The big buzz topic for the mid-term elections was fiscal responsibility; and the American public voted for who they thought could best fulfill their wishes.
President Barack Obama recognized this “shellacking” and realigned his policies to best mesh with the current sentiment of the general public. He is planning to make major cuts to the federal budget and help the nation’s astronomical deficit by trimming fat and reducing or eliminating non-essential government programs.
In my opinion, everyone has to make their fair share of cuts and the legislative branch failed to do that by extending the Bush-Era tax cuts. The Republican Party essentially said people have to be more responsible, but not the top 0.5 percent. It also should be noted that even Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., delayed the 9/11 first responders Health Care Bill in order to make sure the wealthy got their tax cuts; and to quote my favorite talking head, Jon Stewart, “You know what, Republicans, you use it [9/11 references] so much, if you don’t owe the 9/11 responders health care, at least you owe them royalties.” This just shows in the Republicans’ eyes, being a true hero is only second to making $250,000 and above.
Now we are faced with the potential of a government shut-down/lights-out scenario if a new budget cannot be agreed upon. Both the right and left don’t want to see this happen, but personally I want to take a “tea-bagger” approach to this and see what would happen if we didn’t have the politicians for a couple of weeks. We would see a decline in the violent, hate-filled rhetoric of politicians and news outlets. This would be a true step towards a minimalist government. Barring a complete slide into anarchy, it seems as if people would have to work together for the common good, as opposed to the usual “bipartisanship” which is generally just two contemptuous factions glaring at the other side of the aisle.
The point is, a party cannot run on fiscal responsibility and then not follow through. If the Bush-era tax cuts had worked in the first place, we wouldn’t be where we are now; so they can be eliminated. The Obama-care repeal attempt is a waste of time because the Senate already said they would block it and Obama said he would veto it, not to mention that it would cost the American taxpayers an additional $300+ billion to repeal it. It would be better to debate the parts that don’t work instead of just cutting the whole program. We have one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates and are one of the few countries left that don’t have socialized medicine.
So the hypocrisy is now revealed: a claim of fiscal responsibility has translated into extending tax-cuts and fiscal irresponsibility by wasting a third of a trillion dollars to attempt to repeal a program that would only SAVE the American taxpayers money in the long run. The “new-plan” of the republicans was a re-affirmation of their early ideals of fiscal responsibility, but they excluded major items such as the previously mentioned tax-cuts and health care. They should have been more truthful and run on a platform of “Fiscal Responsibility”. As a general disclaimer, I am not saying that Republicans are the only ones guilty of hypocrisy. As noted in my title I use “politician,” but they are the most vocal about their ideals while they do not want to necessarily do what they have to in order to follow through with their promises.
— Nolan Kraszkiewicz, political science and religious studies sophomore
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Nolan_Kraszkiewicz 1 year, 3 months ago
and where i discuss the relation of infant mortality rates and socialized medicine i was talking about industrialized nations.
pwooden 1 year, 3 months ago
Big talk from someone who is not employed at any serious level, nor pays any taxes of note.
You may want to ask someone like your parents, me, or anyone else that works for a living and earns a middle class wage what they think of the tax cuts extension. Personally, I think it was meaningful, and losing them would have drastically changed my situation in an instant.
And once you do go to work, it will be interesting to hear that you do not want to make $125K per year nor marry someone who does either. Then that $250K barrier won't seem so far-fetched... Having lost all momentum in his Presidency, he wasn't about to commit political suicide and toss out the Middle Class too by forcing the removal of the the previous administrations tax cuts.
Your assertion that BO is realigning to the American Public is humorous, as I thought he was brought in on a huge wave of American sentiment for change...wasn't he aligned already to the American Public? why realign now?
He is not "planning major cuts", as he has already submitted a two-foot thick, blue cover printed budget that makes very little appreciable change to the burgeoning deficit that is going to drag this country down over the next few years. Years in which you will probably graduate, and go looking for gainful employment yourself. It may be a tough search by then.
BTW, if the government does shutdown...the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial do not...the President and all of Congress would be at work scrambling for a solution.
And the newly elected Republicans, in fact, all of Congress have only been at work a few weeks....it is doubtful that adds up to a lack of follow-through.
Nolan_Kraszkiewicz 1 year, 3 months ago
Just to clarify this article was edited from its original format in which i sent it to the editor. the Original title was "Politician (n.) syn for Hypocrite" so when i make the claim of using politician in my title that is what i was refering to. second the original had an asterisk * by the quoted "fiscal responsibility*" to mean that some terms and conditions may apply; much like businesses and dealer ships, a fine-print if you will. and where i talk about the "hate-filled rhetoric" i mentioned it as "politicians, news outlets, AND FOX News" i did that because fox news is conservative entertainment and not a legitimate news outlet. and when i make generalizations about republicans i am talking about the ones in power in washington, because they were ALL in support of coburn's plan, so when you say "i'm a republican and i dont think that" i know, and it doesnt apply to you. Basically in a summation of my article all i was saying is fiscal responsibility cannot be preached, and then when a valid solution is put forward, those people who were preaching cant be like wait a minute, thats not really what we meant.
impatient_with_ignorance 1 year, 3 months ago
Nolan's article is accurate, thoughtful, sophisticated, and overdue. Given the divided nature of our political system, deficit reduction will only be achieved by compromise (as it was in 1990 and 1993, producing four years of budget SURPLUS (FY 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001), the first surplus in 30 years and in 2000 the first pay-down of the national debt in FIFTY years. All of this was squandered between 2001 and 2008, during which time FOX News and most Republicans in power said NOTHING about deficits/debt while they massively increased both.
Almost all Americans will have to sacrifice some if we are to have a deficit reduction compromise. The Republicans in power are adamant and even vehement that there should be NO sacrifice among the two percent of Americans who are already the most extremely wealthy. At the same time, they propose massive cuts in FOOD assistance for LOW-INCOME pregnant women, new mothers and INFANTS. Make sure the extremely wealthy give up nothing while imposing massive cuts on FOOD FOR LOW-INCOME INFANTS. INFANTS. That tells one all one needs to know about these people. No wonder their rhetoric and their propaganda hacks are so dishonest, hypocritical, and intent on distracting the public.
A @pwooden: joining the wealthiest 2 percent may not be far-fetched in your book, but probability theory might say the odds were roughly 98-to-two against it.
chas036 1 year, 3 months ago
The welfare class in this country use 75% of the government services and pay 0% in taxes. The rich work thier butts off to become rich, while the poor sit on thier butts and wait for handouts from the government.
Rather than placing higher taxes on people who work, lets start taxing the people who don't work, since they use all the services. Why not pass a bill to start taking withholding taxes from welfare checks, taxing the value of rent assistance payments, and start taxing the value of food stamps. Lets give these welfare people a taste of some reality and what it is like to have the government take your money, just like the rest of us face every time we get our paycheck.
impatient_with_ignorance 1 year, 3 months ago
I challenge chas036 to document his absurd statement that 75 percent of government services go to the "welfare class." Should he actually try to look at facts, he will be astonished and should be humbled to demonstrate how little he knows. He should also probably define welfare class." It sounds like he may not know that there is NO entitlement to cash assistance for low-income families since the welfare "reform" of 1996. "These welfare people"... and the CEOs of Wall Street investment banks "work their butts off..." sheesh.. does chas have a clue about who brought about the financial meltdown of 2007-2008, and the subsequent recession? Chas, please tell us you are not a student at our university.
IN ANY CASE, DOCUMENT YOUR FLATLY FALSE ASSERTION.
OR ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE THINGS UP. IT'S A UNIVERSITY NOT FOX.
Nolan_Kraszkiewicz 1 year, 3 months ago
Kudos to I with I; on that last line im thinking of writing another op-ed piece that discusses fox news as what it actually is "conservative entertainment" and not an alleged fair and balanced news organization by any means.