What happened to the Clinton Surplus??

[AKATheMack]

Here's one solution to the problem you just proposed:



Republicans need to end the warfare state (including ending operations in Japan, Germany, etc.) and start to repeal their fiscally irresponsible Medicare Part D.

Democrats need to start to end the welfare state (means test, raise the retirement age, let people opt out, etc.).

Unless we enforce an IQ test before voting, or running for that matter, nothing will change. The average human is gullible.

[Boxingtech718v2]

Here's one solution to the problem you just proposed:



Republicans need to end the warfare state (including ending operations in Japan, Germany, etc.) and start to repeal their fiscally irresponsible Medicare Part D.

Democrats need to start to end the welfare state (means test, raise the retirement age, let people opt out, etc.).

I concur with your assessment stop getting into wars that don't profit us. People are living longer so raise the SS claimant age.

[Jim Jeffries]

Considering the US National Debt increased each and every year Clinton was in office, I can only assume that the three budget surpluses he was dragged kicking and screaming into signing, didn't include the interest on that debt.

But even assuming the total of 360 billion dollars Bill claimed to have paid down the debt over his final 3 years in office, that's less than a 1/10th of what our current government spends per year, or less than 3 months of what it overspends (borrows.)

We're on pace to add 12 trillion to the 14.5 trillion ($46,543 per citizen or $129,838 per taxpayer) we currently have (soon surpassing the entire economy,) with no apparent end to the Bush/Obama recession (sorry, but the 1.9% current annual growth is significantly less than inflation and the already very high unemployment has increased for 3 straight months.)

We're screwed, but unfortunately our "leaders" are too busy finger pointing to do anything about it.

[Boxingtech718v2]

Considering the US National Debt increased each and every year Clinton was in office, I can only assume that the three budget surpluses he was dragged kicking and screaming into signing, didn't include the interest on that debt.

But even assuming the total of 360 billion dollars Bill claimed to have paid down the debt over his final 3 years in office, that's less than a 1/10th of what our current government spends per year, or less than 3 months of what it overspends (borrows.)

We're on pace to add 12 trillion to the 14.5 trillion ($46,543 per citizen or $129,838 per taxpayer) we currently have (soon surpassing the entire economy,) with no apparent end to the Bush/Obama recession (sorry, but the 1.9% current annual growth is significantly less than inflation and the already very high unemployment has increased for 3 straight months.)

We're screwed, but unfortunately our "leaders" are too busy finger pointing to do anything about it.

If anything many of the reasons government worked well during the Clinton Administration is because for the most part we had a Left/Center President and a Right/Center Congress to balance things out. Right now we have a far left President and a Far Right Congress playing chicken with the government to see who blinks first. In the past I've given the republicans a lot of credit for being the more fiscally responsible party. But right now republicans are messing up and would rather play politics than stopping this budget crisis. Politicians have managed to drive this country far apart and nobody is thinking about for the good of the country but only for the betterment of their political party. What we need as American people is shorter term limits, smaller political salaries, campaign spending limits, and the removal of lobbyist from politics. Will we ever see that happen probably not in my lifetime.

[Visceral]

Didn't he get in trouble for getting rid of a certain surplus on a lady's blue dress once?

P.S. it's pretty dificult to take you seriously with that av, ts.

[squealpiggy]

If anything many of the reasons government worked well during the Clinton Administration is because for the most part we had a Left/Center President and a Right/Center Congress to balance things out. Right now we have a far left President and a Far Right Congress playing chicken with the government to see who blinks first. In the past I've given the republicans a lot of credit for being the more fiscally responsible party. But right now republicans are messing up and would rather play politics than stopping this budget crisis. Politicians have managed to drive this country far apart and nobody is thinking about for the good of the country but only for the betterment of their political party. What we need as American people is shorter term limits, smaller political salaries, campaign spending limits, and the removal of lobbyist from politics. Will we ever see that happen probably not in my lifetime.

I wouldn't say Obama is "far left" but you're right in that the current cause of inaction is basically ideological warfare between nutjobs.

[cupocity303]

The hell with it, cut it all, and let me and others opt-out of Social Security.

[cupocity303]

As time keeps passing by, the more of a Fiscally Conservative feel I'm starting to get. The people in charge just have the wrong priorities on where and what to spend on, and what to cut. You hear about things like phasing out of Medicare, things like Social Security starting to run out of revenue (Meanwhile you have all these Departments and Agencies running smoothly).

Fuk it, cut it all, cut/lower taxes some more across the board, so they will have even even less revenue to spend overseas on Foreign Aid and Military operations. If Medicare is no longer sustainable and Social Security is 20 years away from running out & not being able to provide full benefits to retirees, then we don't need to pay much taxes, if it's not benefiting the U.S. people. That's why, let everybody keep more and more of their own money (even if it's not enough to buy yourself a decent private health insurance or safe to retire on). It's everybody for themselves. Survival of the fittest, tough luck.

Don't raise the debt ceiling, let it default. I wanna see what a crisis looks like, I wanna see riots on the streets. With people breaking out of their television induced conditions. Too many people are sitting idly by, getting screwed gradually without even knowing it. That's why I say, let it happen rapidly, so they wake up and smell the coffee. I'll just sit back on the sidelines and enjoy the chaos for as long as I can.

...My two cents....

[- v e t -]

As time keeps passing by, the more of a Fiscally Conservative feel I'm starting to get. The people in charge just have the wrong priorities on where and what to spend on, and what to cut. You hear about things like phasing out of Medicare, things like Social Security starting to run out of revenue (Meanwhile you have all these Departments and Agencies running smoothly).

Fuk it, cut it all, cut/lower taxes some more across the board, so they will have even even less revenue to spend overseas on Foreign Aid and Military operations. If Medicare is no longer sustainable and Social Security is 20 years away from running out & not being able to provide full benefits to retirees, then we don't need to pay much taxes, if it's not benefiting the U.S. people. That's why, let everybody keep more and more of their own money (even if it's not enough to buy yourself a decent private health insurance or safe to retire on). It's everybody for themselves. Survival of the fittest, tough luck.

Don't raise the debt ceiling, let it default. I wanna see what a crisis looks like, I wanna see riots on the streets. With people breaking out of their television induced conditions. Too many people are sitting idly by, getting screwed gradually without even knowing it. That's why I say, let it happen rapidly, so they wake up and smell the coffee. I'll just sit back on the sidelines and enjoy the chaos for as long as I can.

...My two cents....

now you're talking

[Chew BackAtacha]

from a non-american perspective

i think states should split (succeed, i think its called) from the union. Why should states like Montana have the same power as California? Or Idaho the same as New York? And where do you think all the wealth, and taxes, come from? It doesn't make sense. No way these states should have the same power in the senate. It means basically that republicans have disproportionate power in the gears of government and it just's grinds everything to a stop if its not their agenda. this fascination with low taxes is going to **** your country up, taxes where raised in ww1 and ww2 and now taxes are lowered? thats why your in debt, thats the main reason

and america should stop foreign aid. they should cut their military spending and concentrate on r + d. the next nation to find a viable alternative to fossil fuels will this century's winner, and its all to play for. but American's are terrible at maths and science , so its not looking good