Bush wants to give us $800!

[Tecumseh]

I think it is funny, since we are at war and we are increasing the national debt the whole time, that our President wants to give money that we don't have for us.  It is nice but essentially they are giving us money they don't have to give.  Not to mention that it is our money in the first place. 

I would argue that the recession we are experiencing as a nation is a product of the war and increased government spending.  Not to mention the high price of oil.  I find it funny that since we have [strike]conquered[/strike] liberated an oil rich nation that our oil prices have gone up.  Could it be that the high price of oil is being kept high simply because the oil companies wish to continue their record profits? 

Why not take this money and start searching for alternative fuel sources?  Alternative energy would benefit us all and it seems to be a good thing for national security. 

[geronimotwo]

Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, are suggesting they would be willing to suspend their own budget rules and accept a tax break without first figuring out how to pay for it, the Journal said.

there is a typo in this somewhere. the last half doesn't make sense unless "would" is changed to "wouldn't". otherwise the sentence would end after "tax break"

when was the last time we actually had a balanced budget with no deficit anyway?

[K Frame]

You know, I'm really surprised....

Well, then again, no I'm not, it is an election year.

I fully expected the Democrats to be explaining how it's possible to tax the nation into prosperity and pushing for higher taxes across the board.

[charby]

You know, I'm really surprised....

Well, then again, no I'm not, it is an election year.

I fully expected the Democrats to be explaining how it's possible to tax the nation into prosperity and pushing for higher taxes across the board.

Well I'll still take my $800 and run. My wife already said she'll do the same with her $800 also.

Difference between us is that I'll add it to my investments and she'll spend it all on stuff.

[geronimotwo]

Difference between us is that I'll add it to my investments and she'll spend it all on stuff.

investments = more ammo?

[Azrael256]

Well, it's not like I didn't earn that $800, so I don't mind getting it back.  It's a month's worth of expenses, or some cash in savings that I can always use.

But I'd rather a cut in spending and a resulting drop in taxes.  'Course that'll never happen, so I'll take what I can get.

[charby]

Difference between us is that I'll add it to my investments and she'll spend it all on stuff.

investments = more ammo?

$800 into '08 Roth IRA

[Fly320s]

$800 into '08 Roth IRA

I wish.  All of my eligible tax deferred (or "free") investments are maxed-out.  So I guess I'll get an $800 credit on my federal tax return.

You know, both parties are interested in the people's retirement, so why don't they raise or remove the limit on retirement plan contributions?

[elrod]

I wonder how much this $800 is going to cost me.

Not but $800. Where else do you think he's going to get it? 

[Ben]

You know, both parties are interested in the people's retirement, so why don't they raise or remove the limit on retirement plan contributions?

10-4 to that good buddy. All I ever hear is how they want to be able to take care of the elderly. Let me put as much dough as I want in my tax deferred retirement accounts and I'll take care of my own damn self.

[Paddy]

You know, both parties are interested in the people's retirement, so why don't they raise or remove the limit on retirement plan contributions?

10-4 to that good buddy. All I ever hear is how they want to be able to take care of the elderly. Let me put as much dough as I want in my tax deferred retirement accounts and I'll take care of my own damn self.

Unless, of course, private insurers want to charge you $10k/month for basic healthcare.  With a $50k deductible of course.  When you get old, you'll have health issues and they will cost you, under your 'I'll take care of my ownself' plan. 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

You know, both parties are interested in the people's retirement, so why don't they raise or remove the limit on retirement plan contributions?

10-4 to that good buddy. All I ever hear is how they want to be able to take care of the elderly. Let me put as much dough as I want in my tax deferred retirement accounts and I'll take care of my own damn self.

Unless, of course, private insurers want to charge you $10k/month for basic healthcare.  With a $50k deductible of course.  When you get old, you'll have health issues and they will cost you, under your 'I'll take care of my ownself' plan. 

What alternative do you have?  Health care isn't free.  Are you going to make someone else pay for it?

[Paddy]

I already gave you my alternative.  A single payer healthcare system; use Medicare.  All doctors and hospitals remain private entities.  Everybody pays healthcare premiums through payroll deductions, or the SE tax.  Private insurers are free to compete, if they like.  The 'Law of Large Numbers' prevails for setting premiums; IOW, the plan pays for itself.  No big profits for insurance companies to retain (rather than pay shareholders, but don't get me started), no multimillion dollar CEO's, etc.   Everybody pays for their own healthcare.

[Nitrogen]

I wonder how much this $800 is going to cost me.

Not but $800. Where else do you think he's going to get it? 

It could concieveably cost more than that.
It'll cost us $800 this year.  Assuming we have a balanced budget. (HA!)

Let's assume we havn't added any spending from 2007, but havn't recoded any new revenue.  So I ask how much it'll cost us in 10, 20 years?

[InfidelSerf]

Instead of $800 how about an across the board price freeze? 

If by price freeze you mean a freeze on the price I'm paying for this POS service they call government these days.
And by "price" I mean the extortion money er I mean blood money er I mean tax dollars they steal from me on a regular basis.
Sure I'd be for that.

[doc2rn]

I want to get more on the lines of what Dickie boy got for Haliburton with the no-bid contract. Now there was a SCAM. Give me that kinda money and you could write in John Connor on the next ballot and win.

[Monkeyleg]

IF the $800 deal goes through, I'll be applying that $800 personal tax rebate to my corporate taxes.

Into one account and out the other. At least it will keep some bureaucrats employed.

[Boomhauer]

Everybody pays healthcare premiums through payroll deductions, or the SE tax

Or...

I get my paycheck, and pay the cost of my healthcare if I get need it. If I don't get sick, I don't have to pay the cost. Simple as that. And, I don't have to pay for some other idiot's cost because HE got sick.

[El Tejon]

$800 per vote is jack.

How about an abolition of the capital gains tax?  3 jobs for everyone!

[Sawdust]

I'll take that $800 and finally get into reloading.

Sawdust

[Scout26]

Let's use Illinois as an example:

Back in the 1950's they told us the tollway bonds would be paid off and become freeways in the 1970's - Umm Nope.
In they 1980's they told us that the Lottery would pay for Education now and forever.  - Umm, Nope
In they 1990's they told us that Riverboat Casinos would pay for the Education now and forever. - Umm, Nope.
Now their pushing for a Casino in Chicago and more riverboats to make up the education funding shortfall.

They've spent the last 6+ months jerking commuters around.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-legis_11_webjan11,0,1052116.story?coll=chi_breaking_500
(I say privatize/sell off the transit system.)

Oh, and as far as single payer systems go:  Here's how Illinois is doing it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0113edit1jan13,0,4784075.story

You do, though, if you're trying to keep KCCDD afloat, have State Comptroller Dan Hynes in your corner.

He'd like to legislatively end a massive loophole that lets lawmakers avoid balancing the state's budget: the ability to delay payment of one year's Medicaid bills into the next year. "When we don't pay providers on time," he says, "they stop taking patients. Or they tell their assistants to only book a couple of Medicaid patients a week. If their reimbursement is low and we can't pay them on time, what do we expect them to do?"

The companion problem is that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's self-declared expansion of medical care puts more demands on many of the same health providers that his state government won't pay in a reasonable amount of time. Hynes again: "You can increase eligibility for care, but if people can't get an appointment to see a doctor with their new eligibility card, what good is it?"

All of which must strike the folks in Galesburg as important but less urgent than their current emergency.

There is nobility in quietly managing agencies such as KCCDD through crises, out of the public eye, that have no real end in sight.

And that nobility surely is more honorable than the faux nobility of a governor who loudly claims credit for giving people health care -- when he can't pay the bills he already has.

Illinois is anywhere from 90-180+ days past due on it's bills, and not just to medical providers, but to everyone.....

Seriously, DO YOU really think that Government can do better then private insurers

Anyone who wants to put their (and my) healthcare in the hands of these knuckleheads is smoking crack.

[charby]

$800 into '08 Roth IRA

I wish.  All of my eligible tax deferred (or "free") investments are maxed-out.  So I guess I'll get an $800 credit on my federal tax return.

You know, both parties are interested in the people's retirement, so why don't they raise or remove the limit on retirement plan contributions?

Can you stick it into a 401k at work?

I'd have more money for Roth but my employer has a 2-1 match on my 401k. I put in 5% of my income pretax and my employer matches with 10% of my income. To me I'm putting the max into my 401k because of the match. If my wife made more money I would be able to max out the Roth every year.

-C

[Sergeant Bob]

Let's use Illinois as an example:

Back in the 1950's they told us the tollway bonds would be paid off and become freeways in the 1970's - Umm Nope.

Yeah, right. In fact, three years ago the tolls were at least doubled for cars, and quadrupled (a through trip on I-294 went from $7.25 to over $28) for 18 wheelers. That should have at least doubled the revenue generated so, where did all that money go? IIRC, before the increase they were bringing in about 1 million dollars a day.

[BryanP]

Let's use Illinois as an example:

Back in the 1950's they told us the tollway bonds would be paid off and become freeways in the 1970's - Umm Nope.

Kentucky actually does that.  When they build a toll road they keep track of the incoming tolls.  When the amount collected pays off what was spent to build the road they yank the toll booths.

[Sergeant Bob]

Let's use Illinois as an example:

Back in the 1950's they told us the tollway bonds would be paid off and become freeways in the 1970's - Umm Nope.

Kentucky actually does that.  When they build a toll road they keep track of the incoming tolls.  When the amount collected pays off what was spent to build the road they yank the toll booths.

Yeah, thats the only place I've seen that actually did that. Last time I was down there, they were down to one toll road IIRC.