(Lake Martin Specific)
111,143 messages
Updated 4/25/2024 7:30:23 PM
Lakes Online Forum
83,605 messages
Updated 4/25/2024 9:33:24 PM
Lakes Online Forum
5,193 messages
Updated 4/3/2024 3:47:36 AM
(Lake Martin Specific)
4,169 messages
Updated 4/16/2024 3:16:57 AM
Lakes Online Forum
4,169 messages
Updated 4/15/2024 11:05:05 PM
Lakes Online Forum
4,260 messages
Updated 3/24/2024 9:24:45 AM
Lakes Online Forum
2,976 messages
Updated 3/20/2024 11:53:43 PM
(Lake Martin Specific)
169 messages
Updated 5/31/2023 1:39:35 PM
Lakes Online Forum
98 messages
Updated 4/15/2024 1:00:58 AM
|
|
|
| Name: |
Yankee06
- 
|
|
| Subject: |
Mistakes being made
|
|
Date:
|
12/6/2010 3:38:35 PM
|
-Seems to me, that the repubs are making mistakes already and they're not even in control of anything yet.
-Mistake #1: defending continued tax breaks for those making over $1 million. Forget the philosophy of it, the politics of it are just stupid! An extra 4.5% is not going to hurt those making over $1 million, ..especially with some kind of addendum for small businesses that this tax might impact. There has to be away to distinguish between people who make this kind of money (e.g. those evildoers on Wall Street :) ) and small businesses that generate this kind of money.
-Mistake #2: extending unemployment compensation as is. The UC should be extended past 99 only to those who will take public works jobs or the jobs that illegal immigrants are now doing. Send the illegals back to wherever, and put the 99ers in their place. Then we'll see who really needs the money.
-Sure there are a lot of nagging issues involved with both of the above, but it would be great politics for the repubs.
-A repub stance such as those two above would be strong with the independents, the group that will again determine which party wins the White House in 2012; still not lose the hardest of hardcore repubs who defend the tax break for those over $1 million because they have no place else to go and really are small in numbers: and really put a microscope on teh issue of who really needs the continued UC over two years and are truely willing to work for it.
-This lame duck session already seems to me to be too-much-business-as-usual!!!
URL: Sen Bernie Sanders Amazing Speech DEC 02 2010 .flv
|
| Name: |
Tall Cotton
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Mistakes being made
|
|
Date:
|
12/6/2010 4:15:27 PM
|
Yank, If they let the over $1M increase now, what will be the ceiling next time, $500K, then $250K, then $100K, then $50K? I would prefer no extensions for unemployment and the current tax rates too. If they can push for reduced spending to pay for the extension of unemployment then, I think they have done a good job given what they have to work with. Remember, the Dems still have control of both houses and the White House so if they really wanted this they could push it through, IF their leadership could get them to all agree.
|
| Name: |
Talullahhound
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Mistakes being made
|
|
Date:
|
12/6/2010 5:11:42 PM
|
I think way too much is being made of the tax cuts for those making over $1M. It's such a small percentage of the population. I don't think agreeing to the 1M cut off this time sets a precedent for anything in the future. That's the problem, they need to deal with the here and now. There will be plenty of time in the future to revisit the issue.
I have to say that I am mixed on the extention of the Unemployement benefits. I don't really think that the country can afford this, yet, with so many people unemployed and according to Berneke, not much better in the immediate future, the idea of just cutting families off worries me. I somewhat agree with Yankee that some kind of job "acid" test maybe needs to be employed.
At this point, given the severity of the problem with our economy, I don't want Republicans "winning" or Democrats "winning" but I want our elected officials to lay off the politics and come together with some bipartisan plans. All we're seeing is a lot of ppsturing -- where is the leadership??? So far, the cuts being proposed are just a drop in the bucket and being done for visuals, not any real action. Lame duck session or not, those who wrap themselves in their patriotism need to step up and lead, instead of just running their mouths.
|
| Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Mistakes being made
|
|
Date:
|
12/7/2010 9:38:11 AM
|
Hound, while I agree with your desire to have them set aside politics but realistically it just can't happen. Everything that is being discussed today is anathema to the far left and Obama/Reid/Pelosi are in the unenviable position of having to really make their base angry. If you think about GWB's abysmal ratings toward the end of his 2nd term it was partially due to the base abandoning him over the deficits, prescription drug, TARP, etc. If any President holds onto their base they will maintain at least 30%+ ratings. When they lose their base it drops below that number, which may be happening to Obama soon as he never had conservatives and has lost independents in massive numbers.
But what we have to recognize is there are very real differences in policy approaches. The GOP wants to reduce federal spending, hold tax rates steady, etc. and the Dem leadership want the opposite. Hence the compromise, which is not the best for America but is apparently the best the GOP can get right now. I tend to think it is better to put this issue to rest in the lame duck session than have the uncertainty of whether rates will go up in 2011 or not. On the whole, the combination will likely not do much to help the economy but for sure will not be the body blow that the tax increase would have been.
I too have mixed emotions about the extension of unemployment benefits. I really wish the Dems had agreed to pay for the additional costs with cuts elsewhere but they would not budge because a big core constituency for them is federal, state and local unionized workers. I do think that unemployment benefits can prolong someone staying unemployed but give the current jobless recovery there are also a lot of people out there that simply can't find meaningful work. See my post above about the political implications of all this.
|
| Name: |
Talullahhound
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Mistakes being made
|
|
Date:
|
12/7/2010 10:06:22 AM
|
The reason we elect indiviuals to represent us in Washington is to get things done, not to beat the political drum. Yes, there are philosophical differences in the approach to setting goals and priorities, but compromise is how things get done.
In my opinion there is just too much "politics" and not enough "doing". It's not the job of Republicans to take the President of the US to the woodshed. It's to find a way to work with him while representing their constituents. In my view, the current political climate doesn't serve anyone well. There has to be balance.
BTW, I agree with you that they should have made some cuts to pay for the extention of the unemployment benefits.
Everything from this point on, needs to have a quid pro quo.
|
| Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
| Subject: |
I don't disagree with you
|
|
Date:
|
12/7/2010 10:45:40 AM
|
just pointing out what I consider to be the reality of the situation. Wish that politics could be set aside but I am not sure it can.
|
|
|
New Post
Search
Off-Topic Forum
Reply
»
Alabama Lakes
»
Lake Martin
Login
|
Home
