Raising the debt limit?

[barrysloate]

Might it be time for this thread to be locked?

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Might it be time for this thread to be locked?

For reporting FACTS? Sure, let's lock the thread so nobody can see the sick and disgusting behavior from the left. Let’s hide the truth just like the liberal media is so good at doing. Heck, just have the mods edit my post too and we’ll just hope nobody saw it. Let’s also pretend that Jimmy Hoffa, Jr didn’t say “Let’s take these sons of bitches out” referring to the Tea Party during his Labor Day Speech. If everybody refuses to report it, it really didn’t happen, right?

[barrysloate]

David- I'm not going to get into a political debate, I won't do that. Every day or so you come back on this thread with some rant, and we have a rule of no politics on the board. Leon and company have allowed some leeway here but there's little to no discussion, just you airing out your grievances

And please try not to confuse facts with opinions.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

David- I'm not going to get into a political debate, I won't do that. Every day or so you come back on this thread with some rant, and we have a rule of no politics on the board. Leon and company have allowed some leeway here but there's little to no discussion, just you airing out your grievances

And please try not to confuse facts with opinions.

Then we agree, no political debate. No, I am not ranting. I am pointing out facts (not opinions) that are germane to the topic of this thread.

It's a FACT that Obama said unemployment wouldn't rise above 8% if we passed the stimulus. We passed it and it rose to 10%.

It's a FACT that Obama called Bush "unpatriotic" for adding $4 Trillion in debt in his 8 years in office, somthing Obama managed to do in only two and a half years.

It's a FACT that Obama, Reid and others voted not to increase the debt limit when Bush was president, but then blasted the republicans for doing the same thing when Obama was president.

Last, it's a FACT (although not related to this thread) that a video game in which the objective is to kill members of a political party is sick and disgusting.

[tiger8mush]

to get back on topic, they have raised the debt limit and hopefully are working on a plan to balance the budget so in a few years we won't reach the new debt limit and be stuck at the same crossroads.

[DaClyde]

At some point, Congress has to reign in the unlimited, and almost entirely unrestricted, military and intelligence spending they've allowed over the past 10 years. None of the budget talks that led up to the raising of the debt limit made much noise over the enormous $$$ being thrown into that particular black hole, with very little accountability. As with all budget talks, the first things the politicians go after are the hot button items like heath care and education.

Not surprisingly, those are the exact same things that politicians immediately attack when talking about DoD speding cuts. The first thing they want to talk about cutting is funding for body armor, health care for service personnel and the G.I. bill. What about the hundreds of billions of dollars thrown at contractors that disappears, without a trace, with nearly zero return? Why is it Congress can't have a realistic discussion about budget without immediately resorting to hyperbole?

When it comes to actually balancing the budget, the first thing much of Congress wants to talk about, in the rare event of a "projected budget surplus", is HOW TO SPEND THE PROJECTED BUDGET SURPLUS. First of all, it's a "projected" number. It isn't real. It's like having maxed out your credit cards, but then blowing your income tax return on a new TV. That's the mentality that has to change in Washington. As far as I'm concerned any true budget surplus shouldn't even be given back to the taxpayers, it should be applied directly to the national debt.

Until candidates like Ron Paul stop being cast as "extreme" because they advocate a realistic approach to government and finance, as opposed to promoting more of the same and relentlessly attacking their opponents (notice the bulk of Paul's speeches are policy related, not constant attacks on political opponents), nothing will change. Also, the media and the public have to acknowledge that the President of the United States has no power to arbitrarily enact universal health care any more than he has the power to arbitrarily eliminate Social Security. Obama isn't solely responsible for the health care act that passed. That was Congress. Much like Bush wasn't solely responsible for the US being tied up in two wars over seas. There were better than 55% of the 535 members of Congress who were in some way complicit in both actions. It is those individuals who should be held responsible for what is placed in front of the President for his signature.

I think as long as the people who got us into the current mess are still allowed to keep their jobs, all the while ineptly fiddling with the economy, looking for some magic switch to turn it all around, we're not going to see any financial progress any time soon. At the very least, the first thing Congress should implement is no NEW spending programs. Deal with what is already on the table, and trim some of that first.

[drc]

As far as raising the debt limit goes, you have little choice but to pay your debts. Raising the debt limit was about paying debts due. Whether you're person, company or country, defaulting on loans is bad news for your future credit and financial viability ... I agree that not getting into debt is the ideal thing, but defaulting on money you owe to others is a highly unsound choice-- and most probably illegal, even if you are the U.S. of A.

[teetwoohsix]

Originally Posted by DaClyde

At some point, Congress has to reign in the unlimited, and almost entirely unrestricted, military and intelligence spending they've allowed over the past 10 years. None of the budget talks that led up to the raising of the debt limit made much noise over the enormous $$$ being thrown into that particular black hole, with very little accountability. As with all budget talks, the first things the politicians go after are the hot button items like heath care and education.

Not surprisingly, those are the exact same things that politicians immediately attack when talking about DoD speding cuts. The first thing they want to talk about cutting is funding for body armor, health care for service personnel and the G.I. bill. What about the hundreds of billions of dollars thrown at contractors that disappears, without a trace, with nearly zero return? Why is it Congress can't have a realistic discussion about budget without immediately resorting to hyperbole?

When it comes to actually balancing the budget, the first thing much of Congress wants to talk about, in the rare event of a "projected budget surplus", is HOW TO SPEND THE PROJECTED BUDGET SURPLUS. First of all, it's a "projected" number. It isn't real. It's like having maxed out your credit cards, but then blowing your income tax return on a new TV. That's the mentality that has to change in Washington. As far as I'm concerned any true budget surplus shouldn't even be given back to the taxpayers, it should be applied directly to the national debt.

Until candidates like Ron Paul stop being cast as "extreme" because they advocate a realistic approach to government and finance, as opposed to promoting more of the same and relentlessly attacking their opponents (notice the bulk of Paul's speeches are policy related, not constant attacks on political opponents), nothing will change. Also, the media and the public have to acknowledge that the President of the United States has no power to arbitrarily enact universal health care any more than he has the power to arbitrarily eliminate Social Security. Obama isn't solely responsible for the health care act that passed. That was Congress. Much like Bush wasn't solely responsible for the US being tied up in two wars over seas. There were better than 55% of the 535 members of Congress who were in some way complicit in both actions. It is those individuals who should be held responsible for what is placed in front of the President for his signature.

I think as long as the people who got us into the current mess are still allowed to keep their jobs, all the while ineptly fiddling with the economy, looking for some magic switch to turn it all around, we're not going to see any financial progress any time soon. At the very least, the first thing Congress should implement is no NEW spending programs. Deal with what is already on the table, and trim some of that first.

DaClyde-

Just wanted to say this is an excellent post- I agree 100%. Thank you for posting.

Sincerely, Clayton

*edit to add link : http://endoftheamericandream.com/arc...ith-each-other

[vintagetoppsguy]

Raising the debt ceiling isn't the long term answer. It's like putting a band aid over cancer. It doesn't solve the problem. The real answer it to reduce spending, entitlement reform and for the government to get the Hell out of the way so America can do what it does. That's the only way we'll ever get out of this mess.

Props to Michingan for signing into law new legislation that put a lifetime limit on cash welfare benefits of four years. They say 41,000 people will loose their welfare benefits on October 1st. "F" them!