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Do you think eventually, we will see a "grand bargain?" Almost every economist agrees we need a combination of spending cuts, more tax revenue, and entitlement reforms. Will the far left and far right agree to negotiate and actually get things done? I'm a liberal, but I agree we can't keep running up debt and we have to cut spending and reform entitlements. That said, we do need new tax revenue. At some point, conservatives have to choose between their ideology or actually reducing debt.
I think the best way for the Tea Party to win back a majority of Americans is to propose a change to the Grand Bargain where they give in to the demand of comprehensive immigration reform in return for full scale tax reform.
-Close the loopholes
-End the Bush Tax Cuts
-No more debt ceilings
-End the sequester
-in return-
-lower capital gains taxes to a 8% maximum
-cut the estate tax to a 10% maximum
-No amnesty for undocumented migrants who've been illegal in the U.S. less than five years
If the government spends money, it's not stolen, it's gone out into the private sector somewhere. A balanced budget amendment may work if done over a long time and one that allowed for spending cuts and tax increases, would be one I could support.
And there you have it, a Obama supporter who doesn't understand the basics.
OP, no there will be no grand bargain. To have a grand bargain would require "NEGOTIATION" and we already know Obama "will not negotiate".
I think a fair question is: Do we want a grand bargain? The immigration reform bill is an example of such an attempt. It is nothing more than a porkulous spendfest that does very little to address the actual problems of our immigration system.
Quite honestly this nation can't afford any more grand bargains. Better to to take a slower more wise path. For any budget to get passed it must include real spending cuts. Our elected reps make it sound as though it is complicated. The only thing complicated is figuring out how to appease the special interests and still make cuts.
The Dems only interest in the immigration reform bill is to pander to 1 specific voting group.
Enforce existing laws and create tools to close the loopholes. Make E-Verify 100% mandatory. Make the fines for violations so costly that no one would risk getting caught. Include jail time for repeat offenders.
Our federal law enforcement. How many branches of Federal police do we need? merge and cut.
Military spending. Cut by 30%.
Foreign aid. Cut by 50%
EPA why does the EPA need a SWAT team? It is bloated beyond recognition.
Grand bargain? The only grand bargain we need is one that is about spending cuts.
I think the best way for the Tea Party to win back a majority of Americans is to propose a change to the Grand Bargain where they give in to the demand of comprehensive immigration reform in return for full scale tax reform.
-Close the loopholes
-End the Bush Tax Cuts
-No more debt ceilings
-End the sequester
-in return-
-lower capital gains taxes to a 8% maximum
-cut the estate tax to a 10% maximum
-No amnesty for undocumented migrants who've been illegal in the U.S. less than five years
Close the loopholes. Agreed
End tax cuts: Agreed
End debt ceilings. Sure as soon as they pass a law that says no spending increases until all waste is eliminated.
End the sequester. Yes as soon as a balanced realistic budget is passed that actually reduces Federal spending to manageable levels.
No amnesty for Illegal aliens. Period. Pass laws that punish anyone who hires an illegal. make E-Verify mandatory. Include landlords. No renting to illegals. The illegals will have no means to profit from their behavior and they will self-deport.
I think a fair question is: Do we want a grand bargain? The immigration reform bill is an example of such an attempt. It is nothing more than a porkulous spendfest that does very little to address the actual problems of our immigration system.
Quite honestly this nation can't afford any more grand bargains. Better to to take a slower more wise path. For any budget to get passed it must include real spending cuts. Our elected reps make it sound as though it is complicated. The only thing complicated is figuring out how to appease the special interests and still make cuts.
The Dems only interest in the immigration reform bill is to pander to 1 specific voting group.
Enforce existing laws and create tools to close the loopholes. Make E-Verify 100% mandatory. Make the fines for violations so costly that no one would risk getting caught. Include jail time for repeat offenders.
Our federal law enforcement. How many branches of Federal police do we need? merge and cut.
Military spending. Cut by 30%.
Foreign aid. Cut by 50%
EPA why does the EPA need a SWAT team? It is bloated beyond recognition.
Grand bargain? The only grand bargain we need is one that is about spending cuts.
Now we are getting somewhere...
A few minor adjustments:
-100% cut for foreign aid except for aid after natural disasters
-Taper military spending down to 2003 levels instead of an immediate cut
-Increase aid to military families and decrease subsidies to military contractors
-Implement PAYGO
-Bipartisan agreement for a Balanced Budget Agreement
I really think we can get bipartisan support for this.
Close the loopholes. Agreed
End tax cuts: Agreed
End debt ceilings. Sure as soon as they pass a law that says no spending increases until all waste is eliminated.
End the sequester. Yes as soon as a balanced realistic budget is passed that actually reduces Federal spending to manageable levels.
No amnesty for Illegal aliens. Period. Pass laws that punish anyone who hires an illegal. make E-Verify mandatory. Include landlords. No renting to illegals. The illegals will have no means to profit from their behavior and they will self-deport.
I'm sorry but that is a no go.
How are you going to break up a family with undocumented migrant parents with 12 or 13 year old American children?
Boehner and the sane, mainstream non TP GOP and Obama struck a grand bargain. The TP terrorists deep sixed it.
The GOP will lose a few seats each cycle in the House, and when they get below 218, there will be a Grand Bargain. Since the GOP will have neither POTUS or Senate than, the wakeup call of being o for 3 ..like 2008..will get them to act like adults again.
Obama dropped the ball not running with simpson-bowles.
It would've put the R's on the defensive as Obama would show a tangible plan.
However, obama showed no backbone in taking the bi-partisan comissions recs (which were reasonable IMO) and I believe his circle felt that if they backed it, then the R's would use that as the 'end point' on the left and force Obama to come further right to 'meet them'.
There might be some political truths in that, but the populous would be best served if Obama had ran with Simpson-bowles and the R's agreed to it.
Do you think eventually, we will see a "grand bargain?" Almost every economist agrees we need a combination of spending cuts, more tax revenue, and entitlement reforms. Will the far left and far right agree to negotiate and actually get things done? I'm a liberal, but I agree we can't keep running up debt and we have to cut spending and reform entitlements. That said, we do need new tax revenue. At some point, conservatives have to choose between their ideology or actually reducing debt.
No, but I hope we don't get a grand bargain. It won't work. Look cutting medicare or social security isn't going to save America anything at all. The costs will still be there, the need will still be there, all we will do is make people pick up the tab and cut back in other areas and get government spending in other ways to offset those increased expenses.
Social security, they just need to lift the cap.
The problem with Medicare is a problem with growing healthcare costs. So cutting Medicare doesn't take care of those increased healthcare costs, it doesn't save Americans anything. It just transfers the burden to families, most of whom incomes haven't kept up. It doesn't make any sense. The key to saving medicare is to control healthcare costs. If we significantly slow down the rate of growth in healthcare spending, then Medicare becomes more affordable.
No, but I hope we don't get a grand bargain. It won't work. Look cutting medicare or social security isn't going to save America anything at all. The costs will still be there, the need will still be there, all we will do is make people pick up the tab and cut back in other areas and get government spending in other ways to offset those increased expenses.
Social security, they just need to lift the cap.
The problem with Medicare is a problem with growing healthcare costs. So cutting Medicare doesn't take care of those increased healthcare costs, it doesn't save Americans anything. It just transfers the burden to families, most of whom incomes haven't kept up. It doesn't make any sense. The key to saving medicare is to control healthcare costs. If we significantly slow down the rate of growth in healthcare spending, then Medicare becomes more affordable.
All very good except first you'd need to get healthcare industry money out of the election campaigns and you can't do that until congress passes a law.
Congress would never pass a law depriving itself of a healthy gusher of cash.
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