Why I am supporting Obama

[Viking]

1. Forego my Social Security benefits. I do not plan on having anything from them when I retire. I don't mind paying the taxes so that little old widows without children wind up in group homes because they can't afford to live. Folks with money should forego theirs too. Social Security needs a means test anyway you look at it. Austerity should hit everyone. I would be willing to do this until age 60, so 23 years from now.

2. Increase medicaid taxes by 5% so that children under 18 can have basic medical care. No able-bodied adult should get free medical care from the government, myself included. I will pay my medicaid taxes, happily, if it means that children are looked after. Families need to plan to care for their elderly on their own, and not depend on the federal government to do it. It sucks, I know, but something's got to give.

3. Raise income taxes by 5%. I can give a little more, provided the increased revenue goes into repurchasing 30 year T-bills to reduce the National Debt.

4. Raise the federal gasoline tax by $.25 a gallon for the express purpose of eliminating the national debt. We gripe and complain about it, but for what it does, gasoline is CHEAP. The need for efficiency is the mother of efficiency inventions.

5. Pay a $25 tax with each new television purchase to support the Public Broadcasting system. I'll also gladly pay 25 cents a month on my cable bill to support the Ad-Council. I have lived in other countries, and we've got it so good, but we don't pay enough in taxes to cover all the good we've got. Social Security needs to die for all but the most poor. Medicare, especially Plan B, needs the axe too. If your mom gets sick, then you pay for it out of pocket. Just because there are $60k hip replacements doesn't mean that you get one just because Medicare will cover it. That's borrowed money that young people will have to pay back for you someday.

So, I ask you all, what are you willing to give up? What sacred cows in the federal budget need trimming. And don't give me the "I'm not paying anything else until spending is under control" bullshit. Between servicing the debt, defense, Social Security, and Medicare, the money's spent yall. So, which cow gets made into sacred ground beef?

Why should I give up one g-damn penny of my hard-earned money in extra taxes to pay for bullshit decisions to spend money make by people who don't have half a brain in Washington?

[edward777]

Kadaffi trusted in Obama's word and look where that got him.

[edward777]

Probably not. If there were some way to put a monetary value on the benefits I receive from my American citizenship, I think they would be more valuable than my tax burden.

Unless you are a CEO in Goldman Sachs then what does the government really do for you?

Does it protect our borders? Nope.

Does it protect your jobs? Nope.

Does it protect your US Constitutional rights? Nope.

[frank ryan]

Unless you are a CEO in Goldman Sachs then what does the government really do for you?

Does it protect our borders? Nope.

Does it protect your jobs? Nope.

Does it protect your US Constitutional rights? Nope.

It does those things, the arguement is whether or not it does a good job doing those things.

[Jacob]

I'm using animal feces rhetoric too much in this thread. I have a migraine aura at the moment, and it's coloring (forgive the pun) my language at the moment. I appreciate the thoughtful responses to my posts, but I'd like to point out that I'm in favor of SCRAPPING Social Security for anyone born after 1959. I also want to completely SCRAP Medicare--all of it.

I think health dollars should be spent on the young, not the old.

I like food stamps for those who are employed or seeking employment. I struggle with how to cut people off. It's not little kids' fault that their parents have them out of wedlock, or that they're born into less-than-ideal situations. I do believe that an educative system that rewards healthy choices with more purchasing power could be a great thing (and also penalizes poor choices).

I really really really really dislike that getting knocked up at 15 is almost rewarded, but I don't know how to slay that entitled dragon.

I think we need to get out of Afghanistan and probably cut back our deployments in Europe (Germany, Sicily, Spain). For example, and admittedly, I don't know the resources on the ground, but do we really need Rota and Sigonella?

I'm willing to contemplate a national sales tax. I'm always willing to consider the estate tax.

I'd get rid of Veterans Benefits unless they were related to injuries or conditions sustained in the service. However, if they are related to service, 100% coverage always, even transportation reimbursement to and from the hospital.

Unemployment would be a LOT harder to get, and the requirements for finding work would be higher. There would need to be some kicker about employers paying a penalty to lay someone off.

With all of those cuts, and an increase in taxes, my plan balances the budget more or less.

But, it's political suicide, so none of it will ever happen. We just need to grow the economy to increase tax revenue, while cutting a few things. But, people want to cut from the poor. Other want to cut from the rich. I want to cut everyone and raise their taxes to a sustainable level.

I'm willing to make very real sacrifices with the modest amount I earn.

You have proposed scrapping Medicare, and changing SS into a system only for the really old poor.

If we could enact those to preferences of yours, there would be no need to raise more tax revenue. Here is what we spent on SS and medicare last year:
Social Security - $820 billion
Medicare - $523 billion

If we took your plan and made no changes to taxation, we could easily balance the budget next year, rather than in 2040, as Paul Ryan plans, or never, as Obama plans.

Of course, if we eliminated those programs, as you propose, there would be no justification for the payroll taxes and we'd have to replace all that revenue. The difficult part of that is that we currently charge poor people and rich people alike 15% payroll taxes up to $104,000. It's the only way we get middle to low income people to pay any federal tax.
Still, it could be easily replaced, as you have proposed, with a national VAT or sales tax of 10%. I'd wager we could still flatten marginal rates and keep the budget balanced next year.

But none of that will happen.

[Uncle Ted]

Besides Obamacare...



Of course, I am not convinced that Rmoney and many of the other republicans will offer much in the way of change either.

On the NDAA...

“The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it,” the president said in a statement. “I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists.”

[...]

“Obama’s signing statement seems to suggest he already believe he has the authority to indefinitely detain Americans—he just never intends to use it,” Adam Serwer writes at Mother Jones. “Left unsaid, perhaps deliberately, is the distinction that has dominated the debate over the defense bill: the difference between detaining an American captured domestically or abroad. This is why ACLU Director Anthony Romero released a statement shortly after Obama’s arguing the authority in the defense bill could “be used by this and future presidents to militarily detain people captured far from any battlefield.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain...-act-now-what/

It is ironic that this man got the nobel peace prize.

[wuapinmon]

You have proposed scrapping Medicare, and changing SS into a system only for the really old poor.

If we could enact those to preferences of yours, there would be no need to raise more tax revenue. Here is what we spent on SS and medicare last year:
Social Security - $820 billion
Medicare - $523 billion

If we took your plan and made no changes to taxation, we could easily balance the budget next year, rather than in 2040, as Paul Ryan plans, or never, as Obama plans.

Of course, if we eliminated those programs, as you propose, there would be no justification for the payroll taxes and we'd have to replace all that revenue. The difficult part of that is that we currently charge poor people and rich people alike 15% payroll taxes up to $104,000. It's the only way we get middle to low income people to pay any federal tax.
Still, it could be easily replaced, as you have proposed, with a national VAT or sales tax of 10%. I'd wager we could still flatten marginal rates and keep the budget balanced next year.

But none of that will happen.

You'll note that I advocated getting rid of the programs while continuing to pay the taxes until I'm 60.

[Tim]

Besides Obamacare...



Of course, I am not convinced that Rmoney and many of the other republicans will offer much in the way of change either.

On the NDAA...





http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain...-act-now-what/

It is ironic that this man got the nobel peace prize.

Wrong thread. Your posts belongs in the "Why I'm not voting for Obama" thread...

[Uncle Ted]

Wrong thread. Your posts belongs in the "Why I'm not voting for Obama" thread...

Who said I am not voting for Obama? I am still undecided.

[Uncle Ted]

I'm voting for Obama for the following reasons:

• Capturing bin Laden
• Pulling us out of Iraq
• Timetable set for departure from Afghanistan
• Ending DODT
• Sponsorship of successful legislation geared toward minimizing decision-making capabilities of profit-driven health insurance companies.
• Increase in domestic oil production while working to minimize risks of offshore drilling.
• From a personal perspective, I've seen tremendous growth in own economic situation during his presidency.
• Lastly, I find him to be a decent, moral, intelligent man of the people.

You forgot extending the Bush tax cuts (on 12-18-2010).

[Jacob]

You'll note that I advocated getting rid of the programs while continuing to pay the taxes until I'm 60.

I did note that. I'm just pointing out that your scheme is so radical, that is probably wouldn't require you to pay so many taxes for so long. Not that I don't support your radical budgetary proposal.

[YOhio]

Wrong thread. Your posts belongs in the "Why I'm not voting for Obama" thread...

Good luck with that, Tim. A while ago I started a thread to share positive information on a great American midwestern city and the haters came out in droves. Every time we try to shine a light on the good, the moths show up.

[wuapinmon]

Good luck with that, Tim. A while ago I started a thread to share positive information on a great American midwestern city and the haters came out in droves. Every time we try to shine a light on the good, the moths show up.

I'm a luna moth.

[pellegrino]

Besides Obamacare...


Of course, I am not convinced that Rmoney and many of the other republicans will offer much in the way of change either.

On the NDAA...


http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain...-act-now-what/

It is ironic that this man got the nobel peace prize.

Didn't Romney say he would have signed NDAA? The past decade has seen a massive erosion of our civil rights.

[Uncle Ted]

Didn't Romney say he would have signed NDAA? The past decade has seen a massive erosion of our civil rights.

Like I said:

Of course, I am not convinced that Rmoney and many of the other republicans will offer much in the way of change either.

Yes, Romney seems to be for the so called patriot act and the NDAA. Therefore, we might be better off keeping the government at a stalemate (i.e. democrat for an executive and, hopefully, a republican control congress). Actually, one reason to vote for Obama.