RollinThundr wrote on Oct 5, 2012, 11:33:
I actually pretty much agree with all of this verno, but you have to do it smartly on both ends, we can't just raise taxes and continue to spend hand over foot, regardless, be it military or social handouts or whatever senator's pet project etc etc.
At the end of the day cuts WILL have to happen somewhere.
I think we all agree that there need to be cuts. But there also needs to be tax increases. Those can come from actual increases, or from a (desperately needed) simplification of the tax code that removes loopholes and deductions. Romney talks a lot about that, but refuses to put out an actual plan, which makes me think he doesn't actually have one. Leaving it to Congress to work out is not a plan.
Cutting social programs and things like PBS that don't even show up as a blip on the national budget is just pandering and not a serious attempt at fixing the problems. Putting two wars on the national credit card, while simultaneously giving a tax cut, really hurt us. If we don't have social programs to help people get back on their feet so that they can have at least the bare necessities that will allow them to look for jobs and show up looking halfway decent for interviews, we're never going to get out of the funk we're in. For all the rhetoric we've heard about Obama giving handouts, the welfare rules are about as tough today as they've ever been, aside from waivers that were granted to the states (most of them under Bush, btw) that gives people more time. This is all controlled by the states though. They determine how best to handle it, but it allows people time for re-training and such so that they have a better chance of getting off of unemployment.
We also still need to do more to fix SS and Medicare, but I don't see either side talking about that seriously. I'm totally not shocked.
Health care is still a problem. Obamacare has helped some, but doesn't do nearly enough. Romney doesn't appear to even have a plan. He's just made a lot of statements about how his plan would be run by the states and would totally have all the stuff we like from Obamacare, like covering pre-existing conditions, but it wouldn't have a mandate, so how it gets paid for is anyone's guess. He sure isn't saying.
I'm basically just frustrated with the choices we have. Neither party is doing what needs to be done. I'm only leaning to the Dems because they actually have a middle in addition to their left wing. The GOP really needs to clean house and get some moderates back in the party. Have you listened to these guys talk on the floor of the House? It's nuts. Most of them don't have the brain cells required to lead a trip to McDonald's, let alone lead this country.
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)