WHY do you worry about Socialism?

[Ralphy]

1. Value Added Tax (VAT)
2. Taxing your medical paid by your employer.
3. Cap and Trade
4. Soda Tax
5. Tanning salon tax
6. ?

After all it's the soft drinks that make you gain weight. Not the inactivity sitting in front of a TV, computer or video game. Gee would they go after their friends in Hollywood?

[Excaliber]

I don't see any alternative, frankly, but to raise taxes. I hate it, but that is the reality. How it's done, who takes the hit, well that is a rampant debate and a worthy one.

What would you suggest? Capital gains tax? War tax, straight up percentage increase of Federal tax across the board? Wealthy tax? Poor tax? The options are endless.

[Ron61]

Actually there area couple of alternatives. One is for them to stop their unlimited and wasteful spending like there is no tomorrow. Get rid of 85% of the so called aides that every politician thinks they have to have. Then look at a logical way to raise taxes that isn't going to drive more people bankrupt and more smaller companies out of business. I don't think just raising taxes and spending more is going to solve anything.

I just saw on TV here yesterday that California has a woman Czar to oversee how the state spends all the money they got on the bail out deal, but she has never turned in any reports or anything. She said the state is broke and can't afford to hire any investigators to check on how the money is used, so why is she still being paid that big salary to sit on her butt and do nothing.

Ron

[Excaliber]

unlimited and wasteful spending

Well that part is also quite controversial. The very TARP program itself could be classified as "unlimited and wasteful". But it is a product of the best economic minds coming together and addressing the immediate crisis. While the number of aids and such has grown their combined salarys are still a drop in the bucket when it comes to the massive size of the economic problem.

[Dan40]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

"Reckless spending" by Obama? Bush was the one who started TARP, mostly to cover his magnificent failures.

Reality is, Bush was in charge. It's pathetic to see grown men crying over how he was so miss understood and it wasn't his fault, blah blah blah, big tears... Man up here, take some responsibility, Bush screwed up, the Repub's paid the price, end of story.

Ralphy, you think we should cut taxes again, like Bush did? If so, how the heck we gonna pay for the two wars we got going? Not to mention the biggest economic disaster since the great depression?

So this guy goes in the neighbors house, trashes it, get's off scott free. The neighbor goes into debt cleaning up the mess, goes bankrupt. Everyone stands around talking about how the HOME OWNER screwed his finances and went broke as a result. Yeah, there's some logic for ya.

YES, reckless spending by Obum. HISTORY! IF Bush was so bad spending $5 Trillion more than we took in in 8 years, and he is/was guilty. HOW is Obummer innocent while spending at a rate MORE THAN DOUBLE Bush.
Could we please have a tiny shred of logic here?

[Excaliber]

Heck thats to easy to answer Dan!

MONSTER economic picture dumped in Obama's lap, gotta do something and do it now! Just following the Bush marching orders in that regard, clean up the mess.

[Jamo]

It's all Clinton's fault...

Obama owns the issue now...it's been a year. Bush already was dealing with 9/11 by this time in his first term. Relatively speaking, Obama has had it easy.

[Ron61]

Ernie,

I wasn't referring to the TARP program by the wasteful spending line. I am talking about the hundreds of millions they have wasted buying votes to pass a bill that will waste billions more. As for the aides, yes their pay is minor compared to the billions those crooks steal each year, but where is the downsizing of Govt. that we heard about so much before the election? At the rate he is downsizing it the Federal Govt. will have more people working for it than are in the private sector.

Ron

[Excaliber]

I totally agree it's Obama's fault now! He DOES own the problem's and he will pay for it come election time if he doesn't turn it around. Right or wrong, that's just how our system works.

I see your point Ron. The millions spent buying votes, again, pales in comparison to the potential billions that could come as a result.

Of course, it's money (your money) spent well so that more folks can get good care. I gotta go feed my Unicorn now...

[Dan40]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Heck thats to easy to answer Dan!

MONSTER economic picture dumped in Obama's lap, gotta do something and do it now! Just following the Bush marching orders in that regard, clean up the mess.

What total and complete BS

[Ron61]

I gotta go feed my Unicorn now... Ernie, I think the cold up there is getting to you. All those years of nice weather have spoiled you.

Ron

[Excaliber]

...and remember Ron, I don't have a problem spending your money.

[VRM]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Heck thats to easy to answer Dan!

MONSTER economic picture dumped in Obama's lap, gotta do something and do it now! Just following the Bush marching orders in that regard, clean up the mess.

He did have a huge mess dumped in his lap. The best thing he could have done was given an income tax refund of up to $4000 to anybody that worked in the last 2 years and made less than $125K, or 250K per household. The money would have been about similar to what was blown on the stimulus, and it would have been a lot more effective.

So while I did initially cut him some slack for inheriting a mess, I no longer do because he refused to do the only thing that actually stood a chance of having a quick and real effect.

Steve

[lnfletcher]

Sorry VRM, that would have been Social injustice!

[Excaliber]

Hmmm, interesting proposal VRM. Not sure that would have worked, but then again, no one is really sure how ANY of the TARP was/is going to work. So far it does seem to have worked enough to stabilize the world wide markets. Things in general are looking up. Unemployment is going to remain high for years to come I'm afraid. That fact may be Obama's undoing come election time. Not a lot he or anyone else can do about it though.

I saw a recent poll that asked the question what was the major indicator of a "recovery". The answer was overwhelmingly unemployment numbers. In that regard, Obama is SO screwed.

[sunman]

EXCALIBER

I was born in a military hospital, grew up on Air Force fighter bases, enlisted at 18 and spent 22 years in the Air Force. I lived with the military 40 years. I AM "THE TROOPS". I say PULL OUT. We are not in two wars, we are in two police actions. During a war we have a draft. We are fighting for the oil companies and the heroin/hash dealers. The military is bankrupting our country and killing our children. War is murder, rape, theft. Spend our tax money on us. Spend our taxes on single payer health care (HR 676). Charge the banks high interest like they do us (20%). Put our tax money into schools, renewable energy, high speed rail and so on.
If everyone thats for the war would enlist and go fight the war we would have won long ago.
One sub in the Atlantic and one sub in the Pacific would wipe out any enemy on earth.
To check what the military is really costing us google THE FEDERAL PIE CHART.
What is your military service record?
You said "your call", thats it.
SUNMAN

2184th COMM SQUAD, THE 3ed MOB *******IN MEMORY OF 1LT FRED RANSBOTTOM MIA 1968-2006*******

[Excaliber]

I think your onto something there sunman, your plan works for me!

Army, got in and couldn't wait to get out. Clerk, I knew how to type, hardly anybody else could, so I got volunteered.

[sunman]

EXCALIBER

Thanks for the support. Socialism and Communism are two very different things. The military is a socialist program. So is Social Security. I know a few widows on Social Security who are bankrupt and there life savings are gone because of there dead husbands hospital bills. Its a majority of the 535 senators and congresspeople in Washington who are selling us out to big money lobbyists. They are the problem. Vote out the 400 who use The Office of the Attending Physician for there health care. Why should they go to Walter Reed Hospital and use care thats for vets if they are not vets?

Most of all I believe in peace.

SUNMAN

2184TH COMM SQUAD, THE 3ED MOB

1LT FRED RANSBOTTOM MIA 1968-2006, Thanks Freddie.

[Ralphy]

Sunman you are right, the only thing to get attention is to vote them all out.

[sunman]

AHH-OOH

I gotta go. Looks like a black helicopter over the house.
Oh wait maybe its just Santa.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PEACE TO ALL

Sunman, out.