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It is sad when one side brags that their deficit was only 1.27 trill. It is borderline treasonous what both parties have done. And all that has come from the spending is modest at best recovery and likely another recession around the corner. Revenue is a little over 3 trillion so being short 1.27 trillion is a huge percentage.
Lets slash 40% across the board and then figure how to live within our means. Defense, social programs everything. 40%. We overspend by 25% so this will barely put us in the black.
It is sad when one side brags that their deficit was only 1.27 trill. It is borderline treasonous what both parties have done. And all that has come from the spending is modest at best recovery and likely another recession around the corner.
Lets slash 40% across the board and then figure how to live within our means. Defense, social programs everything. 40%. We overspend by 25% so this will barely put us in the black.
A much easier solution.
Many other countries spend 5K per year each on health care.
We spend 10K plus.
320 million times the 5K saved is 1.6 TRILLION per year. Government funds 2/3 of health care, so that means over a TRILLION.
Problem solved. But you won't. Because you don't want "socialism".
You have been duped. There is no justification for giving anyone free money and depriving oneself of the utility of that money. Poor, middle class or wealthy, does not matter, it is stupid and anyone who does that is stupid, not to mention ill-disciplined.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ringo1
You don't have to be poor in order to use your refund as a 'bonus' of some kind. My tax advisor told me years ago that if one is a great saver - then keep more if your paycheck if you know you AREN'T a great saver - then use your refund to accumulate some money.
I see you could not defend your position, so you invented and attitude of another poster. Defend your apologist attitude, don't try weak attacks on others.
These 'feckless wastrels' get their own just reward.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2sleepy
Right, so let's just line all these feckless wastrels up and shoot them. Geezus
No holier than thou, just plain real world economic reality. Of which those who will not learn, will remain exactly where they are or even worse. Self reward.
You are still not arguing for or justifying your apologist stance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2sleepy
And what makes you think they aren't "living within their means"? I really get tired of this holier than thou attitude that seems to be pervasive in these threads.
You have been duped. There is no justification for giving anyone free money and depriving oneself of the utility of that money. Poor, middle class or wealthy, does not matter, it is stupid and anyone who does that is stupid, not to mention ill-disciplined.
If money is your God, you are 100% correct.
If money is just "green energy" , as I believe, then the ins and out of a couple bucks are no different than, for example, you having anything other than a tankless water heater or the most efficient A/C system made....or a house with no more than 300 sq. ft per occupant....or ANY car that gets less than 50MPG, or ANY food which is prepared for you and packaged...or any one of a thousand other things.
Do you spend your time all over the net telling people they are completely nuts for buying an SUV that gets 22MPG? Talk about throwing money away.....
If something cause one obsession, then the cost is not worthwhile IMHO.
When I help someone I am giving them "free money" because my time is the same as free money. When I take a longer shower at a hotter temp than needed...WOW, I am wasting a LOT of money and energy.
"Conservatives" seem to have moved on from "family values" and "compassionate conservative" to their bedrock...that of pure Greed and Selfishness as well as the lack of knowledge about the real world (superstition).
It's all the same and we are all one. Remember that.
Many other countries spend 5K per year each on health care.
We spend 10K plus.
320 million times the 5K saved is 1.6 TRILLION per year. Government funds 2/3 of health care, so that means over a TRILLION.
Problem solved. But you won't. Because you don't want "socialism".
Not so fast...
First of all 210 million. Take out the 110 million or so people who are over 65, veterans, and those in medicaid. Add in those who do not have health care 12 million or so that will now have to be covered by socialized health care and you get below 200 million. How about undocumented people. Add 10 million or more to the healthcare dole.
So your number immediately drops more than a third perhaps a half. Then the huge leap of faith that the feds will actually do things right and cut overall healthcare costs 50% when that never happened with Obamacare. And you have an economy the size of the EU, not a small Scandinavian country or Canada.
So the deficit is still huge even with your rosy numbers. Reality is the feds will screw it up and the deficit will get even bigger.
I say we slash spending 40% get the deficit down and then talk about dealing with healthcare with a cushion in case costs spiral out of control. Which if history is any example is almost unavoidable.
Last edited by Oklazona Bound; 02-14-2019 at 12:09 PM..
Did my taxes too and am getting a refund of about $500 less. Not a whole lot, but it is less. We also made more money this year mostly because the husband got some temporary jobs this past summer, and I got a 5% raise, so it wasn't all that much more.
I was disappointed though. I was hoping to get $1000 more. But I never really depend on tax refunds. Most years I don't expect to get one at all but we had a lot of expenses at one of our rental properties last year so I did expect to get a larger one for 2018 but didn't.
I wasn't going to vote for Trump regardless in 2020 but I was hoping to have something to like him for - I like to find something I like about every president and I still don't like anything about him. He needs to do like GW Bush and send me a stimulus check. Then I'll like him lol.
Most companies adjusted (lowered) withholdings when the tax bill was passed, so take home pay increased. You can't just look at your "refund" and calculate whether you paid more or less. Unless your itemized deductions were decreased because of the tax bill change, you almost certainly paid less than you would have without it.
First of all 210 million. Take out the 110 million or so people who are over 65, veterans, and those in medicaid. Add in those who do not have health care 12 million or so that will now have to be covered by socialized health care and you get below 200 million. How about undocumented people. Add 10 million or more to the healthcare dole.
So your number immediately drops more than a third perhaps a half. Then the huge leap of faith that the feds will actually do things right and cut overall healthcare costs 50% when that never happened with Obamacare. And you have an economy the size of the EU, not a small Scandinavian country or Canada.
So the deficit is still huge even with your rosy numbers. Reality is the feds will screw it up and the deficit will get even bigger.
I say we slash spending 40% get the deficit down and then talk about dealing with healthcare with a cushion in case costs spiral out of control. Which if history is any example is almost unavoidable.
Humans, IMHO, make simple things complicated. There is no "not that fast". We spend over 10K per human being in the country - whether they are insured or not, military or not or anything else. There are countries that spend 3K (Japan) and many that spend 5-6K (Europe) and achieve better results. It's not because the government "takes over" health care, but that the population AGREES health care is a basic right due to the wealth (commonwealth) of their country.
The Government just ends up setting the rules that we desire. Heck, look at pot legal for rec now. We have Gubment pot in MA and the stuff is dirt cheap. Less than $1 a "high". You can't hardly do booze for that price!
Completion and private companies still do all the work except regulation and administration.
AND, we are paying over 10K for each of those people we are giving "free" full mouth tooth extractions for.
Of course we should cut back the Security State and put that money toward the deficit and the USA. But it won't happen because no pol is every called to the carpet for it. Tell a Trump cultist that the Military and Security State costs almost 1.4 Trillion per year (actual cost with debt, vets, etc.) and that Trump has not saved a single penny and they will say "hey, we'll vote for him...and against out children...and against decent health care...and against higher wages and more benefits....because, because....just think of that beautiful wall".
I'm not kidding. That is the truth. Nothing upsets a conservative more than the idea of a civil society which is inclusive of all Americans.
Yeah--go ahead and vote for the dumpocrats--they are floating taxing you 70% at the very least..
How did you know he makes more than 10 million dollars?
He never mentioned it ...
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