Thats All I Can Stands...

[Birdstrike]

As a lifelong Republican and Bush supporter and I'm scratchin my head on this administration. Consider:

$500 billion deficits to be passed to my kids.

An asinine prescription drug policy (why no Canadian drugs?)

A fear that Cheney and Rumsfeld are really in charge.

Incohesive immigration policies.

Corporations allowed to outsource to India or wherever and still take sizeable tax breaks.

A mile from where I work near DCA looks like (and is) a war zone but we have billions to rebuild Iraq??

No exit strategy for Iraq. Face it, some countries are never going to be able to handle democracy. Iraq is one.

I'm not quite ready to throw in my lot with Democrats but geez, what is up with this administration?

Bush just seems out of touch with the little guy's problems. We've got a major housing and jobs crisis in this country. Tax cuts aren't creating new jobs. Where's the beef?

 

[chawbein]

You sound like a liberal. Feel free to jump over, you'll fit right in.

The gub'ment ain't here to nanny sit us, despite what we all learned growing up.

 

[Snakum]

The gub'ment ain't here to nanny sit us, despite what we all learned growing up.

Most Centrists feel there is a HUGE difference between handouts/bailouts and taking care of America first.

You Right-wingers see only in black and white. This 'Us against Them' attitude colors the way you guys engage others on political issues, and quite frankly ... it makes you look rather rabid and 'cultish'. The truth, in politics and in life in general, is usually somewhere in the middle.

Open your mind ... open your eyes ... we've got BIG troubles in this country, and there's no one on the horizon as far as I can see, from either camp, who has the integrity and courage to get us back on track. All the name-calling and finger-pointing in the world - from Liberals and from Conservatives - won't change the fact that we're sucking wind right now as a nation, and no one party is responsible either. Each group has contributed equally to the corrupt and greedy machine which has robbed our children of their birthright.



Minh

 

[chawbein]

The problems you allude to are cultural, not political. No one in government can make the changes that are needed in society today.

 

[350DRIVER]

Birdstrike,

It is very sad indeed but all true. The the new administration will have plenty of work ahead to fix these $crew ups. I am amazed what this current president has been able to do thus far.. This country will be faced with these problems for years to come.


3 5 0

 

[Birdstrike]

quote:
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No one in government can make the changes that are needed in society today
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Maybe so but government loves to make changes anyway. A lot of bad ones over the past couple of years. So since they're going to meddle, I'd like to see priorities shifted to more bread and butter issues that assist Joe Sixpack rather than Don Trump. Has nothing to do with nanny sitting, it's about getting out of the way and stop spending money that's not there.

 

[FL000]

$500 billion deficits to be passed to my kids.

This won't change your argument at all, but debts are passed on to future generations, not deficits.

Also, do you want to know how Democrats balance a budget? They tax the hell out of you, or dip into other programs like Social Security for cash (read: theft). Clinton and his Congress "balanced the budget" by both taking more of your money and moving some numbers around. At least the Republicans call a spade a spade.

Having said that, I too am appalled that Bush has offered to keep funding some of the old-school leeches like the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

[152SIC]

Unfortunately after watching how this administration spends OUR money I have concluded that there is only one solution. This comes after being a lifelong Republican; (I actually believed that the party was for limited and responsible government!)

www.lp.org

 

[Checks]

the USA is spending 178 billion in 2005 to pay interest on the national debt. WOW!

 

[Nolife]

Endowment for the Arts

I'm not one to start a fight but how much money do you think repressive theocracies like Saudi Arabia spend to promote "freedom of artistic expression."

Bush's first mistake was to give everybody their money back in 2001... not supporting culture even if it isn't "Dogs Playing Poker."

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

The problems you allude to are cultural, not political. No one in government can make the changes that are needed in society today.

That may be true but both parties are more than willing to pimp off the "cultural" problem. Also think the guberment started the "cultural" problem. Don't see either one advocating for less government.
It is interesting that Bush is wanting to make it easier for our Mexican friends to stay in the US. Think part of it is a political ploy to pimp off the Hispanic vote, think the other part is to mix up our culture so much that we lose our identity as Americans. Speculate a lot of people come here not to be an American but to see what they can get from this country. Doubt if you'll see too many of these folks willing to defend our country.
I still am amazed the number of conservatives who think GWB is great. He gives the appearance of being a better man than Clinton but that is about all I see.
Too big for me to fight.

 

[bart]

Bush's first mistake was to give everybody their money back in 2001...

That was THE ONLY THING he has done right with respect to domestic policy.


If artists can't peddle their wares, why force me to buy it?

Why not support it through private sector initiatives?

Do we really need a play about a homosexual cannibal?

Where in the Constitution does it say it is the job of Federal Govt to sieze money from citizens to pay starving artists?

I will bet that you cannot provide one articulate answer to any of the above questions...

 

[JohnDoe]

All the above, plus do we really need $441 million for mad-cow disease research??

And the list continues to grow.....and grow.......

 

[likeitis]

We wouldn't have mad cow if it wasn't for big business greed. Did anyone ever think that feeding beef to cows might not be right? Couldn't just dispose of the dead cattle right, they had to feed it to their healthy cattle. Did anyone think that the dead cattle was dead for a reason? Like the kids from southpark said "that's pretty f*cked up right there."

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

The thing is, and this is true for most all politicians:

They can't really care about Joe Sixpack's problems. Bush has never had to worry about getting his next paycheck, or been forced to work through Christmas, or any of that sutff. gore has never spent his days turning wrenches, burning himself with the exhaust from a Chainsaw, all while getting paid very close to nothing.

Politicians in our country only know rich folk. Bush and Gore simply don't really know anybody else. Thier best friends aren't average workers, so where do they get information about how politics really affect our lives?

Basically, they take guesses as to just how much they need to do to get my vote. It's not that they are trying to screw us over (at least, not always), it's that the way they try to help us is at times a bit skewed by lobbyists. If you want to know how to improve the economy, you're going to listen to a lot of input. But see, I can't affort to lobby my congressman, I have to work this week. But if I own, say, an airline, I can most certainly afford to pay someone to go chat my position up with those in charge.

Bush's economic policy so far has been awful for me and the other blue collar workers of the country. Last year, when I made less than 10,000 (as a full time CFI and A&P--averaging 65 billed hours a week)--I didn't even get tax money back! The owner of the company, however, got a HUGE tax cut and purchased a Jaguar and a 45' sailboat. There is no argument you can make to convince me that that was a "good" economic policy. Sure, the Republican line is that they were giving money to the "creators of job," but just how much of that has happened? Jobless recovery? That's just making the same employees work harder.

On the other side of the coin, the Democrats tend to start up government programs to try to provide jobs--the thing is, they are starting up jobs that cost far too much to be considered efficient, and are thus squandering some of the jobs that would otherwise have been helping more people.

I really do think that the taxes on rich folk should have, if anything increased (it's not like they are going to buy a house or anything if they save a few thousand a year--they already have a house). And the taxes for low paid people should have dropped (if I would have gotten an extra 1,000 dollars last year--I would have spent every last cent of it--and thus would have paid for someone's job--even if it is a grocery store clerk).

Solution? Good question, I don't have time to fix anything, for the first time in my life, I have almost enough money saved up to buy a (sorely needed) new engine for my truck. I've got to work this week, and the next. I don't have time to lobby my congresspeople.

Just my .02. But of the Candidates that I've been around this week (and they've pretty much all been using our hangar as a base here for the caucuses), I think I like Clark the best. But they're all just politicians. What we need is for my friend Harold the truck mechanic to be president, at least he'd get womenfolk off the roads

Dan

 

[Sphincter Boy]

Last year, when I made less than 10,000 (as a full time CFI and A&P--averaging 65 billed hours a week)--I didn't even get tax money back!

You made less than $10 grand and expect somehting back? You didn't pay anything in **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** taxes. Thats the problem with you people. I haven't checked the IRS website lately, but I would think that you are in a group of taxpayers that pay less than 1% of the into the federal treasury.

 

[FlyFlyFly]

Last year, when I made less than 10,000 (as a full time CFI and A&P--averaging 65 billed hours a week)--

You need to reexamine how you bill. You are only averaging $2.95 per hour!

If you really worked 3,380 hours last year, and you really only made $10,000, then you have problems that require professional attention, and there is probably no government policy or program I can imagine that would help you.

 

[Astra Guy]

Believe me guys, I am not in anyone's corner. I do tend to think independently. I know there are many problems in this country but what are the choices?

Let's think about this a little bit. What percentage of the world's population is American? What percentage of the world's total economic benefits come back to Americans?

While each of us had no input into the gene pool we came from we are <1% of the world's population and reap >50% of the economic rewards. Why does this matter? Spend some time in England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia or any other country of your choice, work amongst the local populace, reaping their rewards, living in the home that you could afford and come back and complain about your situation. I think you would not. You would be so happy to come home again and get your lousy paying job back you would swim the Atlantic or Pacific to make it back. But then again you might find that pretty little French thing that could change your mind!

It is a lousy choice sometimes, in our land, to put people in office that are not in touch with us little people. Relatively speaking, it is, in most cases, much better than the alternatives. Does that mean we can't bitch about it? Heck no.....but at the same time realize we are very, very fortunate.

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

I'll quicly defend my statement above: I quit that job, in large part because of pay. My billing was fine ($35 an hour CFI, $65 for A&P), the problem was a snake of an owner who somehow translated that into me taking home the measley number I posted. For the record: I've "chatted" with the local Dept. of Labor about the situation.

I still think I deserved to get a similar percentage of what I did pay in taxes (and have paid in taxes since I was old enough to work). I got no percentage back--and that just didn't strike me as right. I didn't think I would get thousands of dollars back (even though it was through taking an excessive amount of my paycheck for taxes that led to part of the problem above), but once percent or so would have helped.

There's more to meets the eye here guys, but my experience still stands. I got screwed, while the guy who screwed me got a car and a boat (and had money left over).

For some of our country, poverty level is a goal. These are the folks who need help, not just people who pay the most in taxes.

Dan

 

[bart]

I am sorry you did not get a refund. Perhaps if you paid more in taxes, you would have. In the meantime, you are welcome. I am glad you enjoyed living in this country while somone else paid your fair share.

Then when they got a break, you bitched about why they didn't pay you out of their refund. When you are paying $10,000 a year in taxes, let me know. Then I will take your complaint seriously.

 

[flying4life]

Not that there aren't enough opinions here yet, but personally, I don't think taxing more to the "rich" is the right idea either. Last I checked we want people to try to excell, go for more, do better. "Be all you can be!" If we continue to take more from those who have "More to give" where's the incentive to work harder? There becomes a point where you don't want to make just that much more or you go into that next bracket and then you lose.... I think we should give more back to the rich if they show that they invest into our economy.
Then the question is what is defined as investing and is that also just more control over your money?(if you're the rich guy) Also, most people would be surprised as to what the government defines as rich.

We live in an awesome place. There are many problems in this world, but we are fortunate. Just an observation here, but we are a selfish nation. "What's in it for me?", and "Someone else is to blame for my trouble." Our society is teaching our children that we're not responsible for our actions good or bad, and at the same time if something bad happens to us we can sue someone and get rich. There's no such thing as an accident anymore. You want to fix something, get rid of the lawsuits. "Insurance", is really just all of us pitching in to recover someones "loss." I think we should give Judges the right to evaluate the validity of a lawsuit, and if deemed unjustified, the plaintif pays. Just a thought...

 

[Birdstrike]

Yeah, but

One other point: if I'm thinking twice about supporting Bush again, then the party must be worse off then it knows, because I'm normally to the right of Archie Bunker on polictics.

Or maybe I'm finally old enough to see through "supply side" BS when I see and hear it. Another rich guy like Kerry or Edwards isn't going to cut it, either though.Dan, I feel your pain and you had some excellent points.

My pie in the sky solution: Pay as you go, pure in simple. You want spending? Fine, set taxes at a level directly proportionate to spending.

A yearly balanced budget, no exception. That would cut out a load of unneeded "discretionary spending". Even though the bulk of the fed budget goes to entitlements, set taxes (sales, corporate, income, everything) at a level that equals spending to insure enough revenue. That would take brass ones. though, and it won't happen.

 

[vossdr1]

I was out of work and got a very good flying job in August last year. The return of my hard earned tax money was a big help with our family.

I agree with the concern over the export of jobs.

Remember that there were many factors that contributed to the downturn in the economy. Everyone seems to forget the effects that the previous administration has on the present economy. The deleterious long term effects of the last administration's fiscal policy coupled with terrorism and war are all contributing factors.

Look closely at the war. Al-Qaida is fighting us in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. military is engaged in operations there. All other reasons for war in Afghanistan and Iraq aside, the administration has put the military in a position where it is fighting the terrorists-instead of the terrorists dictating where and when they will strike the U.S. populous. The military is protecting the homeland by fighting the fight over there.

Finally, have you sent your concerns to the administration, your congressman, your senator, or Birdstrike, the Republican party? They will listen. It may not change immediately, but if enough express dissatisfaction, especially in an election year, you will see a change.

 

[bart]

Look closely at the war. Al-Qaida is fighting us in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. military is engaged in operations there. All other reasons for war in Afghanistan and Iraq aside, the administration has put the military in a position where it is fighting the terrorists-instead of the terrorists dictating where and when they will strike the U.S. populous. The military is protecting the homeland by fighting the fight over there.

Amen brother, AMEN. The proof is in the results, Al Qaeda may not have been in Iraq, but they are now, we have the initiative and have CHOSEN the battlefield where we can focus combat power to send them to Allah.

Find 'em, Fix 'em, Kill 'em.

Or wait for them to do it again and again, and just one more time and then it will be OK to launch a cruise missile, provided France says it is.

This just in from WWW.Debka.com:

Deadly poison found in Baghdad: 7-pound block cyanide salt discovered by US troops in Baghdad late January, according to Fox News. Toxic substance found in safe house used by Abu Musab Zarqawi whom DEBKA-Net-Weekly exposed last year as al Qaeda’s WMD specialist, its key link with Saddam Hussein and current controller of anti-US terror terrorist cells in Iraq. New intelligence indicates he also attempted to produce ricin in large quantities in northern Iraq.

 

[Dubya]

For Richer and poorer

Man I am so tired of the game. Play the poor against the rich. It is a lame argument that only catches the ignorant and uninformed. Just check out the numbers. Its available to anyone willing to take the time to check it out at the IRS website.
Over 90% of taxes paid to the federal gov. are paid by the top 50% of wage earners. Theres a link at Rushs' site. Check it out.

 

[A Squared]

Uhhhh, Dan,

Youre story isn't quite adding up there. If you really worked what you said you worked, then as has already been pointed out, thats 3380 hours in a year. At the rates you quote, even if we assume the least favorable combination of those pay rates at 65 hours a week (56 hours of CFI'ing and 9 hours of wrenching) that's still $2545 a week, or $132,340.00 in a year. So you grossed $132,000, but after withholding your take home was only $10,000 a year .... hmmmmm no wonder you're pissed off, you paid $122,000 in taxes last year.

Allright, tell us what really happened.

 

[JediNein]

Our nation's homeless and poor are far better off than other nation's 'middle' or 'upper' class.

In one case, if you weren't Sad-**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** you had no freedom, no food, and by not doing whatever sad-**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** said you would loose food, water, electricity, and most likely be fed feet-first into a shredder.

In another case, if you weren't male, first-born, you were most likely killed. There is no second child. And that country is soon to be, if not already, considered a world power.

In another case, if a guy rapes you, then claims innocence, and refuses a DNA test, you are allowed to have the child, live for a year to get the child appropriately taken care of, then are buried to your waist in sand and stoned to death.

In another, the only way to have food on a steady basis is to join a terrorist training camp and learn how to be a suicide bomber. Then you have to go kill yourself.

In another, actually once considered to be a world power, if you b*tched about the government you were hauled off in the middle of the night, typically not seen again.

In another, border officials don't care about your leaving the country, but they will brutally kill you if you try to sneak into their country. They don't like your passing through to reach your real destination.

If our homeless truly wanted to change their lifestyle, there are numerous programs available at no charge to them. However, most of those programs require some hard work and possibly some disappointment. One very successful program in LA teaches new parents that putting food on the table is more important than letting the kids have the new $200 pair of Nikes that they will wear for 3 months before outgrowing. Even more amazing, they teach the mom that the $15 pair of Keds makes the kids just as happy.

The National Endowment for the Arts pays for far more than ugly paintings by starving artists. It helps pay for marching band competitions where kids who have spent the last 10 years practicing can show off their hard work. Those kids were not spending those 10 years turning to drugs and alcohol to kill the pain of feeling and being worthless.

Paying interest on the national debt is paying investors their returns on their bonds. It’s a way to grow rich slowly.

Some of the illegals coming in have worked their arses off to become citizens. Unfortunately, that number seems to be very low especially with the number of citizens that are predators leeching off of those illegals’ fears of being caught. Those that came in legally don’t like the illegals much, especially the ones that are begging for handouts. See California for more information. There is a large uprising from the legal immigrants against the illegals.

The only way to have personal responsibility is to make the choice to have it. Teach your kids and those kids you come in contact with by being an example. Volunteer. Pitch in on the political campaigns. Vote. Have intelligent discussions at the dinner table about current events. Pick your battles carefully and fight for the ones you do pick for all they are worth. Use “I am sorry” when needed and make an effort to not need to be sorry again. Cultural change starts in the home.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[Birdstrike]

Bah!

quote:
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"...If our homeless truly wanted to change their lifestyle, there are numerous programs available at no charge to them...."
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Are there no prisons?

Are the workhouses full?

- Ebeneezer Scrooge

Still, good points, Jedi. There's always two sides to every story.

 

[Snakum]

"...If our homeless truly wanted to change their lifestyle, there are numerous programs available at no charge to them...."

 

[bart]

"...If our homeless truly wanted to change their lifestyle, there are numerous programs available at no charge to them...."

The downfall of these programs is they require the urban outdoorsman to quit drinking alcohol, huffing glue and paint, or smoking crack AND take a bath. That alone consigns these programs to failure.

Requiring the use of indoor bathrooms seems to make the programs all that more unattractive.