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If we had a less selfish economic culture, we'd be much better off.
Everyone is selfish, especially whe it's not their money they are handling.
That's why governments should be kept in balance, and their spending within tax revenues. We let the spend more than tax revenues, now they spend much more and will never ever cut back. The figured out a way to steal, without putting a gun to anyone's head. Here is how it works:
1. Gov creates bond
2. Gov gives fed bond and promises to pay interest (that is paid back to treasury anyway)
3. Fed reserve sends newly created cash to the gov account
4. Gov choses a friend that will receive the newly created cash
5. Gov friend receives newly created cash and get's richer.
One very important thing to note is that the new money comes out of no-where, and that the government by creating this new money is essentially removing purchasing power from every single dollar holder, including corporations, workers, retirees on fixed income, etc... why do you think the gov doesnt even care about raising taxes? Why raise taxes when you can steal without anyone opposing you?
Your post is just ignorant. There is hardly a big business in America which actually net pays any taxes.
Read the annual reports and Form 10-K's of most busineses and you'll find something quite different. (Or do you dismiss those as lies because of who they come from, while blindly assuming everything spoon-fed to us by Ge8thner, Krugman, and the rest of the clique in Washington as fact?)
Way back in 1968, United States Steel had plans for a new mill, the first built since 1951, at Conneaut, Ohio, between Erie and Cleveland. When taxes went up due to the Vietnam fiasco, the plant was mothballed, and never revived. Over the nexr few years, steelmakers perfected ways of extracting more and better steel from scrap iron, via electric, raher than blast and open hearth furnaces -- electrics also can be moved far more easlily.
New players like Nucor, Jorgensen and Florida Steel -- all based on the new technology and non-union, entered the market. The new technology also made exit cheaper. I personally know of a "mini-mill" (Chaparral Steel) built near Petersburg, Va, in 1998-99, and mothballed within two years, due to changing cost structures. It might reopen some day, but not with the politicians circling like buzzards.
And USS? Well, it soldiers on as USX, but at a fraction of its former size and employee rolls. One of the few bright spots is a joint venture with Japan's Kobe Steel. To stabilize its cash flow, USX acquired Marathon Oil back in the 1980's; most senior Marathon employees welcomed the deal, since acuisition by a big player such as Exxon or BP would have made their roles redundant. But USS eventually spun off Marathon, and it merged with Phillips Petroleum.
Abe Vigoda said it best back in 1971 in The Godfather; it's just business, and it operates under a set of rules the political hacks can't do much about.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 01-13-2013 at 04:27 AM..
Some infrastructure is in the hands of the public some in the hands of the private. You say yours is okay, along with a few tidbits of improvement.
Same situation here, but a closer look will show that there are significant issues that aren't being worked on, and it seems to be degrading at a faster rate than upgraded.
My point is right now we are somehow spending all this money that is flying out of the pockets of America.
We could be a lot better off if we pumped money into infrastructure improvement.
It keeps people employed, welfare down, businesses prospering and everybody would be happy.
That I agree with, if Congress wasn't full of polar opposite idiots that only cared about winning elections they could easily put together a massive infrastructure bill that repaired and rebuilt every bridge in the country, repaired almost every mile of road, repaired and expanded and built new inner city rail lines, as well as build a network of regional rail lines.
All of this work would of cut unemployment by 2/3 and dropped it under 4% and would of pumped so much money back into the economy all while upgrading our country's infrastructure to the modern era.
That I agree with, if Congress wasn't full of polar opposite idiots that only cared about winning elections they could easily put together a massive infrastructure bill that repaired and rebuilt every bridge in the country, repaired almost every mile of road, repaired and expanded and built new inner city rail lines, as well as build a network of regional rail lines.
All of this work would of cut unemployment by 2/3 and dropped it under 4% and would of pumped so much money back into the economy all while upgrading our country's infrastructure to the modern era.
But will that ever happen? Doubt it.
You are so correct. Have you seen Paul Krugman too? He says that if America spends on infrastructure, UE would drop to about 5%.
I found this pdf file in a search and feel it's relevant to this discussion.
Infrastructure of all sorts seems to be crumbling.
While some businesses like Google (gigabit internet) are taking steps, infrastructure seems to be failing faster than we are spending on foreign things such as unnecessary wars.
There was this $800 BILLION DOLLAR "stimulus" bill passed a few years ago....sold as "shovel ready" infrastructure funding.
That money was used primarily to a bail out states and municipalities union pensions.
Businesses pay taxes....which are supposed to be used for infrastructure. You know those road tolls you pay? That also funds infrastructure repair.
That money is often wasted on salaries and payouts to control board members and their cronies, hence forcing higher taxes and tolls. All the while, infrastructure goes to hell.
This is why we fiscal conservatives dislike large government bureaucracies.
That I agree with, if Congress wasn't full of polar opposite idiots that only cared about winning elections they could easily put together a massive infrastructure bill that repaired and rebuilt every bridge in the country, repaired almost every mile of road, repaired and expanded and built new inner city rail lines, as well as build a network of regional rail lines.
All of this work would of cut unemployment by 2/3 and dropped it under 4% and would of pumped so much money back into the economy all while upgrading our country's infrastructure to the modern era.
There was this $800 BILLION DOLLAR "stimulus" bill passed a few years ago....sold as "shovel ready" infrastructure funding.
That money was used primarily to a bail out states and municipalities union pensions.
Businesses pay taxes....which are supposed to be used for infrastructure. You know those road tolls you pay? That also funds infrastructure repair.
That money is often wasted on salaries and payouts to control board members and their cronies, hence forcing higher taxes and tolls. All the while, infrastructure goes to hell.
This is why we fiscal conservatives dislike large government bureaucracies.
What you`re telling us is that you haven`t the slightest idea how the "stimulus" was spent. No need to read the rest.
There was this $800 BILLION DOLLAR "stimulus" bill passed a few years ago....sold as "shovel ready" infrastructure funding.
That money was used primarily to a bail out states and municipalities union pensions.
Businesses pay taxes....which are supposed to be used for infrastructure. You know those road tolls you pay? That also funds infrastructure repair.
That money is often wasted on salaries and payouts to control board members and their cronies, hence forcing higher taxes and tolls. All the while, infrastructure goes to hell.
This is why we fiscal conservatives dislike large government bureaucracies.
But the fiscal hawks love their special projects, so please spare the forum that they are holier than thou stuff.
If you wish me too, I can post links to republican, so called conservative fiscally responsible politicians who have taken government funds for their own special needs. But that isn't the topic of discussion here, and I'd rather not go down the path and hijack the thread.
Infrastructure of all sorts seems to be crumbling.
While some businesses like Google (gigabit internet) are taking steps, infrastructure seems to be failing faster than we are spending on foreign things such as unnecessary wars.
The days of private investment in infrastructure are pretty much over.
The government now owns it so it's up to them to maintain it at the federal and local levels.
Don't hold your breath waiting for the next set of railroad tycoons to emerge.
Too much red tape, restrictions, regulations, etc. doesn't make it worth the risk effort.
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