I just said "Good for you."     That made you cry?

You must be one of those bandwagon fans.  Did you become a Yankee fan when they took over 1st place last week?

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/8/2011 2:13:00 PM (view original):
I just said "Good for you."     That made you cry?

You must be one of those bandwagon fans.  Did you become a Yankee fan when they took over 1st place last week?

nope, 1983...when I was 6 years old....They were not exactly dominating the league at that point either.

So you cried because I said "Good for you" despite being a long-time Yankee fan? 

Weird.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/8/2011 2:16:00 PM (view original):
So you cried because I said "Good for you" despite being a long-time Yankee fan? 

Weird.

no, it's the other 110,000 (wow, that is almost too hard to believe) posts that you have out there that made me come to that decision.

You should toughen up.   It's just the internet.   If the internet brings you to tears, you've got problems.

If you have 110,00+ posts on an internet forum....you've got problems.

Posted by moy23 on 9/8/2011 1:15:00 PM (view original):

Posted by antonsirius on 9/8/2011 12:09:00 PM (view original):

Posted by moy23 on 9/7/2011 5:20:00 PM (view original):
I'd counter by saying "If people weren't lied to repeatedly about what their money was actually being spent on, you might find more of them were willing to pay taxes."


so if Bush had said "We are going to invade Iraq over Oil and for my buddy Dick's Haliburton shares" more people would be willing to pay taxes?

or if Obama says "I will create more Union Jobs with your tax dollars so I can capture more of the union votes next election" more people would be willing to pay taxes?

Those just look like different lies to me. Try again, this time with actual examples of actual government spending.

So politicians do not promote self-interests? That's a new one.


As for actual spending - can you provide what its actually spent? I'm looking out my office window at Wacker Drive here in Chicago. I wonder how much the fed gave the state to pay 5 construction workers to watch one construction worker actually do the work? How do you think this company landed the billion dollar contract from the state? I'm sure the state shopped around for the best deal cause the government always shops for the best deal.


edit: just to be clear...... ITS NOT ABOUT THE ******* FIELD MICE..... ITS ABOUT WASTEFUL SPENDING!!!!!

So every dime the government spends is wasteful?

There's not a single program worth saving? Nothing that does anybody any good, ever? It's all $1000 hammers and $30 million field mice that you claim is irrelevant to you despite the fact that you keep bringing it up?

My point remains: if people stopped being repeatedly lied to about government spending, they might be more willing to pay taxes. Focusing exclusively on wasteful spending is just one more lie, moy.

when did I say 'every' dime? When did I say to scratch 'all' programs?

Scratching the Military would be a massive problem for us.... But spending $0.50 for a roll of toilet paper in the Military versus the $6 we spend now would be a step towards fiscal responsibility. (Note the $6 figure came from a friend that ordered supplies for the Military up until last year - when he told his superior that he could save them money his superior officer said they have to go through specific vendors to order supplies, so 'no')

"Focusing exclusively on wasteful spending is just one more lie, moy"

Where did I say focusing 'exclusively' on wasteful spending is the answer, but if you must insist to know, it is where I would start.

Start what, fixing the expenditures problem? I agree, that is the place to start. That wasn't what we were discussing though.

Posted by antonsirius on 9/8/2011 6:09:00 PM (view original):
Start what, fixing the expenditures problem? I agree, that is the place to start. That wasn't what we were discussing though.

To start getting the deficit under control. And once tax payers see the government is being fiscally responsible they may not mind paying higher taxes as much as they do now. Paying taxes right now feels like giving money to a junkie.... you know its going to be squandered in the end.

I guess the difference in our theories are you like rhetoric (More truthful politicians) .... I like execution. ' Show' the American people you are serious about fiscal responsibility and they will be fine paying more in taxes imo.

No they won't.   The American public will never be fine with paying more taxes.  They will always think the "more fortunate" should carry a heavier load.   ALWAYS.

Posted by moy23 on 9/8/2011 6:31:00 PM (view original):

Posted by antonsirius on 9/8/2011 6:09:00 PM (view original):
Start what, fixing the expenditures problem? I agree, that is the place to start. That wasn't what we were discussing though.

To start getting the deficit under control. And once tax payers see the government is being fiscally responsible they may not mind paying higher taxes as much as they do now. Paying taxes right now feels like giving money to a junkie.... you know its going to be squandered in the end.

I guess the difference in our theories are you like rhetoric (More truthful politicians) .... I like execution. ' Show' the American people you are serious about fiscal responsibility and they will be fine paying more in taxes imo.

The feds will need both deep spending cuts and significant tax increases in order to dig the United States out of its current fiscal hole. The irony is no politician will admit to that hard truth because it would render them unelectable.

Posted by willgibson on 9/8/2011 7:06:00 PM (view original):

Posted by moy23 on 9/8/2011 6:31:00 PM (view original):

Posted by antonsirius on 9/8/2011 6:09:00 PM (view original):
Start what, fixing the expenditures problem? I agree, that is the place to start. That wasn't what we were discussing though.

To start getting the deficit under control. And once tax payers see the government is being fiscally responsible they may not mind paying higher taxes as much as they do now. Paying taxes right now feels like giving money to a junkie.... you know its going to be squandered in the end.

I guess the difference in our theories are you like rhetoric (More truthful politicians) .... I like execution. ' Show' the American people you are serious about fiscal responsibility and they will be fine paying more in taxes imo.

The feds will need both deep spending cuts and significant tax increases in order to dig the United States out of its current fiscal hole. The irony is no politician will admit to that hard truth because it would render them unelectable.

Then tax increase across the board.... not just the rich. The deficit is everyone's problem. Its not the rich that stopped paying their mortgages. Lets be fair.

A.  It takes both a borrower and a lender for there to be a mortgage.  Placing the blame on only one side of the dumbass transaction is foolish.

B.  The largest forclosure rates were in rich areas (Vegas, Miami).  The rich did over extend themselves as well.

C.  $1 Trillion in unpaid mortgages does not lead to an $8 Trillion stock market loss.  The reason for the enormous losses is because of the derivative market.