Blah, Blah, Debt Crisis, Blah, Blah... I'm Frustrated, Who's With Me?

Crisis: it has three definitions. The first is listed as a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined. It's a turning point.


What do you think? Do you think the trend of all future events is going to be determined for better or worse?


It's like this is an entirely new thing. It's being made out like this has come out of no where and slapped us in the face. The debt has been an issue for a very long time. In all reality, we just have some people who were sent to Washington in the recent year who had a pledge to fix the problem. It's a great idea. I commend them for their efforts, but this is not how it should be.


"Get your ass in line," Speaker Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday to his Republican colleagues, speaking on the debt crisis and the debate to raise the debt ceiling. He's a fine one to talk, eh?


As it stands, we have two parties bashing each other and practically working against each other. There are two plans in the works. 


Boehner's plan will cause a short term debt ceiling increase of around $900 billion ($900,000,000,000) and something like $915 billion in spending cuts/deficit reduction. Another increase in the debt ceiling will be instituted around election time 2012. Hmmm... Wait for it...


House Minority Leader Harry Reid's, D-Nev., plan would cut $2.2 trillion in spending/deficit reduction and give the go-ahead for a one-time debt ceiling increase that should get us through 2013. Again, read on, it's coming...


I know this is just a quick summary that's almost headline-like. Here is my two cents. I urge you, if your still reading, to form your own opinion. But here's how I see it - grab a bar of soap; my mouth is going to  need to be washed out.


They are both idiots. I hesitate to say all 535 of them are idiots, but there's no way to be conclusive on that. If we had a responsible government, we would not all be sitting in our living rooms watching President Obama speak time and time again about the urgency and how we need to get out of this mess (something on this is coming up later in this post too. Wait for it..) Over the past decade or so, government spending has been way out of control. Now to the plans...


My thoughts on Boehner's plan are that its a bunch of politics. Think about it. He wants to have a short-term increase. Then consider what more to cut and raise it again around election time 2012. 1) This is only going to extend this bickering and crap longer. We will have to go through the whole ordeal again. Bad for America, bad for him. We are fed up. And, 2) extending it a year sounds like a little bit of political move. More debate around election time = more political turbulence = referendum on the president, because we always look to the head of state as being part of the blame (typically so, but not always). Of course, it will be a referendum on congressional elections as well. Looks like a win-lose situation. Good luck with that, Boehner.


Now for Reid: I really hate to say this (grab soap), but what if he has the better plan? The overall concept seems to be fine for what needs to be done. BUT... we can likely count on additional revenues where they don't need to come from and less push on entitlement cuts. So in that aspect, I can't think this is a good plan either. Besides, it sounds political as well: let's push it beyond the 2012 election so our butts and Mr. Obama's butt can be saved, then the debate can turn its ugly head and come back with a vengeance again. 


Wonder what they all plan to cut? Way to be transparent. Remember those promises of transparency? Amnesia? We'd like to know. 


Remember the Cut, Cap and Balance Act? Sure, it may not have been the greatest plan either, but that plan, which passed the House in a 234-190 vote, had a constitutional amendment: the Balanced Budget Amendment. It's a great idea! Forty-nine states have balanced budget amendments. Haven't heard of a failure yet.


While I was writing this, news came around that Boehner's revised bill that will go for a House vote eventually may have a the Balanced Budget Amendment approach to it and is gaining support from GOP members. ..just a news bit there.


Now: August 2. It's not doomsday. Refer back to the U.S. Debt Clock. Our country may be broke, but there's enough revenue to keep the government moving for a little while after August 2. So when President Obama says he can't guarantee the checks will go out (see video below) ...

... does he really know what he's saying? Apologies for being critical, but come on. This is doing nothing but scaring people and the elderly who have grown to depend on programs like Medicare (an understandably necessary program for the elderly, unlike certain other entitlement programs. Again, just my two cents, please have your own opinion.). Deal or no deal, those checks are going to go out. There will not be a default on August 2 or August 3. We have some borrowed time there. I stress the word "borrowed." And when the day comes that, under any circumstance, we can't pay the men and women who fight to protect our freedom, it will be a sad, dark day in history.


Also, when the President addresses the nation (July 25), it should be used as a chance to bring us together, not divide. So, he probably shouldn't have dropped this line:

"The only reason this balanced approach isn’t on its way to becoming law right now is because a significant number of Republicans in Congress are insisting on a cuts-only approach – an approach that doesn’t ask the wealthiest Americans or biggest corporations to contribute anything at all. And because nothing is asked of those at the top of the income scales, such an approach would close the deficit only with more severe cuts to programs we all care about – cuts that place a greater burden on working families." - President Barack Obama, July 25

To read the address in its entirety, click the hyperlink "President addresses the nation (July 25) above. I'm not saying the entire address was bad. It was good. I've never seen President Obama give a bad speech or address in his official capacity on national television. He can deliver a great speech. The beginning and ending of this address was good/satisfactory, in my opinion. Again... just my thoughts.

One final point... a downgrade of the national debt is lingering. It's inevitable. Some credit agencies have already done so. They aren't the big credit rating agencies that we care more about, like Moody's. But get ready, because it's coming. Probably solely based on this whole fiasco. It's ridiculous.

Bottom line: Cut the crap. Cut the "it's my way or no way"mentality, cut the campaigning and politics and do your job. Listen to the People, congress. We're your boss. We can and will fire you.

Sincerely,

An angry young conservative who is fed up with the lack of representation on both sides of the aisle.

Anticipating August 2: Politics as Usual in DC

U.S. Capitol, taken 6/2010

Note: It's just how I see it... an average-ordinary American attempting to make sense of it all. If you have input, please comment .. politely.

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"Like sands through the hourglass," is a good way to sum up the time remaining and the dramatics in DC.

Over the past several years, American politics has become super polarized. It's either one side's way or no way. Sadly, that's not how many Americans think. Especially when it comes to matters of heath care or a poor economy.

So, as we sit at home and watch lawmakers scramble around trying to figure out a deal to raise the debt ceiling before August 2, one must think: what the heck? We (they) should have seen this coming.

The U.S. Debt limit is $14.3 trillion ($14,300,000,000,000 - or to put it in perspective 4,218,289,085,546 10-piece chicken McNuggets - that's roughly 622 10-pieces for each individual in the world.) However, we  blew through that back in May. Shocker.

The current U.S. debt stands at about $14.89 trillion.

Hope your hungry.

So, as the United States Government continues to spend like there is no tomorrow we are nearing what Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says could be "catastrophic:" a default on the debt. Could it really be? Who knows. We won't know until the very last minute when lawmakers decide to get their act together.

Check this chart out from ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Politics/anatomy-debt-default-united-states/story?id=13940811

In what now looks like a failed attempt at the "grand bargain" to cut out $4 trillion in spending, Republicans want to cut spending on programs like social security, medicare and medicaid. Democrats want tax hikes. Of course, there's the general ideological split there.

Speaker John Boehner has ducked out of this deal. He, and other Republicans will not compromise on the debt angle of the issue.

Now, it looks as if there will be a plan for a half-as-grand bargain. A plan now for a $2 trillion reduction miiiiight be in the works. We shall see.

Here's what probably needs to happen: Not tax hikes. I invite you to check out the Fair Tax, instead. Get rid of that nasty income tax, payroll tax and the rest of the nasty taxes - for social security and such - and replace it with a 23% national sales tax. Pay taxes on what you go for, not what you earn - keep your paycheck.

After all, nowadays it's all about redistribution of wealth, right? The fact of the matter is: there is no need for redistribution. That's socialist. Contrary to what some in Washington believe, the United States of America is not a socialist country, it is a nation that has thrived on capitalism (up until, oh about 5 years or so ago). Success and ingenuity brings its benefits.

An individual who makes $250,000+ per year. Great! That individual has likely earned every penny they made. It was not just handed to them. They will pay their share of taxes. Don't punish success by tax hikes. Let there be a fair way of doing that. Don't turn around and give that hard-earned money to those who sit on the couch all day and watch soap operas and talk shows with their bag of chips and buying their dog food with their government handouts.

(Note: That is an example of two extremes and is not the case in every situation)

Besides, with the way things are going in the country right now, tax hikes are not the best thing for any American in any tax bracket. I think President Obama knows that - especially now that unemployment is back up to 9.2 percent.

Back to the debt talks. It's now time to be critical of Republicans: The Democrats bicker among themselves on whether or not to make cuts on their long-championed projects and programs, now is not the time to back away. It's time to cut the tax deductions. Stand your ground on no tax hikes, but take what's on the table and talk. Don't be hypocrites.

At least this is how I see it.

In the mean time, we will have to watch the drama in Washington. But, forget the popcorn! You have 6,220 chicken nuggets to eat.

Unless, of course, the genius working the deep fryers in the back can't count and puts only 9 nuggets in the 10 piece box. Now that's another topic for another time! haha.

So Long, Space Shuttle Program!

Tomorrow (Friday, July 8, 2011) will mark the ending of an era in American history. Space Shuttle Atlantis is on it's pad ready for lunch at the Kennedy Space Center, weather permitting. As it rockets off into space, so will the program itself.

Personally, I have grown up very interested in the space program. I remember watching my first space shuttle launch in 1998 in the library of Donnelly Elementary School in Lebanon, Mo. I was only in first grade.

It's sad to see it go. And it's even worse that the future is uncertain. Little in the way of funding is bringing bad news to the iconic NASA space program. It's just an opinion, but the U.S. government, more notably the Obama Administration, kind of failed the program.

President Bush announced the ending of the fleet in 2004. However, he said that there would be a replacement, and a more advanced way to rocket Americans into space. This project was called the Constellation Program. The program would have built a new space vehicle and made it possible for humans to make it to the moon and Mars sometime in the future. Nonetheless, development from NASA will manage to continue on - just not quite the same way.

In 2008, Americans elected President Obama to lead the country. He elected to lead Americans out of the space race, or at least slow us way down, by cutting NASA's budget and ultimately bringing a negative change to the famed American space program, and prematurely ending the Constellation Program.

I guess pushing for a social take over of health care was way more important, right? Oh, hey, how about saving all the jobs and keeping Americans employed?

Looks like to shoot for the stars, the U.S. will now have look to Russia to make it happen. Apparently, according to a report from a Houston ABC affiliate, the Russians are even a little surprised by our move.

However, there is an upside. Even though NASA has to end manned space flight for some time into the future, there are future plans for unmanned space flights to study the heavens. So we aren't out of it yet. Just a set back.

What I'm getting at here, is that we cannot let this program die. Sure, we can look to the future. Manned space flights from the United Sates will return someday ... at least we can hope, right? That is as optimistic as this pessimist is going to be.

After all, it is in times of hardships and turmoil when Americans look to little pick-me-ups like seeing a shuttle blast off into the sky. It is what truly gives people the hope for the future. Margaret Mead put it well when she said: "

We are at a point in history where a proper attention to space, and especially near space, maybe absolutely crucial to bringing the world together."

So tomorrow morning, at 10:26 a.m. central time, grab a bowl of Cheerios, sit down, and watch an important moment in American history, when we will place the period at the end of the sentence.