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Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Another view?
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Regarding Brian Greenspun’s Where I Stand column Sunday, “Our children shouldn’t have to live in a savage world”:
I agree totally with you when you wrote, “It is your choice what you choose to read: the Bible or the Constitution. In either case it is absolutely clear that we have the obligation to protect and defend the lives of those who come after us.”
I would add that if we don’t do something about the $16 trillion-plus debt, the children and future generations will look at this generation and hold us all accountable for what we left them: a bankrupt country.
"For starters, the issue is not that the national debt will go up (which roughly half of those in one poll believe to be the case), but that it will be cut much too quickly. If you need any more proof that economic growth and job creation should be Job Number One for U.S. policymakers, look no further than the UK, where the 2010 austerity program of draconian spending cuts and tax hikes pushed the country into a double-dip recession.
But for all the misplaced focus on the U.S. national debt, a second point can't be emphasized enough: the Republicans built that.
It's not just that Ronald Reagan presided over a tripling of the national debt (and raised the debt limit 17 times) during his eight years in the White House or that President George W. Bush nearly doubled it again. The end-of-decade $5.6 trillion surplus forecast by the Congressional Budget Office in 2000 was more than eviscerated by two unfunded wars, two rounds of Bush tax cuts, the unpaid for Medicare prescription drug benefit and the TARP bank bailout. To accommodate those "spend and not tax" policies, Bush and his GOP allies in Congress voted seven times to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. And as it turns out, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) voted for all of it.
As the Washington Post explained in January, President Bush added $5.1 trillion in red ink to the national ledger. But while the debt has grown by over $5 trillion during Obama's first term, less than $1 trillion can be attributed to new programs he put in place. The rest is the result of the tax revenue loss from the deep recession which began in December 2007 and the continuation of policies inherited from George W. Bush. As Ezra Klein explained:
What's also important, but not evident, is that Obama's major expenses were temporary -- the stimulus is over now -- while Bush's were, effectively, recurring. The Bush tax cuts didn't just lower revenue for 10 years. It's clear now that they lowered it indefinitely, which means we were understating their true cost. Similarly, the Medicare drug benefit is costing money on perpetuity, not just for two or three years. And Boehner, Ryan and others voted for these laws and, in some cases, helped to craft and pass them."
Tine for republicans to move along and shut up.
I second the letter writer's motion. Out of control government spending has resulted in huge debt and deficits. These double D's are bankrupting our nation. It is morally apprensible to burden our future generations with this fiscal and budget irresponsibilty by forcing it upon them to resolve.
CarmineD
Jeff says ""For starters, the issue is not that the national debt will go up (which roughly half of those in one poll believe to be the case), but that it will be cut much too quickly."
Talk about misunderstanding and misstating the facts
NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT A CUT. There is no cut.
WE ARE DISCUSSING LIMITING THE GROWTH RATE
Slowing the budget growth rate from 4% a year to 3% a year
Limiting growth will not harm the economy. We are spending $50 trillion over the next 10 years
Sometimes, we all inherit situations that were not entirely or even mostly of our own making. That's what happened to President Obama in 2008. That said, when it happens, we should do what we can to make the situation better.
President Obama got a tax rate increase, spent money on a stimulus, passed the ACA, and pushed for and got additional bailouts. Whether we agree with those actions or not, the President felt them necessary and he was re-elected.
Many polls show that a large majority of Americans believe government spending is too high and out of control. It is true that large and quick reductions in spending would place us at risk of another recession but there is also another truth.
This economy and the government spending it supports has a lot of waste, duplication and fraud in it and it always has. We have studies sitting on shelf's and even shows where it is and the studies were done under both parties.
I think it's time to take the studies down and carefully and prudently start acting on some of the recommendations.... for the good of our future and that of our children. I wonder what President Obama thinks.
Michael
The children have Stonehall, climate change and equality of pay (something not even practiced in Obumma's office) to look forward to. A growing economy? Fagettaboutit.
JeffFromVegas,
Regarding your 4:34am post above, it appears you lifted via copy/paste from an article written by Jon Perr titled "The national debt? Republicans built that" on the website "Dailykos.com".
Why are you copying and pasting other people's thoughts without giving either the author nor website any credit? I would suggest linking the article and giving the author and website credit in the future.
If the thoughts originate from you then there is no need to do so.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/30...
"the children and future generations will look at this generation and hold us all accountable for what we left them: a bankrupt country"
Why shouldn't they hold us all accountable? We are all responsible. Not many objected to lower income taxes even though we knew it was adding to tne debt. We flushed a lot of lives and a trillion bucks down the toilet in Iraq without enough courage to stop it or pay for it. We wanted to get more and pay less. Now we're finding Jesus and we don't like His answers.
It's a generational divide.
The older than 60 age crowd have their retirements and SS benefits locked and loaded with many getting more benefits than they paid into the system. They want status quo.
The 40 & 50 year olds want to change course fiscally to help our children/grandchildren but realize it's a losing battle.
The 20 & 30 year olds want to change fiscal course for theirs and future generations.
It's up to the 20's and 30 year olds to be vocal and push for what they believe is right and just.
The 40 & 50 year olds will go along. Many of the responsible 60 plus crowd will go along with stronger fiscal measures but most will not.
It's up to you 20 & 30 year olds to speak up.
NOW.....not LATER!
In reply to Jody Wallace; so you totally agreed with Brian Greenspun's article? He wrote, "It is your choice what you choose to read: the Bible or the Constitution. In either case it is absolutely clear that we have the obligation to protect and defend the lives of those who come after us."
Who is he trying to fool? Neither the Constitution nor the Bible can provide real answers to bring our children out from the dangers of living in a violent, brutal and increasingly crazed populace in America. Both the Constitution and the Bible are sporadically littered with propaganda, fallacies and or myths. However, many Americans today apparently love to embed themselves in modern versions of ancient literature, such as the Bible and the Constitution. Then, they provide their so-called clear-cut opinions that they foolishly believe will bring sanity and safety to our society. In reality, it is all nothing more than "candy-coated lip service" that is laced with political hoopla and religious folklores and canards.
The murders continue today just as they have throughout our so-called civilization. How many of our children were murdered yesterday? The range of 30-50 kids daily that have been killed in America has held steadfast for many years.
I'm still waiting for a public response from Brian Greenspun on what has taken him in his power of publisher and editor of the Las Vegas Sun so long to write, "Our Children Shouldn't Have to Live in a Savage World"?
Although Brian Greenspun's article is proffered with the Constitution, the Bible and economic issues, this article itself has no chance of performance. However, I will admit that all the "pork" statements and commentaries surrounding his article is a beginning step in the right direction. For, at least mainstream America is finally beginning to recognize that the murdering of our children outside of suburbia America is now just as important to address as the mass-killings are that take place in our privileged communities.
If the author is so concerned about "the children", I wonder why she isn't mentioning the fact that income inequality in this country is rapidly approaching that of Mexico. I wonder why she fails to mention that 22% of our children are currently living in poverty. I wonder why she isn't mentioning that France, UK, Germany, Canada -- and most other first world nations -- now offer greater upward mobility than the U.S.
I suspect that like many other conservatives expressing concern for "the children" regarding debt and deficits, she's a senior who's actually concerned about inflation eroding her nest egg.
For the most part debt creation is no better or worse then every other industrialized nation. Debt enables nation's to keep taxes low and provide entitlements for the needy. This country has been creating debt since George Washington. In the 1830s we paid off the revolutionary war and were debt-free. What happened? We entered some of the worst economic periods in American history with recession followed by depression followed by recession.
I agree with Emthrees post above. Wealth distribution is currently a Third World levels. This is much more important than debt.
Industrial production is a multi-decade highs. Economic output is at an all-time high with both real estate and the stock market at multiyear recovery highs.
This is nothing short of a miracle given a large portion of the world is back in recession. Our 2% growth rate is the gold standard of the industrialized world right now, and if you look at Decembers economic reports it appears things are getting stronger. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
In terms of the whole Savage worlds thing. Americans love guns, pickup trucks, ethical pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs. There are hundreds of millions of prescriptions written a year for mind altering psychotropics. It's one hell of a combination. You know the nut cases and hate groups are all armed to the teeth.
God bless America!
Our economy has shouted that we CANNOT continue deficit spending. It's NOT ENOUGH to merely decelerate the rate of increase. We must END DEFICIT spending. The deficits have consumed any and all wiggle room in the economy, leaving nothing for capital needs of businesses, real estate industry, M1 functioning. (M1 functioning refers to cash available for current needs--of government, businesses AND people.) WE NEED INTEREST RATES to start going up as of yesterday. Modest increases would enable the Federal Reserve to see where things are. As is, we are confiscating the savings, pensions, annuities of those who worked, paid taxes, and planned. And we spend those confiscated assets on those who refuse to work. Not a good idea to keep doing that.
The most anemic economic recovery since the depression. Obama built that. Economic growth rates necessary to overcome Obama regulatin and taxin? Dream on, children.
Dodd-Frank is 34% written and much less understood. Perhaps it's good that the children will be given extra indoctrination in Stonhall, Seneca and Selm. Instead of the economic policies of JFK.
Jody.......
Your republican party destroyed our economy.
Your republican debt talk is fox republican talk.
It falls on deaf ears here.
PRESIDENT OBAMA and our great DEMOCRATIC PARTY is
fixing the mess your republican party created.
Our economy is getting better everyday.
JOBS, EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE ARE WHAT
AMERICANS NEED FIRST!
"I suspect that like many other conservatives expressing concern for "the children" regarding debt and deficits, she's a senior who's actually concerned about inflation eroding her nest egg." @Emthree
And what do you do differently than conservatives with the money you worked for and earned? Donate it ALL to the government?
CarmineD
BTW Emthree if you didn't know, Fed Reserve policies under Bush and Obama have already devalued the dollar by a minimum of 10 percent against most of the world's currencies. And with more of the same for the next 4, even more. What happened to the "strong dollar" fundamentals of this country and government? It's given way to our supposed fiscal and budget experts calling for the minting of a trillion dollar coin.
CarmineD
Funny that income inequality is the highest in the Wash DC area. Obviously sending the lawyers, lobbyists, politicians, and bureaucrats more money is the solution, eh Emthree?