U.S. on "credit watch"

[sfc_oliver]

I like the Idea of term limits. The framers never intended for professional politicians. They envisioned a citizen coming to washington for 2 years then returning to their homes/ farms/businesses. 

I say the House should be two 4 year terms max, and the election should not be the same year as a Presidential election.
Senate two 6 year terms then go home.

And forget the pensions. You want a Government pension,  get a government job other than an elected position.

[kenneyjoe330]

Term Limits is one way to go - then their wife or husband can run or one of their children    Always an angle    When did elected officials stop wanting what is right for Americans and started to wanting reelected ?   IF it is true that for only one term you can retire on FULL SALARY and benefits too ?   Well  THAT   should go just for principle even if amounts to a few drops in the bucket.  EVERY RULE that Congress applies to the Typical American Citizen should also apply to THEMSELVES.   

[Towntalk]

Ask a Congressman or Senator to stop asking for pork? You might just as well ask him or her to slit their throats from ear to ear.

When you add up all the pork from both houses you start talking big money, and that just as much a reelection tool as campaign posters, buttons and pencils.

[sfc_oliver]

The problem is that we (The USA) do everything on credit. And very few in Washington have woken up to the fact that credit is only extended so far. When we hit that limit what will they (the idiots in Washington) do?

It is time to take the deficit and the debt serious. And we should start by cutting spending. Once we have cut where we can and should then and only then should we even consider adding taxes. And that will take a lot of convincing for me.

Cut the Military? Sure, but with a scalpel not a hatchet. Cut medicare/medicaid? Certainly, where we can find waste and abuse. Unless they can find a way to fix the programs. Study of the sex life of the Tsetse fly? You'd better believe it.

Kill NASA? Big mistake.

I believe we can cut many programs and duplicity and do it without raising taxes. Of course I could be wrong.

[Towntalk]

No apology needed since the wars are a major part of the problem.

[kenneyjoe330]

Thank You for your replies concerning "The Wars".   I share much the same view as you and as I am sure many others.  I apologize for turning the thread to a different topic from the one posted - Re: U.S. on "credit watch".  My point is rather simple - at least I think so - to me it appears that "The Wars" are rarely mentioned when the budget is discussed and we are fighting them "on CREDIT"  are we not ? ? ?  The SIMPLE expense of day to day fighting was is great - the more complicated EXPENSE is 'taking care' of the people whose lives have been directly involved by the war for years and years and years to come - volunteers or NOT - and it does include noncombatants on both our side and the other side.  The U.S. pays and pays and uses CREDIT or money we do not have. 
Don't forget the cost of illegal immigrants - I rarely hear how they add to the debt WE receive. 

[sfc_oliver]

First of all I wouldn't count out another large scale terrorist attack against the USA. You can bet that there are those out there who are planning it. And many who may be involved are right here in the country. They have even found copies of the Koran on the Southern border.

Nothing would make this old soldier happier than to know there were no wars. Now or ever. But we are human, and I am a realist. There will be wars and rumor of wars......

[Rick Rowlands]

The wars are winding down.  Remember we have not had a serious terrorist attack since 9/11.  Obviously the wars had some affect in preventing further attacks.  Its easy to sit here in 2011 and look back 10 years and judge others with the knowledge you have now.   Its a bit different when you have to try to make decisions without that knowledge.  The fact that some are making money is true, but is true of everything.  People make money because of war, others make money because of no war.  Still others make money when there is a threat of war, and then more make money when there is a promise of peace.  Things like that happen in capitalist economies!

There is no draft.  All of the soldiers voluntarily joined the armed services. 

[kenneyjoe330]

What about the Wars ? ? ?  Some one with money is making a bunch more of it with US being in 'a war mode' AND at the expense of wounded Veterans most especially those with mental problems - God Bless Them - can NEVER be brought back to 'normal' for all the money that ever was or will be.  Doesn't the wars we are fighting have a very large drain on our budget ?  "When will we ever learn ?  When will we ever learn  ?"

[Rick Rowlands]

In general us conservatives oppose tax increases of all forms because they serve to enable Congress to continue to spend.  If you want to get an alcoholic to stop drinking, do you cut off their money supply or give them more money?  Congress is drunk on the taxpayer's money.  Its time to take a stand and say NO MORE!  If spending more now than we ever did in our history is not enough, well then their appetite will never be satisfied.  They will continue to take until they come to your house to strip the last penny from under your couch cushions, and then throw you in jail because you don't have more to give!

[sfc_oliver]

KennyJoe, if I had the answers I'd be in Washington.

Fact is we cannot continue at this rate of spending. What can be cut and what should be cut? I can't answer all that, I know that there is so much duplicity in our federal Government that that would be a good thing to start with. Waste and abuse would be more. What I call stupidity programs would be more. Things like the studies of whales in Egypt...............

I am not for raising taxes on any one group of citizens. If taxes do need raised then they should be the same as the cuts were..,,,Across The Board...... And then very moderately and as a last resort to not cut the deficit but to eliminate it.

Cuts in spending are great, but they need to be done smartly and yet with enough aggression that we can stop borrowing more.

[Rick Rowlands]

Somebody has to take a stand.  Obama is spending more than all the previous presidents combined.  Got to be something that can be cut out of that budget!

[kenneyjoe330]

GREAT QUESTION - Mr. Oliver - some answers PLEASE ! ! !

[sfc_oliver]

"If not now, When?"

[Towntalk]

NOW Moody's  Is Acting
As the internal fissures widened, the economic stakes rose. Moody's Investor Services said yesterday that it had placed the U.S. government's AAA bond rating on review for possible downgrade because of the prospect that the debt limit "will not be raised on a timely basis, leading to a default on U.S. Treasury debt obligations."
Ever since Barack Obama took the office of president in January 2009, the response from the Republican Party has been to "just say no." Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) actually put it rather blatantly last year saying that his "Job #1" is to make President Obama a one-term president.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned in congressional testimony that failure to raise the government's debt limit by Aug. 2 would be a "huge financial calamity." And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., issued a warning that his party risks losing the next election if Republicans persist on their current path.
McConnell fired back yesterday, saying Republicans who think that the public will support them in the event of a government default are disastrously wrong.