Vote for us, we're going to raise your taxes.

[ra]

Late 80s, I remember buying a brand new '86 Dodge Ram 50 pickup and interest rates were 17%..
Interests rates were high from the late 70's theough the mid-80's because of double-digit inflation, not because of deficits.  Inflation died and the interest rates have come down despite continuous deficit spending.

A) Not us.. folks making over 200 grand a year.
Ah, I see "us" as being the US taxpayer, you see "us" as being those who make less than $200K/year.  Conservative/liberal.

Balancing the budget is the key to economic growth as witnessed in the late ’90s.
Exactly backwards.  The booming economy made the deficit go away (on paper) very briefly.  If raising taxes created an economic boom wouldn't all the evil greedy corporations be in favor of it?  


ra

[AKIron]

A graphic to aid in seeing where our tax dollars go:

http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm



This is the one provided by the US Govt. Either way we're spending a lot of money on "Social Services".

[lazs2]

so klinton gutted the military and increased welfare and social programs...   we then needed to build the military back up but were stuck with his permanent social programs.   If Bush simply cut the military in half he would be seen on paper as the president that spent the least.

If you were to look at where most of the 40% taxes or so of social welfare programs that we will be paying for for the rest of ours and our childrens lives originated... you will see that allmost every one was started by a democrat.  democrats start em and the rest of us pay for em forever.

lazs

[rpm]

Social Security and Medicare make up 41% according to the graph. Social Security is your money you already paid in and Medicare is the medical for seniors that they paid for years. Should we steal their money from them? It's not a welfare program.

You can't blame everything on Clinton even tho you think it's cool.

[AKIron]

There are a LOT of people using that Social Security money but have never paid in a dime.

[rpm]

There is some fraud, I agree. It should be investigated and procecuted IMHO. There are also LOTS of children that recieve SSI and I have no problem with that. Those that can will pay in later. The crippled children that can't we will just have to pay for. You need to have some compassion and charity for those that truly need it. For those that don't and are milking the system, go after them and procecute. That's just my wacko liberal opinion.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by rpm371
For those that don't and are milking the system, go after them and procecute. That's just my wacko liberal opinion.

Quickest way to kill this snake is by cutting off it's head, or, voting the democrats out of office.

[rpm]

I agree with the cutting off the head of the spending snake...in this case GWBinc.

[-MZ-]

Originally posted by AKIron
There are a LOT of people using that Social Security money but have never paid in a dime.

Damn blind kids.  Why can't they just beg on the street like in Mexico?

[storch]

Originally posted by AKIron
There are a LOT of people using that Social Security money but have never paid in a dime.

Anyone who steps foot in this country illeally or otherwise is immediately rewarded by social services.  you are 100% correct there.

[Toad]

Originally posted by rpm371
Social Security is your money you already paid in  

A minor point here. Most of the people who have been on SS a long time have gotten back more than they put in, even accounting for inflation/interest. Benefits have grown far beyond what was envisioned when they set the collection rate.

[AKIron]

Yuck it up. I'm not for depriving needy kids, just their lazy "bipolar" parents on disability.

[rpm]

Toad, yes it is possible, but not the norm. Stupid medical advancements.

Iron, you and I agree on that point. A theif is a theif.

[Shuckins]

If the money the government took from me to prop up a disastrous Social Security program had, instead, been placed in my teacher retirement program I could retire with three times the money that I will eventually get.

Social Security is NOT a voluntary program...you pay whether you think it is an unqualified failure or not.  It should have been privatized thirty years ago.  That will never happen in the U.S. because there are some who realize a lot of political capital from it, scaring the old folks during every national election year with "They gonna cut your benefits!"

Why can't they just be honest with them and say "Okay...if we continue down our current path...your grandchildren will never be able to draw Social Security but will be stuck paying high taxes to pay for benefits that were paid out thirty years ago.  We HAVE to make some changes in the system."

[Steve]

Seems to me people this wealthy wouldn’t mind giving back a little to the country that made them rich.

Foolish presumption.  How about the poor people pay their share instead?

Why big business would prefer to not have a balanced budget is beyond me.

More foolishness.  Cater had a balanced budget... the result: skyrocketing interest rates and inflation.

The higher interest rates scare away potential new investors.

Feds raised the rate 1/4% today. Wall Street's response:  Up 22 points.  Yup, they seem real scared.