For Democrats and the Obama folks: How do you solve the debt issue?

[Fear No Evil]

Since 'Tea Party' callout threads are all the rage, I thought maybe one calling out the party who has been in complete 100% control of the government for the past 2 years (Other than the supreme court I guess) how they plan on dealing with the debt? So far what we've seen from Obama and crew is:

1. Blame Bush.
2. Say its 'hard work' fixing the economy and that we should be patient.
3. Spend 3 times as much.

Is it really a surprise you are going to get your asses handed to you tomorrow? Everyone is demanding answers from a 'party' thats not even a party and at best will have a few dozen members in congress in a few months but you are demanding nothing from the current sitting government which your party controls completely.

What are you answers? Blame the Tea Baggers? Continue to blame Bush? Quadruple spending? Blame the Jews?



The Democrats have hundreds of members and complete control in congress, the senate, and of course the POTUS yet you demand answers from a couple dozen people running with 'TEA' before their names?

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Raise taxes on the uber rich. Cut spending. After temporarily using increased government spending to see us through the recession. Next.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Spend more. Screw our children. We need iPhones NOW!!!
It's my money and I need it NOWWW!!!!

 

[Genx87]

Surely tax the shit out of the rich, spend a lot of money, and blame republicans and Bush. And if their results dont show, blame the public for being too stupid to understand their plan.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Cut spending. Raise taxes on the uber rich. Both after temporarily using increased government spending to see us through the recession. Next.

Cut spending, increase taxes on those that use government programs the most.

Increasing taxes on the rich is only a punative measure and the gains aren't a shigh as you'd think. All it does is drum up support from the poor, lazy, and jealous.
If you actually made EVERYONE pay taxes the .gov would earn more money.

 

[sMiLeYz]

The blame game doesn't solve any problems whether its blaming Bush or Obama. Heres what I propose:

Realize the increase in the deficit is due to several factors:
1. Huge plunge in private spending, public spending is compensating
2. Unemployment, and the economy, more people than ever dependent on SS, Medicare, unemployment benefits.
3. huge drop in tax revenues (unemployment related) and the Bush tax cuts


Steps in the right direction; long term and short term
1. Stimulate the economy with public works projects; cut spending when times are good again
2. Cut military spending; end foreign intervention
3. End Bush era tax cuts for the rich, reinstate the estate tax and cut taxes further for middle class


I'm not going to say this is the magic bullet that will solve everything, but this is a step in the right direction

 

[yllus]

Based on the image below, it seems that two quick hits you could do are increase the age at which you're eligible for Social Security, pull out of Afghanistan and make major cuts to your military. Maybe kill all foreign aid as well, though that does have some "hidden" benefits (access to markets, ensuring stability in trade partners).

 

[Genx87]

Based on the image below, it seems that two quick hits you could do are increase the age at which you're eligible for Social Security, pull out of Afghanistan and make major cuts to your military. Maybe kill all foreign aid as well, though that does have some "hidden" benefits (access to markets, ensuring stability in trade partners).

Seems easy enough right? Bush even sniffed at reforming SS and AARP was on his ass for tossing grandma out on the street eventhough his reform would be voluntary and for people below the age of 40.

 

[ProfJohn]

Based on the image below, it seems that two quick hits you could do are increase the age at which you're eligible for Social Security, pull out of Afghanistan and make major cuts to your military. Maybe kill all foreign aid as well, though that does have some "hidden" benefits (access to markets, ensuring stability in trade partners).

The chart has to be wrong on the Iraq + Afghanistan part.


In 2009 spending on National Debt was $260 billion which is more than DOUBLE what we spent on Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[sunzt]

Reduce SS benefits and make it an option for future generations to opt out of SS benefits and not pay the SS tax or pay a greatly reduced SS tax.

Reduce medicare/medicaid benefits for future generations and also make it optional as said above.

Close tax loopholes for large businesses

 

[Fear No Evil]

We certainly have some options being thrown around in this thread. Why are the Democrats not running on a single one of them? They've been in office 2 years with full control and 4 years with partial control. Obama certainly had the support to do many of these things when he took office yet he decided to use his power to simply make the problem worse and alienate many of the people who supported him.

 

[BoberFett]

Raise taxes on the uber rich. Cut spending. After temporarily using increased government spending to see us through the recession. Next.

That idea has already been floated. Letting Bush's cuts lapse on the wealthy will raise $70B/yr. You've got a long ways to go, chump.

 

[theeedude]

Get rid of the regressive income cap on SS taxes.

 

[cganesh75]

Be American, buy American. dont buy foreign products.. if corporations want tax breaks, they have to produce their products here, they have to buy from American suppliers. dont take the tax benefits from USA and Grow china/India's economy.. corporations want tax break? they have to hire people here, not in another country.

everybody pays certain % of their income as tax.. no finding loop holes to not pay taxes or pay less.

if healthcare is socialism, then medicare and medicaid is also socialism.. as we repeal healthcare, lets repeal medicare and medicaid.

 

[sMiLeYz]

We certainly have some options being thrown around in this thread. Why are the Democrats not running on a single one of them? They've been in office 2 years with full control and 4 years with partial control. Obama certainly had the support to do many of these things when he took office yet he decided to use his power to simply make the problem worse and alienate many of the people who supported him.

The health care bill, like it or not is a huge step in the right direction and so was the stimulus. It's just not nearly enough to address the economic problems of this magnitude.

Democrats aren't all united, and they are victims of the same problems as Republicans. Corporate money is the greatest influence on policy in Washington, not ideology nor facts.

 

[sMiLeYz]

if healthcare is socialism, then medicare and medicaid is also socialism.. as we repeal healthcare, lets repeal medicare and medicaid.

LOL what? Health Care, Medicare and Medicaid isn't the problem, just like if the military spending is overbudget you don't cut out the whole military.

 

[sunzt]

Democrats aren't all united, and they are victims of the same problems as Republicans. Corporate money is the greatest influence on policy in Washington, not ideology nor facts.

QFTMFT

I work for a company that relies on government spending and we have a temp position for someone to track and predict the midterm election results so that WE KNOW WHO TO LOBBY in our current bids....

 

[JTsyo]

1. Freeze spending to give income a chance to catch up. Review current social programs to trim.
2. Wrap up Iraq and Afghanistan
3. Let tax breaks expire for those over $250K

 

[HomerJS]

We certainly have some options being thrown around in this thread. Why are the Democrats not running on a single one of them? They've been in office 2 years with full control and 4 years with partial control. Obama certainly had the support to do many of these things when he took office yet he decided to use his power to simply make the problem worse and alienate many of the people who supported him.

Are we still losing 750,000 jobs/month?? So much for the myth we are doing worse.

Gonad mentioned end tax cuts for the rich 70B
Get out of Iraq. Cost us 800B so far. Another 120B/year

Up to 190B

 

[BoberFett]

Are we still losing 750,000 jobs/month?? So much for the myth we are doing worse.

Gonad mentioned end tax cuts for the rich 70B
Get out of Iraq. Cost us 800B so far. Another 120B/year

Up to 190B

Good job. Only $1T to go.

 

[Tristicus]

Raise taxes on the uber rich. Cut spending. After temporarily using increased government spending to see us through the recession. Next.

Right, screw those people that work for their money, give it all to the people who don't.

amirite?

 

[her209]

Right, screw those people that work for their money, give it all to the people who don't.

amirite?

In more ways than you know.

 

[trenchfoot]

Right, screw those people that work for their money, give it all to the people who don't.

amirite?

You know, keeping things simple is usually the way I like to do things too, but in your case it didn't quite work out the way its supposed to.....just say'in.

 

[SP33Demon]

1. Freeze spending to give income a chance to catch up. Review current social programs to trim.
2. Wrap up Iraq and Afghanistan
3. Let tax breaks expire for those over $250K

If Repubs get control of the House and Senate, 1 has a small chance of happening, 2 & 3 no freaking way.

 

[Genx87]

Get rid of the regressive income cap on SS taxes.

There isnt anything regressive about SS taxes.