Democrats versus Republicans

[camaraderie]

Interesting that this AM Bush is in Africa touting all HIS new foreign aid problems there eh? What would POGO say?

[chucklesR]

I want to know how he's going to pay for it all. Seems to be he's big on ideas and short on economics 101.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showth...218#post267218

Oh, I, know how, wishes and dreams, and most of all 'Change" - that's a lot more than spare change, and from who's pocket?

Here's one way:

Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimated in 2004 that it took more than 28 hours for an individual to complete his/her tax filing, and that half of the taxpayers

filing the “easy” forms ended up paying a tax preparer to do it for them. Barack Obama will dramatically
simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than 5 minutes.
Currently, the IRS receives Americans’ financial information directly from employers and banks. Obama will ensure that the IRS uses this information to give taxpayers the option of a pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and
return to the IRS or online. This will eliminate the need for Americans to hire expensive tax preparers and to gather information that the federal government already has on file. Experts estimate that the Obama proposal
will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.

In short, by putting H&R block out of business, ensuring folks don't file long form and get refunds anymore. BTW , the 28 hour thing is because folks can't sign their names I guess - it took ME only 6 hours to do my taxes - long form and rather involved due to all the crap I do.
Do we really want Uncle Sam to be in the business of telling us how much we owe?

Wait, maybe he'll fund it with the extra taxes business will send in after he mandates every employee get 7 sick days a year; because that will seriously raise the productivity of employees and lower the cost. Think what that will do to the profit line .

Somebody please tell me why the federal goverment should pay 10% of the mortgage interest payment for idiots who signed a bad deal, and really explain in detail how paying 10% as a refundable tax credit will help Joe Stupid to pay the mortgage in July, August, etc..Waiting until tax refund time doesn't make most banks happy.
Of course he will also "restore fairness to the tax code" by "completely eliminate(ing) income taxes for 10 million Americans"
This isn't SA, so I'll moderate my language
HOW THE F DOES THAT IMPLY FAIRNESS!!!
Fair is we all pair our fair share. If you make 20k a year working a 40 hour week and pay nothing and I make 200k working a 60 hour week a year and pay 50k, is that fair????? I worked hard and long to get where I am from the trailer court I grew up in. F that!

I really like the way politicians do this crap of "I will invest X dollars over 10 years...."
A) they are in office for 4, maybe 8 - what's the 10 year thing? If they are really lucky they can get a plan through in a year, so really they have 3 years..
Oh, wait, we'll back end load it, so my successor has to pay for it - somehow - or clean it up

B) they never say how they will pay for it.

He's got a lot of social engineering here that is going to cost, cost, cost and not one identified revenue source - and don't say the economy will improve because the businesses he's saying will improve are the same ones that can't show a profit to expand with if saddled with the cost he's adding.

He's got some nice things to do with consumer protection issues, but the PAC's will soon weigh in and eliminate them or water them down.

[PBzeer]

It would appear that many in Africa did not get the memo about hating Bush and the US.

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by chucklesR

Oh, I, know how, wishes and dreams, and most of all 'Change" - that's a lot more than spare change, and from who's pocket?

I want to be one of those agents of change too. Can you take night classes for that ?

[RAGNAR]

hhh

[sck5]

most of the regular people in those countries dont know from repubs and dems any more than we know anything about their politics. but they know rich people when they see them

[PBzeer]

sck5 - so, we're only liked for our money, but hated for our policies, is that about it?

[cardiacpaul]

so, we're only liked for our money, but hated for our policies, is that about it?
I think thats only here on this turf....

There was a farming program a couple of years ago that sent a bucket load of money to one of those countries for equipment to till the sand so they could grow... FOOD.
Ok, the deal was we sent a big-azz check to this country, with a stipulation. The fly in the ointment was that they had to buy a certain brand of tractor. The country wasn't concerned. They sent the check to John Deere and they got a boat load of tractors. Whats the problem you ask? Well apparently someone got a bug in their butt.
It should have went out for bid, they may have been able to get more tractors of another brand, blah, blah, blah... ok, so it did suck... a little.
We gave money, they bought tractors, John Deere sold tractors, the sand is growing hoodia or some such thing, all is right with the world but our policies suck.
Tell you what, next time come up with your own money, buy your own tractors.

[sailaway21]

Where I stand on everything that doesn't require a salute:

Government isn't the solution; government is the problem.

I think that's a quote from some guy back in the 20th century.

[sck5]

"sck5 - so, we're only liked for our money, but hated for our policies, is that about it?"

I have spent a lot of time travelling in Africa for work. I dont imagine that the regular folks there know much about our policies either. But I dont think foreigners are alone in smelling money when the President comes around. Every politician in America is the same way I think.

Having said that, it is true that our invasion of Iraq has made us very unpopular among many people overseas. Many dont understand the details but only know that the US invaded and is now occupying Iraq. Every one I have spoken to takes it for granted that the reason was to get oil. The connection between 9/11 and invading Iraq that is routinely made here in the US is not a connection people make overseas. Apparently, not even in England where most people want to pull out and by all reports, this is what they are in the process of doing. The complications of just pulling out now that we are there are not something I have ever heard a foreigner talk about.