Posted by Tina
“In the coming year, we will also work to rebuild people’s faith in the institution of government. Because you deserve to know exactly how and where your tax dollars are being spent, you will be able to go to a website and get that information for the very first time in history. Because you deserve to know when your elected officials are meeting with lobbyists, I ask Congress to do what the White House has already done: put that information online. And because the American people deserve to know that special interests aren’t larding up legislation with pet projects, both parties in Congress should know this: if a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.”
We will hold you to that Mr. President.
President Obama spoke tonight from his experience and from the heart. His words were hopeful and filled with images of responsibility and pride in America. He made reference to the can do spirit of the American people and said that we must become innovative once more. The President cited a need for investment in education, a modernized infrastructure, and alternative technologies. These are long term goals worthy of consideration when our economy and fiscal position are once more is sound. Unfortunately these long term goals do not address the immediate needs of the American people.
I had the sense that Obamas imagery was designed to bring people together but unfortunately I think we will miss the mark. After all, even he acknowledged that the coming work in Congress would be contentious.
Although the Presidents main proposals for cutting spending had real merit most did not go far enough and others were aimed in the wrong direction. As someone who has always put his faith in government first, rather than the American people, it is understandable that he would fail to express a vision for our immediate future. Let’s hope he was sincere when he spoke of working with Republicans going forward.
The following links will be helpful to those who missed the evenings festivities.
“Unfortunately these long term goals do not address the immediate needs of the American people.”
That’s the beauty of America, anyone can up with an idea.
What’s your plan to address the immediate needs of the American People? Can we see it? With the numbers to back it up?
Q, please if you have a idea, lay it out, your always challenging us to do so, but I never read anything guiding or directional in your posts, just criticism. I know that is a easy thing to do, as I just critiqued you.
Now regarding part of Obama speech, you can not hope this man has changed his thinking for America through words. What has happened is Axlerod is gone and there is currently a new ‘business oriented’ person steering Obama now. Thats where this new business friendly approach is coming from, not the President. Obama is not really concerned about America economy unless it affects his possible (and I hope unlikely) of a second term. Now Obama now must learn to manage, and he has shown no skills in this direction. As a Educator and activist all he is skilled in is ‘broadcasting his views’ or lesson plan and you best tow the line or fail the class. He now has to QUICKLY learn a different way to present himself. Hopefully he will be so absorbed in his re-elect bid he’ll let congress guide the country, but unlike he did with a majority house & Senate, this time compromise and a degree of spending control will be guiding Americas future. At least I am optimistic that it could happen. So thats my Hope for Change
I know common sense isn’t your forte, Quentin, so pay attention.
All of the wealth for “investment”, whether in the private sector or through the government, comes from the efforts of the American people.
Government must create an atmosphere of confidence in the pivate sector in order for the people to be willing to risk. We need to be certain that taxes and regulation are not excessive and will not change from quarter to quarter or year to year. Complexity is a killer.
The private sector is expansive and diverse so targeted “investment” by the government, as Obama has suggsted going forward, will do nothing to inspire confidence overall in the private sector. (The Presidents stimulus of the past two years demonstrates this beautifully) Hostile policies that target the energy sector (oil, gas, coal) place a huge caution sticker on the private sector because all businesses use energy. The wealth building manufacturing sector is particularly dependent on a ready supply of inexpensive energy. Dumping a complex healthcare bill at this time (or any time IMHO) has only added to a lack of confidence.
Government has become much too big and expensive. It is sucking the life out of America. The money that it takes has become a burden for the American people in terms of lost buying power, lost opportunity, and increased prices for goods and services. Incompetence, bad policies, and irresponsible spending have created massive federal debt. The situation is intolerable and the consequence will be painful particularly for the very people that big government politicians with big government ideas were supposed to “helping”.
We need to cut corporate taxes and simplify regulation. We need to cut the governments budget by eliminating many unnecessary departments, subsidies, and programs. We need to come up with a transition policy to ease people off government retirement and healthcare programs and into private sector plans. We need to raise the retirement age and allow younger workers to put a portion of their retirement dollars into private retirement plans. A proposal to cut defense spending has been presented; it’s likely more could be done to make defense of the nation more effective and less expensive. Pork spending must stop.
A vibrant private sector will provide an abundance of jobs which will in turn generate more revenue to the government to help bring down our debt…IF we also cut spending.
I don’t have all of the numbers, Q, but common sense tells me that cutting the expense of the bureaucracy will cut waste. Creating certainty in the private sector will incentivise toward investment risk which will result in overall jobs creation. It isn’t rocket science. Anyone who has overseen a household budget should be able to understand it.
Here are a few numbers for consideration:
Eliminate Department of Education – save $100 billion/yr
Eliminate Department of Housing and Urban Development – save $41 billion/yr
Eliminate Commerce Department – save $9 billion/yr
We could also do without the departments of agriculture, 26.0 billion; transportation, 72.5 billion and the EPA, 10.5 billion.
There are a lot of other departments that are unnecessary. States could handle these more efficiently and with better understanding of the needs and desires of the people within those states. Most already do many of these things so we are paying twice for the same “service” in some cases.
What are your ideas?
First of all, I wouldn’t start out by demeaning someone a day after I criticized that same person for demeaning others.
That just makes you look like a hypocritical idiot.
My second idea would be to Nationalize Defense. We ask guys to DIE for this country. Asking companies to make war materiel for no profit is no worse. I can think of few things more abhorrent than profiting off of war.
Thirdly, I would begin a thorough examination of Defense spending. A cruise missile, for example, costs $5,000 to make yet we buy ’em for one million dollars. Of course not all defense projects generate 99.5% profit for their manufacturers, but a thorough review of defense spending would reveal hundreds of billions in savings.
I would end all defense spending NOT related to the defense of America. That means the trillion we are going to spend on Afghanistan and Iraq this year would not get spent–this would almost IMMEDIATELY balance the budget.
I would initiate a fair tax. An 8.66% sales tax on the purchase of stocks and commodities would generate as much revenue to the government as Income, Estate, and Capital Gains taxed combined. The tax would be voluntary, would raise the Dow, and would create investment in America. Additionally, it would lower unemployment.
You say that not knowing what the government will do discourages investment in America. Not true.
The companies that are currently investing in China have no idea what the Chicoms will do form one day to the next either. Why do they invest over there?
I missed this earlier, sorry.
The reason I asked Tina to offer a solution is because she offered a criticism with no solutions of her own.
I offer solutions in my blog when appropriate–you only have to open your mind enough to read it.
I do not for one second believe anything Obama said last night. Obama is an internationalist–like his predecessors–and has no more loyalty to the people of this country than any of his recent predecessors did.
Q: “You say that not knowing what the government will do discourages investment in America.”
Not true Quentin. Most businesses in America have been very concerned about what this president and Congress were doing. They created a lot of uncertainty with their legislation and pronouncements.
“The companies that are currently investing in China have no idea what the Chicoms will do form one day to the next either. Why do they invest over there?
China has (for now) made doing business there equitable; they have been business friendly for their own purposes. Yes it could change but for now they make it worthwhile.
All business is risky but when your own country has made doing business at home more difficult, time consuming, and costly than doing business overseas you go where you can get a better deal. Add the uncertainty that springs from a complex, poorly written piece of legislation like the Healthcare bill and you’re looking at a time bomb of future expense. The 1099 section for instance is a paperwork nightmare!
America ha NOT made business more diificult.
American Corporatists–Benito Mussolini’s name for them–have made doing business more difficult for small businesses. This is natural for businesses to do–it keeps the competition down, albeit unfairly. Further, they have spread the lie that it is the government doing it!
Sadly, fools believe and spread this lie.
Q, I missed this earlier:
“I can think of few things more abhorrent than profiting off of war.”
Unless it’s watching the politicians profit from making war. The lure of a big war toychest would be great. The need to justify that toybox would be greater. They would still need to tax the people to build their war toychest (and the ability to spend on pet projects by skimming off the top, as they have with SS, wouldn’t be noticed by most Americans.) The only thing that would change is there would be no competition to keep costs down and cash would go into pockets where “employees” get sweetheart deals because they work for the government.)
“America ha NOT made business more diificult.”
May we have some evidence that this statement is true. What personal experiences have you had that would add some credibility to your claim?
“American Corporatists–Benito Mussolini’s name for them–have made doing business more difficult for small businesses.”
How? By what power?
“Further, they have spread the lie that it is the government doing it!”
Do you deny that government sometimes writes legislation that favors certain corporate interests (currently green tech companies) and punishes others (as it is now doing against the oil industry)?
Do you deny that without government involvement legislating for advantage would not be possible?
Do you deny that expensive government regulation and taxation make it more difficult for smaller businesses to make a profit and therefore more difficult to survive?
Do you deny that small businesses don’t need to compete with large corporations to do well…they just need to make a profit?
American corporations are taxed at a larger rate than companies in other countries. Do you deny that this is a result of government policy?
You have a nice little story going there Quentin but it is built on a passle of half truths and lies. Government has the power to be neutral, to write regulation that is easy to understand and enforce, and that encourages, rather than punishing, business. It has chosen not to do that. Business men may go to Washingtoin to beg or try to bribe for favors and set asides but it is only the politician that can write legislation. Some of what they write obviously represents a bribe taken, in spirit if not in actuality. One such lobby today is the green lobby…they want subsidies because their products don’t quite pencil out. An example of the begging, hand shake lobbiests today are oil companies who government has chosen to punish severly…part of the agreement they made with the bribe to the greens.
Don’t tell me I’m a fool OR that government isn’t the root of all of theis evil and damage to our republic!
So, you are saying you have no problem with corporations profiting off of war?
You’re good with killing for money?
My God, you are amoral!
What is the point in trying to explain anything to someone without a soul?
I am really starting to wonder about you . . .
I hope that some day, when you learn HOW America works (all the answers are out there–including the genesis of all those regulations), you’ll take a class on what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s called “How to act like the Christian you claim to be.”
“American Corporatists–Benito Mussolini’s name for them–have made doing business more difficult for small businesses.”
How? By what power?”
Do you SERIOUSLY expect me to believe you have never heard of lobbying?
Tina?
Are you being real here?
Or, are you playing stupid just to yank my chain?
C’mon!
Have you ever picked up a newspaper?
Or, do you just read Drudge?
Have you heard of the Citizens United case?
Come on down to my class on the Plaza on Tax Day! I will teach you how America works.
Q: “So, you are saying you have no problem with corporations profiting off of war?”
Well golly Q, if the business has the capacity to provide plane parts, guns, helmets, boots, radio equipment, or bombs when our country goes to war…YES, I do,,,because when they make a profit they can buy the matrerials they need to make more of these much needed items.
Get off that emotional high horse…and grow UP! IF human beings could be instantaneously transformed by the hand of God war would no longer be a concern. Until that day we must be prepared and those companies provide the necessary tools. It’s called defense of the country…and YOUR FREEDOM! It sucks but it’s the way it is.
“My God, you are amoral!”
And you are infantile in your thinking.
“What is the point in trying to explain anything to ”
someone without a soul?”
Ditto a mature adult brain.
“It’s called “How to act like the Christian you claim to be.”
Like you just have? NO thanks.
“Do you SERIOUSLY expect me to believe you have never heard of lobbying?”
CAN YOU READ? Quoting myself:
It was industrial corporate America that saved us in WWII. Without that mass production we would be speaking German.
Corporations exist to make a profit, that’s whyt we hav e for profits and non-profits. So what?
It may be offensive to some that during a war a corporation might still make a profit, but again so what? Its all part of how the free market system works. To do anything less would be counter productive.
Think of it like this, every worker in every defense plant during WWII made a profit… because anything above their cost of going to work is considered a profit – so a profit is not necessary evil, it just is what it is. Bottom line: Freedom is not free, there is a price to be paid for all good things. If that price is to be a “war profit” then so be it.
Why the insults, Tina?
I must be right–again.
Either that, or you’re going leftist–only the leftists resort to insult. That’s what Tina Grazier, says!
You are acting stupid again, Tina.
Or, do you not know the difference between compensation and profit.
If you post things like you did, how can you come back and ask HOW corporations have made it difficult for small businesses to compete.
Do YOU read what you cut & paste???? Or, is your ability to synthesize knowledge from what you read, non-existent?
Why the insults, Tina?
I must be right–again.
Either that, or you’re going leftist–only the leftists resort to insult. That’s what Tina Grazier, says!
You are acting stupid again, Tina.
Or, do you not know the difference between compensation and profit.
If you post things like you did, how can you come back and ask HOW corporations have made it difficult for small businesses to compete.
Do YOU read what you cut & paste???? Or, is your ability to synthesize knowledge from what you read, non-existent?
Quentin I didn’t insult you any more than you insulted me. Quit whining!
You began your participation on this post by challenging me to come up with ideas. I did. You ignored them. Then I asked for your ideas and you chose to insult me in your usual contentious manner.
You accused me of being ignorant about lobbiest. I pointed out, using my previous comments, that you were wrong. Now you choose to insult me again rather than acknowledge your error.
You also claimed I am immoral because I believe that defending the nation is reasonable and explained how profits make continuing to defend the nation possible. Defense of the nation requires continuing preparedness and working equipment. That means Americans working at companies and corporations that build and manufacture those things will be selling to the government. Or do you think it’s possible to defend the nation without these things?
You seem to have a problem with the word profit. To you, it is a dirty word. You have yet to explain why.
The only thing I cut and pasted in this post was a direct quote from the SOTU speech…and my own words to demonstrate your lack of reading skills.
I repeat…as long as you continue to think of our representatives in Congress as innocent victims the lobby game will continbue to drive legislation. They hold the power to say no, to be responsible, to hold to their integrity, to make decisions based on what they believe is best for all Americans rather than what they can put in their pockets by doing one company or industry a favor.
I run a comapny, Quentin. don’t preach to me about profit as opposed to compensation. And don’t pretend you have any idea about how necessary profit is…obviously you don’t.
I have a feeling your big problem is that some companies pay their employees more than you think they deserve. Unless someone died and put you in charge of the world what others are paid, or how they are compensated, is none of your business.
Finally, explain this please:
It makes absolutely zero sense.