Mike, you are right that trust counts. But for me trust is part of respect. One thing I cannot do is respect someone I cannot trust. And, I’ll be frank, I do not trust Obama one bit. IMHO he has via a currupt back-room dealmaking process gotten passed a major piece of legislation that’s marginally constitutional and lied respeatedly to us, the people, about it.
He told us our health care costs would be lowered.
He told us it would not increase out taxes.
He told us it would not add to the deficit.
He told us it would not inject the government into the decision making process of our medical care.
He told us we’d be able to continue to use the same doctors (which is turning out to be only true under certain conditions).
He’s used executive edict to try to enact numerous things that should go through the vetting of the legislative process, and even made sneak appointments that the courts have now determined to be unconstitutional.
He’s initiated through the U.S. Atty General lawsuits against Atizona for trying to enforce existing immigration laws.
He’s implied “under the table” (accidently caught on tape) that he’ll make concessions to the Russians in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (START) without involving the department of foreign affairs or the defense department.
I cannot wait for 2016. I hope trust is a part of the creed of the next candidates.
Dag, I sort of figured your leanings were more toward the liberal side. And that’s okay. There are areas, such as abortion and the freedom of religion to act basedon the dictates of their faith, that I truely believe are simply none of the government’s business. There are some firearms controls that I think are prudent. But citizens with no criminal record should be allowed to freely own firearms and carry them without fear.
I believe in a far tougher judicial and penal system than we currently have. This whole concept thet prisoners have a “right” to a law library, computer room, and even sex-change surgery is, frankly, liberal BS. The idea of “pardoning” prisonesrs who’ve proven to be dangerous to society before their terms are even up because they’re “rehabilitated” is liberal BS. They should not get out early for “good behavior”…they should stay LONGER for BAD behavior!
There are other typically liberal approaches, such as the subsidization of industries such as agriculture, ethanol production, oil, and the construction of presidential libraries, that I firmly disagree with. I believe the military must be kept strong, and that means cuts should not begin there. That shoud be the absolutey last area of the budget that gets cut.
I’ve read your arguments, and reapect your intelligence. But I remain forever yours as a relative conservative.
I agree MB (in most part). But I’ve YET to see the president that didn’t not make good on their promises. I trust Obama a LOT more then I trusted Chaney/Bush.
As for trust…What I never liked about Chaney…is he wouldn’t hesitate to send our sons and daughters into a war. I truly believe he never cared. He has his own agenda. I could never trust a man who had to get 5 different deferments so he couldn’t server. Has stated on record that certain people of stature should NOT be drafted.
As for Obama and the economy. From MY prospective…the economy is extremely strong. Case in point…www.Monster.com. The last 5 years under Bush when I did a search for jobs for software engineers…I MIGHT be able to find 20-30 postings. Two years after Obama took office…that number has increased to 40-50 PAGES (that’s an increase by a factor of 10). And it’s still going strong. Under Bush I was able to find qualified candidates easily. Had plenty to choose from. Today…I need to hire a recruiting firm and pay them dearly for their services (about $25k+ per candidate I hire through them).
As for health-care…and taxes…Every time my Federal taxes go down…my state and local taxes go up. My overall tax burden hasn’t seen much of an fluctuation over the years. An health-care…so far been completely unaffected by it. Not saying other people haven’t been.
I was never crazy about Bush or Cheney. IMHO Bush simply wasn’t too bright and was easily led. Cheney, well, what can I say about Cheney. Describing Cheney is like describing a box of air. and I truely believe that while the original actions in Afghanistan were 100% correct, we never should have gone into Iraq. That one was purely political. And troops died for Bush’s attempt at a popularity boost.
Overall, the economy is terrible. We have a $16 trillion dollar deficit, unemployment is statci at 8% despite the constant decline in the number of those counted (many have dropped off the charts). Housing prices are in the gutter and stagnant. Income taxes are rising. Businesses are no longer being created, and those in existance aren’t expanding. Money is no longer being invested by nusinesses in growth, but rather kept as a hedge against bad times.
The health care issue is probably larger on my radar screen because I have to access it so much. If I were young and healthy it probably woudn’t be a big issue fo me.
I’m not seeing that. I don’t think they are growing at a great rate…but new businesses are being born…and current businesses are growing. The telecom company I work for wasn’t effected a lot by the recession. We do a lot of business in South America and Asia. And for telecom they are a growing market. But for the past couple of years domestic sales have DRASTICALLY increased. Something like 20% each year (which is huge).
I hear many different stories on both sides…it’s tough to say which is true or not. My own view is from my company and my situation. I have two SW engineering jobs open right now…And having a tough time to fill. These are senior positions that 3 years ago I would have been able to find for $90k…Now I’m having a hard time finding someone for $115k. Your domestic sales are way way up. The office building we’re in was half full just 2 years ago…they are now turning away tenants. My commute down 128 is worse due to more people back to work.
I guess I agree with mountainbike. I voted for Obama but I don’t trust him anymore. He wasn’t even sworn in for the second time and he verred way to the left with his social agenda and little or no economic or foreign policy agenda. Furthermore, I think some of his detractors are right, that he really doesn’t know what he is doing and is terribly without experience. He may end up being another Carter. I now feel comforted with a stalemate in Congress.
@Same
Starting with “Dag” and ending with the word " behavior" in your post, I see everything you say that most liberals and conservatives that I know agree upon. The only thing I think is a reach for me to agree with is assigning prisoner rights as part of a liberal agenda. Many of these rights I personally feel a prisonor gives up when he commits a crime. I don’t feel it’s a liberal vs conservative issue and I feel they deserve little consideration other then human rights…Basic healthcare, .three squares, a place to exercise, a place read and a place to reconcile their behavior with the all mighty…that’s about it.
As far as the military is concerned, I don’t believe there is an issue there either. The present debate is not so much " do we cut the military" as Republicans would have you believe, but, "do we keep funding the military at the same level we did for years under Bush and the first 4 years of Obama when there were 2 very expensive wars going on. When the wars wind down, do we keep throwing money at the military, just to say “that means no cuts should be made there”.
, I may be very very liberal (with a lower case l ) but as a selfish retiree when it comes to cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits vs not funding a two war effort that no longer exists I say…CUT THE MILiTARY. That has nothing to do with being a very liberal thinker. It’s just an honest disagreement. There is nothing that we should do to cut SS and Medicare benefits as I feel they 1.) Have done nothing to add to the deficit and 2.) . putting the money in the hands of the poor and me which does more to help the economy then any increase or maintenance in military spending. Again, that’s not liberal vs conservative; just my masters in mathematics talking.
Btw Same, I lean so far to the left, I left the Democratic party years ago, while my left shoulder has been operated on too many times from falling on it.
Obama care…lhasn’t even started yet for all practical purposes. I have the same doctors I always had and I now have fewer restrictions then ever before under Medicare which Obama care regs have in common. Rates for private care providers have gone up like they always have until all the laws come into affect to moderate them. Like Medicare, whether we get through the pain of change easily or not, I have not heard one conservative offer a plan to over the millions uninsured and the 30 k per year who die for lack of health care. Add to that, the millions of elderly (me) who would suffer if our benefits were reduced. Obama Healthcare will reduce Medicare expense over time as those previously insured will now enter Medicare in better shape when 80% of the cost is for preventable conditions. The CBO predicts deficit reduction from Obama care over time.
My main problem with the budget cuts is that it’s being presented as a choice between cutting social programs and cutting the military budget. As I’ve stated before, there is a huge volume of money flowing to subsidies and special interest groups that IMHO needs to be a priority before either social programs or the military budget is even considered for reduction. That is the spending problem that I believe “conservatives” are referring to when we say “spending is out of control”. Sadly, this is being ignored by both the politicians and the media.
Re: the military, my belief is that if we value our freedoma and our national security we need to maintain the most powerful (by far) and capable military in the world. When we cut the military budget, it comes out of things like ships and planes. According to our penatgon, we’re already too short on ships to use tactics like blockades, and to patrol waters around threatening countries and countries in which we have troops. Russia is building more Nuclear subs and China is beginning a military buildup. Coutries besides Libia and Afghanistan are becoming more unstabile. We had an embassy in Libia attacked and have not responded at all, now we’ve had a second embassy attack. Unless we act quickly and with force, there’ll be more. I guarantee it. And we need a powerful military to do that. We need the kind of Special Ops that we had under Stanley McCrystal.
The function of taxation is not to fund ethanol farmers, agricultural conglomerates, bankrupt private companies, donkey museums, and presidential libraries. And it isn;t to support major social reconstruction of questionable constitutionality, such as Obamacare. The function of taxation is to fund national defense and the core operations of our government. (I know you’re gonna argue with the Obamacare statement, but I stand behind it).
You are right though Dag, there is much we agree on. It makes my heart sink when I see individual liberties getting trampled on by politicians.
Same…
There is a debate going on with respect to things like extremely vulnerable surface ships and extremely expensive jet fighters. The military feels the latest procurement of manned jet fighters…will be our last. Strangely, the lifespan of the b52 keeps on with an increase. So, there is much to debate about as to how we spend the money. Regardless, there WILL be some reduction by even the most conservative of budgets.
My questions for conservatives who put these programs high on the chopping block. What do you replace Medicare and Social Security with and what do you do with increase in private healthcare costs, which is greater then the cost of living, and what do you do with the uninsured who are dying in increasing numbers when you maintain the two war defense spending ? ? Be careful how we answer if we expect full benefit Medicare ourselves. Remember, insurance ompanies have so much profit now, they build some of the highest buildings and sponsor some of the richest golf tournaments. Is that the answer ?
Or, is it…
“Don’t get sick, if you do, die early” Alan Grayson
Individual liberties…correct ! An example is…The biggest cause of death before pro choice among women of child bearing age was illegal abortion. They always made the choice. When we gave women the person liberty to lawfully choose, the dying stopped.
That’s my point: I’m not suggesting getting rid of Medicare and SS. I’m suggetsing not subsidizing global industries, presidential lobraries, failing companies, and hostile countries.
The “die early” comes from the decision making boards that will be developed under the Obamacare administrative behemoth, ahose mandate will be to reduce costs to the system and NOT to improve healthcare. That’s another thing we’re suggesting not creating. That one belongs to the liberals, not the conservatives.
Same where do you get your information on prisons at? I was at a class1&2 joint(the lowest level and it wasnt near as good as you describe,there was no computer room and the 3 square meals were mostly boiled potatoes and carrots,with some nasty soy meat substitute thrown in,in my state the prisons are more about making money then correcting anyone as more prisons and jails are private owned, one institute where I was at was supposedly owned by the Saudi Arabians and the commissary sells 2nd rate products at scalping prices and one bad thing is they are getting so crowded the gangs and hardened criminals are in there with the little fish and with the ones that sold a little pot eg; and a lot of people were sent there to increase the time totals that CAs were bragging about giving out,this justice system should be fair and people shouldnt be sent to prison just because the commonwealth attorney didnt like them.
Like you, I cant believe that some people ever get out on good behaviour or whatever.The reason the VA prisons are so backed up,Gov.Allen did away with parole and most of the"good time" and the general assembly never bothered to adjust the sentencing guidelines,I agree about the legal library,its just a waste of time,that gives a lot of inmates false hope and computer room? thats absurd,one ot the best ways to help the penal system, is to not be so eager to imprison first timers with no priors for relatively minor offenses.in other words honor the intent of the law,not the word of the law"I vas just following zee orders"
Free medical care? very poor,I watched them take old timers out of there on stretchers(dead) and they keep people in there dying of cancer whose time is about over,do you think they would let them out a little early so they wouldnt die in there? I never saw it and if the prisoner happens to have a little money in thier account,the state will grab it right off the bat to pay the ''deductables" so as you may gather having been there and done that,I have no illusions about the penal system-Kevin
I hear you now " same".
Unfortunately, there can be no choice in entitlements. They are pay/go and any reduction in enrollment by choice of those paying in, immediately results in an increase in deficit due to borrowing to maintain benefits, or we have to severely cut them.
You are right. ALL insurance companies NOW make pay out choices based upon profit margins and limit or cut coverage at limits. Obamacare makes that illegal…that reduces "or die"
Medicare likewise makes payout decisions, but they have always been much more generous then private and are determined by a staff of doctors and not accounts. So yes, there is decision making made…but may I bring the fear mongers back to reality…Most people trust the benefits of Medicare NOW over private insurance companies.
Obamacare is designed to be same or better then Medicare as far as benefits and preventative medicine. Private does little or nothing. If you are on Medicare now, check your secondary policy premium compared to your primary for Medicare and tell me which is more efficient. For profit or not for profit. Then decide which has the real incemtive for a death panel .
Same…
I will make this prediction. If Obamacare goes through “UNmolested”. 5 years from now, conservatives enrolled in it will support it with the same fervor they do now with Medicare !
Pessimist here, no matter what, it is going to cost the average guy money, Our ancestors had the ability to save money but now those funds go to government mandated policies because they are a percentage of your income you might use
The rest of the civilized world enjoys a better healthcare system than US and they pay half what we do. Single payer offers the greatest benefit to the greatest number. And if the 1% want the royal treatment there will be Taj Mahals built for them. We have a death panel now, It is the free market system. The uninsured are left to die.
@rod exactly !
The true cost of healthcare lies in the actual costs of the care to the healthcare giver. It’s corporate copouts like Medicare D perscription drug plan that does not allow the govt. to negotiate perscription drug costs, that the military can do, costing the tax payers many billions a year. A Bush plan. Repealing that first would be a great idea. Anyone in favor of that truly capitalistic idea that would actually save money ?
Single payer puts more control for both the number of procedures plus cost of each in the hands of the insured. All of this saves money…Does that mean that .the last real conservative aware enough to realize it was Richard Nixon who supported an Obama style healthcare plan ?
Ya know it just seems the pendulum swings ad infinatum. These are not new problems, these are not new issues. The history of the rich oppressing the poor is not unsual. The history of the poor and working class demanding basic rights is as michelle bachman says like giving a robber a gun. So the new plan is to make poor people, the takers the scapegoat, while we endorse tax cuts for the rich and austerity measures for the poor. Do you not see how the deception of taking care of a brother is costing me is less critical than tax cuts for the wealthy?
OK simple choice tax cuts for the wealthy or social programs., I pay my tax dollars and do not think the wealthy need a break, at the cost of defunding the 47%? Yhey by the way were givers all their life and to demonize them as takers in wrong, bad, and the repupblican way.
I am greatly offended when statements are made painting my generation, the baby boomers, as irresponsible, self indulgent, lazy druggies. Myself and many friends my age are right of center financially and philosophically. Never in my life have I written a bad check. Other than a year of VA checks for education and my $103/month military pay I supported myself for over 40 years, raising and supporting 4 kids and my wife also. When Mitt Romney denigrated the 47% who draw federal checks I was particularly incensed as I now draw a Social Security check that I paid dearly for. It is very unlikely that he, nor any of the other contenders for the GOP nomination, would have accomplished anything significantly greater than me if given the same opportunities. And, in fact, among the working poor of this country there are undoubtedly a great many people more intelligent, wiser, more insightful and certainly more ethical than that array of egotistical, narcissistic buffoons. And those buffoons might, if any of them are mentally able, consider the shortcomings of the current president and realize that the majority of the country considered him a damn sight smarter than each of them. I am so grateful that enough people took the time to consider their choices and then go to the polls to vote their minds.
That's my point: I'm not suggesting getting rid of Medicare and SS. I'm suggetsing not subsidizing global industries, presidential lobraries, failing companies, and hostile countries.
Those are mainly from earmarks…which rarely get cut…but I agree 100% with you. Clean up the waste first.
I don’t think SS or Medicare should be touched. With the wars winding down…we’ll be automatically cutting a huge chunk of the budget.