I don't get the big deal...

[frugal-one]

I am happy to pay taxes for services I receive. Somebody needs to pay taxes! I don't want the national debt to continue to grow. I truly hope the tax plan that is being proposed is shut down in the senate!!!!

The other thing is making a big deal about more jobs in some states. For example, WI has a very low unemployment rate and Walker is boasting how he is getting more jobs to the state. I have read that there is going to be a worker shortage. Does this make sense?

ETA... Just heard one large business owner state that the tax breaks he will receive will not be passed down to employees but to shareholders. hmmm

[bae]

I am happy to pay taxes for services I receive.

Are you happy with the services you receive?

Of those services, which are provided by local taxing districts, and which are provided by the Federal government?

I don't want the national debt to continue to grow.

What is the "national debt"? Who owns it? In a healthy economy, would the debt grow or shrink as the economy grew or shrunk? Is the "national debt" necessary?

[frugal-one]

Are you happy with the services you receive?

Of those services, which are provided by local taxing districts, and which are provided by the Federal government?

What is the "national debt"? Who owns it? In a healthy economy, would the debt grow or shrink as the economy grew or shrunk? Is the "national debt" necessary?

You missed the point of my post!

My point was.... I am happy to pay taxes. I am happy with the services I now receive. I don't want debt to increase period (national or local)! The small community where I now live is ridiculous, as well, in how they are spending money and incurring debt.

[bae]

You missed the point of my post!

I was trying to tease out more detail.

The overwhelming portion of the services I use on a regular basis are provided by my local governmental entities - junior taxing districts (for fire, health, library, schools, airports and marine ports), the county (roads, marine transport, law enforcement, environmental protection, building code compliance/safety, ...), and the state (environmental protection, schools). Very little is directly provided or funded by the federal government.

I am not so keen on huge amounts of tax dollars being spent on a military that costs more than what the rest of the planet combined spends on theirs. I think there needs to be a reexamination of just what we are spending our federal tax dollars on.

I'm not opposed in principle to lowering taxes, but the proposed "plan" on the table in the House is a bit nonsensical to me.

As to the "national debt" - some deeper understanding is helpful before declaring it good/bad too-big/too-little....

[frugal-one]

National debt in the trillions is too much .. any way you look a it. I agree there needs to be a reexamination of what we are spending our dollars on.

[Rogar]

They say our state economy is at "full employment". I see the logic of a stimulus plan when the economy is doing poorly, but I only see inflation and a labor shortages in my area if the tax cut incentives affect us here.

My concept of national debt compares to a home loan that can go on forever and with few defined upper limits, but a debt ceiling related to GNP that could spell problems if it's exceeded.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Jobs are not the problem, people might get a wage increase (wouldn't that be novel, being real wages haven't increased in 40 years, starts to seem almost scary at that point). Now whether aomething would actually lead to jobs and what type of jobs they are matters of course. I don't think states can really do an actual stimulus in the strict Keynesian sense as they are limited in how much they can deficit spend and you can't really do stimulus without deficit spending - you could at best maybe do a jobs program (sometimes they can't deficit spend at all by their state laws I believe, but even states that sometimes deficit have limits - yes even California had to get a rainy day fund - and it never even rains ).

[creaker]

National debt in the trillions is too much .. any way you look a it. I agree there needs to be a reexamination of what we are spending our dollars on.

The amount of interest paid on the debt every year is huge - whenever rates go back up, it's going to be much, much worse.

But in an environment where they are ready to rack up huge deficits to provide tax cuts for the wealthy, I don't see them ever addressing the national debt.

[LDAHL]

I think there is something to be learned from how the various states approach matters. Kansas seems to have shown us the problems of an extreme red-state model. Illinois is in the process of demonstrating the problems of an extreme blue-state model.

[iris lilies]

I think there is something to be learned from how the various states approach matters. Kansas seems to have shown us the problems of an extreme red-state model. Illinois is in the process of demonstrating the problems of an extreme blue-state model.

I am looking at property in Illinois, but DH refuses to move there due to state finances. Still, I look.