So you don't approve how our government spends money?

Ok boys and girls, get out your red pencles and voice your opinion because listed below is just the summary of the 2011 budget.

The Budget is broken down into two groups, outgoing money and income.

All amounts are in billions

Outlays

Appropriated(*discretionary*) programs

Security.............................846

Non-security.......................530

Subtotal..........................1,376

Mandatory programs

Social Security..................730

Medicare...........................492

Medicaid...........................271

Tarp..................................11

Other...............................596

Subtotal.........................2,100

Net Interest........................250

Disaster costs........................3

Total Outlays................3,728

Receipts

Individual income taxes..........1,126

Corporation income tax.............293

SocSec and Retirement receipts

SS payroll tax..........................674

Medicare payroll tax..................192

Unemployment insurance.............51

Other retirement...........................8

Excise tax..................................80

Estate and gift tax.......................24

customs duties...........................29

Deposits of earnings....................79

other misc..................................18

Total receipts......................2,583

Deficit.................................1,145

For the nitty gritty details please request them as I have printed out the summary of the budget, all 32 pages of fine print.

So where do you want to start your cuts and why, how, show your work.

River

I am first, as I looked at this I noticed that Corporations only pay about 25% of what individual income taxes are.

Maybe cutting out all of there tax deductions would be a good place to start. 293 billion in tax and they can give that much in bonus money to there top people. something is wrong. What do you think.

River

Riverwind (imported) wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:03 pm I am first, as I looked at this I noticed that Corporations only pay about 25% of what individual income taxes are.

Maybe cutting out all of there tax deductions would be a good place to start. 293 billion in tax and they can give that much in bonus money to there top people. something is wrong. What do you think.

River

As long as corporations are people too, they should pay taxes as people.

I mean if we let corporations pay on a special tax program, what's next?

The same sort of arrangements for "the rich"?

Moi

Raising taxes on businesses is a great idea! The businesses can pay those taxes by laying off employees, spending less on R&D, shelving capital projects, closing factories, and raising prices to consumers. Other than halting growth and progress and impoverishing the people, there's no downside.

Could it be that the people who wrote the tax laws were not part of a sinister conspiracy, but actually had the country's best interests in mind?

P.S. President Obama recently said he's open to ideas about how to limit "mandatory" programs. Democrats' health care proposals still call for cuts to Medicare. Look out below!

bobover3 (imported) wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:44 pm P.S. President Obama recently said he's open to ideas about how to limit "mandatory" programs. Democrats' health care proposals still call for cuts to Medicare. Look out below!

Well you ran away from me on climate change, so let's try this thread.

1) Medicare overspends and has lots of waste. That has to be wrung out of the system. You know that, I know that and the politicians know that.

2) As for taxing businesses for health care... There is a choice in the USA -- continue with the current system where companies and employees pay ever-higher premiums for ever-decreasing care, OR, change the system to something more reasonable that can control costs.

As was said many times before -- the USA pays twice as much as any other nation for health care and gets less. WE have 40 million uninsured, many more under-insured and in danger of losing health care. And the cost share of health care as an expense is going up to beyond 20% of GDP.

So if the USA wants to cut its budget, it should start by controlling health care and bending the curve down.

On all but you, Bob, because as you know, one dollar of tax is jsut too patriotic a duty for you to pay. No citizen should be asked to support the likes of liberal handouts like healthcare, police, fire, children's lunches, teachers and GOD FORBID -- unionized garbage collectors who haul your cast off shit away.

Now don't be mad at me. This is all said in jest!

If so much of the healthcare problem can be fixed by just getting medicare fixed...... why don't we start doing it NOW? We don't need a 2,500 page law to fixx that do we? Fix fraud, waste and abuse in the system and after you impress the hell out of everyone by fixing that, we can move on to the next fix.

As far as every other program goes, there is not a single place that we can't find pork and waste to cut including defense and education. Retirement age needs to be raised to reflect the longer lifespans of Americans. Sorry if that interferes with the 10 year vacation that you were planning at the end of your life. Putting off the hard decisions now will only FORCE harsher decisions to be made in the future.

What would I really cut out of the federal government -- a small list to begin with:

1) Tax credits for moving companies overseas where jobs are lost in the USA. It might make sense to build a new factory in another country but not if it loses jobs in the USA.

2) Any government program (tax credit or actual $$) that encourages oil consumption. I would use that money to encourage wind, solar and biomass energy. Please note, I would also keep the current level of electric production from nuclear but not increase it over the long run. That might be a too sophisticated note for anyone to appreciate.

3) Replace tobacco subsidies and replace tobacco crops completely across the USA.

4) I would cur out the middleman (banks and other lending institutions) involved in college tuition loans. That would free up money.

5) I would mandate no increase in the number of federal employees but I'd also make it easy for personnel to switch jobs and realign the current levels of employment.

That's my starting list.

bobover3 (imported) wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:41 pm Raising taxes on businesses is a great idea! The businesses can pay those taxes by laying off employees, spending less on R&D, shelving capital projects, closing factories, and raising prices to consumers. Other than halting growth and progress and impoverishing the people, there's no downside.

Could it be that the people who wrote the tax laws were not part of a sinister conspiracy, but actually had the country's best interests in mind?

Bob, it sounds good but your wrong, Company's don't pay tax people pay tax. If the rate of tax is increased on business, business will just pass it on to the customer. They will not lay off people, or close factories, or anything else.

ramses (imported) wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2010 3:48 pm If so much of the healthcare problem can be fixed by just getting medicare fixed...... why don't we start doing it NOW? We don't need a 2,500 page law to fixx that do we? Fix fraud, waste and abuse in the system and after you impress the hell out of everyone by fixing that, we can move on to the next fix.

As far as every other program goes, there is not a single place that we can't find pork and waste to cut including defense and education. Retirement age needs to be raised to reflect the longer lifespans of Americans. Sorry if that interferes with the 10 year vacation that you were planning at the end of your life. Putting off the hard decisions now will only FORCE harsher decisions to be made in the future.

Wow, the bill which has been cut down sense it was passed has gained 500 pages, don't you just love it.

I had all the intention in the world to work tell age 68 or 69 even maybe 70, my health stopped me on that at 55, but what you suggest is a good thing, most people my age would agree with it except for one small little detail that you seam to have overlooked, Companies have been laying off or, early retirement of anybody over 55. It sounds good in theory but reality is that it will never happen unless of course the government mandates it, and you republicans would never go for that.

River