tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post5019355904640633553..comments2023-09-15T04:27:57.129-04:00Comments on Commentarama: Obama-conomy + Cluelessness Dooms ObamaAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-19843461983014937932011-06-08T18:25:49.427-04:002011-06-08T18:25:49.427-04:00rlaWTX, I'm not surprised. These people don&#...rlaWTX, I'm not surprised. These people don't want to face reality, they just want to believe the things they believe.<br /><br />Seriously, do they not understand that both the government and the insurer have limited funds? Only the insurer is REQUIRED by contract to treat you -- the government isn't. The government only treats you if it wants to and up to the level of funds it has available. The idea that somehow the government will treat everything for everyone and the insurer will try to not treat you is patently ridiculous. It shows this person doesn't understand the real world.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-15838300077747982262011-06-08T17:50:11.310-04:002011-06-08T17:50:11.310-04:00yeah, part of my response mentioned that about the...yeah, part of my response mentioned that about the "earned" revenue... she hasn't commented back, so I figure I'll be ignored...rlaWTXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09319344164726195144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-27566270501786754522011-06-08T17:32:17.483-04:002011-06-08T17:32:17.483-04:00The left hates private enterprise because of the w...The left hates private enterprise because of the word "profit," which they don't understand. I think we should impose a "profit tax" on their on their salaries to teach them what it is. Anything beyond what they need to pay for food and minimum housing that we think they need is pure profit and should be given to us.... because we know how to spend it better.<br /><br />Notice also the idea that the government "earns" revenue. It takes revenue, it earns nothing. Earning implies that it provides something that we willingly pay for. I dare these people to put that to the test and let us pay only what we think is fair and designate which services get the money. I assure you the ATF will vanish over night.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-51561191323369441242011-06-08T17:05:51.795-04:002011-06-08T17:05:51.795-04:00on the subject of the scary public... this was on ...on the subject of the scary public... this was on a friend's facebook status last night (works for ATF): "Something to remember about the federal government is that the federal government does not make a profit, it only earns revenue. Private insurance companies want to make a profit. So don't think they won't milk you or your sick, elderly, widowed grandma for $1000s of dollars a year in premiums only to turn around and deny her coverage or cancel her policy because she needs to have her hip replaced."rlaWTXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09319344164726195144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-16860120420419461052011-06-08T15:09:39.053-04:002011-06-08T15:09:39.053-04:00Patti, That's true and I think we should defin...Patti, That's true and I think we should definitely caution against over-confidence. That said, however, the evidence is piling up that Obama is not going to enjoy this election cycle. We'll see though, but that's the early evidence.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-48736304072167190422011-06-08T15:04:58.179-04:002011-06-08T15:04:58.179-04:00never underestimate the stupidity of the hand-out ...never underestimate the stupidity of the hand-out crowd. while i would like to think barry is not electable for a second term, his base of sloths are still in his corner. <br /><br />we have to be careful, not become over confidant. we all know that on vote-out reality shows, the cocky go home, blindsided.Notawonkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15388997298014397980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-82537033111286039372011-06-08T10:32:07.879-04:002011-06-08T10:32:07.879-04:00Stan, If they were the ones we were waiting for, t...Stan, If they were the ones we were waiting for, then I have to wonder what exactly we were hoping would happen? LOL!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-14434520095595418832011-06-08T10:20:34.843-04:002011-06-08T10:20:34.843-04:00It’s time for “morning in America,” again. No equi...It’s time for “morning in America,” again. No equivocations, but firm conservative resolve, and Barry’s gone in a landslide, a repeat of 1980. <br /><br />Now there’s one other factor that must be included in your expose’ that everything that the left is doing is intended, what have they achieved? They’ve stopped urban sprawl, consumerism, energy usage, spreading the wealth, moral equivalence foreign policy, expansion of government, affirming The Constitution as a “living” document, Global warming/cooling, etc. …I could go on. I’ve heard this crap for forty years. <br /><br />As we go into 2012, take them at their word, “we are the ones we’ve waited for,” waiting for what? “energy prices would necessarily go up,” eureka! “spreading the wealth,” porkulus. “it’s time for you to do your patriotic duty,” Biden arguing for higher taxes. These bastards are transparent alright, one just needs to look.<br /><br />Great read Andrew.StanHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07395708786509590321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-70262607763520828912011-06-07T22:10:41.700-04:002011-06-07T22:10:41.700-04:00DUQ, Patience is a virtue, especially when there&#...DUQ, Patience is a virtue, especially when there's nothing you can do about it. So instead, we point it out to remind people why they should not trust the MSM and then we put out the real story whenever possible.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-89961787121196225832011-06-07T20:48:50.811-04:002011-06-07T20:48:50.811-04:00Andrew, You have more patience than I do with the ...Andrew, You have more patience than I do with the media. It really upsets me that they have this double standard.DUQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-17442911368155294342011-06-07T18:47:55.916-04:002011-06-07T18:47:55.916-04:00Glad I could help Koshkat!
And I feel your pain! ...Glad I could help Koshkat!<br /><br />And I feel your pain! Trust me, there are many times when I'm writing an article that I find myself sitting there going "what is that dang word..... grrrrr."<br /><br />In any event, there should be no sacred cows when it comes time to reform our government.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-69335214994267153292011-06-07T18:44:30.716-04:002011-06-07T18:44:30.716-04:00Sacred cows-that was the term I was trying to thin...Sacred cows-that was the term I was trying to think of. It was right there at the tip of my brain. See what an important service you provide Andrew!Koshcatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-82601633665137406912011-06-07T18:16:13.696-04:002011-06-07T18:16:13.696-04:00Koshkat, I agree that there is a lot that we could...Koshkat, I agree that there is a lot that we could trim. We have too many bases, too many people who do nothing (having spent time visiting the Pentagon as a civilian employee, I can tell you that about 3/4 of that building could be fired with no interruption in service), and we have programs we don't need.<br /><br />I like the idea of a smaller, professional force with longer commitments, better training and a better focus on making soldiers rather than soldiers and staff. I think we could shed a big chunk of the nuclear arsenal and some of the hardware designed for a huge ground war.<br /><br />And we definitely can cut back the number of troops we have overseas. Plus, I think we should be able to end Afghanistan and Iraq, and make the Saudis and Koreans pay more for the protection we give them.<br /><br />I doubt that would come to 50%, but it would be hugely significant, and it shouldn't interfere with our safety or our capabilities. And you're right on your initial point -- it would show that we're very serious about getting the government right rather than protecting sacred cows.<br /><br />I think that's important -- to look at everything fresh and not consider anything off limits. It's time for a truly conservative remake of government.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-1808945429256847852011-06-07T18:05:25.563-04:002011-06-07T18:05:25.563-04:00On defense, half was a guess but after speaking to...On defense, half was a guess but after speaking to people who have been in the military for years, there is a tremendous amount of waste. How is it that we spend more than the next 10 countries combined? Are we really getting our money's worth? We don't need and shouldn't have as large a standing army that we do. Why do we need a bunch of minimum trained people standing around? I want to focus on training bad ass specialists. I don't see a problem with a relatively small number of americans making the military their career choice, not unlike policemen or firemen. Professionals; just don't let them unionize. We should also focus our efforts in Navy and Airforce as well because they help protect large areas and help keep trading open.<br /><br />Just my 2 cents.Koshcatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-73570522013605693712011-06-07T17:57:38.397-04:002011-06-07T17:57:38.397-04:00Ed, It does seem impossible, doesn't it? But ...Ed, It does seem impossible, doesn't it? But it's not if you realize where he spent the money. A large chunk of it went to projects that had already been planned and to jobs that already existed, e.g. paying teacher salaries. None of that money would create a single job. Then you need to realize that this money had to come from somewhere. So when they took it from Company A to give it to Company B, Company B may have hired a few people, but Company A laid off people. That's why stimulus spending is a stupid idea.<br /><br />If he really wanted to do anything with the money, he should have changed people's incentives to work by cutting their tax rates. But that doesn't fit his ideology.<br /><br />What's sad is that it won't be long before they start arguing for another stimulus because they never learn. . . they always think something unusual happened to keep their policies from working.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-84264967814480806642011-06-07T17:49:33.253-04:002011-06-07T17:49:33.253-04:00Andrew, That is a really good point about the stim...Andrew, That is a really good point about the stimulus the size of the Korean economy. You would think you couldn't help but create jobs if you spent that kind of money, but Obama has proven you can waste $800 billion and have nothing to show for it.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18122308626703654554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-9495060425054931622011-06-07T17:47:54.896-04:002011-06-07T17:47:54.896-04:00(continued)
Spending -- we spend way too much. We...(continued)<br />Spending -- we spend way too much. We need to trim every program across the board and then eliminate the duplicates and the ones that the government shouldn't be doing. Then we need to hit entitlements, which is where the real money is.<br /><br />In that regard, we need to take the scare out the whole thing by making it clear that nothing we do will affect the people who are on it. Thus, we should be advertising heavily that "this will not change Medicare/Social Security for Seniors in any way.... it will only affect people who join 10 years in the future and it will save Medicare/SS for them." That message needs to be pounded home until seniors start repeating it in their sleep. That's the only way to prevent the Democrats from using that issue effectively to scare seniors.<br /><br />On subsidies, it's time for a divorce from big business. The Republicans should announce that they intend to end all subsidies to big business, all special tax breaks that have been carved out for them, and even step up anti-trust enforcement where it's relevant. We need to be the party of small, competitive business, not big quasi-government business. I think that would go a long way to making the public respect and follow us.<br /><br />Good points, thanks!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-58343525777935750222011-06-07T17:47:49.167-04:002011-06-07T17:47:49.167-04:00Koshkat, I agree with each point with one minor ex...Koshkat, I agree with each point with one minor exception and one big exception.<br /><br />The minor exception -- I don't think we can cut the defense budget in half, but we can make significant cuts through streamlining, privatizing, and refocusing on hotspots instead of policing the entire world.<br /><br />The major exception -- in today's world, the Presidency is extremely important. For one thing, it is very easy to issue regulations that reshape our economy even without the permission of the Congress because the courts let presidents get away with that. Secondly, it is vital that we do not allow the Democrats to turn the Supreme Court from 5-4 to 4-5.<br /><br />Beyond that, I agree.<br /><br />The US has become hostile to business. Too many taxes, too many regulations, too many lawsuits. We should be the most business friendly place on earth. We need to slash regulation and taxes, make frivolous suits harder, and focus on improving our workforce through better education.<br /><br />(continued)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-86989815305899112552011-06-07T17:31:58.738-04:002011-06-07T17:31:58.738-04:00Koshkat, Wordy is right! LOL! But that's ok. ...Koshkat, Wordy is right! LOL! But that's ok. Let me see what I can do about addressing your points. :-)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-4502159532299958062011-06-07T17:31:09.065-04:002011-06-07T17:31:09.065-04:00Joel, I don't think the economy can recover in...Joel, I don't think the economy can recover in time either, even if everything suddenly went right. And things won't suddenly go right in any event because, as you note, no one is going to invest until they're sure what will happen next. That means waiting until Obama is gone.<br /><br />I too wish people would finally realize that socialism never works, but there will always be socialists. And as memories fade of the insane things they do, people will be drawn back to the promises of something for nothing. That's just human nature sadly.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-16547949083136457232011-06-07T17:27:56.149-04:002011-06-07T17:27:56.149-04:00Got a little wordy. Sorry. Probably too much caf...Got a little wordy. Sorry. Probably too much caffeine.Koshcatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-87067602847036769522011-06-07T17:27:19.606-04:002011-06-07T17:27:19.606-04:00I am not a political consultant, but I like to pre...I am not a political consultant, but I like to pretend I know what I am talking about. I think republicans can overall win if they keep to two basic issues: economy and government spending.<br /><br />Medicare: We want to change it so not only is it there for granny but for granny's grandchildren. Under the Dems plan, it will run out of money and not exist.<br /><br />Social Security: See above.<br /><br />Government spending: the federal government collects over $2.5 trillion in tax revenue on a $14 trillion economy (about 17-20%). It doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. The dems are heroin addicts-they will never stop spending. Send them to rehab.<br /><br />Taxes: business taxes have gotten too high and we have lost our competitive edge in the world. Companies don't move businesses overseas to be mean but to save money. We need to lower their taxes.<br /><br />Subsidies: Large, billion dollar companies don't need government subsidies to exist. If they do, they shouldn't exist. With lowering the taxes we should eliminate all subsidies.<br /><br />Defense: This is where the GOP can mortally wound their opponents. Too often the GOP refuses to touch it. Instead, they should say "look, we spend far more than anyone else. We can afford to back off. We are not going to weaken defense but streamline it. We are also not going to supplement Europe's, Japan's, or Korea's social programs anymore. They can take more responsibility for their own defense. Instead we will work on partnerships with these countries using their bases along with them." Personally, I think with base closures, killing unnecessary projects, and significant pull backs from the world, we could probably cut the budget in half and at the same time improve it.<br /><br />Finally, I don't think the party should get too caught up in the presidency. Yes, Obama is extremely vulnerable and with the right candidate can be beaten. But the money is in the senate and house. Win those outright and Obamas power becomes neutralized if he wins. In addition, let the presidential candidate right the coattails of the locals. Psychologically, it would look like a bottom up movement rather than top down.Koshcatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-76952864283207022892011-06-07T17:22:44.541-04:002011-06-07T17:22:44.541-04:00Andrew,
It amazes me that there still are polls t...Andrew,<br /><br />It amazes me that there still are polls to check if Obama is liked. At any rate, his economy won't recover in time to save his re-election. It won't recover because the people who usually are invested in the United States won't re-invest until Obama is gone. My only wish is that the experiments in Socialism will die when he no longer is president. I won't hold my breath.Joel Farnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15856960977033430002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-8778930618022384352011-06-07T17:08:55.339-04:002011-06-07T17:08:55.339-04:00DUQ, That's par for the course. And you'r...DUQ, That's par for the course. And you're right, if Obama was a Republican, we would be hearing about the end of the world. They would be leading every newscast with someone who lost a job and they would be talking about homelessness, starvation, suicide and despair. Instead, the MSM just talks about "gee, we thought these numbers would be better.... must be something wrong with the business world." It's frustrating. But the internet has broken the information embargo and people know the truth.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-16156567408450914172011-06-07T17:07:00.086-04:002011-06-07T17:07:00.086-04:00Crispy, Let's hope! He could do a LOT of dama...Crispy, Let's hope! He could do a LOT of damage if he got a second term -- particularly with the courts. So this is a very important election and let's hope things go right! :-)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com