"We the People..." send Obama a message...

[Valadinx]

I do have a few thoughts on what I have read. As a moderate conservative. I can agree with a lot of the points raised. However the path we have been on for the last 2 years is certainly not the right one. So with that here are my opening thoughts:

1. Tax cuts and unemployment - it's going to happen and it has to happen. It's pure economics. If you don't have money, you can't spend money. If you can't spend money then those things that you would buy don't need to exist so somebody else doesn't have to spend money to make them or give a job to somebody to make them. If you raise taxes or don't extend unemployment then folks won't have money. Do you see the cycle here?. Having said that, maybe there should be some kind of condition on the benefits. community service etc something along those lines

2. tarp/stimulus/bailouts - It's a known fact that to make money, you have to spend money. The problem here isn't that the money was spent' but the fact that it was spent foolishly. Alot of it was pure dog and pony show waste.

3. Government programs - The fact of the matter is they need to be gutted. By that I mean those that don't work need to go away and those that work need the screws put to them to get rid of the fraud and the abuse. Nobody wants to be a whistle blower anymore and settles into the "it's not my problem" mentality.

In closing though I would have to say. I don't blaim bush or for that matter I don't blaim obama either. Both are having to deal with situations way beyond their control. In fact I think about 90% of the problem lies with the American people. Somewhere in the last 100 years, the lines between what is a right and what is a privilege has blurred and too few are willing to stand up and take responsibility for whats going on. Our system of government is based on checks and balances, But the ultimate check and balance is you and me. the citizens of this great country. If we are willing to sit back and not become involved, then current crisis will continue until we reach the end of days.

Val
 

[jaymz462]

3. Government programs - The fact of the matter is they need to be gutted. By that I mean those that don't work need to go away and those that work need the screws put to them to get rid of the fraud and the abuse. Nobody wants to be a whistle blower anymore and settles into the "it's not my problem" mentality.

Val, would you include "defense" spending along with other government programs?

[Valadinx]

3. Government programs - The fact of the matter is they need to be gutted. By that I mean those that don't work need to go away and those that work need the screws put to them to get rid of the fraud and the abuse. Nobody wants to be a whistle blower anymore and settles into the "it's not my problem" mentality.

Val, would you include "defense" spending along with other government programs?

To an extent yes. Certainly not to the point where some would like, but frankly dod does waste alot of funding in the acquisition process. In some things it does well but for the most part it can do better. I'll admit I am strong on the side of national security and defense. frankly I want the rest of the world to understand 2 things. as a friend you'll find no better and as an enemy we are your worst nightmare. That means our military needs to be the best equipped, the best trained, and the fiercest dog in the yard. Both to make us safer and to make the life of the diplomats easier

Val

[constance312003]

I do have a few thoughts on what I have read. As a moderate conservative. I can agree with a lot of the points raised. However the path we have been on for the last 2 years is certainly not the right one. So with that here are my opening thoughts:

1. Tax cuts and unemployment - it's going to happen and it has to happen. It's pure economics. If you don't have money, you can't spend money. If you can't spend money then those things that you would buy don't need to exist so somebody else doesn't have to spend money to make them or give a job to somebody to make them. If you raise taxes or don't extend unemployment then folks won't have money. Do you see the cycle here?. Having said that, maybe there should be some kind of condition on the benefits. community service etc something along those lines

2. tarp/stimulus/bailouts - It's a known fact that to make money, you have to spend money. The problem here isn't that the money was spent' but the fact that it was spent foolishly. Alot of it was pure dog and pony show waste.

3. Government programs - The fact of the matter is they need to be gutted. By that I mean those that don't work need to go away and those that work need the screws put to them to get rid of the fraud and the abuse. Nobody wants to be a whistle blower anymore and settles into the "it's not my problem" mentality.

In closing though I would have to say. I don't blaim bush or for that matter I don't blaim obama either. Both are having to deal with situations way beyond their control. In fact I think about 90% of the problem lies with the American people. Somewhere in the last 100 years, the lines between what is a right and what is a privilege has blurred and too few are willing to stand up and take responsibility for whats going on. Our system of government is based on checks and balances, But the ultimate check and balance is you and me. the citizens of this great country. If we are willing to sit back and not become involved, then current crisis will continue until we reach the end of days.

Val
 

Well said.  It is the people that choose to make this county.  The American people have let greed be thier main focus.   I pray daily for people's hearts to change.  2Cort 7:14

[mattymatt79]

Val, would you include "defense" spending along with other government programs?

Jaymz,
in my mind, defense cuts would be as follows.
End the wars right now and pull all combat and every other troop even involved with humanitary aid home. People love the UN so much, let them do something.
Close ALL of the bases in Japan, Korea, Germany, and GITMO. Sell the land back to the country that we've bought it from.
Stop sending humanitary aid to everyone in the world. Again, people seem to think the UN can do everything, prove that it actually can't and is an absolute worthless endevor.
Cut military spending across the board. Get rid of organizations like DHS. They're absolutely useless anyways. Why the hell is there an agency for this when we already have an active duty military that is supposed to protecting the homeland. Maybe if they weren't streached so damn thin, this would be unecessary.
Allow for better communications between agencys.
The savings alone could run every social program that the left wants, and the right would see a huge savings when it came to real actual tax breaks.


Val, it's been proven time and time again, Keynesism doesn't work. It hasn't ever worked and spending money to make money while true in some aspects, spending money works if you have money saved, which we don't have. Stimulus was spent out of money we didn't have, thus making it a fruitless expendeture.

[jaymz462]

Matt,

I agree with practically all your points, I'm just not as anti-UN as you.  Unfortunately, I'm sure you realize that due the immense power of the military-industrial complex, we'll never see solutions like what you proposed.  Unless, of course, there's some massive upheaval.