Think YOU can fix the U.S. budget?

[BTM]

So, this is interesting, New York Times website has this feature, it's like a interactive game where you try to fix the United States budget by clicking on various items based on plans and proposals currently being circulated through Washington.  With each click, it updates how much money you're estimated to have saved both in the short and long term.  In addition, it'll tell you, percentage-wise, how much of the savings comes from cutting spending and how much is from tax increases.

I have no clue how accurate all the information is, but it's a very interesting "game" to play around with.  

If you've curious, you can check it out at..

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html

[lester1/2jr]

I just solved the deficit and I hadn't even gotten to social security

lester1/2jr for president

[Rev. Powell]

I just solved the deficit and I hadn't even gotten to social security

lester1/2jr for president

Yeah lester, only problem is, if you told people up front what you were going to do you'd be unelectable, and if you somehow miraculously managed to get the cuts you proposed you'd be assassinated. 

[lester1/2jr]

I'm a big man

[Menard]

I just solved the deficit and I hadn't even gotten to social security

lester1/2jr for president

Yeah lester, only problem is, if you told people up front what you were going to do you'd be unelectable, and if you somehow miraculously managed to get the cuts you proposed you'd be assassinated. 

I'm all for expediency; let's just cut through the red tape, quarreling and expenses, and assassinate lester1/2jr now. That should save a whole lot of money.

[indianasmith]

Virtual karma for Menard!!

I have a better idea - abolish the Constitution and elect me Supreme Emperor of Earth! And ALL Badmovies.org members will serve as my advisory council!  And, to protect myself forever against assassins, I will name Menard as my heir apparent!

[ulthar]

 I will name Menard as my heir apparent!

Which, of course, I initially read as "hair apparent," and I thought..."how fitting."

[Menard]

And, to protect myself forever against assassins, I will name Menard as my heir apparent!

Now that's a good zinger. 

[lester1/2jr]

some problems  with the Times feature, particularly on the military side.

[Flick James]

You know what is a big joke to me? How much the government nickel and dimes us and as long as they don't call it taxes, the American people accept it.

Americans are hard-wired, from the inception of our beloved country, to detest taxes. It's a cultural imperative. I don't see that as a bad thing. However, such is the nature of the buzz word that the government has figured out, little by little, that they can squeeze us dry in other ways, just so long as it's not income taxes. If you look at how much the average tax payer pays in income taxes, it is far less than the average country. I'm not talking about how much they take out of your paycheck every month, not the final amount that you actually pay. Now, add on top of that all the other taxes, from sales tax to taxes of specific items to property tax, and now the number start to rise. Add of top of that all the fees that people have to pay in order to get anything done, such as for home improvement. More and more everywhere you turn the government is charging us and getting revenue.

There's is an decreasing list of things we do in our lives that doesn't lead to a kickback to the government in some way. I was floored to find out an interesting development today I had never heard of. It used to be that if you got pulled over and didn't have proof of insurance, it was basically like a fix-it ticket. If you did have coverage at the time you were pulled over, as long as you showed that proof before so many days, you didn't pay a fine. That is no more. I have a coworker who did have her insurance paperwork in her car, got pulled over, and even though she could go home and get the paperwork that proves she is covered, she still had to pay a $300 fine. You've got to be kidding me!

I would love for someone to do an independent study that adds up all the ways we are nickeled and dimed to death, add it up with all of our income and property and sales taxes, and see how much each American pays on average to the government compared to those countries where they just take it all out of income. If I were a betting man (and I am) I would bet it's in the same area.

Just don't call it taxes and the government can take pretty much whatever they want.

[lester1/2jr]

we paid something like 20 billion dollars as a country last year for liquor tobacco and bullets and stuff.

Also, the greatest theft is in inflation. The Federal Reserve just created 600 billion dollars out of thin air. It's called QE2 = quantitative easing the sequel.  You have probably noticed gas prices started to creep up again, it's not because of demand it's because the dollar buys less. Old people on fixed incomes are hit especially hard by this tax.

[BTM]

Americans are hard-wired, from the inception of our beloved country, to detest taxes. It's a cultural imperative. I don't see that as a bad thing. However, such is the nature of the buzz word that the government has figured out, little by little, that they can squeeze us dry in other ways, just so long as it's not income taxes.

I see what you're saying about Nickel and Diming, and that sucks, but I personally think the best move as far as government is concerned is taking the taxes OUT of checks BEFORE we get them.  Sure, the first people they pulled that stunt on probably raised a lot of fights, but now we're used to it, and don't even question it.  Can you imagine what would happen if we got ALL our money and THEN had to cut a check to the government every month?  I think there would be a revolution in this country pretty damn fast.

Personally though, my issues isn't with taxes per se, but the simple fact of how little control we the people have in deciding what they get spent on.  As far as I can tell, most of Congress sees taxpayer money as just an endless well and they have ZERO incentive to be efficient or save money.  There's no oversight to the process and no penalty paid if (and usually when) they waste tax payer dollars.

And when I say "waste" I don't mean, "Spends money on things I disagree with politically"  I mean WASTE.  We have billions of dollars still being spent on outdated and failed projects, special pork barrel spending, overpayments, not to mention all the subsidies they give out for various stupid reason.  Just do a Google search on "Government waste" and you'll find a ton of examples.  

And then the government turns around and says, "Oh, well, we need to tax you MORE because we don't know how to work with the money we've already taken from you."  

It kind of reminds me of an old joke: What's the difference between a politician and a robber?  The robber doesn't expect you to thank him after he steals your money.

 

[the ghoul]

I think the US needs to become economically self-sufficient.  We need to put a serious tax on imports and start manufacturing things here again.  We also need to support the idea of labor unions and good paying jobs for people in this country instead of supporting slave labor in other countries, and promoting unemployment here.

I think we need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but I don't support cutting back on our military or nuclear capabilities for the simple reason that we are not going to be able to pay our debts.  At some point we are going to have to default and say tough luck to countries we have borrowed from.  We need to be strong enough so that they won't even think about trying to go after us militarily, and we need to have leaders who aren't going to be pushovers.

We also need to throw away our broken, corrupt government and start over again from nothing.  Our system has become so corrupted that fixing it from within is not possible.  When will we learn that Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, Tea Partyers, Progressives, etc. are not going to solve our problems.  These people don't want real change, they just want you to elect them so they can become part of the same old same old.

Are any of my ideas ever really going to happen?  There's not a snowball's chance in hell.

[JaseSF]

Just beware of the evil ninjas and their nefarious ninja leader!    Huzzah!! 

[lester1/2jr]

Can you imagine what would happen if we got ALL our money and THEN had to cut a check to the government every month?  I think there would be a revolution in this country pretty damn fast.

this kind of argues against your point too, though. agree with your post fully though. the income tax is basically a slush for for politicians s**tty ideas and self enrichment.