When Republicans get going on with their crazy, Democrats are learning to just say, "Please proceed." The public takes care of the rest.
This month Republicans again threatened -- in public, no less! -- to force the United States into default and crash the economy if they didn't get their way. But this time Democrats held together and said, "Please proceed, Republicans." The public took care of the rest, and Republicans caved.
Democrats are learning from that. When they are on the public's side, the public is on their side.
Proposing Severe Cuts To Things We, the People Do To Make Our Lives Better
Now Republicans are promising they will pass a budget with huge, devastating, terrible, extreme cuts to the things We, the People do to make our lives better, so that their 1% backers can keep their tax breaks and subsidies. They promise their budget will preserve or increase military spending levels, and preserve huge corporate tax breaks and subsidies.
CNN puts is simply, in Boehner announces goal of balancing budget in 10 years
House Speaker John Boehner announced Tuesday that he supports a plan to balance the federal budget in 10 years, a goal that could require massive cuts to spending or major reforms to entitlement programs.
They're going to propose massive cuts to programs like Medicare, to preserve the breaks and subsidies the 1% receive? Please proceed, Republicans.
The Hill explains, in Boehner, Ryan gamble on pledge to balance the budget in 10 years
Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) pledge to back a Republican budget that balances within 10 years raises the political stakes for his party and sets up another major test of his leadership.
... The Republican-passed budget in 2012, authored by Ryan, called for steep discretionary spending cuts and an overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid, but did not reach balance until close to 2040.
Moving the target up by two decades without raising taxes will require either deeper cuts to discretionary spending or changes to Medicare that would affect people who are closer to retirement age.
Steeper discretionary cuts are the most likely course for Ryan, and would give Democrats a new line of attack as they try to win back the majority.
Got that? The last Ryan budget turned Medicare into vouchers, and this one promises to be much more severe, while preserving military spending and keeping the perks, breaks and subsidies the 1% enjoy. Please proceed, Republicans.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer explains the problem of balancing the budget while preserving perks for the 1%, in House Republicans shift from the debt ceiling to balancing the budget in 10 years,
But given the sheer size of annual deficits in the $1 trillion range, it will be impossible to meet his goal without taking large savings from benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, farm and student loan subsidies, the federal retirement program and more.
Austerity? Look At Europe
Put simply, this idea that cutting government (on the backs of the 99%) is good thing is being tested in Europe. They have already implemented these banker-friendly austerity programs, and the results of the experiment are in: double-dip recession in some countries, outright depression in others, with unemployment rising above 25%, heading towards 30%.
Please proceed, Republicans.
Things They Won't Do To Balance Budget
Actually, balancing the budget in 10 years is easy -- but only if you don't do it on the backs of the 99%. You can invest in infrastructure and jobs now, and reap the return on investment later. You can cut the military budget that drags our economy down, and cut the tax breaks and subsidies enjoyed by the 1% that also drag our economy down.
Robert Reich explains, in The President’s Opening Bid on a Grand Bargain: Aim High,
- Raising top tax rates to here they were under Eisenhower "would reduce the budget deficit by about $1 trillion over the next decade."
- "A 2% surtax on the wealth of the richest one-half of 1 percent would bring in another $750 billion over the decade."
- "A one-half of 1 percent tax on financial transactions would bring in an additional $250 billion."
- "Raise the capital gains rate to match the rate on ordinary income and cap the mortgage interest deduction at $12,000 a year, and that’s another $1 trillion over ten years."
- For good measure, "Eliminate special tax preferences for oil and gas, price supports for big agriculture, tax breaks and research subsidies for Big Pharma, unnecessary weapons systems for military contractors, and indirect subsidies to the biggest banks on Wall Street"
Then there is the 2011 People's Budget from the Progressive Caucus, and the 2012 CPC "Deal For All". The basic principles of the CPC Deal for All are:
- Preventing any cuts to benefits for millions of seniors, children, and disabled Americans who depend on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
- Ensuring the richest two percent contribute their fair share in taxes and ending corporate loopholes for tax-dodging companies that ship American jobs overseas
- Making strategic cuts to defense spending and focusing on combating twenty-first century risks
- Investing in America's future and putting Americans back to work
So yes, the budget CAN be balanced, quite easily, but only if you don't try to do it on the backs of the 99% who are not extremely, lavishly, insanely, unbelievably wealthy.
Please Proceed, Republicans
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIMnWGrh60M[/youtube]
You want to increase the crazy? You want to propose cutting Medicare, schools, infrastructure, courts, scientific research, and the resto fo teh things We, the People do to make our lives better -- just so you can maintain the perks, tax breaks and subsidies for the 1%?
You want to take that budget plan out to the public, and threaten to shut down the government if you don't get what you want?
Please proceed, Republicans!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTgjdq7xVps[/youtube]
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