Somebody FREAKIN shoot me!!!!

[realcoray]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

This is the problem that people don't understand.... people spending money... is what makes an "economy"..... People NOT spending money creates a recession. If there is a recession... I will still live GREAT! But I might not spend as much money because I just don't have to, and or, I just don't feel like it. Who does that affect? It affects how much sales tax I pay -- it affects all the people that MIGHT have made money off me - thru commissions... profits... etc.

2/3rds of the Federal budget is now SOCIAL PROGRAMS.... it used to be 1/3rd of the budget. I would like to see that reversed so that we can get back to spending money on building and maintaining roads - improve our education system - national defense etc. In other words - I'd be HAPPY if I thought Obama was going to increase my taxes to build stuff - create stuff - etc. But his agenda is to take from me - and spend even more on "social programs". We have so many of them now we can't afford to pay our bills. I think that is what half the country is fed up with. The other half (according to the popular vote) seem to have their hands out...

I agree pretty much completely about spending being what helps the economy and that we clearly cannot just keep spending as a nation like we have been. Functionally the increase in social programs has a lot to do with things that Obama has no control over.

For example, Old people! With more and more baby boomers retiring, that is far more spending on medicare, and social security. In terms of the other aspects like welfare and food stamps, unemployment, I can certainly see them all being higher than usual due to the recession in general.

What people forget about fixing all of this is that Obama and Boehner were very close to a deal that would have made cuts to these programs, and had some additional tax revenue. They both should shoulder the blame for it not happening and putting us into the current fiscal cliff situation but I think that they will most likely come into agreement on a balanced package of cuts and revenue increases (maybe taxes maybe not).

I don't think it's an us versus them, makers vs takers thing, you can't tax your way out of debt, and you can't cut your way out either. We all got some benefit out of the deficit spending, it's time we all got a little pain to pay for it and I feel like that's what is going to happen.

[Eleanor's Nemesis]

Originally Posted by realcoray

I don't think it's an us versus them, makers vs takers thing, you can't tax your way out of debt, and you can't cut your way out either. We all got some benefit out of the deficit spending, it's time we all got a little pain to pay for it and I feel like that's what is going to happen.

Pain isn't necessary for anybody. The best solution is to 'grow the economy'.

Instead of people bltching about the size of the slice of their pie you bake a bigger pie.

What kind of effect would there be on the Treasury if we put 10 million people back to work in the private sector so that they are paying taxes?

[out2kayak]

FWIW:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEM4NKXK-iA

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Good stuff Greg, its good to put it out there and show what it is all about. You should hang out with Peter Schiff at them protests to set the record straight.