Thanks to George...

[Rick572]

While I will enjoy my $300 as much as the next, I personally would rather they spend my money on the national debt.

Then send yours back if that be your choice, and please leave me my choice too.

Rick

 

[GlueGuy]

You're all sniffing too much fairy dust to believe that this tax cut is anything more than a sham. It's so back-end loaded as to be ridiculous. For the first 7 years, there's only $300 billion worth of "cuts", the rest comes in the last 3 years. People making over $100,000 likely won't see any cut at all, because the first cuts are going to low and mid income people. By the time the "real" cuts start to come along, Dubya will be out of office, and the administration of that time will be scrambling to cover the revenue shortfall.

Fact is we already spent any "surplus", why else is there such a monstrous public debt? Our children will be paying for our stupidity here.

The GlueGuy

 

[DrDan]

Heck we could probably pay off the National Debt if we'd just collect all the $$$ that we have loaned to foreign countries <<that hate us>> and will never collect. Why is it that we have to be the "good provider" for every little dirt ball country that comes along? Heck if we cut off the shipment of our excess food to them Arabs I bet the oil prices come shooting down dang fast!

 

[Wingnut]

I've made my "Benedict Arnold" cracks about the turncoat, and thrown enough dung about education ... so I want to say -up-front - that I'm not slinging mud at anyone here. But ... it seems to me that there's a lot of misunderstanding about this whole national debt thing here.
By all means ... if you don't want YOUR money returned (I'm assumning that you paid taxes) ... pass it on to charilty ... or sent it to me ... I can spend it quick ... I'm a firm believer in trickle-down benefits.
OK ... why do I think there's misunderstanding on the debt? Well ... can you please tell me who is asking for it to be paid off? Do you know where that debt is? If I remember the economics lesson ... the debt is mostly to ourselves ... in the form of bonds and that sort of thing. What happens when a government gets too deep in debt and seems to be in danger of defaulting? Well ... look at Canada's rating (it's improved ... but it was bad) and see how high an interest thay have to offert o sell bonds. Have you seen that problem with US bonds? Everyone in the world wants to buy them because they're the safest investment in the world. Don't pay a whole lot ... but they're rock solid. Do you think all the people that hold all these bonds want them retired? Heck no!
So ... although it would be bad for you and I to be as indebted as our country ... it doesn't appear to be a bad thang when our government spends "reasonably".
So ... by all means ... turn down the money that you "donated" ... the feds will really "care" ...no really ... bwahahahaha

Me, I just wish that they'd cut all the CRAP about the poor, poor, underpriviledged people who need a handout. The poorest person in this country is sitting pretty high on the hawg compared to most everywhere else. As was previously posted ... over 70% of the taxes come from less than 10% of the taxpayers. And the interesting thing is that the more taxes you pay (taxes are supposed to be payment for service received) ... the less value you get from them. The users of government services are the 70% of the population that pay little or no taxes.
So ... you want to make taxes fair ... to heck with that flat tax ... to heck with a sales tax ... lets go with a user-pay system. We'd get that small government us libertarians and conservatives have desired REAL quick!

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[TBone]

Hess, Some people you just have to ignore. If you read some other posts from Wingnut you'll see he's a bitter and cynical person who obviously hates everything about the United States. I have been to Canada several times and it is a beautiful country and (Thank Goodness) I have never met another Canadian so negative about EVERYTHING.

 

[cowboydoc]

T-bone,
You certainly shouldn't be saying that about someone that you don't even know. Wingnut is not a cynical and bitter person who hates everything. Just because his view may be different from yours or mine doesn't make him a cynical and bitter person. I've talked with him on other topics and he's not bitter and cynical. I think he's a pretty good guy to talk to most of the time even when we don't agree it gives something to think about from the other side. Hang around awhile before you go passing judgments on people.

 

[TBone]

CowboyDoc,
Sorry if I made a hasty judgement about wingnut but on several of his posts he has been downright nasty about his feelings about the US and I am guilty of being too defensive about this subject. I apologize to anyone I might have offended but I think we all are VERY fortunate to live here. It's far from perfect but it is so much better than most.
T-Bone

 

[hess]

Thanks TBone,

Earlier, I had taken offense to some of Wingnut's posts on this topic, especially when I felt he was attacking me personally, and being unfair to many hardworking teachers.
I think he clarified later that it was not a personal attack, but rather his frustration with taxes, uneducated employees, etc.
But as I have said, we are all shaped by our experiences, and while I may not agree with everyone, I do respect their right to an opinion.
Wingnut has strong views, and so do I - but I still enjoy the forum and the conversation.

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper" - Robert Frost

And, you know TBone, I do ignore some people, but it is better (at least initially) to try and understand where they are coming from.

hess

 

[TBone]

cowboydoc, RE: "I don't get any special deals and I don't want any." Your bio states that you have 60 plus acres in the CRP. Is that the crop reduction program, a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT program?

 

[DVerbarg]

GlueGuy,

Not only are the "tax cuts" backend loaded but they are all rescinded in the 11th year! Take the estate tax repeal, it does not get totally repealed until the 10th year and then the 11th year it is back in place as it is today. The child care credits, education credits, etc are all rescinded in the 11th year -- unless congress votes to keep them going!

Its a short-term solution that expires after the administration is gone, leaving the onus on another administration to get the concensus of congress (making someone else the "goat" or "hero").

DaveV