What Is A Billion?

[Chez Bubba]

other than to say that anyone who votes a party line for the sake of the party is just another court's jester of a  self-licking-ice-cream-cone... no matter what side of the coin you are on, R or D.

I forgot to include that I absolutely agree. My R state HR won't be getting my vote come November, nor the Gov in 2008.

Kirk

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

thank goodness I'm drinking while you guys are typing.... :D :D

Arcin' & Sparkin'

[TomG]

There goes the wind in my sail :D :D

[boxertrio]

Yea watch out for the Boogyman over there ;D

[Oldman]

C'mon Tom, that's a real stretch. I see Olds' original post as a comment on politics in general and not a finger-pointing excercise.

Chez you are so correct. The reason I posted this information is I believe of all of the place I post to that this group has a common ground were politics is set aside.  It was a simple statment of fact. lOOk at the monies we are spending that we don't have to spend. My hope was someone might go figure out how we are financing this... maybe even find out who is buy up our now 30 year issued bonds.

Maybe this will sit well with some folks but it does not sit well with me... that one of the major communist countries of the world is financing us with a *cough* "credit card." Don't think so? Go look at who is buy up our paper notes.

This is not a R or D issue; this is an American issue. We need to stop the bleeding now. We need folks to run this country R or D to stop the bullchit and start looking after what is good for us, and for our GrandKids sake stop purchasing stuff we don't have the monies for.

Think about this. Most of the folks who are running this country will be dead in 30 years. Do you think they really care about all of those 30 year notes coming due then?

In closing I will say that I'm going on 57 years of age. In 30 years I will be dead, so these notes will not effect me personally.  I will not state why I'm upset about this business of spending more than we have.  I will ask each person to ask themselves how does this sit with them. Then vote the next election to reflect your feelings.

My take is simple: We need to stop spending monies we don't have.

Yea watch out for the Boogyman over there  ;D

I wonder when I saw your name over there if it was the same person as over here.  You are correct... Boogyman is a one-way-thinker who has to much time on his hands. He is without a doubt the only person I have ever had a love - hate feeling towards.  He is a Pitbull for sure.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

I'm still drinking while you guys are typing..... :D :D :D

For the record, I am part of Box's tag line: top 5% paying about 50% of the taxes. :o

[Oldman]

I'm still drinking while you guys are typing..... :D :D :D

For the record, I am part of Box's tag line: top 5% paying about 50% of the taxes. :o

Man O man that sure beats the other side of where folk wish they could make more that 7 bucks an hour.
Where things like paid vaction, holidays, personal days and a good health plan was part of just everyday living.

Personally I rather pay this upper limit--which we do-- than be locked into the other side-- which I'm glad we are not.

My question to you ... you ole beer drinker is which of the two would you rather be? A 50% tax payer or someone making $7.00 per hour with no benefits?

[coyote]

When I go to vote Nov. 7th , I will only vote for those who campain strictly on their own qualifications
and not just bad mouthing their opponent................Hmmmmmm, I can't find anyone to vote for.

Well I think I'll smoke a chicken and as Merle Haggard sings in his song......
                                                           I think I'll just sit here and drink!

Even when we think everything is bad , It's still the best place in the world ! GOD BLESS AMERICA

[boxertrio]

I am not in the top 5%, but am considered "upper middle class" by my tax guy (the ole check book don't seem to reflect that).  I live within my means and save for the future, but at just 33 years old the present tax code is less than fair.  I gladly pay my taxes to support my country, county, state, city, school district (thou I have no kids).  It seems their has to be a better way to balance it all out.  I do not wish to be penalized for going to school and getting a good job. Here is a site I submit for you to decide.

http://www.fairtax.org/

No beer tonite, just a little Crown-n-Coke

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

I'm still drinking while you guys are typing..... :D :D :D

For the record, I am part of Box's tag line: top 5% paying about 50% of the taxes. :o

My question to you ... you ole beer drinker is which of the two would you rather be? A 50% tax payer or someone making $7.00 per hour with no benefits?

Oldman,

Drinking scotch tonight..... :D

Your question is a difficult one, since it mixes two topics: 50% taxpayer vs. $7/hr and progressive taxes.

My grandfather was a coal miner (gray collar). My father was a policeman (blue collar, literally). I guess I am a white collar (but I hate white shirts). I was the first in the family to college. The question I ask: do we reward hard work, and do minimize the penality with accumulating wealth (savings or small business development).

I have no trouble helping people less fortunate, and donate quit a bit. I have more trouble when we embed it in the tax code, especially when we decide to give to people more money than they have been taxed (EITC). I also have trouble when we extend these concepts to utilities and other services beyone the reach of voters.

As a two income household, we are getting hammered quite a bit. When you get to the point where someone should quit working, I think we have collectively lost. I was going to pay $58K in federal taxes last year, but that apparently was not enough. The AMT decided that since I am a "millionaire" and in a position to have deductions reducing my federal taxes to zero (not), I needed to cough up another $4K. I am now having that conversation with my wife: quit work, spend more time with the kids, reduce the tax madness.

However, in the spirit of smokiness on the forum, I am now returning to my scotch and thinking about how many butts to burn this weekend.  :D :D :D

[coyote]

Hey Olds,
           Sometimes I wonder about this senerio. Don't hit a lick..Get the whole family SSI cards.....Food stamps...Hud for rent and utilites...Clothes vouchers....Free college.....And full health insurance with
no deductable...............Adds up to about $47 an hour plus one helluva benifit package !......NAWWWW...
can't do that ! My Dad would come back and haunt me..............I think I'll just continue to pay to play!

                                                                                          Coyote

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Where is Owrstrich when you need him????

The part I like most in California is where we have decided illegals get in-state tuition, but my nephews in Michigan will have to pay full freight if they decide to get an education over in the land of fruits and nuts. :D :D :D

Okay, maybe I've had more scotch than the daily adult minimum. :D :D :D

Back to smokin'

A_n_S

[coyote]

  Bingo A_n_S....................I guess my political correctness never quite got up to speed. Just
                                      Like my keyboarding skills.                Coyote

[Oldman]

Arcs_n_Sparks

I think I did not make myself clear. I'm not for raising taxes. Like you I pay more than I care to think about. My whole point here is we are spending billions of dollars per day that we don't have. That is my biggest issue with those that are currently running this country.  Their direction is buy now pay much later with much interest rather than get a second job. A second job is normally what folks get when they want to purchase something that cannot fit into their current budget. For us a second job is to raise our taxes.

There are three possible avenues here.
1.  Continue financing our spending habits.
2.  Get a second job.
3.  Live within our budget and stop spending monies we don't have.

These are the only three possibilities I know of. Is there another option? If so someone share it with me.  Personally I vote for #3. I sure don't want to pay anymore in taxes (#2,) nor do I want to bankrupt my country's future (#1.)

I'm not going to get into my second biggest issue, that being just why in the hell are we in Iraq? However I will say that if the D's come into power this next time it will not be because of my vote. It will be because the R's threw it away. While this is now off topic I will state clearly that Bush scares the hell out of me. He is like that nut over there in Iran who thinks he is the finger tip of God's will.

I'm going to vote for the persons who say that they are going to stop this spending of monies we don't have. I could give a rat's A$$ less care if they are D's, R's, or whatever. You folks here who have kids at home better be looking for a change too, or your kids will be paying one hellva a price as adults.

EDIT: Something else that is off topic but close and dear to my heart. That is if our direction does not change you can bet your 1st born or 2nd or 3rd born there will be another draft.  I don't know how many here remember the last draft. I do and I will tell you right now the draft ain't pretty.

[manxman]

Following this thread with interest although not in a position to comment directly, however I would say that many of the issues and comments relate to the UK as well.