COVID Relief Package

[Sea Ray]

What is the average age of those wasting our tax dollars? Which party just spent 4yrs spending crazy amounts while their leader was claiming he didn't care about budgets? Neither side cares

Neither side cares but one cares more than the other. For example: If fiscal conservatives had voted more for a Republican Senator in Georgia we would not have spent $1.9T this week. That's a consequence and a worthy reason to vote fiscally

 

[AM64]

Something I struggle with every election. In principle I agree with you. I don’t agree 100% with the Libertarian platform but I think it’s a platform I’m mostly aligned to and one that could be appealing to a majority of the country. They need a candidate who is well known, which would help negate the media bias toward a two party system. They’d have to appeal to fiscal conservatives or moderates who are offput with social conservatism.

The libertarian party is a complete joke. The concept is one thing; the implementation is a complete farce ... and that's being kind.

 

[utvolpj]

Neither side cares but one cares more than the other. For example: If fiscal conservatives had voted more for a Republican Senator in Georgia we would not have spent $1.9T this week. That's a consequence and a worthy reason to vote fiscally

If we're playing that game then if Trump had won the bill would have been bigger. He promised

 

[Sea Ray]

Your claim is that one was worse than the other. Both love spending but the gop will pretend they don't when there's a Dem in office. They'll protest even harder when they know there's no chance of making a difference

You're wrong and I'll use this example while Trump was in the WH. He wanted a $2K stimulus but McConnell wouldn't give him that. Why is that? Because Republicans in the Senate wouldn't vote for it but Nancy did want it:

This means either Congress changes the amount of the second stimulus check (at least higher than $600), or the stimulus package may not become law. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) responded to Trump and said she supports a one-time, $2,000 stimulus check. That said, it doesn’t mean that Congress will now approve a $2,000 stimulus check. While Congress could consider a $2,000 stimulus check, it’s unlikely that Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), would more than triple the amount of the $600 stimulus check that was approved. Fiscal conservatives in the U.S. Senate won’t support a $2,000 stimulus check, and previously, they have opposed a $1,200 second stimulus check.

Trump: I Want $2,000 Stimulus Checks

There is a recent real world example of Republicans NOT supporting what was in that $1.9T bill even when a Republican is in the WGH. Kinda shoots to hell your whole premise that Republicans only resist spending when there's a Dem in the WH

 

[DancingOutlaw]

I was reading a commentary about the stimulus and economic forecasts, it's estimated that between consumers, investors, and businesses there's $6T in cash sitting on the sidelines right now. A third of that is with consumers. So we have $2T waiting to be used by regular people but the government needed to dump more money into the economy? Why?

 

[Sea Ray]

If we're playing that game then if Trump had won the bill would have been bigger. He promised

Neither of us knows what would have happened if Trump won but my understanding is that Trump wanted the $2K checks but he did not want the other $1.6T in that bloated bill. My guess is it would have been far less than $1.9T but that's just speculation. What's not speculation is that Republicans rejected Trump's plea for $2K stimulus checks in December. That's on the record

 

[AM64]

What is the average age of those wasting our tax dollars? Which party just spent 4yrs spending crazy amounts while their leader was claiming he didn't care about budgets? Neither side cares

Remember Alexis de Tocqueville's thoughts on democracy and emptying the treasury? In our republic only the "representatives" have access to the treasury and an intense desire to stay in power. So sure, they are older in average age, but the key is the age and beliefs of the people who put them there. Liberalism (and belief in free stuff from the state) is generally a disease of the young and "disadvantaged"; those are the people who "benefit" from and keep putting in power the people who know how to dip into the funds. Graft can happen at any age, but experience generally makes grifters better at the game ... experience comes with age.

 

[Orangeburst]

Shoot...the Dems are just getting started...Lets revisit this in 2 years and see how much of a difference.

 

[Orangeburst]

Remember Alexis de Tocqueville's thoughts on democracy and emptying the treasury? In our republic only the "representatives" have access to the treasury and an intense desire to stay in power. So sure, they are older in average age, but the key is the age and beliefs of the people who put them there. Liberalism (and belief in free stuff from the state) is generally a disease of the young and "disadvantaged"; those are the people who "benefit" from and keep putting in power the people who know how to dip into the funds. Graft can happen at any age, but experience generally makes grifters better at the game ... experience comes with age.

Alexis sure liked to spend..

 

[Ttucke11]

Remember the youngest voters are one of the blocs that keep the dems in power, and it's their liberal beliefs formed by lack of life experiences that form their political preferences. I'm sorry, but this falls into the category of be careful what you wish for.

I totally agree, but hey not all of us asked for this nonsense.

 

[Orangeburst]

I got a $1T coin today,,,Pat at the Stop & Go is gonna be pissed when I pump $35 in the tank and ask for change.

 

[AM64]

I totally agree, but hey not all of us asked for this nonsense.

I know, but unfortunately we all get judged by our peers. My generation was in the 60s and 70s where yours is, and I don't think we handled it any better as a whole.

 

[NorthDallas40]

I was reading a commentary about the stimulus and economic forecasts, it's estimated that between consumers, investors, and businesses there's $6T in cash sitting on the sidelines right now. A third of that is with consumers. So we have $2T waiting to be used by regular people but the government needed to dump more money into the economy? Why?

There is a huge amount of pent up consumerism that wants to be spent if that idiot dementia patient will get the hell out of the way and put down his damn pen.

 

[RavinDave]

We are really back to the usual chicken and egg political game - taxes and spending. The real problem is spending - not taxing, and this legislation proves it all over again. And you are right, this profligate spending spree will call for punitive taxation ... largely against the innocent.

Don’t recall ever seeing the word “profligate” used on VN before. Kudos!

 

[allvol123]

At this point what is the rationale of any proposed tax increases? Who is living under the illusion that there is some equation where govt expenditures must equal tax collections.

 

[DC_Vol]

At this point what is the rationale of any proposed tax increases? Who is living under the illusion that there is some equation where govt expenditures must equal tax collections.

They are for politics, punishment, and redistribution.

 

[allvol123]

They are for politics, punishment, and redistribution.

Given the spending we see, I agree with your comments. The taxes are literally nothing but punitive.

This is a test run for UBI.

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

So, if anyone filed their tax return already and had unemployment compensation in 2020....guess what? Your return is wrong. $10,200 of unemployment doesn't count as of Joe's signing last Thursday. Millions have already filed. These fools are actually changing the tax law during the filing season.

 

[hog88]

So, if anyone filed their tax return already and had unemployment compensation in 2020....guess what? Your return is wrong. $10,200 of unemployment doesn't count as of Joe's signing last Thursday. Millions have already filed. These fools are actually changing the tax law during the filing season.

What? No taxes due on unemployment? That’s some ********!

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

What? No taxes due on unemployment? That’s some ********!

Yep. The first $10.200 is exempt per person. I thought they would do it in December. Chaos.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/16/heres-how-the-10200-unemployment-tax-break-works.html

 

[VolStrom]

Don’t recall ever seeing the word “profligate” used on VN before. Kudos!

He's been studying under Septic.

 

[RavinDave]

He's been studying under Septic.

@Septic ?

Talk about profligate.

But I’ve heard his troll game is off.

 

[VolStrom]

@Septic ?

Talk about profligate.

But I’ve heard his troll game is off.

Hey, I have dilsexia, ok?

 

[RavinDave]

Hey, I have dilsexia, ok?

At least you don’t have dyspepsia.

Or do you?

 

[AM64]

He's been studying under Septic.

Now that's a low blow. Actually it's an age related thing, I take what I can get - I can't tell you how many times the one word or name I want goes AWOL, and the more I try to think of it the more elusive it becomes. Something like a tormented wordsmith in literary purgatory. Oh, and the kicker; a few minutes or hours later I'll be doing something completely different and the word or name pops up. Apparently the synapses running the filing system aren't up to the job these days.