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Friday
Dec062013

Budget Crisis

While the budget crisis is not as severe as it once was, it is still pretty bad. Now instead of a one trillion dollar deficit we only have a 700 billion dollar deficit. While this is a cause for celebration, we are "not out of the woods yet."

The main negative factor is that most of the congress does not seem concerned about the issue. It is just politics as usual. The stereotype is that Republicans are evil, poor-hating bastards and the Democrats are spending money like there is no tomorrow. Maybe the Republicans do hate the poor, but in reality both sides spend money in prodigious amounts. I could say that the government is spending "like a drunken sailor," but that would be insulting to drunken sailors.

As long as about half the population receives more from the government than they pay in taxes we will continue to head down the wrong path. While Romney was criticized when he pointed out that 47% of the population receives more money from the government than they pay, and that this was a difficult hurdle for Republicans to jump, Romney was obviously right on this. (Even my agreement with Romney on this was not enough for me to vote for him.)

A budget freeze until the government is in balance seems an obvious step, but I must hate the poor. Even the hateful Republicans are not actually proposing any cuts in spending, they are only proposing a reduction in the rate of spending increase.

This is not enough. We have limited time and time is running out.

This caller to a talk show illustrates the problem, even if it is a "performance piece." I am assuming that this was a real caller, but it may just play into my prejudices. Talk shows are plagued with fake callers all the time. But make of this what you will.

I am pessimistic that these problems can be solved, but I hope I am wrong. Either way a trying time is coming.

Get ready

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