Democrats Resist Cuts to Entitlement Spending

**Wickabee** · 12-04-2012, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by pghin08

Right now the Democrats thoughts are "We won the election. Therefore we demand absolutely everything that we want and none of what the GOP wants."

The Democrats did NOT win the 2012 election. The GOP lost it. They lost it with their largely unpopular social viewpoints, and the fact that they took their candidate far off to the right. But I don't think Dems see it that way. I couldn't believe my ears when I was listening to the radio on the way into work and I heard Howard Dean (yes, former DNC chair who ruined his '04 campaign because he said "BYYYYYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHH!") saying the Dems would be best to address entitlement reform and that we all needed to take our medicine while we still can.

Church!!!!!

**JustAlex** · 12-04-2012, 05:36 PM

I've thought about this more, and I agree with most of what Obama is doing!

ATTACK the GOP!

They were the obstructionists in the first term and MANY times Obama caved in to their demands.....NOT ANYMORE!

Obama has ZERO to lose right now, he will be president for 4 more years and then never again.

Make these 4 years what we HOPED would be his first 4 years and at least ATTEMPT to be a true progressive.

If Obama has to be the Obstructionist this time around.....That is fine by me!

The GOP will get ZERO sympathy and empathy from me.....ATTACK THEM HEAD ON!

**shrewsbury** · 12-04-2012, 05:51 PM

i just don't see either side knowing anything bout how to balance a budget, and if either side steps up and get this done, they may win my vote.

the obvious here is we are dealing with a budget that is largely in debt. so not only must you balance your spending with your revenue, you must include in your spending the fact you need to repay.

first see what you are spending on and you must get that below your income, no two ways about this, then you have to see if there is enough left over to pay stuff back in a timely manner, if not you must cut more.

now if you can mange this and then increase income, you can pay back the debt sooner, rebudget, and get the things you cut, that hurt the most, back.

as a country our cuts are quite different, what do we need, and what don't we need. crazy government pension, benefits and pay. prolong UEC and non disabled people on welfare for generations? ear marks that favor and entice a vote and waste money. non payroll military spending. caps on deductions.

but to increase revenue we can either raise taxes or increase the amount of people who pay taxes. if we create more taxpayers, that means less people on UEC and welfare, more people paying taxes, more people buying goods, more people buying homes and cars.

perhaps the cuts in governemnt pay, benefits, and pension, SS, MC, welfare, UEC, and military should be used to create new jobs that monitor and improve our spending in those areas. your spending will not decrease, but you will be creating more taxpayers and more people who are buying goods, which will create more jobs and bring the housing market back up

and if we need to raise taxes, do so.

**pghin08** · 12-04-2012, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by JustAlex

I've thought about this more, and I agree with most of what Obama is doing!

ATTACK the GOP!

They were the obstructionists in the first term and MANY times Obama caved in to their demands.....NOT ANYMORE!

Obama has ZERO to lose right now, he will be president for 4 more years and then never again.

Make these 4 years what we HOPED would be his first 4 years and at least ATTEMPT to be a true progressive.

If Obama has to be the Obstructionist this time around.....That is fine by me!

The GOP will get ZERO sympathy and empathy from me.....ATTACK THEM HEAD ON!

Mr. Obama can do the ideological thing, or he could do the right thing. The right thing is significant entitlement reform, along with tax reform (including tax hikes). May I suggest reading up on the issues that Canada and Sweden faced in the mid-1990s, and how they were dealt with. It gives the US a good blueprint of what works in the face of a debt crisis.

By the way, if it wasn't right when the GOP did it, why is it right if Mr. Obama did it?

**JustAlex** · 12-04-2012, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by pghin08

Mr. Obama can do the ideological thing, or he could do the right thing. The right thing is significant entitlement reform, along with tax reform (including tax hikes). May I suggest reading up on the issues that Canada and Sweden faced in the mid-1990s, and how they were dealt with. It gives the US a good blueprint of what works in the face of a debt crisis.

By the way, if it wasn't right when the GOP did it, why is it right if Mr. Obama did it?

Yes, we can think about this rationally and say that Obama and the Dems should do the right thing, but the problem is will the GOP do the right thing?

I honestly don't think so.

In his first term Obama did try to compromise....MANY TIMES, in fact he was the one who caved on almost every issue.

Why should we expect the GOP to suddenly turn a new leaf?

Why should Obama continue to cave?

Why should we negotiate with people who don't want to?

**Wickabee** · 12-04-2012, 06:56 PM

I really do see where alex is coming from. Its not right in either case, but Republicans are way better at this game and tend to win. They can claim the dwms aren't dealing, but they're not coming in good faith either. The difference is that the Republicans don't seem to mind holding the people of the nation hostage to get what they want.

**JustAlex** · 12-04-2012, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by Wickabee

The difference is that the Republicans don't seem to mind holding the people of the nation hostage to get what they want.

That's exactly how I feel too.

The GOP are unscrupulous in this regard.

And that's why I feel that the ONLY way to win is to play their own game.

The Dems have always been the push over party that end up losing because they don't take the extreme actions that the GOP take.

Maybe it's time to change things and fight fire with fire.

**shrewsbury** · 12-05-2012, 08:57 AM

so you should bully a bully?

i would think the better person would e able to get past trying to get even and move forward with sound plans, and if the GOP doesn't go along, well their excuses will be gone.

the fact is all the dems have brought is a tax hike that would only increase help out the margin by 2%, we need to cut spending by 30% and raise taxes.

**MadMan1978** · 12-05-2012, 10:09 AM

Ok So lets say we are only doing the tax hike

what are the reason reason not to do it...

And your arrangement cant be it is not enough...or the amount wouldnt matter...

**AUTaxMan** · 12-05-2012, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by MadMan1978

Ok So lets say we are only doing the tax hike

what are the reason reason not to do it...

And your arrangement cant be it is not enough...or the amount wouldnt matter...

You can't ask a question and then remove one of the legitimate answers, but I'll try to play along. Specifically, what tax hike are you referring to?