Let's face it, we have a bunch of spoiled rich boys in congress. Think of what the arguments have been for not doing things. Have any of them been, it's not good for the nation? Everything has been done for political gain, to get reelected, for the good of the party. What a crock of crap.
When it comes to taxes, just ask yourself, if a person making over 1 million dollars should pay at the same tax rate as someone making 370,000? Someone making over 2 million? 4 million? Well, that's the way it sits right now, the top bracket stops at 379,150. I think the average person doesn't have a clue that's how it works. So here are some simple ideas to make this make some sense, will it fix the problem completely, hey i don't have tons of aids and bean counters to go over the numbers, but i can't believe that this wouldn't make a huge dent in the problem.
Two or three new tax brackets at the top:
$379,150 - $999,999 35%.
$1,000,000 - $2,225,000 36.5%
$2,225,001 - $4,500,000 39.5%
$4,500,001 + 43%
Next thing is to get some cuts in the entitlement programs, I am sorry to say but they need to be cut back, but in a way that makes some sense. They need some common sense changes. The "third rail", also know as social security needs some major changes. It was started as a safety net for older Americans. It needs to be returned to that goal. Here are the only two changes that you do to this program. One, undo all the cuts in inflation adjustments that have taken place in the last 10 years, give people the raises they were promised and need. The second thing you do, is stop payments to anyone with a retirement income from other sources over $100,000. Now that part will be tricky, because of how the government decides what income is. it's simple. If you have money today that you didn't have yesterday, it's income. Determine the $100,000 a year off of gross income, all money sources. That will piss some people off, oh well, social security wasn't designed or started to help someone making that kind of money in the first place, deal with it.
The next entitlement to take a hit is all welfare programs, with the following changes. You must provide a valid United States birth certificate for everyone in the household getting any benefits, of any kind. The numbers used to figure benefits have to change. In my home state you have to make less than $3000 a year to get anything. That's nuts, that number needs to get a lot closer to the poverty level. I would say at least closer to 75% of the poverty level, if not at the poverty level. The next thing that changes is how the money is handed out. Somewhere there is a chart that defines benefit amounts based on household size. That chart needs some major changes. The benefits for child number one and two stay the same, but for child number 3 you get half of what you got for number 2. That's where the chart stops, no more money for the 4th,5th, 6th or any others. The tax payers should never pay someone for having kids they can't afford. Then don't count any more than two adults toward household size. Also, I like the idea that I've heard kicked around, have anyone on food stamps or cash assistance, do some volunteer time cleaning up parks, roadways and other community service projects. If you are getting help, then you need to give something back. It's a hand up not a hand out.
Next to take a hit is the military budget. No not the pay or benefits for active duty or veterans. No, what needs a hit are all the wonderful weapons programs that none of the joint chiefs want. You have the joint chiefs to help you run the military, use them, trust them. Congress gets a list from the joint chiefs of what weapons systems they need and want. Those are the only ones congress can fund. It's time to stop some congressman from funding stuff that the military doesn't want. It's just pork for his/her home state. The next thing to go, bases, there can't possibly be the need for all the bases across Europe, that there use to be. Time to shut some stuff down.
The next thing to go.....stop all of the little stupid things that we are paying for. Kill the program to teach third world country children the food pyramid. If we had the money, sure why not. We have to borrow $80,000,000 of the $200 mil. that we spend to do it, come on, that's just stupid. Kill the program to bring foreign dignitaries and their families to Washington DC to see how the American way of governing works. What a of a waste of money. I found those two gems in about 1 hour of looking at the budget. I am willing to bet, those are just the tip of the iceberg of stupid things we are paying for. Good feel stuff, that hey if you've got the money, you could blow it on those things. We are borrowing $.40 of every dollar we are spending. It's time to spend our money on stuff we need, not stuff we want or make us look and feel good. The President and Congress need to look those two words up, they've forgotten the difference.
Those are just little ideas and they should piss off both sides of the isle, which means to me, they are probably a good idea...lol. One more thing, could both sides stop with the here is a new idea/plan. The idea/plan is always, so far right or left that is has no chance of getting passed. Find the middle and get something done for change. Surprise the American people, make it look like you care about us for a change. We know that you don't, but hey, just bull shit us in a way we like for change.
We have the best government that money can buy.
Mark Twain
He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.
Benjamin Franklin
The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.
Alexis de Tocqueville
A fool and his money are soon elected.
Will Rogers
The Smurph
