The Nation's Financial Condition

[foreverlax]

Historically, Excessive Consumption was a .01% thing...somehow the American Dream has become the poster child for financial stupidity.

[Trinity]

“The U.S. deficit is on track to exceed $1 trillion this year — the highest level since 2012, when much of the country was still climbing out of the recession. In fact, deficits have never been so high outside of wartime or an economic recession.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/ ... mp-1426696

[a fan]

Ah, you need an update. Trump's about to add another massive spending bill.

Anyone else notice the board's Republicans never post on this thread?

[Trinity]

Trump’s gonna pay that debt off before he leaves. He promised.

[holmes435]

Nary a peep from the Tea Party either now that their bogeyman is out of the White House.

[runrussellrun]

Nary a peep from the Tea Party either now that their bogeyman is out of the White House.

true Taxed Enough Already knew this about "him" during the Presidential primaries. No way anyone that claims to be a CONservative can justify what tRump just did. What a horrible deal, for the awesomest, probably the best evah, deal maker there evvah was.

[old salt]

Ah, you need an update. Trump's about to add another massive spending bill.

Anyone else notice the board's Republicans never post on this thread?

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

[runrussellrun]

Ah, you need an update. Trump's about to add another massive spending bill.

Anyone else notice the board's Republicans never post on this thread?

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

When Qatar, House of Saud, Turkey (??) buy more guns, with US Congress approval, who is the check made out too?

exactly

[a fan]

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

That's the same excuse we've been hearing for 20 years.

We "have" to let the Dems get free stuff if we want our shiny bombs.

We "have" to let the R's get shiny bombs if we want our domestic programs.

As if R's and D's constituents don't directly benefit from all this borrowed spending.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

The first thing I'd tell the Dems if I was a consultant. is to never bring up taxes again. Folks like you don't like taxes. Give people like you what they want: keep spending, and borrow every cent. It works. Look how happy Republican voters are!

Let your grandkids deal with the consequences. One thing I've learned about a nation filled with Republicans who swear they like fiscal responsibility is that they're freaking liars. They want the party to keep going, and future Americans be damned. Who cares about the future anyway? You'll all be dead by the time the bill arrives at the table.

[Typical Lax Dad]

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

That's the same excuse we've been hearing for 20 years.

We "have" to let the Dems get free stuff if we want our shiny bombs.

We "have" to let the R's get shiny bombs if we want our domestic programs.

As if R's and D's constituents don't directly benefit from all this borrowed spending.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

The first thing I'd tell the Dems if I was a consultant. is to never bring up taxes again. Folks like you don't like taxes. Give people like you what they want: keep spending, and borrow every cent. It works. Look how happy Republican voters are!

Let your grandkids deal with the consequences. One thing I've learned about a nation filled with Republicans who swear they like fiscal responsibility is that they're freaking liars. They want the party to keep going, and future Americans be damned. Who cares about the future anyway? You'll all be dead by the time the bill arrives at the table.

+ 1

[RedFromMI]

EALMvJlXYAAYwQB.jpg (73.32 KiB) Viewed 1477 times

There are a few things going well in the economy - you can see in this graph how the election of Trump just made SUCH as substantial change in the unemployment rate...

You can certainly argue that at least he and his administration have not yet quite screwed it up...

[a fan]

While Trump is certainly responsible for signing the three (soon to be four) massive new spending bills, as well as the tax cuts....

...he couldn't have done this without the Republicans in Congress.


It gets back to one of my previous unanswered questions: if the Republicans aren't the party of small, limited government with fiscal prudence....then what do they stand for in 2019?

No one can answer that.

[old salt]

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

That's the same excuse we've been hearing for 20 years.

We "have" to let the Dems get free stuff if we want our shiny bombs.

We "have" to let the R's get shiny bombs if we want our domestic programs.

As if R's and D's constituents don't directly benefit from all this borrowed spending.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

The first thing I'd tell the Dems if I was a consultant. is to never bring up taxes again. Folks like you don't like taxes. Give people like you what they want: keep spending, and borrow every cent. It works. Look how happy Republican voters are!

Let your grandkids deal with the consequences. One thing I've learned about a nation filled with Republicans who swear they like fiscal responsibility is that they're freaking liars. They want the party to keep going, and future Americans be damned. Who cares about the future anyway? You'll all be dead by the time the bill arrives at the table.

+ 1

44% of US households pay no Fed income tax. I'm all for the elimination of most deductions. Trump's "tax cut" resulted in a significant tax increase for me, but I'm ok with that, because it was caused by the elimination of allowable deductions.

[Typical Lax Dad]

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

That's the same excuse we've been hearing for 20 years.

We "have" to let the Dems get free stuff if we want our shiny bombs.

We "have" to let the R's get shiny bombs if we want our domestic programs.

As if R's and D's constituents don't directly benefit from all this borrowed spending.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

The first thing I'd tell the Dems if I was a consultant. is to never bring up taxes again. Folks like you don't like taxes. Give people like you what they want: keep spending, and borrow every cent. It works. Look how happy Republican voters are!

Let your grandkids deal with the consequences. One thing I've learned about a nation filled with Republicans who swear they like fiscal responsibility is that they're freaking liars. They want the party to keep going, and future Americans be damned. Who cares about the future anyway? You'll all be dead by the time the bill arrives at the table.

+ 1

44% of US households pay no Fed income tax. I'm all for the elimination of most deductions. Trump's "tax cut" resulted in a significant tax increase for me, but I'm ok with that, because it was caused by the elimination of allowable deductions.

Many people are of the opinion that deficits don't matter.

[HooDat]

Take it a step further and get rid of income tax altogether and (I think I may have said this before) ..... go to a federal sales tax.

To soften the blow for the poor (I can't believe I am going to say this...) perhaps this is where UBI would be useful. You figure out what folks who make under the poverty line would pay in federal sales tax each year, and cut them a check ahead of time - and call it UBI if that makes the dems happy. Call is a tax PRE-fund if that makes the R's happy. call it a pony, I don't care - but take the special interests out of the tax business.


btw - I want trademark rights on the term "tax pre-fund"....

[old salt]

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

That's the same excuse we've been hearing for 20 years.

We "have" to let the Dems get free stuff if we want our shiny bombs.

We "have" to let the R's get shiny bombs if we want our domestic programs.

As if R's and D's constituents don't directly benefit from all this borrowed spending.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

The first thing I'd tell the Dems if I was a consultant. is to never bring up taxes again. Folks like you don't like taxes. Give people like you what they want: keep spending, and borrow every cent. It works. Look how happy Republican voters are!

Let your grandkids deal with the consequences. One thing I've learned about a nation filled with Republicans who swear they like fiscal responsibility is that they're freaking liars. They want the party to keep going, and future Americans be damned. Who cares about the future anyway? You'll all be dead by the time the bill arrives at the table.

+ 1

44% of US households pay no Fed income tax. I'm all for the elimination of most deductions. Trump's "tax cut" resulted in a significant tax increase for me, but I'm ok with that, because it was caused by the elimination of allowable deductions.

Many people are of the opinion that deficits don't matter.

On LP I outlined my proposals for means testing Soc Sec & Medicare. I also laid out how we could downsize the military if we become truly isolationist, stop playing globocop & our allies carry their share of the burden (as currently illustrated in the Persian Gulf). I bet afan remembers.

[Typical Lax Dad]

...it's not a (R) vs (D) thing anymore. Can't buy more guns without buying more butter.

That's the same excuse we've been hearing for 20 years.

We "have" to let the Dems get free stuff if we want our shiny bombs.

We "have" to let the R's get shiny bombs if we want our domestic programs.

As if R's and D's constituents don't directly benefit from all this borrowed spending.

Not to worry. New taxes on the 1% will supposedly fix it.

The first thing I'd tell the Dems if I was a consultant. is to never bring up taxes again. Folks like you don't like taxes. Give people like you what they want: keep spending, and borrow every cent. It works. Look how happy Republican voters are!

Let your grandkids deal with the consequences. One thing I've learned about a nation filled with Republicans who swear they like fiscal responsibility is that they're freaking liars. They want the party to keep going, and future Americans be damned. Who cares about the future anyway? You'll all be dead by the time the bill arrives at the table.

+ 1

44% of US households pay no Fed income tax. I'm all for the elimination of most deductions. Trump's "tax cut" resulted in a significant tax increase for me, but I'm ok with that, because it was caused by the elimination of allowable deductions.

Many people are of the opinion that deficits don't matter.

On LP I outlined my proposals for means testing Soc Sec & Medicare. I also laid out how we could downsize the military if we become truly isolationist, stop playing globocop & our allies carry their share of the burden (as currently illustrated in the Persian Gulf). I bet afan remembers.

I am all for cutting spending that is not productive.

[a fan]

Take it a step further and get rid of income tax altogether and (I think I may have said this before) ..... go to a federal sales tax.

I'm assuming you mean a consumption tax, and anytime a good or service is exchanged, a tax is levied?

Sales tax connotes only retailers pay in.

To soften the blow for the poor (I can't believe I am going to say this...) perhaps this is where UBI would be useful.

You can do anything you like for the poor. We'd be swimming in money if we installed this tax.

[a fan]

On LP I outlined my proposals for means testing Soc Sec & Medicare. I also laid out how we could downsize the military if we become truly isolationist, stop playing globocop & our allies carry their share of the burden (as currently illustrated in the Persian Gulf). I bet afan remembers.

I do!

I also remember our discussion on the 44% of Americans not paying Federal Income tax, and how neither of us thinks that's either fair, or sustainable.

[RedFromMI]

On LP I outlined my proposals for means testing Soc Sec & Medicare. I also laid out how we could downsize the military if we become truly isolationist, stop playing globocop & our allies carry their share of the burden (as currently illustrated in the Persian Gulf). I bet afan remembers.

I do!

I also remember our discussion on the 44% of Americans not paying Federal Income tax, and how neither of us thinks that's either fair, or sustainable.

They may not pay that particular tax, but generally because of payroll taxes, state sales taxes, property taxes, etc. that 44% pays a larger share of their income in taxes that many of the people with higher means.