Rand Paul's proposed budget, deficit reduction plan.

[Zebo]

fun fact:
GDP = private activity + public activity

GDP is also an indicator of how many people can be employed.

So if we want to improve employment we can increase either one of those variables.

Spending makes a lot of sense in this case, as do tax cuts.

So if, as you are saying, we are spending twice what we are taking in and it isn't working then we should do something about that! Spend even more than twice what we are taking in, and take in even less than twice what we are spending!

It's a death spiral into worthless currency and third world living. It won't take long either. Govt does not produce wealth only mining, manufacturing or growing and everything associated with them does so what do you create by giving someone an UE check? Nothing but devaluing your currency in case of QE or debt in case of borrowing. I'd prefer we pay American to build iPhones instead of paying them to sit at home and pay Chinese a "lower" rate for those phones. That's just me though politicians sure are not talking about it.

 

[Darwin333]

We are spending twice what we take in now. Is that deficit enough for ya? It's not working. Not to mention prices are reflecting that $ devaluation so it's actually a negative for people on fixed income or not getting commensurate raises. Good for bankers/rich tho who loan us the rest. Will be really good for them when these short term treasuries which almost all are go back to normal rates and just to pay them off will suck 50% of our tax dollars.

Thats why I say fuck it, lets see how high the ye old credit card will go but lets at least build something with it. I wonder if we can get another trillion for a new grid?

We simply do not have the will to cut enough and raise enough taxes to close the gap, at least not until we are forced to.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

It's a death spiral into worthless currency and third world living.

Is it; what do you base this on? Is there ever a time in which we can peruse an expansionary fiscal policy?

 

[werepossum]

Not all prices are reflecting a "devaluation", many commodity prices are reflecting the scarcity of commodities due to shortfalls in production or speculation. There is no direct correlation between in the increases and actual devaluation. If anything, we're still in a deflationary environment.

Well, food and oil are hardly scarce and they are going through the roof. This must be one of those deflationary environments characterized by inflation.

 

[ElFenix]

Well, food and oil are hardly scarce and they are going through the roof. This must be one of those deflationary environments characterized by inflation.

in well functioning markets there is never a shortage. and with or without well functioning markets, scarcity always exists.


iirc, there have been drought conditions in cereal producing regions. when corn gets more scare the price of food and ethanol shoot up.

 

[Jhhnn]

Well, food and oil are hardly scarce and they are going through the roof. This must be one of those deflationary environments characterized by inflation.

Really? Care to offer any data to back up your assertions? Any that runs contrary to this?

http://www.bls.gov/ro3/apmw.htm

Looks like the midwest is catching up to the rest of us. otherwise- Pffft!

 

[Dr. Zaus]

food and oil are hardly scarce

...

Ok... so you don't seem to know the definition of scarcity?

 

[ElFenix]

Really? Care to offer any data to back up your assertions? Any that runs contrary to this?

http://www.bls.gov/ro3/apmw.htm

Looks like the midwest is catching up to the rest of us. otherwise- Pffft!

the historical data uses a little dinosaur for the link :awe:

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Really? Care to offer any data to back up your assertions? Any that runs contrary to this?

http://www.bls.gov/ro3/apmw.htm

Looks like the midwest is catching up to the rest of us. otherwise- Pffft!

By food he must have meant wine.

 

[werepossum]

Really? Care to offer any data to back up your assertions? Any that runs contrary to this?

http://www.bls.gov/ro3/apmw.htm

Looks like the midwest is catching up to the rest of us. otherwise- Pffft!

Screw up your courage and look at the costs relative to a year ago. Sixteen entries went down; almost sixteen went up. Hint: fifty-nine is more than sixteen. Hence: inflation. Hell, more went up by double digits than went down - period.

in well functioning markets there is never a shortage. and with or without well functioning markets, scarcity always exists.


iirc, there have been drought conditions in cereal producing regions. when corn gets more scare the price of food and ethanol shoot up.

Perhaps I should have said they are not more scarce than normal, which would cause inflation specifically on those items.

 

[Acanthus]

Corn is the biggie for influencing food prices. It is in damn near everything we eat.

And corn is up huge this year.

However, overall we don't have inflation because real estate is still falling like a stone.

It's a push overall, but food is definitely up.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Screw up your courage and look at the costs relative to a year ago. Sixteen entries went down; almost sixteen went up. Hint: fifty-nine is more than sixteen. Hence: inflation. Hell, more went up by double digits than went down - period.

And yet we don't buy everything in the same % in our market basket...

For example; some people here clearly live off of wine alone.

Perhaps I should have said they are not more scarce than normal, which would cause inflation specifically on those items.

... you mean the supply hasn't changed?

Have you considered that for a highly elastic good an increase in demand can lead to a rapid increase in price without a general change to the overall consumer price index?

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

And of course his plan takes the easy dodge of no tax rises and proposes a completely moronic 2/3 majority for future votes on tax increases.

Maybe he should visit California first.

What he is proposing would destroy our economy.

THe only reasonable way out of this is as soon as the economy stabalizes start slowly raising taxes and cutting spending.

And end those idiotic Republican "deficits dont matter" wars overseas.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Maybe he should visit California first.

What he is proposing would destroy our economy.

How would limiting the tax liability of citizens and companies lead to a 'destroyed economy' ?

Why not simply cut programs and entitlement spending and military until we have a balanced budget; once there is enough activity in the private sector to pick up the unemployment caused by cutting back on government.

 

[Hacp]

I have my own plan. Cut the budget in half every year. Cut it every year until the deficit is paid off. Then keep it at that amount. Less taxes, less restrictions, more freedom.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

I have my own plan. Cut the budget in half every year. Cut it every year until the deficit is paid off. Then keep it at that amount. Less taxes, less restrictions, more freedom.

You are aware that we don't tax for the stated purpose of restricting freedom right?

There are important social and economic services that the government provides; not the least of which is being the leviathan of the world that has lead to this, one of the worlds longest periods of relative peace.

 

[IBMer]

You are aware that we don't tax for the stated purpose of restricting freedom right?

There are important social and economic services that the government provides; not the least of which is being the leviathan of the world that has lead to this, one of the worlds longest periods of relative peace.

Its best not to even respond to his posts.

 

[Jhhnn]

crew up your courage and look at the costs relative to a year ago. Sixteen entries went down; almost sixteen went up. Hint: fifty-nine is more than sixteen. Hence: inflation. Hell, more went up by double digits than went down - period.

Standard procedure on the right fringe- stake out an absurd self serving position, then say anything to defend it.

Food and oil going "through the roof!"? Hardly.

 

[child of wonder]

Corn is the biggie for influencing food prices. It is in damn near everything we eat.

And corn is up huge this year.

However, overall we don't have inflation because real estate is still falling like a stone.

It's a push overall, but food is definitely up.

It is. When my wife and I moved in March 2010 we began noticing our grocery bill was creeping higher as the months went by. We assumed food prices must be higher because we lived somewhere else but now that I see how corn prices have gone up almost 50% in the last 9 months that would explain it.

 

[halik]

Link: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=40294

I wish he could be President, although it won't be until 2017

Ah yes, 2/3rds majority vote for tax increase and simple majority for spending votes. That system worked great in Cali...

 

[halik]

Yeah, having an inconstant educational system is a great idea.

It's like Libertopians want to do everything that the world is doing to be nationally competitive and DO THE OPPOSITE just because it's "cool" to be free, stupid, and uncompetitive.

Fucking regressives.

I keep getting the same vibe as well. It's gotta be that inflated sense of intellectual superiority that you then apply en-mass to arrive with these notions that everyone will always know the best for themselves. Don't need FDA/FAA/EPA/... people will figure that shit out.

On average, people are pretty dumb... and half of em are dumber than average. If yahoo questions whether iRenew bracelets work don't make you realize this, I don't know what will.

 

[drebo]

I keep getting the same vibe as well. It's gotta be that inflated sense of intellectual superiority that you then apply en-mass to arrive with these notions that everyone will always know the best for themselves. Don't need FDA/FAA/EPA/... people will figure that shit out.

On average, people are pretty dumb... and half of em are dumber than average. If yahoo questions whether iRenew bracelets work don't make you realize this, I don't know what will.

I don't need a nanny state telling me what I should be eating and where I should be getting that food. I don't need them to tell me how to live my life.

I need the Federal Government to defend me from foreign threats. That's all.

 

[child of wonder]

I don't need a nanny state telling me what I should be eating and where I should be getting that food. I don't need them to tell me how to live my life.

I need the Federal Government to defend me from foreign threats. That's all.

You plan to inspect all food yourself? You know how much of each individual chemical can be safely added to the food you eat and are prepared to perform tests to measure the chemical composition of what you eat?

With zero government oversight, eventually food products will say things like "cheese and potatoes fuckin' good!" with zero nutritional information or ingredients listed but you do get a free box of ammo with every purchase!

There are some government agencies we need and the FDA is one of them. Should we still analyze these programs and cut waste? Absolutely.

 

[Monster_Munch]

Massive spending cuts right now are extremely risky when unemployment is already so high. Taking so much money out of the economy could cause a chain reaction and another great depression.

 

[jackstar7]

Some people can't wait to get the Brawndo flowin'.