Making America Great Again

[P1tchblack]

Aaaaaand, this is why I voted Libertarian.

The federal budget posted a record monthly deficit in February


Photo: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

The U.S. posted its largest monthly budget deficit on record in February with a gap of $234 billion, breaking the previous $231.7 billion mark set in February 2012, Bloomberg reports.

The big picture: According to Treasury data released Friday, the deficit for the first five months of this fiscal year jumped to $544.2 billion — a 40% increase from the 2018 fiscal year — as corporate and individual tax revenues declined following President Trump's $1.5 trillion tax cut package.

Go deeper: U.S. budget deficit grew by $113 billion in fiscal year 2018

https://www.axios.com/federal-budget-mon...a8933.html

[ScarletHayes]

Why is it that the media NEVER implies that maybe, just MAYBE, spending could have something to do with it as well?  I never see or hear that mentioned as a factor.  It's laughable

[cincydawg]

The Republicans had the WH, House, and Senate for two years and I didn't see much cuts of spending.

They complain about the deficit when they are out of office, just the same as Dems.

[Hightop77]

The Republicans had the WH, House, and Senate for two years and I didn't see much cuts of spending.

They complain about the deficit when they are out of office, just the same as Dems.

This has been discussed.  No one is seriously going to cut spending.  It cannot be done politically.  That isn't the issue anymore.  The issue is do you want to elect Democrats so they can create even more spending programs like the ones they have already created plus have higher and more taxes?  Then we will have even larger deficits, a worse economy and even more handouts.

[ScarletHayes]

The Republicans had the WH, House, and Senate for two years and I didn't see much cuts of spending.

They complain about the deficit when they are out of office, just the same as Dems.

I get that entitlement reform is political suicide, but when you have a runaway freight train going down the tracks and you can't even get a bipartisan coalition together to try to even address it?  Look, the Republicans are cowards.  I get that.  But I don't think there's a single functional adult on the other side that would even consider addressing entitlement reform, etc...  

It just slays me how the basic math is staring everyone in the face and no one, not a soul, is willing to do a damn thing about it.  I mean these people won't even just talk about it.  i. e. Even take the first step

[Hightop77]

The Republicans had the WH, House, and Senate for two years and I didn't see much cuts of spending.

They complain about the deficit when they are out of office, just the same as Dems.

I get that entitlement reform is political suicide, but when you have a runaway freight train going down the tracks and you can't even get a bipartisan coalition together to try to even address it?  Look, the Republicans are cowards.  I get that.  But I don't think there's a single functional adult on the other side that would even consider addressing entitlement reform, etc...  

It just slays me how the basic math is staring everyone in the face and no one, not a soul, is willing to do a damn thing about it.  I mean these people won't even just talk about it.  i. e. Even take the first step

It was talked about during Bush's first term and most Republicans were on board.  Then the media/Democrats went on their demagoguery campaign and ended it.

[ScarletHayes]

We are in a MUCH worse place compared to when Bush was president---Fueled by his successor that campaigned on the "unpatriotic" aspect of runaway debt, and then proceeded to pile up more debt than EVERY PRESIDENT BEFORE HIM, COMBINED.  

If there is no political will to put a stop to these omnibus bills and realize that we MUST get spending under control?  We deserve our fate.  This isn't being a big meanie.  This is simply math.  We elect these people, and now I wonder about their basic fitness/intelligence to even teach Home Ec let alone hold a seat in congress...

[cincydawg]

"We" the People will not reelect folks who really really forward plans to cut spending, with few exceptions, not enough. "We" want "MORE FREE STUFF". It's inevitable, and it's baked in. That debt problem to most seems theoretical and down the road, if they give it a second's thought.

Hey, it's big, it's getting bigger, that has always happened, they think. Meanwhile, I'm taking the family on an expensive cruise and putting it my Mastercard, on which I already owe $10,000, because I can.

Who among us favors PAIN NOW versus much more pain off in the indefinite future?

Who among us is willing to control our diets and get sufficient exercise, we're only 10 pounds over weight, OK, 20, well, 30 really.

This is an problem that is intrinsic with our system of government, one the FFs anticipated and tried to guard against.

[Hightop77]

You would be hard pressed to find even one Democrat voter or one Democrat politician whose big concern is the debt and who wants to reduce government spending.

[ScarletHayes]

Summing up the fix:  a little pain now (where we can still trim at the margins.  Hell, it might even be too late for that now as well), or a LOT of pain later.  Does anyone even think of their kids and grandkids anymore?   Truly sad.  These members of congress are supposed to serve the people---theoretically anyway, not feather their own nests.  I just find it amazing that there aren't enough serious adults left to even form some sort of coalition to get this party started.  Truly pathetic

[P1tchblack]

The Republicans had the WH, House, and Senate for two years and I didn't see much cuts of spending.

They complain about the deficit when they are out of office, just the same as Dems.

This has been discussed.  No one is seriously going to cut spending.  It cannot be done politically.  That isn't the issue anymore.  The issue is do you want to elect Democrats so they can create even more spending programs like the ones they have already created plus have higher and more taxes?  Then we will have even larger deficits, a worse economy and even more handouts.

BS.  The fact that R's are too chickenshit to do it, doesn't mean it can't be done.

[Hightop77]

Summing up the fix:  a little pain now (where we can still trim at the margins.  Hell, it might even be too late for that now as well), or a LOT of pain later.  Does anyone even think of their kids and grandkids anymore?   Truly sad.  These members of congress are supposed to serve the people---theoretically anyway, not feather their own nests.  I just find it amazing that there aren't enough serious adults left to even form some sort of coalition to get this party started.  Truly pathetic

You need to accept the fact that no one is going to reduce the debt.  I know people do not want to hear it but the demographics in our country have been redefined and the average person does not understand or care about the debt.  We have opened the treasury and created too much government dependence and opened the border to people who think the government has unlimited money which has served to empower the ones we already had here.  This is not the same country you grew up in and it never will be again.  You and I are becoming a minority in a country that is headed toward socialism.

[Hightop77]

The Republicans had the WH, House, and Senate for two years and I didn't see much cuts of spending.

They complain about the deficit when they are out of office, just the same as Dems.

This has been discussed.  No one is seriously going to cut spending.  It cannot be done politically.  That isn't the issue anymore.  The issue is do you want to elect Democrats so they can create even more spending programs like the ones they have already created plus have higher and more taxes?  Then we will have even larger deficits, a worse economy and even more handouts.

BS.  The fact that R's are too chickenshit to do it, doesn't mean it can't be done.

Even with control of Congress and the White House they could not have done it because they would have needed 60 Senate votes to fix entitlements.  They will never have 60 votes and will soon permanently lose control of the Senate period and the White House.  Keep voting for Gary Johnson and similar Losertarians and see how that works for you.

[ScarletHayes]

Re:  the Libertarian angle, even if you vote for/elect a Libertarian for president, you still have a congress full of recklessly irresponsible clowns.  If the Libertarian Party was SERIOUS (how many times have I ranted about that now?), they would try to go after 20--30 House seats and at least 5 senate seats.  Embed themselves in govt and be the biggest pain in the azz to the 2 party spending spree.  

So if ya want to start somewhere, start there.  These token presidential campaigns are simply PR stunts that go nowhere.  If the powers that be (is there even such a thing? the guy in the Darth Vader costume?) in that party actually, truly want to "make a difference,"  then they should target some congressional and senate seats first.  Get elected, and throw a massive wrench into that spending gear box.

[Hightop77]

Re:  the Libertarian angle, even if you vote for/elect a Libertarian for president, you still have a congress full of recklessly irresponsible clowns.  If the Libertarian Party was SERIOUS (how many times have I ranted about that now?), they would try to go after 20--30 House seats and at least 5 senate seats.  Embed themselves in govt and be the biggest pain in the azz to the 2 party spending spree.  

So if ya want to start somewhere, start there.  These token presidential campaigns are simply PR stunts that go nowhere.  If the powers that be (is there even such a thing? the guy in the Darth Vader costume?) in that party actually, truly want to "make a difference,"  then they should target some congressional and senate seats first.  Get elected, and throw a massive wrench into that spending gear box.

You also need to accept that the Libertarian Party is nothing but a bunch of brain dead stoners who want to keep the border open.  It is NOT an option.