Congress' Select Committee - Will they git 'er done?

[Pocketman]

Now that all 12 apostles have been appointed, will they be able to accomplish something positive or will it be gridlock politics as usual?

I would like to be an optimist and believe they will actually propose some worthwhile legislation. A more simple and fair tax code; smaller government; modest Social Security and Medicare reform for starters. My gut tells me neither will do more than token modifications to their respective sacred cows.

What would people like to see from this group and how likely is it we'll see real change?

 

[Cheapdiesel]

I would like to see them disbanded and the cowards in congress do their job. This is a sidestep of responsibility and the constitution.

 

[spearheadersarge]

They will probably gridlock like usual. I would like to see a tax system where even the poor pay some tax. Not having over half of the population of the country invested is wrong. Govt has to get smaller n cheaper or it wont work. Tax and spend lib policies are not the answer either.

 

[spec4]

This will be a fiasco. Diaappointing that the GOP goes along with this trash.

 

[eldirector]

I have zero faith in the Feds and this group of "anointed ones". They haven't cut or shrunk a darned thing in DECADES (Centuries?), so it is foolish to think they will now. I double-dog dare them to prove me wrong.

 

[Johnson]

I would like to see them disbanded and the cowards in congress do their job. This is a sidestep of responsibility and the constitution.

This^^^

Look at the makeup of the group. They are all Old guard Washington career politicians. Never mind that the formation of the group is unconstitutional to begin with. This group has the very real potential to circumvent our Constitution and be used in some very bad ways.

 

[Pocketman]

I would like to see them disbanded and the cowards in congress do their job. This is a sidestep of responsibility and the constitution.

I too see it as a cop out, but it's what we now have to work with.

They will probably gridlock like usual. I would like to see a tax system where even the poor pay some tax. Not having over half of the population of the country invested is wrong. Govt has to get smaller n cheaper or it wont work. Tax and spend lib policies are not the answer either.

Having the ~47% contribute, will not get us out of debt, but would be a more balanced approach. Lower income people tend to use more of the resources, so they should contribute.

This will be a fiasco. Diaappointing that the GOP goes along with this trash.

There are many who are disappointed the Democrats agreed to this. We have a two party system, with two party problems. Will require two party solutions.

I have zero faith in the Feds and this group of "anointed ones". They haven't cut or shrunk a darned thing in DECADES (Centuries?), so it is foolish to think they will now. I double-dog dare them to prove me wrong.

No one typically likes to be wrong, but I'm with eldirector on this one. I look forward to being "wrong."

 

[other guy]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that all the republicans have signed the pledge not to raise taxes period. The dems are willing to go more than hallf way. $4 trillion in cuts, 1 trillion in new revenue,. Seems more than fair to me. But NO, The republicans will stand firm 0 in new revenue. Only cuts, That was their position before and that is their position now. IT MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. no COMPROMISE

 

[Westside]

The only thing I have faith in of the "super Group" is their incompetence. Nothing will come of this.

 

[nawainwright]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that all the republicans have signed the pledge not to raise taxes period. The dems are willing to go more than hallf way. $4 trillion in cuts, 1 trillion in new revenue,. Seems more than fair to me. But NO, The republicans will stand firm 0 in new revenue. Only cuts, That was their position before and that is their position now. IT MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. no COMPROMISE

Maybe you're unfamiliar with Democrat "compromise". It's pretty simple, "do it our way". Have you noticed all of the "compromise" coming from the left is "follow us or else"? One would have to be completely ignorant or intentionally overlooking to not notice that. The R's aren't much better, but to go and make out the one side as unreasonable to reject compromise seems disingenuous.

 

[other guy]

Maybe you're unfamiliar with Democrat "compromise". It's pretty simple, "do it our way". Have you noticed all of the "compromise" coming from the left is "follow us or else"? One would have to be completely ignorant or intentionally overlooking to not notice that. The R's aren't much better, but to go and make out the one side as unreasonable to reject compromise seems disingenuous.

Well it might seem that way but its true. What would you call it?

 

[Johnson]

The only thing I have faith in of the "super Group" is their incompetence. Nothing good will come of this.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Octomonkey]

It's central economic planning. Until people change the belief that the government can control, manage, and correct the economic mistakes that they have made themselves, nothing will ever improve. Stop making these new groups, committees, or whatever to try to plan the economy, get the hell out of the way, and let the market itself correct the mistakes and mismanagement.

 

[other guy]

Maybe you're unfamiliar with Democrat "compromise". It's pretty simple, "do it our way". Have you noticed all of the "compromise" coming from the left is "follow us or else"? One would have to be completely ignorant or intentionally overlooking to not notice that. The R's aren't much better, but to go and make out the one side as unreasonable to reject compromise seems disingenuous.

Look, heres the deal. The republicans say CUT SPENDING The democrats say RAISE REVENUE ( actually they say do both) - Compromise is to cut spending and raise revenue. The democrats are willing to do this. The republicans have all signed a pledge not to raise revenue(taxes). So you tell me, Who is not willing to compromise. Watch how this plays out. We just went through this when they wre arguing over raising the debt ceiling. The dems offered a deal of 4 trillion in cuts with 1 trillion in revenue increase which was turned down by the republicans. The dems caved and settled on 1 trillion in cuts with no revenue increase to avoid a default. Have you been under a rock? This has been all over the news.

 

[spearheadersarge]

I think cutting the increase in future spending is not the same as cutting spending. That is the Dem's position not a true reduction in spending. I think we will have to wait till Obama is gone to see real cutting occur.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

Look, heres the deal. The republicans say CUT SPENDING The democrats say RAISE REVENUE ( actually they say do both) - Compromise is to cut spending and raise revenue. The democrats are willing to do this. The republicans have all signed a pledge not to raise revenue(taxes). So you tell me, Who is not willing to compromise. Watch how this plays out. We just went through this when they wre arguing over raising the debt ceiling. The dems offered a deal of 4 trillion in cuts with 1 trillion in revenue increase which was turned down by the republicans. The dems caved and settled on 1 trillion in cuts with no revenue increase to avoid a default. Have you been under a rock? This has been all over the news.

Here's the sleight of hand that you are missing - the Democrats have sent the budget THROUGH THE ROOF since they gained control of both houses. I'm not a Republican lover - they raised the budget before that. That said, the Dems stepped on the gas bigtime. More of a bad thing does not constitute a good thing. And the negotiating you are referring to above is a small reduction in the rate of INCREASE....

You speak of these things like we should be trading "tit for tat". This is where you are mistaken. There should be NO COMPROMISE given and NO QUARTER either. The only solution to our fiscal problems is a reduction in the size of our government. That means a REAL freeze of the amount we are spending and roll it back by by 10-15%. Period.

This is not about Dem vs Rep... it is about survival of our nation. We cannot afford penny ante piddly ass compromise, political games, and other such intellectual masturbation. Any thing less than real reductions starting NOW does not work... We MUST slay the sacred cows of non stop increasing social programs. These are HARD choices but they must be made.

Marco Rubio has it right.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_68GjR6V6zI&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

[Pocketman]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that all the republicans have signed the pledge not to raise taxes period. The dems are willing to go more than hallf way. $4 trillion in cuts, 1 trillion in new revenue,. Seems more than fair to me. But NO, The republicans will stand firm 0 in new revenue. Only cuts, That was their position before and that is their position now. IT MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. no COMPROMISE

This take no prisoners attitude has certainly turned off a lot of Americans. S&P specifically mentioned this as a factor in the downgrade.

Question(s): What is it these Republicans actually promised? Not to raise taxes or not to raise revenue? Seems to be that a better distributed tax code that included more contributors, without raising the rates, would be a good thing. More importantly, if jobs are created more people will naturally be contributing. That too is a good thing, but increases revenue. Is the pledge to be revenue neutral or not to raise rates? Do they consider eliminating exemptions and loopholes as a tax increase?

 

[ATM]

...We have a two party system, with two party problems. Will require two party solutions...

Can't we try a new party?

I'm sick of these 2.

 

[other guy]

I think cutting the increase in future spending is not the same as cutting spending. That is the Dem's position not a true reduction in spending. I think we will have to wait till Obama is gone to see real cutting occur.

Look, you can't cut what you have already spent so all cut must come from future spending.

 

[other guy]

Ronald Reagon bankrupted the Soviet Union by getting them into an arms race. THEY WENT UNDER TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH US. Osama Bin Laden took a page from our playbook and has done the same thing to us. He could not defeat us militarily, but has drug us into 3 wars that are bankrupting us. Why does nobody see this, Our defense budget has tripled in the last 10 years, and only Ron Paul is sounding the alarm. There is a Republican Debate tonight on TV. Watch it. Listen to what Ron Paul has to say. In my opinion ,he is the only one that makes any sense, although I disagree with a lot of his liberaterian positions. He would be the only republican I could vote for.