The tax raising culprits, Mitch and Harry - image Huffington Post
From the Heritage Foundation: House Republican’s have crafted a plan – Cut, Cap and Balance – a bill that goes to vote today, which would accomplish at least three reasonable measures: Cut unnecessary Federal Spending, Caps future Federal spending and promotes a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution – along with the ability to raise the debt ceiling – again. The measures however, would insure that there was a process in place that would lower the national debt, with no need for further increases in the debt ceiling – a political football that several economist have noted as unnecessary (see Heritage Foundation). The Bill should pass the House, it may not make it through the Senate, and if it somehow does, the President will out-of-hand Veto the bill, as it does not allow Democrats to have their cake and eat it too. At least the House is made up of somewhat “average” citizens, those members who must campaign in their own districts every two years in order to return to the City on the Hill, therefore, one can expect a range of proposals from the House: absurd to sound on any given day.
The Senate is a different story – each Senator enjoys a six year respite from having to explain their actions to their constituents. They tend to appear more “lofty” than their lower House counterparts, and therefore “more expert” on subjects that directly affect each American Taxpayer.
Enter Mitch McConnell, the Republican Minority Leader in the Senate who has been locked up with Harry Reid (who by some strange miracle continues to be the Majority Leader), and will remain locked up, along with all Senate members, until a deal is reached, voted on and passed. The current option on the table, worked out by Reid and McConnell, and best truncated by the Los Angeles Times
A plan by the Senate's two top leaders to allow President Obama to raise the debt limit without congressional approval is emerging as the most likely strategy to avoid a looming federal default.
The plan being drafted by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada would lock in about $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years — a figure considerably smaller than Republican leaders and Obama had been seeking.
There is a reason why McConnell’s plan is now being referred to in fiscally conservative arenas as “Mitch McConnell’s Pontius Pilot Act”. What is not referred to in the article by the LA Times is the establishment of a “Debt Commission” that will have a veto proof ability to raise taxes. Therefore, what the American Taxpayer can expect from this group of ivory tower elites that apparently believe the fifty percent of those people (taxpayers) that support all the programs that support the 50 percent of those who don’t pay taxes (which may come to an abrupt halt), are capable of doing more and will forget during their six year hiatus from the campaign trail, that they were actually culpable in making lives of average American’s even more miserable.
The poor getting poorer, 5000 line up for shelter vouchers in Dallas - image newsone
A rise in the debt ceiling immediately
The veto of Cap, Cut and Balance, which would at least put in safeguards against yet another five or ten dollar devaluing rises in the debt ceiling.
Cuts spread out over the course of 10 years that will do little to nothing as far as putting a dent in the deficit.
The establishment of a Commission designed to raise taxes without permission from Congress.
Suggested Immediate reading: Red State’s Now We See It All Mitch McConnell’s Pontius Pilate Act is A Cover for Tax Increases an eye-opener.
As this vote goes before the Senate, one can bet the house it will not be a roll-call vote, but a vote by voice, most likely once the C-Span camera’s are shut down for the day.
While playing to the never ending “crisis” mode of the White House and the Media, some Republicans and Democrats (not all, to be sure, in the House), are trying to at least avert a major crisis for the American Taxpayer, the Senate apparently is trying to be popular with the Press and their Peers, while completely ignoring those left paying taxes.
Which as a reminder to those who may not be aware, taxes from individuals, corporations and in Massachusetts, dogs, is the only source of income for both the Federal and the State governments? The only source in an economy where unemployment is over 9%, the cost of food, clothing, fuel and housing is on the rise, and apparently, taxpayers are expected to pay more, to cover the costs of failed programs and programs rampant with waste and abuse.
If the Bureau-crazy that is Washington, would clean house, literally, there would be little need for any of this circus in the first place and, not only would the deficit disappear, there would be a slush fund available even if taxes were rolled back father than the Bush Cuts.
1. There is known waste and fraud in all entitlement programs – clean it up. We’re talking billions per program, which add up to trillions over the years.
2. Departmental budgeting: Each year, a budget for every single office and department is awarded, at the end of the budget cycle, that department must spend like drunken sailors any monies left in order to get the same amount or more in the next budget. Imagine if each department as expected to pull a MacGyver in order to get by, and those that found ways to reduce costs, and come in under budget were rewarded (bonus), while those found to be wasting money were shown the door (this would also require getting rid of government workers unions – a known oxymoron). Each agency and department within would not be penalized by a lesser budget, but given the same budget each year adjusted for inflation. The same process would start again. Having personal knowledge of one small department, of one small agency, which, finding itself two months before budget deadlines with a paltry two million dollars, revamped an entire office – complete with kitchen areas, (new refrigerators, stoves, etc.) furniture, and the like. What happened to the new furniture from the previous budget? Tossed or taken home (a perk perhaps?).
McConnell needs a dose of reality, as well as every single lawmaker, regardless of which side of the aisle upon which they sit, by spending six months in an “average American’s home” and seeing what someone with a gross income of $250,000 per family, two children, a few pets and debt up over their eyeballs, (plus an already hefty tax bill from both State and Federal Governments) lives. Better yet, with the Bush Tax Cuts set to expire (which will raise taxes across the board), and a Commission in Place that will do the same, spend some time with a family of exact makeup who’s gross earnings are at $60,000.
They might take a lesson or two away from this experience and begin to cut when its painful (like so many taxpayers now do), and to take a look at waste, fraud and abuse, climb down from that ivory tower and get it right for once.
There is a letter available here Red State – United to Oppose McConnell These lawmakers need to know how the taxpayer feels.
Stop acting like one political party, if you are unpopular because you don’t cross the aisle, get over it, and if you for a moment think that the people will not remember, think again. Get to work fixing the programs that don’t work, cut the programs that are non-essential, and save a few bucks. Don’t put another yoke around the necks of those that supply the Governments only income. Eventually, those taxpayers will be unemployed as well, (remember, nothing being done to stimulate business here), meaning, less income and yet another raise in the debt ceiling and more taxes on those that are left.
It is not that we don’t mind paying taxes for services that the Federal, State and Local Governments provide it is the excessive nature of the beast that is Washington which rankles.
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