Hows that bank bailout going

[Maggot]

I'm all for cutting spending but most people have the old "NIMBY" mentality.

Where do all of you stand on Paul Ryan's budget/proposed changes to medicare?

Paul Ryan is the GOP's best chance if he runs. The economy will be in shambles come the election and he will be looking pretty damn good. As far as revamping medicare and social security well its been a long time coming. Even having say 50% of my payments towards ss going into long term private funds makes me giddy and my erection grows an extra inch.

[username]

Hey! username!

Ask your hubbie: "What was the year Moody's began rating US Treasury Bonds?"

Well that went well. He walks in the door....

Me: Hey, do you know what year Moody's began rating US Treasury bonds"?

Him: How the hell should I know.

Me: Well, we were having this conversation on the forum.

Note: at this point, he starts looking at me like a) I've sprouted a giant pimple on my forehead or b) FFS, this is what you do all day while I'm at the office. Not sure which--they closely resemble each other.

Me: Well we were talking about the bailouts and I mentioned I wasn't sure what would have happened if we didn't have the bailouts...

Him: Run on the banks. Do you know that for every $3 you have in the bank, they actually have $1 there....blah, blah, blah...

Me: Well, then I mentioned Moody's and how I thought it was spurring discussions on the deficit. But Tiki (no, her real name isn't Tiki) said that Moody's isn't philanthropic and they've fucked up in the past and espousing certain credit ratings could be considered fraud...

Him: Moody's isn't doing us any favors right now and yeah, they've been roundly criticized for mistakes in the past and they're actually being more cautious now.

Me: So, she asked me to ask you when Moody's started rating US treasury bonds.

Him: I don't know, what's the point?

Me: I don't know, I looked it up and it sounds like it started during WWI.

Him: So? What's the point?

Me: I dunno, I thought you might see the significance.

Him: Gives me "that look" again.

[username]

I'm all for cutting spending but most people have the old "NIMBY" mentality.

Where do all of you stand on Paul Ryan's budget/proposed changes to medicare?

Paul Ryan is the GOP's best chance if he runs. The economy will be in shambles come the election and he will be looking pretty damn good. As far as revamping medicare and social security well its been a long time coming. Even having say 50% of my payments towards ss going into long term private funds makes me giddy and my erection grows an extra inch.

I stumbled on this analysis. I've never seen this site before but I found it to be an interesting read. And I concur with the authors that we need to go even farther. Defense spending needs to be addressed too.

http://reason.com/archives/2011/04/06/pa...n-budget-t

[Maggot]

Defence would be fine if the U.S. would just stop financing wars in other countries.

[username]

Defence would be fine if the U.S. would just stop financing wars in other countries.

What about addressing Tricare benefits?

Didn't Ryan suggest limiting mortgage interest deductions too?

Honestly, I want cuts in government spending too but I fully expect to either pay more in taxes (or lose some of my "entitlements") to help reduce the deficit.

[Cracker]

What about addressing Tricare benefits?

Should we cut TRICARE benefits for families of our military but keep the health insurance we give people who refuse to get up off their ass and work?

TRICARE has copays and monthly premiums, jsyk. In fact, I have a lower monthly premium for family coverage than a soldier on active duty.

I think we should stop making it profitable for people not to work. You should qualify for housing ONLY if you are working. If you don't work, live with your family because you are a family problem, not a societal problem. Make families step up like they should instead of breeding like animals and releasing their young for society to care for. I don't want to pay for someone's slutty daughter who had 4 kids before she could legally drink and someone else's POS son who lives with them and lays on the couch all day. I'd rather pay for a new leg for a soldier who lost one on the battlefield. But that's just me...

[username]

What about addressing Tricare benefits?

Should we cut TRICARE benefits for families of our military but keep the health insurance we give people who refuse to get up off their ass and work?

TRICARE has copays and monthly premiums, jsyk. In fact, I have a lower monthly premium for family coverage than a soldier on active duty.

Again, NIMBY. And how you have lower monthly premiums than a soldier on active duty totally escapes me (unless maybe you're on some OTHER government plan).

http://ifawebnews.com/2011/03/15/gates-p...-congress/

[username]

Here's my question, I guess. What, if anything, would YOU (and I mean the Mock "collective you") be willing to give up (monetarily) to balance the budget/reduce the deficit? Anything? Changes to medicare/social security? Changes to tricare? Repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the "wealthiest" Americans? Reducing gas company subsidies? Limiting the mortgage interest deductions? Adding to the gas tax?

It's really easy to bitch about the state of the economy and how we're "spending beyond our means" but funny, no one seems willing to make the cuts (or add the revenue) that's needed to fix things (especially when it hurts their little private pocketbooks).

Fix the economy!!! But don't tax me more, touch defense spending or mess with my current or future entitlements.

[Maggot]

mortgage interest deductions are getting phased out already.

[username]

What about addressing Tricare benefits?

Should we cut TRICARE benefits for families of our military but keep the health insurance we give people who refuse to get up off their ass and work?

TRICARE has copays and monthly premiums, jsyk. In fact, I have a lower monthly premium for family coverage than a soldier on active duty.

Again, NIMBY. And how you have lower monthly premiums than a soldier on active duty totally escapes me (unless maybe you're on some OTHER government plan).

http://ifawebnews.com/2011/03/15/gates-p...-congress/

Jesus Christ, we pay close to $500 a month compared to $500 a year for someone in the military. I absolutely believe that injuries incurred in battle should be 100% covered but damn, from a premium standpoint, that's freaking crazy. Why should every one in the military get that same coverage?

[username]

mortgage interest deductions are getting phased out already.

Okay. I don't know why some people can seemingly accept that but not accept getting rid of the tax cuts for those that make over $250k/year. It's like the middle class it out to shoot themselves in the foot.

Whatever. Either way, we're paying more.

[IMaDick]

Here's my question, I guess. What, if anything, would YOU (and I mean the Mock "collective you") be willing to give up (monetarily) to balance the budget/reduce the deficit? Anything? Changes to medicare/social security? Changes to tricare? Repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the "wealthiest" Americans? Reducing gas company subsidies? Limiting the mortgage interest deductions? Adding to the gas tax?

It's really easy to bitch about the state of the economy and how we're "spending beyond our means" but funny, no one seems willing to make the cuts (or add the revenue) that's needed to fix things (especially when it hurts their little private pocketbooks).

Fix the economy!!! But don't tax me more, touch defense spending or mess with my current or future entitlements.

you make the assumption that everyone gets some form of entitlement, I can tell you that is just not so.

There is no reason to tax more, stop looking for new ways to spend money on credit.

It's truely that fucking simple.

[username]

Should we cut TRICARE benefits for families of our military but keep the health insurance we give people who refuse to get up off their ass and work?

TRICARE has copays and monthly premiums, jsyk. In fact, I have a lower monthly premium for family coverage than a soldier on active duty.

I think we should stop making it profitable for people not to work. You should qualify for housing ONLY if you are working. If you don't work, live with your family because you are a family problem, not a societal problem. Make families step up like they should instead of breeding like animals and releasing their young for society to care for. I don't want to pay for someone's slutty daughter who had 4 kids before she could legally drink and someone else's POS son who lives with them and lays on the couch all day. I'd rather pay for a new leg for a soldier who lost one on the battlefield. But that's just me...

IMO, everything has to be on the table. If we're trying to reduce the deficit, nothing is sacrosanct. There needs to be reform in both Tricare AND welfare. When you start saying one supercedes the other, that's when NOTHING gets done. In my ideal world, we'd pick them all apart.

Too bad politics gets in the way.

[IMaDick]

Username, do you know that reform doesn't have affect the population? reform of the government and their spending habits are where the problem is, it's not the programs that cost money it's the huge immoral bureaucracy that is the problem.

we do not need to lose shit, they need to stop the pork,the graft, the waste, the red tape, the interjection into every fucking aspect of our lives, stop trying to control the states and concentrate on THEIR mandate.

Do you even know what the Constitution gives the government as their duties?

look it up and you will see the over reaching, the real reason why this country is on the verge of bankruptcy, the controls and regulation that is put in place by the fed are the real problem, they have changed our country from a producer to a consumer.

Government has to withdraw or were completely fucked, they will take everything from us and keep everything of theirs.

that's called communism username, we will work for what the government gives us if people continue with the mindset you exhibit.

[username]

Username, do you know that reform doesn't have affect the population? reform of the government and their spending habits are where the problem is, it's not the programs that cost money it's the huge immoral bureaucracy that is the problem.

we do not need to lose shit, they need to stop the pork,the graft, the waste, the red tape, the interjection into every fucking aspect of our lives, stop trying to control the states and concentrate on THEIR mandate.

Do you even know what the Constitution gives the government as their duties?

look it up and you will see the over reaching, the real reason why this country is on the verge of bankruptcy, the controls and regulation that is put in place by the fed are the real problem, they have changed our country from a producer to a consumer.

Government has to withdraw or were completely fucked, they will take everything from us and keep everything of theirs.

that's called communism username, we will work for what the government gives us if people continue with the mindset you exhibit.

I actually agree. I think the government is one, big, fat over bloated wasteful piece of shit. But please don't blame my "mindset". Republicans have their special interest spending plans and wasteful earmarks and so do Democrats (and even those depend on the constituency in a given state). Politics are too blame; not one party.

Generally speaking, Republicans are busy sucking up to big business and right wing Christians while the Democrats are busy sucking up to minorities and labor unions. Bottom line, everybody is sucking ass.



So back to the point, do you see someone you would happily vote for in 2012 Dick?

[Cracker]

I'm willing to give up welfare to balance the budget.

We need to cut all the government jobs that were created and not needed. States have already thinned the herd and they are still operating. I agree with Dick about federal spending on just government. Big government costs too much. We are paying people to spend our tax monies. It is like the big charities that take .80 out of every dollar to run the charity and only give .20 to the actual cause.

I already noticed a huge difference in taxable deductions from this year. Where did that money go? I never really heard.

We need to stop spending so much overseas. Organizations are over there destroying everything we build, so it is throwing good money after bad. If we really want to end costly conflicts, we should remove all of our aid until they figure out they need us. We need to put that money towards our debt.

Being honest, people that don't work and have gotten away with it for years are never going to be contributing citizens. I don't know that we can fix that. If we at least get rid of the people who shouldn't be here, that would be a good start. If you take the illegal aliens and a large portion of foreign spending out of the budget, that would be a good start.

[Cracker]

Jesus Christ, we pay close to $500 a month compared to $500 a year for someone in the military. I absolutely believe that injuries incurred in battle should be 100% covered but damn, from a premium standpoint, that's freaking crazy. Why should every one in the military get that same coverage?

They don't pay $500 a year. I have seen the payroll deductions with my own eyes. Real life is usually a little different than what the Internet says.

Have you looked at the coverage for other federal employees? Some fatass in accounting should get free coverage and someone on a battlefield should pay?

I have state insurance. It sucks. I didn't mention how much my deductible is, but it isn't pretty.

[IMaDick]

here is the basic facts, I would gladly pay 10X what I pay in state tax if the fed withdrew from the states and did what they are intended to do.

Let the states deal with their own population of lazy fucks, it's pretty simple in real terms.

the fed needs to back out of everything and charge the states a minimal tax to keep them operating, we should pay nothing to the feds, they should collect from the states out of what we pay in our state.

This closes the doors to fed waste and bullshit social programs.

It's time to shrink the fed and raise the states to the level they were intended to be.

[Cracker]

Do you see any problems, user? Notice anything? You can't blame the defense budget. Look closely at the entitlement spending...


We already cut the military and veterans spending. We need to cut hoodrats and wetbacks. Sorry, but it's true.

As you can see, we are funding a new army. It is an army of people who don't fucking work. They serve no purpose and add nothing to this country but debt.

[Cracker]

Look how much we spend on interest alone:




This country is fucked because of liberal entitlement bullshit. True liberals will never admit it.