Avoiding the cliff
So, our poor overworked representatives cobbled together a last minute bill to stop our taxes from going up early this year. Big damn whoop. That’s how they keep themselves in their jobs – coming with last minute stop-gap measures and kick the can down the road. From Fox News;
For the near-term, it appears a tax hike will technically go into effect on Jan. 1, as the midnight deadline was missed. In total, $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts are scheduled to hit in the new year unless and until the legislation is finalized.
But the goal in Washington is to produce a bill that could patch up the problem in the coming days, sparing most Americans from any major or lasting blow to their paychecks.
The bill now goes to the House side, where its chances are unclear. The House is expected to come back into session at noon on Tuesday.
Senate leaders, though, hailed the deal as an “imperfect” but vital solution to the fiscal crisis.
But, wait, wasn’t the Bush Tax Cuts just for the wealthiest Americans? How could the expiration affect all of us? Members of Congress are proud that they’ve saved Americans some of their own money. Many of those members of Congress did nothing to stop the Clinton tax hikes from going into effect back in 1993 – because this hoopla is all about not bringing back the Clinton tax rates.
And, oh, by the way, the reason the economy is in the shitter is because Congress keeps kicking all of their cans down the road. Who wants to expand their business and hire more employees when no one knows what the future looks like. The Senate hasn’t passed a budget in how many years? It seems like every year we go through this tax hike thing, and then there’s the Obamacare blather, and even though it’s been passed, no one has read it yet.
Our economy is being held hostage so the politicians can justify their jobs.
Category: Congress sucks
I keep trying to care. It’s just not working. We are the collateral damage that resulted from the voting majority’s stupidity in 2008 and 2012. Happy freakin’ New Year.
OFF TOPIC BUT TIMELY FOR JAN 1
“Good morning. Who the hell are you and where the hell am I?”
“Why shouldn’t I look at the Face Book pics from the party last night?”
“Sure I remember last night. It’s this morning I’m having trouble with.”
“Gaaaaaaad Damit.”
Would this be an inconvenient time to point out that all spending bills are supposed to originate in the House, not the Senate? There’s that pesky Constitution thing again!
This is yet another example of why Congress needs term limits. How many of them have been in office longer than I’ve been alive (I’m looking at you, Nancy Pelosi)? And all they do is spout rhetoric, blame the other party, make excuses, and ignore their constituents. The only thing that gets them to leave short of death is getting a cushier office (I’m looking at you, Bob Filner) that gives the power to really screw things up AND hook up all of their buddies from the ol’ Hometown Mafia (I’m looking at you, Godfather–I mean Don Barack–I mean Mr President).
And look at all the perks they get. Private jets–taxpayer funded. Million-dollar vacations–taxpayer funded. “Congressmen-only” private marina with yacht–taxpayer funded. Members-only hotel–taxpayer funded. Hot & cold running interns whenever you feel like a little office beej–taxpayer funded.
So how about this: in addition to term limits, we remove all perks and make a few new rules. All members of Congress shall be sequestered for the duration of their turn. They eat military rations and are kept under armed supervision at all times. No family contact, no feeling up interns, no porn, etc. if they do a good job, we let them out after one term. If they suck, we reelect them to a second term as punishment. See how that motivates them to pay attention to us!
Voter: “Hey asshole! You supported Obamacare? You got my vote in November!”
Senator: “I’m sorry! I’ll introduce a new bill to block it! Please don’t keep me here for another six years!”
Well, here’s some good news. Congress, Joey Biden, and other Federal officials are slated to receive a pay raise this year! By George, they sure earned it, didn’t they? Wow, that’s great news.
The politicians or should I say the politburo are beginning to resemble the old communist back in the Soviet era with all their perks. I read an article that 33 congressmen sleep in their offices on capital hill 26 are republicans and 7 are democrats. All are men cause women in office can always find a place to crush.
Read this on another blog. Seems about right:
“We really are a nation of idiots.
Twenty-one of 22 incumbent senators were re-elected, and 353 of 373 incumbent members of the House were re-elected. The American people have re-elected 94 percent of the incumbents who were running for re-election to an institution that has an approval rating of about 9 percent. This indicates, as an electorate, we are a nation of idiots. We’re now stuck with the useless, dysfunctional government that we deserve.”
Last budget passed: January 2009.
Man, if only I were that lazy and got paid for it….
@8. “Man, if only I were that lazy and got paid for it….”
You can do it! First, run for office by telling everyone you can give them everything and always state both sides of an issue in a favorable way without endorsing either one. As for the lazy requirement, you’ll learn. Just do what everyone else in Congress does.
The GOP and Independents need to start a NATIONWIDE BOYCOTT of paying Federal Taxes until there is a.) a balanced budget, b.) a plan for paying off the debt, c.) a National Economic Policy inline with the constitution, d.) a National Energy Policy, e.) a plan for restructuring the SS and Meidcaid/Medicare issue.
Very Simple and THE ONLY SOLUTION outside a full on revolution. the GOP has let us down (again) and the Dems will never see the light until it is dark.
BOYCOTT FEDERAL TAXES NOW.
The IRS can’t get to all of us. Remember, they are government employees.
Would this be an inconvenient time to point out that all spending bills are supposed to originate in the House, not the Senate? There’s that pesky Constitution thing again!
No, it wouldn’t, but would it be an inconvenient time to remind you that all the “suggested” budgets submitted by the President are such hunks of steaming piles not even members of his own party want to vote for them?
Or that when the GOP-led House DID in fact pass a budget this past year, Senator Reid refused to even allow the budget bill to come up for debate in the Senate, hence killing it?
Mkay, thanks for playing, have a nice day.
Tell you what, Dana. You go right ahead and stop paying taxes and tell the IRS why you stopped. Let us know how that works out, will ya?
@11. So, the solution for our elected nimrods not doing their job is to further allow them to wipe their backsides with the Constitution? That makes a lot of sense.
@13. No, that’s not what Sparky was suggesting. I’m not his agent but, believe me, that’s not what he is suggesting.
My point being, MAS, is that you are not looking at the ENTIRE situation, and blaming the House for not passing a budget, while Constitutionally mandated, is in fact incorrect.
You want to get pissed at someone, get pissed at Reid and Pelosi, who continue to provide cover for Obama and his/their agenda. Were you aware (as I’m sure they were) that by NOT passing a budget, that “one-time stimulus” in fact became part of the baseline of the federal budget and is in fact one of the primary reasons why we’re running TRILLION-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see?
Of course you were.
@15. I think you missed my point. Yep, the President proposed budgets so laughable even his own party ignored them. The House did pass budgets, which the Senate then ignored. All true, and they deserve to be kicked out of office for it. What I am saying is this is an effort by Senate Dems to force a bill on the House so they can look like they are saving us all from a problem they made.
And “Thanks! for the weak-ass sarcasm wafting from your more knowledgeable than thou attitude. It really makes one’s day.
MAS–I’m tired, my back feels like someone is taking a sledgehammer to it, and the kids are fucking stir-crazy. Believe me, my attitude right now is totally understandable.
And yeah, the bill is a steaming pile which Obama and the Dems will then put forward as a, “Looky what we did to save your asses” meme when in fact the tax hikes on the “rich” is going to drive the economy deeper into the shitter.
This problem isn’t just a Democrat versus Republican problem. BOTH parties have made promises to the American people they should never have made and they know damned well they’d never be able to keep. This isn’t a cliff. It’s a speed bump. Wait until they up the retirement age for SS to about 70-72 and cut the shit out of benefits like they’re already starting to do with Medicare.
As predicted, what we’re witnessing is an 11th-hour, monkey-ass compromise that won’t settle anything, and it’s unlikely it will bring any relief to our economy. The fingers will be pointed across the aisle, and we’ll eventually be discussing this nonsense again in the weeks/months to come.
Politicians only make promises to get them elected in office, then work their own agendas instead of representing their constituency – but I’m preaching to the choir.
PapaMAS Says: What I am saying is this is an effort by Senate Dems to force a bill on the House so they can look like they are saving us all from a problem they made.
—–
Via AoSHQ:
“People keep saying that revenue raising bills must originate in the House not the Senate. This is true BUT… the bill the Senate passed last night was H.R. 8, which passed the House and sent to the Senate for consideration. What the Senate did was “amend” it (which the Constitution allows) and sent it back. Now the Senate “amendment” was a complete substitution but that’s been done before.
You may not like it but it’s perfectly acceptable according the Constitution.”
Well, this sucks. The pols pulled their butts from the fire to prevent the massive, across-the-board, tax hikes. They don’t give a rat’s ass that the country is barreling towards fiscal oblivion with insane spending so long as they can get re-elected by claiming that they did not raise taxes. What a pathetic crew of moronic, mealy-mouthed, miscreants.
Been wondering just where that cliff is that so many are discussing. When I look at the idiots who place all these rules on us all I see is them running in circles. Well, more strolling, but accomplishing nothing, declaring that they are earning their outrageous salaries and benefits when they really are just spending more and more $$, oriducing nothing. Or worse.
Kind of like watching a dog chasing it’s tail. Amusing for a bit, but if it continues, eventually it becomes irritiating.
(“oriducing” = producing. Duh!)
and it’s unlikely it will bring any relief to our economy.
But it’s a hell of a lot more likely to screw us over that much more when the S-corp and LLC small businesses can’t afford that new equipment or have to lay off employees cause of that “fairness” I keep hearing Obumbles blather on about.
What gets me is the constant references to the USA becoming Europe. That’s an abstract idea for most people. Bring it closer to home by hammering the point that the USA could turn into California, Detroit or Illinois
@17. Agreed – both parties suck. They posture and play games and everyone else gets stuck with the bill, whether that is money or ruined lives.
@19. Huh. Anyone remember the old Saturday Night Live character of Emily Litella?
Got this from some blog I ran across today. “Have you ever noticed that when you put together ‘the’ and ‘IRS’…it spells THEIRS?”
We, all Americans, are nothing more than the cash tree in the government’s back yard. I guess our “paternal government” is a thing of the past.