Creating A Path To Fiscal Reform

Dr. Leonard, you report the facts well. However, what I would like to know in regards to the last paragraph is the "how". Congress has one of the worst ratings of all time and few people have respect for the body. I write and call my elected officials only to be rebuffed by people and organizations with bigger wallets. Do articulate how you'd see our demands come into practice.

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Before we talk about Social Security as an "entitlement" let's have a discussion about 20 million illegal immigrants; 3 million crack heads;  42 million unemployed people on food stamps, 2 million people in over 243 prisons;  Half of Mexico; and 535 persons in the U.S. House and Senate.

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Older citizens paid, along with their employers out of their own monthly earnings into the social security retirement insurance. So those checks being cut are what we paid into the fund. It is not taken from younger workers (debatable point due to fiscal tricks). The government stole what older workers paid into for their retirement and illegally took much of it for covering other federal expenses. If done in private industry, someone would have gone to jail! This was money that did not belong to the government it is not nor has it ever been an entitlement (charity), not any more than if someone opens a bank account to save for their future and the banker steals it for his own use. Theft is theft and the government had no right to steal social security insurance paid into by workers of years past

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No plan has all the answers, however, the Simpson - Bowles plan was the first one that offered a very good start. Both ideological camps agree and like the plan because it is an across the board approach with no real losers and no real winners. the banks and multi- nationals are holding this up.. and will, they have the power now..

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Fiscal reform to a politician is like taking away drugs from a drug addict.

Did you notice, balancing the budget is something that will happen in some other administration in the future.

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42 million people unemployed and on food stamps. Every single unemployed person is collecting food stamps? You make it cound like a bad thing.

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Im pretty sure that carlaw was not making it out to be a bad thing that people on unemployment need help and are on food stamps.

I think the point is that there are 42 million unemployed and there for cannot provide for their families.... Atleast thats what I got from reading the comment.

Granted there are alot of lazy people out there that choose not to work and provide and would rather have the government taking care of them. Im sure thats a small percentage compared to the unemployment rates.

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Under this President, it's called "Creating A Path To Fiscal Reform Down The Yellow Brick Road"

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Carlaw,you do realize that the illegal immigrants that you slam keep the economy ticking over? The 42 million unemployed are but people who have not kept up with the speed of change and are not willing to adapt. The other groups which you admonish, for the vast majority, do not wish to be within that designation. So, do you have a fix? And, by the way, social security was never designed to be a savings program, as you describe it. It was a bad idea in when founded and only will continue to be so. The ones who really loose out are those under 40 who will receive nothing in 25 years and who will have a retirement at a far lower standard than yours.

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Thank you 6K9M8G7, exactly right. You understand what you read. The point WAS that there are 42 million unemployed! 42MILLION! We will never be able to balance a budget without addressing some of these issues and because of space I only cited a few examples. As far as compromise, I respectfully disagree with the writer. Nothing nauseates me more than the "compromise" and "get along by going along" crowd. That is outright corruption of the principles that got them elected. Sorry.

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You are entitled to your opinion Henry and I am entitled to mine.

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So 42 M people have lost jobs or are unemployed because they failed to adapt. Adapt to what. More socialist ways? Adapt to what more of what obama says we need to do. Adapt To what bohner and reid and pelosi say they need to to? Or just adapt to what YOU think is best for the nation? How would you want those 42 M to adapt and to what do they need to?

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loneriderrr1, I never take the time to tell you how much I enjoy your blogs, even the ones I don't agree with! Well today I will. You are the best!

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Thank you carlaw. I also enjoy yours even tho you do get a few disagrees from me now and then but for the most part we seem to be on the same track.

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I really would like to know where these morons on both sides get the idea of SS as an entitlement." a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program " The government puts no money into this fund nor do they financially support it. It is paid by those who work or have worked and those that employ them. Welfare is an entitlement, SSI is an entitlement, Obamas (and the rest of the politicians) pay and benefits after they are out of office are entitlements. These are things not earned.

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I can see by the definition that some might be dumb enough to think it is an unearned program but that would be those that think the government should take care of you cradle to grave. Remember you have had to pay into it to get it.

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nothing is more nauseating than compromise? i usually share some of your conservative sentiments carlaw but it's precisely that attitude that's lead to gridlock. compromise is an essential element of any relationship, whether it be political, professional, or personal.

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I know formerphil, but I can't help it. I don't think many politicians even try to work toward the principles they campaigned for and they have been in office term after term. They still keep getting elected.

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What I am getting at is, if this indeed is the greatest power in the world, the country should be taking care of itself, not let greed have a place in our lives. You've got millionaire and billionaire CEOs and unions who think they're entitled, and this has seriously driven a wedge in our country. I support the American worker as much as I can...but as a society we'll be the first ones to protest gay marriage, but not unfair trade practices, yada yada. There wouldn't be as much laziness if there wasn't as much welfare, nor would there be a need for it.

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So Henry, by YOUR standards, you support illegals who come over here, steal someone's ID, steal a job from a normal taxpaying citizen like me, even not pay taxes? Man dude I thought I was trippy. I could say this about our people in other countries illegally but there's one prob, Bob: We'd be in jail before you knew it.

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In my opinion, you are absolutely right Jazzie.

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Agree with you on that also.

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Jazzie, you should do some research into what types of jobs "illegals" take. In reality, these people assume jobs which no one wants in places no one wants to live. They are not taking "well paid American jobs". In reality, without this labor and the utility it provides, our economy would come to a halt. That is why the government does "Security Theatre". Illegal migrants are a resource which many businesses need to stay competitive. With minor policy changes, we could modify the tax issue to collect taxes but we rather make it a political issue which means little in practice. Just google the economics of it. There are really smart people who have exposed the fallacy that these people take jobs.

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By the way, if you worry about your identity being stolen, that can and does happen without anyone ever coming to the USA to do it. And the people who are stealing are more likely to be Russian and Chinese than Central American.

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so without illegal immigrant labor our economy would come to a halt? interesting theory.

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