I consider myself to be an average American. I am fiscally conservative in that I do not buy anything that I cannot afford. I believe people have a right to live their own lives as they see fit as long as it doesn’t infringe on someone else’s life in a negative manner. I believe people should take responsibility for their own well being in that if money is tight you don’t go out and buy things you cannot afford or don’t need. These are principles I live by. This president and the two houses of government have totally ignored these principles. They spend money they don’t have or reasonably expect to pay back on programs that are nothing but vote getters. They add unnecessary expenditures to bills that have nothing to do with the bill being considered.
They mandate costs to the citizens and then exempt themselves from the same costs. This president has focused on getting the rich to pay more taxes and has ignored the whole rest of the budgetary process. Things come down to the wire and he goes to Hawaii. He spends more time blaming others than fixing problems caused by both parties of government. He would rather find a way around Congress than work with it. Compromise to him is agreeing with what he wants. Have you seen pictures of him when he is denied what he wants? He sulks and blames others for his inability to work with others. He acts like a spoiled child.
Paul Goldsmith
Mesa
bubba posted at 7:28 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
Paul...You've forgoten which administration brought us to this fiscal fiasco. George W. Bush added $4.9 Trillion to the national debt, nearly doubling it from $5.7 Trillion upon taking office 2001 to $10.6 Trillion to leaving office in 2009 Most of the debt was run up under Bush. Dick Cheney said, quote:"deficits don’t matter.” I mean the Republicans have some nerve. When Bush came into office the debt was $5.6 trillion. He took a surplus and turned it into a $10 trillion debt, almost doubled it, with stuff they didn’t pay for.
They didn’t pay for the wars. They didn’t pay for the tax cuts for the rich, which should be called tax spending for the rich, because it is spending. The prescription drug program, all of that unpaid for. Where were the "fiscal conservatives" then? Some like to say "When will it stop being Bush's fault? That's like saying, "When will Hitler stop being blamed for the holocaust?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:56 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
Oh come on now.......Obama and his Democrat Party....."SPEND, SPEND,SPEND"...GIVE-AWAYS .....to the tune of ..........TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF MONEY THAT AMERICA HAS TO BORROW FROM THE RED CHINESE COMMUNIST'S "PEOPLE'S ARMY PENSION FUND".........is the reason why we have reached the .........FISCAL CLIFF......in the first place.
As least most if not all of the Arizona Republican Delegation in the House voted = N.O.
Even....our new Senator-elect, Jeff "Utah Compact Illegal Alien Amnesty" Flake found the equipment to vote = N.O.
Of course in his case there will be no retribution from Speaker BoNner because Flake is going to the Senate.......but Arizona Congressman Franks will surely pay a price for his vote. Sadly, Congressman Quayle (voted... N.O.) who wasn't re-elected (good "junior" Congressman who actually got Legislation that he authored = Passed through Congress. Thank you for our Service to our Nation, Congressman Quayle. You did good, Sir).
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AGENDA OF OUR REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN AND CONGRESSWOMEN THAT A NEW ..........SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE (GET RID OF THIS LOSER....SPEAKER BONNER) COULDN'T CURE.....SOME ONE WITH.....WELL, S.ARAH PALIN SAID IT BEST.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 8:01 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
P.S......I am sorry for the error, these old eyes ain't what they used to be....Spearker Bonners name should be spelled.....Speaker Bonener.
RubidouxFalcon posted at 8:03 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
bubba, you've forgotten the cardinal rule of rational debate: Once you bring the Holocaust into the discussion, you lose. Nothing compares. You are seen as out of touch and on the fringe.
bubba posted at 9:46 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
RubidouxFalcon...I wasn't comparing the economy to the murder of over 6 million humans, I was only refering to the lack of admitting resposnibility. If my comment offended, I apologise.
bubba posted at 9:58 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
Leon Ceniceros says: "SPEND, SPEND,SPEND"...GIVE-AWAYS .....to the tune of ..........TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF MONEY THAT AMERICA HAS TO BORROW FROM THE RED CHINESE COMMUNIST'S "PEOPLE'S ARMY PENSION FUND".........is the reason why we have reached the .........FISCAL CLIFF......in the first place...... Where do you think Bush/Cheney borrowed the money from to finance two
simultaneous wars that had no end plan ??
chatmandu002 posted at 10:44 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
Paul,
Sorry to say, but your attitude is out of style. It's all about how much you can get from the big government nanny state. When 47% pay no federal income taxes then it's easy to keep electing more politicians that will give your more. More and more of our citizens are demanding the government keep giving them more. Now every tragedy or storm requires a monetary or regulatory federal response. Gone is the personal responsibility for your own survival. Gone is the desire to make sure you provide for yourself and your own. Gone will be the individual replaced by an all knowing, omnipresent big government nanny state.
bubba posted at 11:24 am on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
chat...what about the wealthy that pay no federal income tax?
7,000 people made more than $1 million but paid no income tax.
22,000 people made between $500,000 and $1 million but paid no income tax.
81,000 people made between $200,000 and $500,000 but paid no income tax.
381,000 people made between $100,000 and $200,000 but paid no income tax.
So that's 491,000 Americans who made more than $100,000 a year who paid no income tax. (Clearly dependent victims who refuse to take responsibility for their lives!)
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/7000-millionaires-paid-no-income-tax-2012-9#ixzz2GqNP0ipg
truth posted at 2:26 pm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
I just don't understand, a illegal nig. destroys two angry white boys in their race for the White House, and a slew of angry white billionaires with their billions in donations. This nig. also has put the demented Tea Party back in their box, and was able to save the American from the fiscal cliff. What more could we ask for?
Masterrogue666 posted at 3:34 pm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
bubba: Here's a link that provides more info than the sliver of information provided by the article you listed.
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/numbers/Content/PDF/T11-0175.pdf
truth posted at 4:48 pm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
Obama:[beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam][beam]
bubba posted at 8:29 pm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
Here is a list of the top 10 corporate deadbeats and slackers
1-Exxon Mobil made $19 billion in profits in 2009. Exxon not only paid no federal income taxes, it actually received a $156 million rebate from the IRS, according to its SEC filings.
2- Bank of America received a $1.9 billion tax refund from the IRS last year, although it made $4.4 billion in profits and received a bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department of nearly $1 trillion.
3-Over the past five years, while General Electric made $26 billion in profits in the United States, it received a $4.1 billion refund from the IRS.
4-Chevron received a $19 million refund from the IRS last year after it made $10 billion in profits in 2009.
5-Boeing, which received a $30 billion contract from the Pentagon to build 179 airborne tankers, got a $124 million refund from the IRS last year.
6-Valero Energy, the 25th largest company in America with $68 billion in sales last year received a $157 million tax refund check from the IRS and, over the past three years, it received a $134 million tax break from the oil and gas manufacturing tax deduction.
7-Goldman Sachs in 2008 only paid 1.1 percent of its income in taxes even though it earned a profit of $2.3 billion and received an almost $800 billion from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department.
8-Citigroup last year made more than $4 billion in profits but paid no federal income taxes. It received a $2.5 trillion bailout from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury.
9-ConocoPhillips, the fifth largest oil company in the United States, made $16 billion in profits from 2007 through 2009, but received $451 million in tax breaks through the oil and gas manufacturing deduction.
10-Over the past five years, Carnival Cruise Lines made more than $11 billion in profits, but its federal income tax rate during those years was just 1.1 percent.
bubba posted at 8:34 pm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013.
The poor in that 47% who pay no income tax pay plenty of other taxes. They pay social security tax which goes into the general fund, the same fund that income tax goes into. Currently, the social security tax rate for self-employed is 13.3%, about what Mitt Romney paid on his “carried interest.” There are no deductions and no exemptions for social security tax. In addition the poor pay state and local taxes and sales taxes so they pay plenty of taxes. Most of them don’t escape taxes by having offshore bank accounts as Romney does.
Some of the people in that 47% are senior citizens who don’t make enough to pay income tax. They too pay state and local as well as sales taxes.
downtownresident posted at 7:46 am on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Leon,
I feel really sorry for you.
Where's your sense of reality? Can you find no way to place the blame for our financial situation squarley where it belongs? George Bush started the downhill slide into oblivian.
Leon, rest your tired old eyes then read this again. How can you possibly blame Obama for something that isn't his doing? Never mind.
"George W. Bush added $4.9 Trillion to the national debt, nearly doubling it from $5.7 Trillion upon taking office 2001 to $10.6 Trillion to leaving office in 2009 Most of the debt was run up under Bush. Dick Cheney said, quote:"deficits don’t matter.” I mean the Republicans have some nerve. When Bush came into office the debt was $5.6 trillion. He took a surplus and turned it into a $10 trillion debt, almost doubled it, with stuff they didn’t pay for.
Arizona Willie posted at 8:07 am on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Most of the 47% make 20K / year or less and that is why the government has deemed that they don't make enough money to pay Federal Income Tax.
These people are not lazy and looking for handouts.
Remember, the average American IQ is only 100.
Which means approx half of all Americans are not capable of getting and using a degree.
Gee, there is a mysterious correlation between those figures isn't there?
Almost half the people pay no Federal Income Tax because they have such low earnings and approximately half the people have a IQ below 100.
Long ago, when the Federal Income Tax was first considered, society determined that it was only fair to tax people relative amounts for the privilege of living in this country, depending on how much they received from living in this society.
The wealthy received much so they should pay much.
The poor received little and should pay little / nothing.
Why do people waste so much energy hating people who have gotten the short end of the stick in life because they don't have to pay FIT, instead of focusing their anger on the millionaires who avoid taxes and the companies that avoid taxes when they are well able to pay?
Would they want to change places with someone who only makes $22K a year?
Heck no.
Would that low income person be willing to change places with the higher earner who is complaining about them?
You betcha. In a heartbeat.
No one wants to be poor.
Especially in a materialistic society like the U.S.A.
Bluepoet posted at 9:21 am on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Paul,
You have valid points--except that politicians can't forget principles they've never had...and, trying to make this a topic that is somehow new and only applicable to the present administration and congress, is ludicrous.
So, even though you have an uncanny knack at pointing out the obvious, you really have not made much more than a contribution of political rant. It serves to ramp up those who may as well be cutting and pasteing the same, worn out cliches they've been writing, for years now...
Sorry, in a new year, I guess I'm expecting that there would be some who would at least try to carry the conversation further than the fruitlessly futile rhetoric of the past...
Silly me...
Slabside posted at 10:57 am on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
The Debt rose $4.899 trillion during the two terms of the Bush presidency. It has now gone up $4.939 trillion since President Obama took office.
Don't you progressive's just hate those pesky things known as FACTS?
bubba posted at 12:02 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
It is a fact that the debt has gone up $4.939 trillion since Obama has taken office. It's a shame the former administration got us into this fiscal mess that so much had to be spent to keep this nation from going into a crippling depression.
VofReason posted at 12:38 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Let me get this straight. Rich people and companies don't pay their fair share of the run a muck government that no one can explain where the money goes? How about this, let's limit the spend of government to a % of GDP and create a flat tax. Everyone has skin in the game, government has defined limits and no one gets to use tricks and connections to get out of paying "fair" taxes. If you buy the President Bush messed it up logic, then you also must buy the fact that President Obama has done nothing to fix it logic.
VofReason posted at 12:41 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
AzWillie "explains" the wealth disparity. Can he "explain" why the number of people not paying any taxes and collecting welfare has gone up significantly over time? Do the "average American IQ is only 100" people just breed faster the the rest?
Slabside posted at 1:07 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
@ bubba, "It's a shame the former administration got us into this fiscal mess that so much had to be spent to keep this nation from going into a crippling depression."
Bubba, you are absolutely right! Considering the former administration (the last 4 years) was the Obamanure administration!
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!! [beam]
DonMey posted at 1:12 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Bubba - Bush added almost 5 Trillion...in 8 years. Obama did it in 4.
Accuracy posted at 4:33 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned that the U.S. government is poised to hit the $16.4 trillion debt limit and said his department has launched a series of emergency steps that gives the government less than two months before it risks default on the debt.
And as President Obama left to resume his Hawaii vacation, he said he hopes the massive debt issues can be addressed with a little less drama than the fiscal cliff deal.
Meaning, he’s for adding $4 billion a day to the debt.
bubba posted at 4:34 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Slab....This administration is the same one that's held the Whitehouse for four years prior. The former adm. I was refering to was the great "Decider's" administration that caused this fiasco. You remember, that little moron from Texas don't you ? You're not living in the "United States of Amnesia", are you?
bubba posted at 4:38 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
DonMey That's right, four years, that's what it cost to keep from plunging into the depression we were heading into. The damage Bush caused this economy in his eight years is still not totally repaired, it may take decades.
Slabside posted at 4:59 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Wow bubba, you not only drank a glass of the Obama Kool-Aid, you went back for seconds and thirds. Bush was no prize but Oblamo makes him look like Einstein. Tell me, did Obama have a glass belly button installed so you can see out? [wink]
bubba posted at 5:01 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Accuracy...I'm sure that all of the "fiscal" consevatives were screaming this loud back in 2002I when Vice-President Dick Cheney and the Bush administration’s economic team met to discuss a second round of tax cuts, which would follow Bush’s 2001 cuts. At the meeting, “then-Treasury Secretary Paul H. O’Neill pleaded that the government — already running a $158 billion deficit — was careening toward a fiscal crisis.” Allegedly, Cheney replied by saying that “deficits don’t matter.”
Six years later, the Bush administration’s consistent belief that deficits don’t matter had increased the national debt to over $10 trillion and no way to pay for it. Where were the "fiscal" conservatives then ???
bubba posted at 5:38 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
Slabside...Considering you probably voted for Bush...twice...I take your ad hominem comments as nonrelevent.
bubba posted at 5:42 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
09/30/2009 ......11,909,829,003,511.75
09/30/2008 ......10,024,724,896,912.49
09/30/2007 ........9,007,653,372,262.48
09/30/2006........ 8,506,973,899,215.23
09/30/2005........ 7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004.........7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 ........6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002.........6,228,235,965,597.16
09/30/2001.........5,807,463,412,200.06
09/30/2000.........5,674,178,209,886.86 Behold the approaching tsunami, yet the silence was deafening.......
Irons1 posted at 8:46 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
One word for Paul, Leon and slabside and a few others on this thing, baloney. Because you are full of it
Slabside posted at 10:59 pm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013.
bubba, don't forget the government spending and debt for fiscal year for Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 2012... 16,393,975,000,000
THIS IS OBAMA's DEBT!!!!
bubba posted at 8:00 am on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
Reagan raised the debt ceiling 18 times and George W. Bush did it seven times.......Dick Cheney : "deficits don’t matter.”.
Slabside posted at 9:12 am on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
Well shucks bubba, don't stop with Reagan, let's point the finger at every Republican president since Lincoln, Grant and Hayes shall we? You progressives will build every straw man possible in order to protect, deflect and cover for the most inept man to ever reside in the WH.
Reagan and Bush are not president anymore Skippy. Obama's campaign speeches promised to eliminate debt and decrease unemployment and he has failed miserably on those promises.
All of your smoke and mirrors nonsense does not change the facts. At least you don't pull the race card like downtownresident does.
bubba posted at 10:21 am on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
Slab...If you don't like Obama's politics that's your perogative. I don't honestly think race plays into it. As I've stated before, indiscriminately throwing the race card around dilutes it's effect when real racism is encountered.
bubba posted at 10:42 am on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
Slab...As far as Obama not achieving his campaigm promises I also am extremely dismayed. Imagine a polititian not fulfilling thier campaign promises !! Read my lips....no....new....promises you can't deliver !!!
Slabside posted at 11:09 am on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
Well bubba, you know neither of us will ever witness politicians stop making promises they can not deliver on.
bubba posted at 11:28 am on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
Slabside....That's a fact, brother.
Cerulean posted at 1:21 pm on Fri, Jan 4, 2013.
“Debt cancel-lation of some sort is going to take place (as we’ve already seen with the bailout of the big banks). The real struggle will be over the form it takes—above all, whether it’s a last-ditch attempt to salvage the system of Mafia capitalism or an effort to move us sharply in the direction of something else (perhaps taking a cue from Iceland’s forgiveness of loans held by more than a quarter of its population).”
http://www.thenation.com/article/169759/can-debt-spark-revolution#
Ateam1 posted at 8:50 pm on Sat, Jan 5, 2013.
I'm going to D.C on AIR FORCE 1 With my golf BAT'S, Fix the FISCAL CLIFF, Return to HAWAII and GOLF SOME MORE! COST= 9 MILLION US DOLLARS!!! What an EXAMPLE OF FOOLISH SPENDING! KEEP GOING OBAMA, YOUR BATTING 1000,EXCELLENT!!![thumbdown]
Ateam1 posted at 9:04 pm on Sat, Jan 5, 2013.
GOOD JOB, FIRST LADY OBAMA, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON ABORTION RIGHT'S!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![angry]
bubba posted at 7:38 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Ateam1...Not only did Bush spend more days on vacation than any other president, but he used Air Force One more often while on vacation than any other president.
During Bush’s two terms, the cost of operating Air Force One ranged from $56,800 to $68,000 an hour. Bush used Air Force One ...77 !!!... times to go to his ranch in Crawford, TX. Using the low end cost of $56,800, This calculates to each trip to Crawford cost taxpayers $259,687 each time, and $20 million total for Bush’s ranch flights. Were you are as outraged at Bush for his waste of taxpayer dollars on his vacations ?? All 77 of them ??
bubba posted at 7:43 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
And this $20 million was just the cost of flying Air Force One to Crawford. The cost of transporting and accommodating staff, media, friends and family is not included in Bush’s vacation numbers, which was also paid for by the taxpayers.
bubba posted at 8:00 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Ateam1 ...Obama's vacation cost 4 million, not 9 million. But don't let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Ateam1 posted at 9:26 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
bubba; 2 trips buuba,can you count?!!! And he did not go by himself!! GOSH!
Ateam1 posted at 9:38 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
bubba,Care to know what the tax payers spent on the FIRST FAMILY last year? 1.4 billion!!! This guy parties continually and you wont admit it!
bubba posted at 10:45 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Obama's vacations on the taxpayer's dime are out of line, I agree. But do you not see Bush's vacations were even more out of line. 77 of them !!!
bubba posted at 10:54 am on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Ateam1 ....1.4 Billion ??....Please post your source.
Ateam1 posted at 12:14 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
bubba; It's all over the net, google it.MSN , The new american,etc.
bubba posted at 12:33 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Ateam1..George W. Bush, was on vacation more than any U.S.President in history. 1,020 days in 8 years. 32% of his term was spent on vacation. Any comment ??
bubba posted at 12:46 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
"This guy partied continually and you wont admit it!"
Ateam1 posted at 1:33 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Yes bubba, at what cost to the taxpayers!
bubba posted at 1:46 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Ateam1 posted at 2:38 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Thats fine bubba,I like that scripture also.The truth will prevail and i know most politicians are crooks,but cant handle this liberal/socialist throwing away money like he is.I am very democratic in thinking but in no way a liberal or socialist.
bubba posted at 2:47 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Ateam1; According to the article you cite in The New American (John Birch Society Magazine, no bias there): The total cost of the Obama presidentcy for 2011 (not 2012 as you stated)= 1.4 billion. Compare that to Bush's Fiscal Year 2008 budget figure of $1,592,875,254 and Obama was still more frugal than Bush. But as I said: Don't let facts get in the way of a good rant.......I'll post the reference of my facts for you:..... http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the-presidency-costs-taxpayers-a-lot-but-thats-not-obamas-fault/
bubba posted at 4:15 pm on Sun, Jan 6, 2013.
Ateam1...."i know most politicians are crooks,but cant handle this liberal/socialist throwing away money like he is.".....But you can stand a psuedo "fiscal" conservative/facist like Bush when he threw away more money than Obama ???? You've posted seven comments ranting about Obama's spending, but refuse to adress the same topic compared to Bush's practices. This is the definition of hypocricy.
DonMey posted at 10:47 am on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
Bubba - Bush spent a lot of time at his ranch, but it is well documented that he continued to work from there, often hosting other officials in person, or simply using technology (like the phone). Maybe he spent the least amount of time actually in the White House, but he didn't take the most vacations.
Presidents have a high-stress job. They deserve vacations. Much of the "millions" being spent to support the President when he goes on vacation is money that would have been spent anyway. Counting the Secret Service's salary when Obama goes on vacation, without pointing out they would have been paid anyway is very misleading.