The Republican Love Fest After the Tax Bill was passed.......

[jp1]

And that's the crux of it. A big part of the tax scam that just passed was to give republicans an excuse to cut programs that actually help people. They certainly wont try to balance the budget on the backs of their friends who run the military industrial complex. What a bunch of mean selfish people.

[befree]

I'm all for cutting government spending....on a stupid wall, which we can't afford, and on the hyuuge military, and even on paying for the U.N. But instead, any cutting spending will be done on things like national parks, libraries, schools, Social Security and Medicare....all the things that help make a well-educated, healthy middle class. Multi-billion dollar corporations and the richest 1% will just get richer, and any money from spending cuts will be fed into the government bottomless pit...for things like a stupid wall. This scheme makes no sense to me at all. It's like the "I Love Lucy" episode when Lucy and Ethel bottle and sell their own salad dressing, and Ricky runs the numbers to discover they're actually losing a few cents on each bottle. Lucy says, "but, Ricky, we'll make it up in volume."

[frugal-one]

I'm all for cutting government spending....on a stupid wall, which we can't afford, and on the hyuuge military, and even on paying for the U.N. But instead, any cutting spending will be done on things like national parks, libraries, schools, Social Security and Medicare....all the things that help make a well-educated, healthy middle class. Multi-billion dollar corporations and the richest 1% will just get richer, and any money from spending cuts will be fed into the government bottomless pit...for things like a stupid wall. This scheme makes no sense to me at all. It's like the "I Love Lucy" episode when Lucy and Ethel bottle and sell their own salad dressing, and Ricky runs the numbers to discover they're actually losing a few cents on each bottle. Lucy says, "but, Ricky, we'll make it up in volume."

+1

[flowerseverywhere]

Yeah, that bugs me. I can only think that we've become accustomed to large deficits after doubling the national debt under a Democratic administration. The $1.5T over 10 years doesn't seem that bad after living through an average of nearly that each year for the past decade.

We'll see how the Democrat's current outrage over debt holds up next year when the Republicans start working on cutting spending.

the change in viewpoints from deficit hawks to big spenders... funny how our government works these days

this highlights the biggest problem we have. No matter what Obama wanted, Republicans were against it. No matter what Trump wants, Dems are against it. How about trying to work together for a change because they are getting so little done.

They are all so so invested in investigations, accusations, defending themselves and so on, they have lost so much of the reason why they were elected. To do what is right for the future of the United States. The whole lot of them, on both sides of the aisle.

[Rogar]

Yeah, that bugs me. I can only think that we've become accustomed to large deficits after doubling the national debt under a Democratic administration. The $1.5T over 10 years doesn't seem that bad after living through an average of nearly that each year for the past decade.

Obama ramped up deficit spending pretty good. It was part of a stimulus package to bring back the economy and included the winding down of war expenditures. Right or wrong, it seems like now that the economy is chugging along fairly well and no major wars it should be the time to reduce the debt.

Some time ago I had a discussion that led to some light research on how much debt is too much. I don't think the economic experts of the country really know, other than you don't go around printing up big hand's full of money. Every recent president has increased the debt and it would seem reasonable to expect to reach a breaking point, where debt repayments and interest expense becomes a drag on the economy or the economy is over stimulated and you get into run away inflation and high interest rates.

So, when and if the tax cuts don't provide the results intended, I'd expect eyes will be on SS and medicare cuts, which other than military spending seem like the big likely targets that Paul Ryan would love to get his hands on. Or maybe Trump's voodoo economics will make America great again. But I'm not putting money on the latter and there are some supposed experts that probably agree.

[CathyA]

Just seems to me that if the government didn't waste an incredible amount of money on ridiculous things (not the least of which is giving money to countries that hate us), we'd have more than enough for everyone and everything in this country that needs fixed, education, etc., etc., etc.

[LDAHL]

It will be interesting to see if the cap on state and local tax deductions will cause a shift in affluent populations from high tax states to low tax states the way this author suggests: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...r-gop-tax-plan

[catherine]

It will be interesting to see if the cap on state and local tax deductions will cause a shift in affluent populations from high tax states to low tax states the way this author suggests: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...r-gop-tax-plan

So, because I have a "wee pea brain" (my DH's favorite admission for himself), please educate me on what that would mean for someone who lives in New Jersey and pays $30,000 property tax (That's NOT me, BTW--I'm just trying to establish an example for the $10,000 cap hypothesis you're forwarding here. But I do know people who pay that much.) What is that homeowner going to do?

[jp1]

It will be interesting to see if the cap on state and local tax deductions will cause a shift in affluent populations from high tax states to low tax states the way this author suggests: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...r-gop-tax-plan

Certainly an interesting hypothesis. And if accurate perhaps this will flip a few red states blue as democrats move from traditionally red states to traditionally blue states. (And as peurto ricans who have gone to Florida post-hurricane decide to stay). I question, though, how realistic this idea is for businesses that need well educated employees. I'm not an expert on what states have the best educational outcomes, but I do know that places like the Silicon Valley have excellent public schools that are preparing an abundant number of people to work there. Moving a tech company to (or starting one in) place with lower educational outcomes would be a questionable decision that carried some risk.

Another possibility is that blue states will become more blue as people realize that their republican congresspeople in blue states are not serving their personal interest. There are 7 republican congresspeople in CA districts that Hillary won. If I were any of them I'd be very worried about next year's elections.

[catherine]

Another possibility is that blue states will become more blue as people realize that their republican congresspeople in blue states are not serving their personal interest. There are 7 republican congresspeople in CA districts that Hillary won. If I were any of them I'd be very worried about next year's elections.

I'm happy to be moving to Bernie-Land. It's not personal interest, per se. I pay a LOT of taxes, in gratitude for my blessings, and I thank God that I've been able to do for myself. It's more for an alignment of values, consistent with Bernie's achievements in Burlington with creating beautiful common spaces over the interests of real estate developers, providing healthcare for those who need it, and coming up with innovative programs to level the playing field in housing.