IN the end, it does come down to what so many liberals deny, even ones here on JU.  You cant get a tax cut unless you pay taxes.  And when we do get a tax, cut, the more you pay, the more is cut.

Notice what is missing in that paragraph? Hint:  It is what Santa does!

Helix teh II

You got it. The first thing we must do is agree on what we want the government to do for us. Not just the far Right or far Left but what the majority want.

Second, we must pay for those services. Not pay part and charge the balance.

It may be necessary to eliminate some programs but those the majority want must be properly funded and run well to be effective in delivering the desired service. Those who say stop increasing the budget in future years are living in a dream world. Any program the majority wants will cost more in the future due to infltion or the growth in the number of people being served. We will also need to change our tax laws to insure that people, rich or middle income are not allowed to dodge their share of the burden. When choosing what share each should pay we must consider the ability to pay. The wealthy have a different ability to pay then the poor and middle income workers.

2 by Helix the II Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Also many Americans favor fiscal responsibility and 'trimming the fat' in regards to federal spending. Until you cut the program they favor.. then all hell breaks loose. We need to make hefty sacrifices as a nation if we wish to solve our financial crisis. Until then we're just pissing in the wind and blaming someone else.

boy ain't that the truth.

COL,

I agree with the principle of your proposal, that we should PAY FOR the services we receive from the government. If you want an autocratic, overbearing federal government that removes sovereignty from the states, you're right on the money.

BUT, the Constitution was INTENDED to relegate to the states most issues, and that should be the repeated answer of the federal government. We are too large and diverse of a country for all of our ideas toi be represented on a national stage. We need to restore a larger degree of autonomy and responsibility to the states, who can better assess their own needs and can distribute monies far more efficiently.

But, as far as not consistently borrowing from future generations, you and I are on the same page. In fact, MOST of America is on that page, and we should use that as a starting point.

Eloquently written, but I believe that rather than merely letting the greedier people out there get away with various forms of tax evasion, making laws and holding them accountable. Americans who move their finances offshore should be taxed in America if they own property (or any of their companies do, clever accounting should be minimized) or live in America. Executives who increase their salaries to compensate should be held accountable by their shareholders. They have a responsibility to the shareholders to make as much money for the company as possible, and by paying it to themselves, they are taking money out of the company. Such people can and should be held liable by their shareholders, there is a reasonable pay increase rate, and that's around the percentage of inflation, anything that's a 6 figure or more increase (as a rough guide) should result in the person being fired. CEOs have gone from earning a few times what their employees earn in the 70s and 80s, to in many cases over $20,000,000 per year, while paying their employees $5 and claiming that the company isn't making any money because they're just reinvesting it to inflate the company and taking it out themselves. That's just outrageous to me. Maybe I'm a bit idealistic in my views that this could be enforced, but the status quo is that nobody even tries to enforce it, it's open season for the rich to engage in tax evasion.

The major federal expenses are not state issues like defense, homeland defense, Social Sceurity, Medicare. If the fed does shift the cost to the states, such as the proposal to cut $40 Billion from Medicade, that just means an increase in state taxes. Bottom line, the states do not have any unused money and at the fed we are runnig a real federal deficit, withour reducing the deficit with the surplus in SS and Medicare, of $675 Billion this year. The states rights issue is real but has little to do with the federal deficit.

This can not continue. Bush has no plan to fix this problem. Things like prescription drugs and making the tax cuts permanent move us further away from a solution.

Bush has no plan to fix this problem.

Now I'm going to (gag!) stick up for Bush here. You are expecting ONE MAN to rectify 229 years of bipartisan malfeasance, misappropriation and embezzlement. Bush cannot solve the problem singlehandedly (go back and reread the Constitution; the president does not AUTHOR legislation).

When we are spending to the tune of $8500 per man, woman and child, I GUARANTEE you there is PLENTY of room to be cut (maybe we can start with the 150 staff per Congressperson? Maybe simplify the tax code and eliminate the IRS? LOTS of ideas come to mind here).

When we are spending to the tune of $8500 per man, woman and child, I GUARANTEE you there is PLENTY of room to be cut (maybe we can start with the 150 staff per Congressperson? Maybe simplify the tax code and eliminate the IRS? LOTS of ideas come to mind here).

Here Here!  I second those!