The U.S. National debt. Ideas how to help bring it down...

[colourwheel]

Expanding deficit? the deficit fell 37% in 2013... The U.S. deficit is lower than it has been since WWII. Not sure why you think it keeps expanding....

 

We do need Americans to get back to work not more "government jobs" just to make more jobs in America, but like anything to make money you need to spend and invest. The government needs stimulus programs and help create an environment to build back up the middle class. Deregulation and tax breaks for the rich do nothing to help the middle class.... Not like it would ever happen, but unless laws are passed where corporations and the rich are forced to put money back into the U.S. economy all the rich does is put their money in offshore accounts and spend it in other countries. They do not create more jobs no matter how much money they have when economic growth keeps falling.

 

Edit: I personally think the minimum wage needs to be increased and the government needs more stimulus to put back into the economy. Just increasing minimum wage alone would create more tax revenue...

 

Rand Paul says it's wrong to borrow money for any spending. If this is the case Rand Paul is basically calling out and insulting everyone who has ever taking out mortgage for anything. Our government needs unemployment benefits for those who need it.... these benefits keep our economy in check and stable in time of need. Rand Paul "thinks" unemployment benefits creates more of a disincentive for people to not work when he has no proof this is the case. People who are on unemployment have to prove to the government they have been looking for work, it's not just some handout. These people have paid tax payer dollars for years for these types of benefits when they are in need of them....

Edited January 6, 2014 by colourwheel

[Vagrant0]

Expanding deficit?

Probably means debt.

 

Debt is the overall amount of money that we've borrowed over the course of running a country.

 

Deficit is the amount of money we need to borrow year to year in order to pay for those things that the country relies on.

 

 

We could bring the deficit to 0 at this point and still have the problem of National Debt. The fact of the matter is that we will never actually ever decrease the National Debt because as soon as someone notices that the government is taking in enough money to pay for most of what it has obligated itself to provide, that same someone will have the brilliant idea of cutting taxes so that they can gain a few points in the polls since "We aren't as bad financially as we were a few years ago, so we can afford to ease the tax burden on the citizens of our great country/state".

[colourwheel]

lowering the deficit 100% would make our problems worse. If just cutting off 1.3 million on unemployment will shave our economic growth by 0.4% in the 1st quarter of this year, I wouldn't want to imagine how our country would be if the deficit was cut to zero...

Edited January 7, 2014 by colourwheel

[Vagrant0]

lowering the deficit 100% would make our problems worse. If just cutting off 1.3 million on unemployment will shave our economic growth by 0.4% in the 1st quarter of this year, I wouldn't want to imagine how our country would be if the deficit was cut to zero...

If it was cut to zero, our country would be either taxing excessively (in relative terms), or providing next to nothing back to the people of that country (since the salaries and benefits given to government officials, military budget, and countless other things that are simply costs of even having a government to speak of are part of the deficit). But it is, nonetheless, the most accessible and publicly acknowledged portion of what determines the rate that our National Debt increases.

 

The problem isn't one of big government or small government. The problem is simply that portions of the government aren't very efficient, but which exists because it was initiated by set of lawmakers as a way to get votes several terms ago, but would be political suicide for them to remove now, and cost too much to try and fix them while having the same kinds of political fallout. Similarly, most of the talk about trying to shrink government has been aimed more at bills and programs which don't serve a Republican agenda, rather than looking at all programs and trying to figure out what can be trimmed or improved, and which ones are critical to the well being of the country, irrespective of politics. Unfortunately, in some cases, the same regulations which exist to prevent practices which are harmful to consumers or the environment are also regulations that hinder the growth of businesses, new construction, demolition of old buildings, or getting resources in more environmentally friendly methods.

 

We might be able to get somewhere if politicians were more transparent about their motivations and who is paying them to consider favorable legislature, but that will likely never happen.

[HeyYou]

From the CBO:

 

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2013/05/15/dc/97/CBO_Deficits_Estimate_FY12_to_FY23.JPG

 

Please note that the deficit may be going down now, but, projections over even the short term show that it isn't going to continue. This is the budget Obama has handed us.

 

This is unsustainable. We are going to reach a point when the folks we borrow money from are going to start wondering IF they will get their money back. China has already made hints in that direction, and that was a couple years ago. The debt has only risen (dramatically) since then.

 

We are going to borrow ourselves right into insolvencey. Yes, our economy isn't doing well at the moment, (no matter what the government would like us to believe....) but, borrowing more money to artificially prop it up is NOT the answer. All we are doing is postponing the inevitable, and ensuring that the eventual collapse will be even worse. That event will make the crash of 2008 like like a walk in the park.

 

We MUST reign in government spending. If we don't, we WILL come to regret it.

 

The government simply cannot 'create' private sector jobs. All they can do is create an environment that encourages the private sector to do so. This is done thru legislation, not by spending more money. Currently, our government IS encouraging the private sector to create jobs, just not here at home. The Free Trade agreements with any third world nation that is willing is just another place for corporations to outsource american jobs to. It is counter-productive, regardless of what the government tries to tell us. It isn't "opening up additional markets for american products", it is opening up additional markets for products american companies make everywhere else BUT here. Corporations make big profits, americans lose their jobs.

 

On our current course, the middle class is going to disappear. The poor/destitue is going to expand dramatically, we will be adding 1.3 million more here in the not very distant future. All the while, we are sending billions overseas, that we will never see any return on the investment. The USA simply cannot afford to be the world police, or, the world welfare agency any longer. Trouble is, our government will never figure that out. Their arrogance is going to destroy this country.

[colourwheel]

From the CBO too:

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i20RTbC1oo8/UIMRuVkRX1I/AAAAAAAAQMc/3xXtu562LBE/s1600/CBO+projection+of+federal+budget+deficit.png

 

Any ones guess how a projection is... Please note that this projection was done at the same time when your projection graph was crafted. Basically showing "Projected" deficit spending is meaningless because no one knows what the political environment will be like beyond 2014....

 

The only reason why "folks" that we borrow money from are wondering "IF" they will get their money back is because there has been so many threats about defaulting courtesy of house republicans.

 

If our economy isn't doing well you think it would be wise to not do anything rash to disrupt progress. The recent government shutdown cost the country over $24 billion lost in economic growth, 4.5 billion unnecessary dollars at the expense of tax payers, and has disrupted and hurt millions of American lives... And the Government was only shutdown for 16 days...

 

I agree, the government simply cannot 'create' private sector jobs. All they can do is create an environment that encourages the private sector to do so. But I do not agree that it can't be done through investing or as you would say "spending". There are so many things our government could be "investing" in that would "create" an environment for job growth and improve economic growth. The huge problem is Congress.... Until congress actually gets stuff done for the good of the nation and not just doing things only for "ideological" or political reasons most likely government won't ever function again properly till one party controls all branches of legislation.

 

Our government know exactly what needs to be done... But just simply can not function as of now when you have a 3rd of the legislative branch disrupting anything and everything just for political and ideological reasons.

Edited January 7, 2014 by colourwheel

[HeyYou]

Trouble is, "investing" requires money. Where does the government get its money? Some, they get in the form of taxes, sure, but the rest, they borrow. Currently, any 'investing' that is done, would require borrowing the money to do it. Once again, a short term fix, that exacerbates the long-term problem.

 

What you need to figure out is: This isn't going to be a fast process, if done RIGHT.

 

Something else I would point out is: Obamacare is one of the major factors in why business is NOT real enthused about hiring at the moment. Too much uncertainty in what is going to happen, and what it is going to cost. Of course, I think Obamacare was a totally wrong thing to do in any event, (what we needs is JOBS, where folks used to get their insurance, not another government mandated program that is only going to drive UP health care costs. Not to mention what it is doing to insurance costs.....)

 

While I agree our government may indeed know exactly what needs to happen, blaming it solely on republicans completely misses the mark. BOTH parties cater to their major campaign contributors, and the super PACs that get them elected. (or, can get the other guy elected if they don't toe the line.) THEY are the ones with the real power, congress simply dances to their tune. So long as that remains the case, our economy is going to continue to struggle along, and not really make much headway, the middle class is going to continue to shrink, and the welfare roles are going to continue to expand. THAT is reality. That is the biggest problem we have. Unless/Until something is done about that particular aspect of our government, nothing is going to change significantly enough to make a difference. In the end, we are going to go belly up, and take the world economy with us. Again. It is going to be a disaster of global proportions, and that will just be the start of it. I do not expect to survive the aftermath. And I would be a good chunk of the population won't either. It is going to be brutal, and ugly, and we are heading for it at full speed ahead. I am sure congress knows this, yet still, its 'what makes me the most money right NOW' that makes their decisions. Our goose is cooked. The writing is on the wall. Doesn't matter who gets elected, we are still following the same course, and it only leads to disaster.

[colourwheel]

Borrowing money is only a problem if you are unable to pay it back. For some reason the republicans keep to the idea there is no way to pay back any money we borrow demanding more cutting to government and programs with nothing constructive to create an environment for our country to economically flourish so the middle class can build back up. Yes maybe we can't pay back money we borrow "right away" but then who can when they are in debt?

 

Right now the stock market has reached record highs, businesses and corporation are doing better in net gain in income since 2009 crash, yet the middle class seems to keep shrinking. This has nothing to do about "ObamaCare" some businesses are just using the new healthcare law as an ideological excuse when in fact almost ever corporation and business can afford to hire and provide healthcare for their full time employees. There is absolutely no evidence The healthcare law has any negative effect on job growth or driving up cost or even on insurance costs. Most the people who have been kicked off their old insurance plans had junk insurance to begin with. providing below average quality, some only allowing 2 to 3 visits to a doctor a year then subsidies would be completely cut off the rest of the year. If people got cut off their old plans they are now only paying a few hundred more a year and they are paying for the quality of a new standard of service which won't leave them in the dust in time of need even based on "pre-existing conditions". Funny I mention this because a few years ago I had to pay more for insurance because I am a "woman". Before just being female use to be considered a "pre-existing condition" for some healthcare plans... In fact this year, I am saving almost $400 because of the new healthcare law.

 

I can solely blame the republicans in office if I want. Just looking at the record since Obama took office they have done nothing legislatively but obstruction....

Edited January 8, 2014 by colourwheel

[HeyYou]

LOLOL.

 

And just how do you propose to pay back the 17 TRILLION dollars we currently owe, plus whatever else you want to borrow? Currently, we pay 220 BILLION dollars just to pay the INTEREST on the debt, not even touching the principal. And we borrow MUCH more than that every year. We are going in the hole at an alarming rate. If any corporation, or private individual, ran their budget like that, they would be filing bankruptcy, or going to prison.... in very short order. But, it's our government doing it, so that's "ok"? Seriously??

 

There is much evidence to prove that Obamacare is indeed having a negative effect on hiring, insurance costs, etc. All you need to do is pay attention. I personally know people whose insurance rates have doubled because of Obamacare. And they don't get subsidies either. Granted, there are a fair few folks that will now be able to get coverage, but, the government is going to be paying for THAT too. Yet more debt to pile on what we already have.

 

Sure, you can lay all the blame on the republicans if you want, but, that does not make it true. All that does is demostrate that you have an unrealistic view, that is unsupported by the facts. If you can't recognize that the dems are just as responsible for the fix we find ourselves in today, then you are actually part of the problem our nation has. Political intractibility. It will be the death of this country. (and yes, the republicans are guilty of that as well.)

 

Just out of idle curiosity, how much is the DNC paying you to publish their propaganda here?

[colourwheel]

I have ideas to help pay back trillions of dollars but not like they would ever happen. The problem I see is republicans in legislative power won't even give democrats a chance even after the 2009 crash, thanks to the bush administration , and let me remind everyone bush is a republican and it was republican policies that put us where we are now with the national debt...

 

Also there is no evidence to prove that Obamacare is indeed negatively effecting hiring, insurance cost, etc... For one thing the employer mandate has been delayed for a year.... I will be sure to do research on it next year when there will be actual data to evaluate, considering Obamacare just began the start of this year... less than a week is not a clear evaluation.... If you can prove it otherwise, it would be entertaining, please post some info....

 

 

Just out of idle curiosity, how much is the DNC paying you to publish their propaganda here?

 

lol In retrospect I could ask you the same question.. How much is the RNC paying you to publish their propaganda here? :D

 

edit: For the record i am still a registered republican just haven't really voted for a republican in years.... until the republican party starts to think of new ideas beside obstructing the other party's progress I doubt i will ever vote republican again.... but it's more entertaining to keep up with what is happening within the republican party so I don't think i will register democrat anytime soon... also Republican social policies suck, period!

Edited January 8, 2014 by colourwheel