got to where it was. global
economy is the reality and we must deal with that. jg
The frame of this debate has always been in the utterance of the political hacks we call “Congress”. Take the word “entitlements” that Republicans utter as if it were dripping with cobra venom. Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits taken out of each pay check. Dressing it up as a vampire pig feeding on Billionares at the trough does not make it an entitlement. We paid for it with a part of every dollar we earned. Make those who earn over six figures also pay as the vast majority of us pay on every dollar we earn. There is no reason to “fix” Social Security: MAKE EVERY BODY PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE! MEDICARE: SAME FIX! I could go on, but this will probably not be posted.
What we need is less taxes and much, much, much, less stuff. Also would not hurt if we removed many of the leaches from the many programs.
I think thank thank that all of the politicans should give up half of their retirement and medical benfits from the goverment to show that they can gieve instead of takeing all of the benfits from social security, they also need to freese their salierys at present level for the nex 8 years.
Leave Medicare and Social Security off the chopping block as older Americans are not going to be able to afford medicine and food as both are necessary; Fixed income is just that! If you had to choose between Food and meds or taxes Which ones would you choose? Another thought is to Close the Pentagon for a year That should Save 1.2 Million.
It seems to me that these higher income makers who, from what I read in blogs like this one, are the ones who preach lesser government for themselves, so they should be pleased with receiving less “stuff” (the word your blog uses) from government. Since they don’t want to give credit to government for anything, including keeping their taxes lower than other income models, then they should be pleased to accept that the government can’t keep their taxes lower, percentage wise, than other taxpayers at this time in the country’s attempt to look at the well being of all its people. I believe that all along, federal tax laws have been slanted in the past to pump up the incomes of these higher earners and once these folks have reached and surpassed the highest heights, they forget about how they got there in the first place. Believing, in error and denial, that they did it all and got it all by themselves — the sweat of their brow! They now want government to “get out of their way” when others who are coming along the income increase pipeline deserve the same kind of assistance the high income receivers have gotten in the past — but don’t want to admit to now. We in the United States must work together. If the GOP is saying that it was revamped (years after Lincoln) mainly to cater to the needs of rich white people, then accept it, your roller coaster ride has crested and it’s only natural that you must come down. You’re by no means completely devastated if you have to buy or build one less vacation home, so don’t believe that. It’s not necessary, and I pray won’t be accepted, that you go all violent and pull your guns out hurting people. That strategy worked so many years for you when it was seen as whites hurting blacks only. Our country has been socialized so long to close our eyes and not to really see the victimization of our very own people. Instead we would go ahead and listen to lies and gloss over what our eyes were seeing — the victimization of Americans by other Americans. I love this country where I and all of my descendants back to Slavery were born in — it’s what I know. So, GOP if your Party is/was only for whites, that has shown across the years. And many, despite the socialization we’ve all been a part of, have seen that AND heard that, in spite of your rhetoric. We’re too smart to continue this foolishness.
I love the reference to the LBJ quote! Fortunately, you gave us enough information to figure it out with a 5 word Google query;)
Now though, what I would like to be able to figure out is why instead of the means testing you mention, the Democrat offered the very unwelcome “chained CPI”, which has been widely and rightly criticized as a ‘stealth’ means of cutting Social Security benefits. I hope this is just ” testing public and interest group opinion”, but even if it is just that, those who proposed it have made their names dirt among their own party’s base.
Cuts in Midicare and Social Security aren’t likely to save as much money as people may think. Even more people will become dependent on Midicaid, SNAP, subsidized housing, and other programs for the poor to live on in retirement.
Scrimp, save, and sacrifice to save hundreds of thousands of dollars for an expensive retirement or live for the moment and let Uncle Sam take care of you with entitlements for the poor when you quit working…..
What will people do?
The Senate has had a bill that extends Bush tax cuts on it’s table since August ! All they have to do is pass it and have Obama sign it. Bingo problem solved !!!
Its all a joke the government keeps two sets of books and crys poverty with a loaf of bread under each arm then expects us to tighten our belts…
Do you have a web site that you regularly post information to ?
SS is not an entitlement. The federal government decided that going into the retirement insurance business in direct competition with the private sector was a wise strategy especially when it was declared mandatory. Now, after over 50 years of paying into the fund, they are talking about taking away at least part of my benefits so they can continue to spend billions on the muslim brotherhood, Iraq, afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, and ever growing welfare programs, etc. Exactly when did these people contribute one damned dime to the US treasury? Never.
how can we end up goverened by such a bunch of idiots????? the gun problem, automatic weapons are strictly illegal for hunting big game, in every state, including alaska!!! there fore if you want to own one, join the army, where they are legal; to kill, is all they are made for!!!! the fed s keep printing money, until the balloon will burst!!!! they legalized gay marriages, and at the same time marajuana, this is from the bible—–man that lays with man shall be stoned!!!!!~ the world was supposed to end 12-21-12, what you didn’t realize was, the malayan calandar ran out then!!!!! the six billionaires are unhitching from the stockmarket, so watch your banks go under, and everyone in debt also our freedom, is slipping away. oh well, easy come, easy go!!!!!
the president and senate and congress, are taking of for a week or so!!! me worry, hell no!!! i couldnt care less if none of them ever returned!!!!! as i have stated before, get the janitors to tell you the straight dope!!! they know more than the owners, as what is going on!!!! i have been an {x} about everything, farmer, student, marine, councilman, police chief, and railroad engineer, and married to same lady for 67years!!!
At some point leaders in washington and even at state levels must realize some of us will not be able to afford what they are suggesting and or what the will or wont do. i firmly believe in taxes for what there intended,
I do not believe the american peoples intentions are being fulfilled.
I do believe that if taxes do go up and services decline then a 100% change in leadership is in order. It would be nice if we didnt have to waste more time voting them out but rather the could just understand they didnt do anything good for the people and just quit.
what is or what is on the table about unemployment,and why dont they speak about it.
These “other levels of activity” are also just politics and have nothing to do with the economy. The rich don’t have enough income to cover the deficit and are good at hiding it so all this amounts to is a continuation of the policy of borrowing or printing more money and hoping that the economy will recover on its own. That seems unlikely when the government continues to impose increasing demands on the private economy for the benefit of insiders.
So what is new? Ones of use that raised familys on low incomes, sent our children to college, now have to depend on our S.S. and medicare. So you go on one of the advantage insurance and make co pays. I am on 0/2, 24/7 and on several medications. This makes if hard. So it makes it hard. Lobbist have money and they pay. May be we need to shorten terms they serve in congress, if they want reelected, they will vote for the people that voted them in. The state I live in has high taxes, on my small amount of money have to pay taxes at end of year even though I live on 19,thousand a year. I would move out of this state, but due to my health I can’t.I thank God I have my home paid for as I couldn’t eat and pay rent. Congress need to start doing their job. start making jobs for people President Obama, tried to get them to make jobs on intrastructure but that wouldn’t do. They fought hard to make him fail, but he didn’t. He has paid some on the debt,made some jobs. Saved the auto plants, and much more. Loop holes need to be closed on taxes, and pay higher taxes, it won’t hurt them.
As a retiree, I have no particular bias against means-testing for SS or Medicare. I just want the President and Senate to know that if they cut these programs for those who truly need them to keep their heads above water, they can say good-bye to Democratic votes in the future. This is no empty threat and they should be aware of it. Millions of us voted for the President because, among other things, we felt sure he would protect these programs from wanton cutting, and if he doesn’t, we will not forget it. It does seem rather absurd to think of CEOs with golden parachutes collecting Social Security, which would be just small change to them. And they can afford to get the best private health care that will assure them of the medical care the rich have always gotten in this country.
Also hidden below the tips of the icebergs are specific details about the so-called “loopholes” that might or might not be closed, and what the consequences might be in terms of different levels of incomes and on the reduction of the debt.
The whole thing is too amorphous, vague and sweeping in generalities, leaving out many particular people. For example, how much will current retirees be directly affected if they have investments in a nice ladder of municipal bonds and some stocks?
I’m really disgusted with the focus of this subject, again the main focus
seems to be about raising tax rates, when will the Mainstream Media focus on what the real problem is and in my opinion its about the uncontrolled spending comming out of congress and the White House. Really! asking for more revenue (Tax’s!) to spend! I’m all for it if it pays off the national debt but how about paying off the National Debt and controlling the irrational Spending, waste, and abuse before asking the Tax Payers for
more money to Spend. Let’s start holding all the Senators in Congress accountable, it’s to darn easy in Washington to spend money that is not yours when you are not beening held accountable for it, it’s time for the American people to say enough! is enough! Time to stop the political speech and get to work! I believe that they have forgotten they work for us the Tax Payer who elected them!, not for themselves and their own personal adjendas!
I’m really disgusted with the focus of this subject, again the main focus
seems to be about raising tax rates, when will the Mainstream Media focus on what the real problem is and in my opinion its about the uncontrolled spending comming out of congress and the White House. Really! asking for more revenue (Tax’s!) to spend! I’m all for it if it pays off the national debt but how about paying off the National Debt and controlling the irrational Spending, waste, and abuse before asking the Tax Payers for more money to Spend. Let’s start holding all the Senators in Congress accountable, it’s to darn easy in Washington to spend money that is not yours when you are not beening held accountable for it, it’s time for the American people to say enough! is enough! Time to stop the political speech and get to work! I believe that they have forgotten they work for us the Tax Payer who elected them!, not for themselves and their own personal adjendas!
Ideas and solutions:
First it is not a solution to move deficit from one place to another and claim victory. Example cutting SS income for people making like $13,000 a years does not really solve a problem as these people will need further assistance for food stamps, heating,rent and medical, the only way to avoid this from happening would be to eliminate them either by letting them starve, freeze to death or not get medical help they need and I don’t think even Republicans are even thinking about doing that therefore cutting SS or Medicare are stupid ideas that are not really going to solve anything. Solutions would be to cut the cost of medical services, medications, and unnecessary procedures. I’m sure we are over medicating doing procedures that are not needed and putting people it the hospital that do not need to be admitted because the private sector is abusing the system! The government part of medicare is working, it is the private sector portion that is wasteful and greedy.
Problem military spending and Home land security: We did not have a weak military when 9/11 hit us we had a communication problem between agencies and homeland security was to fix that problem, again we did not have a FBI, NSA problem, we did have a shortage of CIA field people problem but I think drones have eliminated most of that problem. So Homeland security spending is way out of whack and their budget should have come from existing funding at the time of the FBI,CIA , NSA and not additional funding! The military budget should go back to 1998 levels adjusted for inflation and done over a 5 year period so defense contractors can have time to adjust their business plans and to avoid layoffs during the recession, they can venture into infrastructure building for example or private space flight!
SS and Medicare should have a a place where you can make charitable donations to them, cut ss to those making over $250,000 a year, make ss non taxable and cut the payment increases to promote people working longer and paying into ss longer, I have not quiet figured out all the options and effects here yet but the basic concept I think works.
Raise the cap at which you quit paying into ss and medicare also! Figure out a way to make it so younger healthier people can buy medicare insurance instead of private insurance and even adjust the cost of these policies each year according to costs so the people buying this insurance have a motivation to save it money but make it like cost plus 25% or what ever you can get to where you are slightly cheaper, and offer better services then private insurance and it will cover the shortfall of medicare.
Problem USA jobs: Idea is we pass a law that in order to do business with the USA you have to comply with USA laws including minimum wage, EPA etc that USA companies have to comply with to do business here in the USA. TO make is less of an international issue we donate the funds to the UN to fight AIDS and World hunger. Again I’m sure this needs some additional tweaking but it will bring jobs back to the USA.
Deficits: Big part of deficit is caring for those under poverty level and a big reason we have so many people under the poverty level is companies like Wal Mart and McDonalds not paying their employees enough to get them above the poverty level and we the tax payer have to subsidize their employees with food stamps, assist them with housing expenses such as heating and rent. The 5 Wal Mart owners are 5 of the riches people in the world and I don’t think we should be helping them pay their employees. Another problem with these corporations is they are making everyone part time to avoid paying them benefits so i suggest if aa company has more then 25 employees no more then 5% can be part time so 95% of your employees have to be paid more then a poverty level wage and are entitled to benefits such as healthcare1 I’d like your feedback on each of these ideas if possible. i know we are suppose the have a Representative government but the NRA, Grover, and the special interest groups can get their ideas heard but I get a canned spam response to my ideas that make me think they were not even read! LOL
Take from the rich and give to the poor is the Democratic policy with this president.
I agree that “Many of us are likely to be increasingly dependent on our own means, and particularly on our investment returns…” Which suggests some advice for younger workers. Assume that your investment returns will be low in the future and that the inflation rate will be high. Assume that wages and salaries will move closer to the levels of our strongest competitors.
Assume also that employment security will be subject to change. Do all that, and save much more than calculations suggest you will need to achieve a secure retirement.
The next fifty years may be muchless lucrative than the past fifty. If you are wrong, and your wealth soars, remember that it is always easy to spend money if you get too much. Trying to save money when you need it most desperately is very hard to do.
“For reasons I have trouble understanding, many liberals object to means testing—higher costs for higher incomes—for programs such as Social Security and Medicare, though this might be a place for compromise.”
For the same reason(s) that the NRA, the Council for Tobacco Research, the Institute Research, the Pro-Life Action League, and any other single issue group will not yield one inch: Compromise is the beginning of the slippery slope, the camel’s nose in the tent, the first step, etc.
A comment was made before President Obama won the first time “Lets do every thing we can to make sure he dos’nt accomplish anything and make him a one term president”. This was said before he even moved into the White House. This had to be because the President elect was a Black Man. So the Republicans have followed this script all four years of his Presidency.
The Tea Party meetings were almost always white, maybe all were not prejudice against Blacks, but look at the signs that were displayed.
We all want the President and and the Rewpublicans can come to agreement before we go off the so called cliff,
But look but at the years That President Obama has been the President. He is the most disrespected President ever. Could this possibly be because there’s a Black Man in the White House. Just saying
I’m not sure if Mr. Webman is tryong to say this, but the facts are these. Obama plans to raise taxes on higher incomes for political, not economic reasons. And he plans to spend more money, raise the debt limit, and gp deeper in debt until the day he leaves office.
And he plans to take control of the House of Representatives and increase his Senate majority in 2014 in the process. The major blunder the Republicans have made in this to believe somehow that Obama is a willing partner in ending the spending/debt crisis instead of making the biggest pile of political hay for himself (with massive media support, of oourse) in the history of the US.
I love my country,I don’t know who is right?Waste,Fraud,and Abuse,might go a long way in helping with deficit !I’m no longer republican,democrat,I am simply an American that’s afraid for our country.Never ,have I seen our country,so divided,indecisive ,the debt,unemployment ,underemployment .
I believe in learning from mistakes,I’d rather learn from other countries mistakes,apply good decisions,by facts.Look at Greece,Japan did a stimulus ,look, maybe learn from them?Time,can heal,or make the cancer worse?Careful decisions need to be made,the sky is falling causes uncertainty ,fear,paralyze’s.Studies I know have been made,make a decision,move this country toward healing.
United we stand divided we fall.Balance,Balance,Please.Care for this great country.I as everyone else loves this country,help make it strong again.We Americans will prevail.Structure ,planing.Americans first,politics last,we can’t sustain with indecision.
.
I believe that the republicans are very scary. They will pull our country down. Also there are many rich Democrats that only think of themselves. I can remember when my husband and i paid more money in social security thant we did in income tax. there are many millions that they can tap to prop up social security. Since many of the pension funds have been invested in the stock market it is my belief that if the Republicans can get hold of the social security and invest it in the stock market this will protect their investments.The scarest thing about the republicans is that they are having such a hard time going back to the bush tax cuts. But they dont have any trouble trying to break the unions and get hold of social security. We should send them all to an island in the pacific and let them have their own state. I am going to start praying everynight for God to help the republicans and the rich Democrats to bring them all down to every taxpayers level. I am not against the rich as long as they become rich honestly.
My husband and I are in our mid 60′s and close to retirement. We are part of the every growing baby boommers and we hold significant clout. Although many of us are Republican, the move by that party to limit the programs meant specifically for our age group will move more boomers to vote out those who are now impeding negotiations to keep our country from “falling over the fiscal cliff”. I am looking forward to the next election. It is time our President is allowed to do the job he was elected to do.
Right wing Republicans cannot hide from the fact that they are racists and that the only thing stuck in their craw is the fact that the President is Black. Tt is time to leave the past behind and move the country forward.
You can still remember the old timers who lived through “The Great Depression ” . They came to a great distrust of banks and large corporations and decided to keep their money in a buried jar. No one seems to properly address the extreme lack of trust in our House and Senate . They are the other half of the disconnect (or cowardice ) in Washington ! The boat is sinking and instead of bailing we are choking each other ! We need to DO away with PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS !!! One term six year term limit !
if all the people that are over here working out of their country working here paid their share of payroll taxes like the rest of us do we would not have this problem.but they get all the free bees and do not pay nothing in toward taxes.if they have american job they need to pay american taxes.they have better clothes more money out of their checks to spend than we do. so you tell me what is right about this.
OK quick show of hands…How many of those who voted Democratic HAVE
investment income to “make up the difference”? Yeah, thought so.
The best solution I’ve heard came from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith who
sang “Eat the rich, its the only thing that they’re good for…”
I object to means testing because it will convert Medicare and Social Security into welfare programs. The easier solution is to simply raise the cap on social security wages that are taxed so that higher wage earners pay social security on a higher amount of their income. Since I make less than the cap on wages, I pay social security on 100% of my wages, as does also my employer.
But let’s not make our old people stand in line and fill out forms about their means in such a demeaning way for a program that they paid into in good faith.
Go over the Cliff.. my ass… we would be reverting to Clinton Tax Program.
The rich have had their taxes cut and cut..what do they do (the banks) screw the little guy. Raise taxes…pay our passed due bills… Balance a budget. We are supposed to set a good image for Democracy…well suck it up America….we owe we owe… now over the Cliff we go
the truth hurts doesn’t…publish the truth
Going over the Cliff….reverting to Clinton Era taxes is not a bad thing.
Not paying you8r bills as a country is a bad thing. We are supposed to be a beacon for democracy….Balance our budget…set a good example…sometimes the right thing to do is to take the pain now and protect our children.
Thank you… please send the above to the President
Webman’s expectations seem very reasonable.
In the long run I don’t see how we are going to reduce the deficit significantly unless we repeal the Bush tax cuts. I wish pundits like yourself would focus on sound policy instead of the soap opera that goes on in DC. By focusing on the latter you only make the soap opera that much more unbearable
Thanks for your insight. I am fund in favor of coordination of health care for seniors which will in time bring health care costs down and safeguard elders who live alone or whose family needs educating in their senior’s specific issues. I am in favor of higher incomes paying more for Medicare and in preventing the wealthy from unemployment benefits as they count just enough income as wages in order to game the system. Just read an article in the New Republic which posits that the Middle Class income is $40,000 to $100,000 with the poor below and the elites above whose taxes shaould be raised. Something to think about. Also the gov should pay back the Social Security monies they stole from the SS Fund and put in the General Fund. Social Security should have no Ceiling. The wealthy should not be allowed to payCap Gains rates on carried interest.
The resistance to means testing is linked to a perception that Social Security and Medicare ‘benefit everyone.’ This perception sees a constituency in both higher and lower income seniors. Shifting to a ‘means test’ means losing the higher income support base for the program in the long term.
What is going on behind the scene has nothing to do with politics. Armed officials intimidating food growers, food processors, and ranchers with crushing regulations as well as small businesses causing them to close.The excessive printing of money. The heavy purchasing of ammunition.
The loss of 40% of peoples’ worth wasn’t enough to destroy the economy and control the country. However causing hunger and the inability to purchase food after relieving Americans of their guns seems to be the plan.It is in the works to increase the size and scope of TSA as well as arm them. If you bothered to read the executive orders and memoranda as well as tracking regulations, you might see a part of the truth. Unfortunately the government figures are bogus and the lapdog media will not only print the lies from this administration and other politicians, they will swear to them. If you don’t check this out for yourself, then you will be caught by surprise. If you had bothered to read “Obamacare” and the Stimulus,they are interconnected and the Dodd-Frank bill, you would find that they form the basis for a complete elimination of the way the U.S. functions.
go over the cliff and teach the lawmakers not to spend so carelessly on our taxpayer money, and proving to them that we AMERICANS are able to live within our means, at least most of us ant way. its their own fault they are in this mess now, they are broadcasting the fiscal cliff disaster like we really care, we have our own problems like keeping food on our table etc.
Its my opion that the next time an election for the House, Senate and Congress we should clean house. These people are unbelievable. They are going to throw the american people under the bus just because they don’t want to agree with the president. We voted him into office again, so there is nothing that has changed, Boner or excuse me Boehner and all his coharts don’t give a damn whats good for the people that put them there, they just don’t want to agree with the president. Its so infuriating and the only thing we the people can do is vote them out of office.
I believe you left off, 1: Obama may not be averse to a fiscal crisis. Remember “Don’t let a serious crisis go to waste, you can do things then that you couldn’t do otherwise.” 2: Any significant tax increase on $250-300 thousand people may cause a rise in unemployment, or at least, less investment in badly needed new job creation. New small businesses just won’t be started.
Why do we always have to play these circus games every single time,. We are so tired of being treated like children and the politicians like parents. Raise the taxes on the earnings of 250,000—to millionaires and over—— I think the politicians should pack their bags and let a new crew on the job.
If you cannot do your job the one the people are requesting, then get the heck out of the way!! We are sick of these games. If you cannot perform you jobs you were elected to do, then get the h— out of the way and let some fresh blood on the scene
Wel most of the young people don’t rember then [JIMMY CARTER }year when tax were a lots higher then but i do i paid a good share of my pay each weeek in taxs i paid a lots in to s.s.fund now every time thing get hard thy wasy to cut all of us older people we paid our’s part and more let the young people step up to bat take thier turn a bat , learn to give up a cell phone are a i pod to me there just toy thy ting thy need we all need to think about what we need and not what we want give up a few thing as i see it al of America it live to high when you see three car at on home the cost 1,000.0000 d thy need this i say no live wirh in your nean ….VAN BROCK -yes i old 74 but i sean a lots of thing get a lots better but now thy all seamto be going down hilll
I believe that if our elected officials have their own incomes reduced and taxed like the rest of us we the people wouldn’t mind. The retirement for politicians with health benefits are ridiculous! Just stop paying the Congressmen, Senators and all retired Presidents these pensions with 100% healthcare. This would reduce our government cost maybe by 10%. just take a look at what they are receiving from the people. Damn