[Vision2020] CNN Breaking News

Sat Aug 6 13:47:41 PDT 2011

Saundra,

I agree that reducing or (very hopefully) eventually elimination the national debt requires reductions in spending and increases in revenue -- the latter through some tax rate changes and especially through axing the incredible number of special interest tax breaks found in the 66,000+ pages of the current federal tax code and also within the various state tax codes.

Many see the entitlement programs as welfare for individuals.  Most of the tax breaks in the tax codes are welfare for large corporations and other organizations -- let's not be hypocrites about it.

There is another national debt not recorded in the so-called national debt -- the widespread deterioration of infrastructure.  On two recent trips across the country the wretched condition of the highway system, especially parts of the Interstate System are obvious.  Some is this is being addressed by the stimulus package although some of the quality of these hastily organized projects seems a bit dubious.  But the money it will cost to eventually repair roads and bridges is astronomical.  Roads and bridges are only a part of the ailing infrastructure problem.

I am afraid there are many who do not expect to pay for services.  The USPS is a prime example.  They are and have been operating in the red for a long time.  However, the US has one of the lowest first class postal rates in the industrial world.  Even our neighbor Canada charges $0.69 for a first class letter.

If people, teabaggers or not, are not willing to pay the real cost of postage, what hope is there that they will pay to pay off the debt all of us have helped to incur, pay to keep the infrastructure that all of us benefit from adequately maintained, etc?

This is the age of greed, ignorance, arrogance, and big lies.  I see no sign that this will change.  I see no sign of any national leadership in either party with the guts to reverse this pathetic, destructive condition.

w.

From: Saundra Lund 
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2011 10:00 AM
To: 'Tom Hansen' ; 'Donovan Arnold' 
Cc: 'Moscow Vision 2020' 
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] CNN Breaking News

Selective quoting yet again, eh, Gary?

For those interested, here's the link to the article Gary is quoting:

http://tinyurl.com/WP-S-P-Downgrades

Of course, anyone listening to reputable news and not selectively quoting is aware of this little gem, which is also in the article Gary selectively quoted from:

"The majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues," the firm said."

So, yes, let's be sure to be honest about the teabaggers' role in this fiasco:  they are apparently too economics challenged to understand that the US simply cannot appropriately deal with our debt without increasing revenue as well as addressing  spending.  That ignorance plays a significant - perhaps the most significant -- role in this disaster.

And, the current GOP leadership obviously lacks the backbone to stand up to these lunatics who are willing to absolutely destroy this country's economy in the name of their flawed ideology.

Perhaps a great example is the FAA deauthorization - they were so stupid they thought they were saving taxpayers money (as well as attacking the hard working American men & women who make up airlines) by preventing the FAA from collecting taxes.  But, what really happened?  The same damn thing that happens nearly every time we give big corporations a "break":  the airlines ran with their corporate greed & simply jacked up ticket prices.

As near as I can tell, the 'baggers either think greed is a virtue or are as stupid as their hero Greenspan was about the pervasiveness of greed & the loss of humanity, compassion, and caring for others in America.

They must be so proud.

Which speaks volumes about what's gone wrong with this country - greed & ignorance trump all.

Saundra Lund

Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

~ Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2011 through life plus 70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the author.*****

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Gary Crabtree
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2011 7:19 AM
To: Tom Hansen; Donovan Arnold
Cc: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] CNN Breaking News

>From today's Washington Post

"...the bipartisan agreement reached this week to find at least $2.1 trillion in budget savings "fell short" of what was necessary to tame the nation's debt over time and predicted that leaders would not be likely to achieve more savings in the future."

Was it the Tea Party that was fighting tooth nail in favor of raising the debt limit to an absolute all time high with no spending reductions what so ever? Was it the Tea party that would have no part of the cut, cap, and balance plan or the Mack penny plan that would have put the country on a path to solvency? Can you point to a single democrat/progressive plan that might have had as a result even a slight reduction in the countries debt burden? Heck, with two years of total government control they couldn't even pass a budget.

The bond rating agencies want to see spending and the debt required to perpetuate it brought under control, a goal that is at the very heart of the "Tea Party stench."

g

From: Tom Hansen 

Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 7:13 PM

To: Donovan Arnold 

Cc: Moscow Vision 2020 

Subject: Re: [Vision2020] CNN Breaking News

This downgrading, if adopted by the other two rating firms, has more of an adverse impact than you suggest, Mr. Arnold.

Do you realize that most, if not all, 301Ks are committed to investments with AAA ratings ONLY?

The result could be catastrophic 

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown

On Aug 5, 2011, at 18:57, Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:

  The good thing about a democracy is you get what you voted for. And the bad thing about democracy is you get what you voted for. Unfortunately, it is going to take much more than a downgrade of AAA to AA+ from S&P to make the American people respond to this economic crisis. I heard on NPR today that only 58% of the adult US population is employed. Scary! 

  Donovan Arnold

  From: Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>
  To: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
  Sent: Friday, August 5, 2011 7:17 PM
  Subject: [Vision2020] CNN Breaking News

  Read on, V-Peeps.

  More "good" news to pass on to the Tea Party stench, the cause behind this
  downgrade.

  http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/05/news/economy/downgrade_rumors/index.htm

  The downfall of the market this week may foreshadow things to come.

  Seeya round town, Moscow.

  Tom Hansen
  Moscow, Idaho

  "Believe we're gliding down the highway
  When in fact we're slip slidin' away."

  - Paul Simon

  ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
  Subject: CNN Breaking News
  From:    "CNN Breaking News" <BreakingNews at mail.cnn.com>
  Date:    Fri, August 5, 2011 5:31 pm
  To:      textbreakingnews at EMA3LSV06.TURNER.COM
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Rating agency Standard & Poor's says it has downgraded the U.S. credit
  rating to AA+ from its top rank of AAA.

  Rating agencies analyze risk and give debt a "grade" that reflects the
  borrower's ability to pay the underlying loans.

  The safest bets are stamped AAA. That's where U.S. debt stood for years.

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