by Jack
From the Washington Post, “Republicans propelled themselves to power in Washington by promising an end to fiscal recklessness. They are now embracing the kind of free spending and budget deficits they once claimed to loathe.
Congress is debating a bipartisan spending deal that would blow through the caps imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act, unlocking $300 billion in additional spending for the military and domestic programs over the next two years. That comes on top of last year’s $1.5 trillion tax cut package and as the White House prepares to unveil on Monday a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that would require $200 billion in government funding.
While the White House says it plans to offset that $200 billion through unspecified cuts, none of the other spending is paid for at a time when the nation’s debt already tops $20 trillion.”
We will never escape this debt, never, we’re stuck. Congress has failed us for the last time, recovery is not possible.
Doesn’t matter who is in charge now, the debt just keeps growing because of a spending addiction and a lack of courage by those in power to say no. It’s over and you might just as well sit back and enjoy the time remaining before the big collapse, when paper money won’t be worth the cost to print it.
Not a thing Trump can do about it either. Congress makes the budget and they are completely and utterly irresponsible. That’s why I say we’re done. Not sure when it will implode, just know that it will…it’s inevitable. The GOP was our last hope and they sold us out…. again. We had about two seconds of sunshine when the Tea Party entered the scene, now their light is out and so are we.
Rand Paul was absolutely right!
Current Repubs in Clowngress can’t cry foul when they’ve contributed to the massive increase in our debt. They’re no better than the $pendthrift Demwits!
Although some version of this email has been sent around for years,(currently dated 2017) and I could care less who authored it, this makes way too much sense not to be implemented. This could be Trumps greatest achievement, if the American people would get behind him on this
“Congressional Reform Act of 2017”
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman / Woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office. And, no more perks go with them, nor receive any pay, current or retroactive after they cause a Government shutdown.
2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security like the rest of us.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people, including being subject to prosecution for illegal activities.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen / Women are void.
The American people did not make these benefits to Congressmen / Women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor,and should be a sort term position of no more than 3 terms of 2 years each, not a life’s career.
THIS IS HOW YOU CAN FIX CONGRESS! And drain the swamp! …. Just say’in!
Now that it’s seeming reasonably certain that the republic will not founder quite yet, this is becoming the most entertaining presidency I’ve ever lived through:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/09/politics/navy-seal-bin-laden-shooter-trump-military-parade/index.html
“Not a thing Trump can do about it either.”
He could have refused to sign the budget. Not the crusader you thought, is he? Didn’t he say he’d love to see a shutdown?
He says a lot of things, doesn’t he? … but he being common-and-garden-variety huckster, you’d have to be a deluded fool to believe any of it.
I told you! Do you believe me now?
But I, too, am incensed. Postcards! Send postcards! They do not get held up in anthrax quarantine, and there is software that will help you create wildly incensed works of art for the perusal of our Congresspersons.
“Do you believe me now?”
No!
Trump has done nothing to suggest he’s a “huckster.”
There are hucksters in DC that you should be aware of by now and yet you never seem to wag that finger of yours about them!
Have fun with your art project.
As you know I’ve been otherwise occupied of late recovering from knee surgery so I may not be up to speed…please correct me if needs be.
We have a budget. I guess that’s something. No more time wasted on continuing resolutions! No more using the issue to play politics and grand stand.
This was a budget bill. A budget is like a blueprint for possible (probable) future spending. Will our Congress and the president stay within the budget’s parameters, exceed the budgets limits and go into deficit spending, or manage by some miracle to come in under budget year after year? Only time will tell. It was passed with bipartisan support…they all own it.
Tax cuts will stimulate growth in the economy and generate higher revenues. Our president has asked for the various departments to clean up their books and find and eliminate waste…whether those in charge will do this with vigor and due diligence over time is yet to be seen.
Since interest rates were manipulated during the Obama years and kept artificially low we will go through a period of adjustment that could make for a very rocky ride. Depending on how high they go, a much larger interest payment and a much bigger chunk of the budget will come due.
As we have discussed many times over three decades (or more), the big drivers of the debt are the underfunded entitlement programs. As long as Congress lacks the will (the nads) to address these programs and come up with a workable plan our debt will continue to rise no matter the size of the budget!
Obama doubled down and expanded entitlement programs. Trump has asked for better management, however, he did not run on repairing our broken SS, MC, and welfare programs. It wouldn’t matter if he had as long as the the Democrats can successfully push emotionally charged “free stuff” for votes and the people remain blissfully ignorant about how the path to ruin is paved on these empty promises. If conservatives want to change our debt picture we will have to find a way to inform and educate…no small task.
Obama presided over the gutting of our military, much like Carter did. Trump promised to strengthen and rebuild our military much like Reagan had to do. He made this deal as a matter of choice to get that done in a world where crazy rulers increasingly have nuke capabilities.
As Trump said, if we want things to change we need to elect more strong conservatives.
This is our system of government and we are bound to work within it. It sure can challenge us and play with our sanity and emotions. But I wouldn’t trade it away…would you?
The debt the politicians have and continue to run up will destroy this country. But this is how democracies die. Special interests take over and spend and borrow the country into oblivion.
Rand Paul gave a great speech on the Senate floor about the out of control debt but nobody cares…or cares enough to do anything.
And the sad thing is, Captain Jack, that it will be your kids and grandkids who will bear the brunt of this. Mark my words, they are going to pay a very high price indeed.
If I were Trump I would tell Congress I would veto every budget they sent me if it was not balanced or at the very least had significant cuts to spending. And I’d dare them to remove me from office if they refused. After all, when you’re a billionaire it’s not like you need the job.
America is on a roller coaster ride with no end in sight. One day we’re on a positive high and the next on a negative low. I didn’t vote for Trump nor would I want him as a friend, but I would want him as a business partner. He creates more of his own problems than any others combined.
Trump, over a year after taking office has the most administrative positions unfilled than any past president, because Dems are slow walking the approval process and McConnell has done nothing to speed it up. Without those top positions the lower-level positions are not being filled with the new directors’ staff. The work is being done by the previous administration’s directors and support staff.
Trump is trying to run a gov’t with his hands tied. Making cuts where needed to fund necessary spending will be impossible as long as there are millions of employees fighting for their jobs. Remember hearing about all of the vacant warehouses and office building that couldn’t be sold because of the prohibitive regulations? We’re spending billions to maintain them, while workers have set up man-caves in them to hang out in during their work hours. Trump is a builder, who has completed jobs in months that others couldn’t get done in years.
Do I think there is still hope for America’s future? Yes, but it’s hanging on by a thinning thread every time Trump says something stupid and his hands remained tied by the swamp dwelling Dems, members of his own party and the biased media.
You are 100% correct, Jack.
Every year government spending and government debt goes up. And here in California taxes ALWAYS go up. Every year politicians raise taxes or fees of some sort.
So what are we going to do about it?
Well, you can start by going here and signing the petition to over turn one of California’s largest tax increases. A tax increase you had absolutely no say in. The Democrat politicians rammed it down your throat. So what are you going to do about that?
Go here and enter the information. A pdf form will be generated that you can print out and mail in. Or better yet, do that but save the form and email it to your friends and family so they can fill it out and mail it in, too. Or print the multiple copies of the form out and give them to your friends and family. This will only take a few minutes.
http://act.reformcalifornia.org/petitions/cartax/html/gen/
If you don’t want to do that, go to your local office for LaMalfa or Gallagher. They should have petitions you can sign. Or call 619-786-8019 and have them email or mail you a copy of the petition or tell you a local place where you can sign.
Democracy ain’t a spectator sport, folks. If you don’t get involved the Democrats are going to eat your lunch, literally…or more accurately take your lunch and everything else they can!
Won’t you do something to stop that?