Solution to deficit/national debt

[SoonerCoug]

I just thought of the perfect solution to the budget deficit and national debt: tax religion.

[il Padrino Ute]

I just thought of the perfect solution to the budget deficit and national debt: tax religion.

I have a better idea: eliminate wasteful pork.

[wuapinmon]

I have a better idea: eliminate wasteful pork.

Or maybe even, the horror, raise taxes to pay for the services we receive.

[TripletDaddy]

Best idea....eliminate as much pork as possible both in the short and long term, get our troops out of this incredibly expensive war, AND raise taxes in the short term until we can trim down this deficit and restore consumer confidence. Eliminate the AMT while increasing the tax rate for the top income earners, make the R&D tax credit permanent, keep the 199 deduction, get serious about renewable energy and slowly begin to wean off of fossil fuels, stop meddling in Israel's affairs and let them destroy Palestine, stop making payments to Kim Jong Il but instead send in a Delta task force to assassinate him, phase out benefits to illegal aliens and tighten up our borders, and leave religion as tax exempt so that they can lobby on behalf of special interest legislative groups during state elections.

Time permitting.....see about bringing back the old style of slurpee that was more crystalized and less foamy.

[il Padrino Ute]

Or maybe even, the horror, raise taxes to pay for the services we receive.

No. Taxes are too high as it is. Cut the pork.

[YOhio]

Best idea....eliminate as much pork as possible both in the short and long term, get our troops out of this incredibly expensive war, AND raise taxes in the short term until we can trim down this deficit and restore consumer confidence. Eliminate the AMT while increasing the tax rate for the top income earners, make the R&D tax credit permanent, keep the 199 deduction, get serious about renewable energy and slowly begin to wean off of fossil fuels, stop meddling in Israel's affairs and let them destroy Palestine, stop making payments to Kim Jong Il but instead send in a Delta task force to assassinate him, phase out benefits to illegal aliens and tighten up our borders, and leave religion as tax exempt so that they can lobby on behalf of special interest legislative groups during state elections.

Time permitting.....see about bringing back the old style of slurpee that was more crystalized and less foamy.

7-11 is a private business and the government would be overstepping if they interfered with the Slurpee formula. You're perfectly free to choose ICEE. That's how the market works.

[il Padrino Ute]

7-11 is a private business and the government would be overstepping if they interfered with the Slurpee formula. You're perfectly free to choose ICEE. That's how the market works.

Damn straight!

[TripletDaddy]

7-11 is a private business and the government would be overstepping if they interfered with the Slurpee formula. You're perfectly free to choose ICEE. That's how the market works.

ICEE is the coolest drink in town.

[wuapinmon]

No. Taxes are too high as it is. Cut the pork.

Ok, I agree that pork is bad, but, when we look at the numbers, I don't think of things as being that outlandish, when viewed individually.

Now I know that Food Stamps are not pork spending* but let's use this very important and productive program to put spending in real-costs-to-you terms.

According to this website that analyzed the 2008 budget:
http://www.cfpa.net/2008dedbudget.htm

The federal gov. budgeted $36.7 billion for Food Stamps in 2008. To figure out how much that costs you per week,

300,000,000 citizens * $1 * 52 weeks = $15.6 billion

$36.7 billion/$15.6 billion =$2.35 * 52 weeks = $122.20 per citizen per annum.

But, we have to remember that not all of the tax burden is shouldered by individuals; corporations pay hefty taxes, so the $122.20 total for food stamps is probably much less in actual $pp.

I always get the feeling that $100,000 to help a small town extend its airport runway isn't pork, so much as helping infrastructure. The $100k gets spent on construction, those workers spend their paychecks locally, those businesses pay their employees, and the dollars bounce around and get taxed again and again before they come out of circulation.

I think we should pay more in taxes, cut waste, and invest in projects like energy tech, education (especially higher education in the research sciences--- fund the profs who can invent things to make us use less oil or cure cancer), transportation and energy infrastructures, the space program (which fuels invention), and encourage urban and suburban gardening, micro orchards, and food coops through tax subsidies to local govts (mind you, I live in the pure country and am not a hippie). Also, something has got to be done about all the fake Sasquatch sightings.




*unless the recipients buy bacon, ham, sausage, or pork chops ["Oh sure, Lisa. Like there's some magical animal"]

[ERCougar]

I always get the feeling that $100,000 to help a small town extend its airport runway isn't pork, so much as helping infrastructure. The $100k gets spent on construction, those workers spend their paychecks locally, those businesses pay their employees, and the dollars bounce around and get taxed again and again before they come out of circulation.

Uh...what pork project doesn't help infrastructure and gets workers to spend their paychecks locally and get taxed again and again before they come out of circulation?

This kind of project is the definition of pork--something that benefits a local constituency that the local market has never deemed worthy of its investment. Doesn't mean it's a bad idea, but I think that projects need to prove their worth to the nation as a whole before they get federal funding.

I'm with you on everything else. Higher taxes are inevitable. Hopefully, cutting spending is, as well.

[Surfah]

Uh...what pork project doesn't help infrastructure and gets workers to spend their paychecks locally and get taxed again and again before they come out of circulation?

This kind of project is the definition of pork--something that benefits a local constituency that the local market has never deemed worthy of its investment. Doesn't mean it's a bad idea, but I think that projects need to prove their worth to the nation as a whole before they get federal funding.

I'm with you on everything else. Higher taxes are inevitable. Hopefully, cutting spending is, as well.

Speaking of which, I heard that Utah is already spending their money on infrastructure and are going to start issuing contracts every Tuesday and Thursday for the next couple weeks.

[ERCougar]

Speaking of which, I heard that Utah is already spending their money on infrastructure and are going to start issuing contracts every Tuesday and Thursday for the next couple weeks.

I'm not sure if you're making a point here, but just for the record, I'm not a real fan of any pork spending, even if it benefits Utah.

[Surfah]

I'm not sure if you're making a point here, but just for the record, I'm not a real fan of any pork spending, even if it benefits Utah.

Not making a point. I was just listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about the states that have already started spending their pork since the package passed.

Personally I don't have a problem with pork on infrastructure. Heaven knows roads like 3300 South could use it.

[ERCougar]

Not making a point. I was just listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about the states that have already started spending their pork since the package passed.

Personally I don't have a problem with pork on infrastructure. Heaven knows roads like 3300 South could use it.

I just don't see why local governments don't pay for it. I know they're a little hamstrung by zero-deficit requirements, but they raise bonds all the time. Why should the federal government pay for a road that 99.99% of the country will never use?

[Surfah]

I just don't see why local governments don't pay for it. I know they're a little hamstrung by zero-deficit requirements, but they raise bonds all the time. Why should the federal government pay for a road that 99.99% of the country will never use?

I understand that. And to an extent I agree. I think if there's going to be pork I don't think infrastructure is a bad place to put it is all. For many of the reasons Wuapinmon outlined.