Clayton County to poll interest in MARTA (Atlanta, Dunwoody: felon, transfer to)

[AcidSnake]

Well I'm pretty sure that after I say something slightly off-topic again, this thread is gonna closed. That being said, I will end my contibution to this thread by saying that I feel that all this talk of the U.S. going bankrupt is hyperbole. It's very easy to trace when our budget deficits first appeared, which was in the early 1980's and we also know why these debts were incurred.

It's really a matter of us Americans taking a hard look at our priorities and seeing which types of government spending & programs we can live with & what we can live without. I already know what we can do without, as I have put opinions on this subject out there many, many times before.

The U.S.A. is not bankrupt. If our country were so, I am pretty sure that countries like Communist China would remind us very, very quickly.

Originally Posted by neil0311

Not related to MARTA and Clayton County, but the US is de facto bankrupt. I'm not saying that in official terms we're bankrupt, but in the common sense application of the word, we are. The "full faith and credit of the United States" is the only thing that stands behind the billions in debt we now owe. We are running a trillion dollar fiscal deficits with no end in sight.

By any rational definition, if we're not bankrupt today, we're heading that way. Even if you took 100% of the wages of those who pay the federal taxes today, you could not close the current deficit and certainly not pay off the national debt. What would you call it if not bankrupt?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

The U.S.A. is not bankrupt. If our country were so, I am pretty sure that countries like Communist China would remind us very, very quickly.

OK...I can see you want to pivot on the legal definition of bankrupt. How about the US Government is BROKE....does that work?

[AcidSnake]

bank·rupt–noun
1. Law. a person who upon his or her own petition or that of his or her creditors is adjudged insolvent by a court and
whose property is administered for and divided among his or her creditors under a bankruptcy law.
2. any insolvent debtor; a person unable to satisfy any just claims made upon him or her.

From looking at this definition I just don't see how the U.S.A. fits in. Our country hasn't petition for bankruptcy and as far as Credit rating agencies like S&P and Moody's are concerned, this country is not insolvent. If you have any independent information to the contrary I am all ears(or eyes).

* On a sidenote I don't pivot very well. I am prone to dizziness very easily. I was always one of those guys who tend to hug the wall too much at dance parties...*

Originally Posted by neil0311

OK...I can see you want to pivot on the legal definition of bankrupt. How about the US Government is BROKE....does that work?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by neil0311

As related specifically to MARTA capital costs:

- Higher MARTA fares that shift more of the burden to the users of the service and away from reliance on sales tax and other taxes. It costs me almost $3 to drive 25 miles....time to make fares more realistic.

As related to government in general:

- Flat or fair tax system where all users of government services share in paying for the cost. Eliminate the current system where 50% of the population is tax exempt.

- Pare back government expenditures to a balanced budget by cutting those items not the responsibility of government.

Spot on.

[hellomrwest]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

bank·rupt–noun
1. Law. a person who upon his or her own petition or that of his or her creditors is adjudged insolvent by a court and
whose property is administered for and divided among his or her creditors under a bankruptcy law.
2. any insolvent debtor; a person unable to satisfy any just claims made upon him or her.

From looking at this definition I just don't see how the U.S.A. fits in. Our country hasn't petition for bankruptcy and as far as Credit rating agencies like S&P and Moody's are concerned, this country is not insolvent. If you have any independent information to the contrary I am all ears(or eyes).

* On a sidenote I don't pivot very well. I am prone to dizziness very easily. I was always one of those guys who tend to hug the wall too much at dance parties...*

You two argue too much.....but check this out...

For starters, at the end of this year, our debt (public government, that is, and this includes both our deficit and unfunded social programs like medicare and social security, food stamps, etc..) will exceed our GDP for the first time. America currently has a debt ratio that surpassed our net worth, by well over 200%.

Secondly, beginning since this year and continuing until 2012, we will see a large amount of prime mortgages, such as Alternative A and Option Adjustable Rate Loans reset to where most borrowers (69%-75% of borrowers will likely default......and if that werent so bad, these loans, just like subprime loans have derivatives and OTC derivatives attached to them. If these bets go bad, the FED will have to liquidate trillions of dollars of toxic money onto the market.

Third, the food supply has been less than desirable for this year and the past year. I dont know about the rest of you city-data folk, but I shop at the kroger off Piedmont near Lenox, and Ive noticed how food has been steadily rising since last year. With a virulent winter, drought in many states, the massive gulf oil spill, food prices will most likely surge soon. Besides a short in domestic food supply, food is scarce worldwide. Also, food prices are fixed and must absorb inflation (AARP, TARP, healthcare, etc...). With higher food prices the financial system will implode upon itself. And I should mention that food commodities have a TON of derivatives placed on them, which will not be good if those bets come due.

Finally, many state and county governments are seriously in bad shape financially. California alone is at the risk of bankruptcy, and while America is not mimicing greece now, Cali sure is. How much longer can the terminator print up IOUs?

Also, since the US is "too big to default on its debt payments" helicopter Ben will most likely run the printing presses to compensate for a lack of domestic capital (which will also ruin US dollar trust) or the FED will raise interest rates to appease our "investors".....which will also send prices soaring on goods.

[hellomrwest]

^^^^^That should explain how we are going bankrupt. So neil has it right in this case. Were broke as a joke and as far as Moody's, I mean cmon there is all the incentive on earth to b.s. the numbers concerning our credit rating of our bonds. Its not THAT hard to bribe and scheme those that work at moody's; if Goldman Sachs could railroad Greece's finances by deception, what makes you thing that Wall St. or the Federal Reserve is being truthful to the American public? If I worked on Wall St., at Moody's, or the Fed, Id lie my arse off too lol or else Id be shot in this economy.

[Soulchild23]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Expansion of MARTA into Clayton County would be a disaster for the areas already served by MARTA, especially places like Lenox or Perimeter. The last thing this region should do is give a county full of criminals the ability to buy a $2 ride up to Perimeter for some good old fashioned car break-ins, shoplifting, and loitering. MARTA already brings in enough riff raff - it needs to be expanded to areas that would serve the needs of commuters, not to a crime infested wasteland like Clayton County.

You are so negative.. lol before they could still access getting to those stations when the buses were running to the airport.. So now there wouldnt be any different...

[AcidSnake]

Nice facts & figures, but all it seems you are doing is presenting your case as YOU see it for why you think the U.S. is bankrupt. Who established this evidence as you have presented as a standard for a country defaulting on its debts? The International Monetary Fund? The World Bank?

Nothing personal, but I would require a mainstream & trusted source beyond some random person on the internet to be convinced of the United States's insolvency.

Oh, and what you would call arguing, I would call a pleasant discussion of differences. What a terrible world it would be if people were not able to engage in intelligent debate.

Originally Posted by hellomrwest

You two argue too much.....but check this out...

For starters, at the end of this year, our debt (public government, that is, and this includes both our deficit and unfunded social programs like medicare and social security, food stamps, etc..) will exceed our GDP for the first time. America currently has a debt ratio that surpassed our net worth, by well over 200%.

Secondly, beginning since this year and continuing until 2012, we will see a large amount of prime mortgages, such as Alternative A and Option Adjustable Rate Loans reset to where most borrowers (69%-75% of borrowers will likely default......and if that werent so bad, these loans, just like subprime loans have derivatives and OTC derivatives attached to them. If these bets go bad, the FED will have to liquidate trillions of dollars of toxic money onto the market.

Also, since the US is "too big to default on its debt payments" helicopter Ben will most likely run the printing presses to compensate for a lack of domestic capital (which will also ruin US dollar trust) or the FED will raise interest rates to appease our "investors".....which will also send prices soaring on goods.

[David Alleyne]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Expansion of MARTA into Clayton County would be a disaster for the areas already served by MARTA, especially places like Lenox or Perimeter. The last thing this region should do is give a county full of criminals the ability to buy a $2 ride up to Perimeter for some good old fashioned car break-ins, shoplifting, and loitering. MARTA already brings in enough riff raff - it needs to be expanded to areas that would serve the needs of commuters, not to a crime infested wasteland like Clayton County.

This post is just too STUPID. I live in Clayton County and I'm no criminal nor do I know any criminals. Tell me this, why would a "County full of criminals" pay $2 to ride up to those malls to break into a car when they can break into a car down here and then ride up there? A criminal doesn't need public transportation to commit crimes. The part in bold is the whole point, oh wait, Clayton County doesn't have people who commute/live carless? I also gather that crime doesn't happen up at the Lenox and Perimeter mall areas, right? Clayton County isn't a wasteland you're just (seem) scared of your own shadow.

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by Soulchild23

You are so negative.. lol before they could still access getting to those stations when the buses were running to the airport.. So now there wouldnt be any different...

Yes, it would be different. Before they had to pay two seperate fares. If MARTA expanded they could get from a bus stop in Clayton County to the Lenox station using one fare.