Ursa Majoris Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 but what would business do that need welfare Like the Mall of America, looking for a state subsidy of $300m for parking ramps for it's extension. Or Target, wanting tax breaks for it's new village in the west metro. Or any of the legion of sports team owners wanting new facilities for their circus. Or the oil companies still refusing to pay back lease money gained as a result of an error on the leases, never mind the enormous subsidies they get on top. Or the tax forgiveness for Best Buy when it moved it's HQ here in Minny, with the city using eminent domain to get rid of the inconvenient people who lived there. And on and on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 The Earth wasn't puking when it was a nice round number....like a billion. Coincidence? When it was a billion, America was empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 When it was a billion, America was empty. What are you implying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Sacrebleu Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 exactly.....why do we need to hold the hand of those not willing to chip in. darwin would not be happy. well at least you have the merit of clearly stating the conservative's party line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 well at least you have the merit of clearly stating the conservative's party line. Compassionate conservatism. GB W and the USA. :heart: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codwagon Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 What are you implying? I believe Arsa Majoris is saying that America is responsible for all atrocities committed over the last 230 years. There is also an underlying implication that he hasn't been laid in months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 well at least you have the merit of clearly stating the conservative's party line. thank you, thank you....i'll be here every night for the next few months. please stop by when u can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 So the answer to solving America's tax issues and global warming is to destroy America? I believe that is the liberal's party line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I believe Arsa Majoris is saying that America is responsible for all atrocities committed over the last 230 years. There is also an underlying implication that he hasn't been laid in months. Um....no. I was simply saying that Earth's population was last at a billion before America existed. It's a historical thing, Mr Professional Victim. In fact I was wrong - world population passed a billion around 1810 or thereabouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codwagon Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Um....no. I was simply saying that Earth's population was last at a billion before America existed. It's a historical thing, Mr Professional Victim. In fact I was wrong - world population passed a billion around 1810 or thereabouts. I apologize. I thought you were trying to marginalize our Native American community with the empty comment and I just saw red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I apologize. I thought you were trying to marginalize our Native American community with the empty comment and I just saw red. My bad for using the word "empty". Should have said "almost empty". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Why do liberals see a tax as the solution to everything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Why do liberals see a tax as the solution to everything? It isn't. A balanced budget is the solution to everything. Income needs to equal expenditure, roughly. If you can make the budget balance while not raising taxes and not cutting services (the things I pay for with my tax money) then hooray for you. But do not expect to have people like me ignore the massive fiscal problem people like you are passing to succeeding generations - some of us are not so self-centered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Sacrebleu Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 thank you, thank you....i'll be here every night for the next few months. please stop by when u can. So it's agreed next time a liberal points out that Bush probably wanted those too poor or too stupid to get out of New Orleans to die, you say "yup", and not go on a faux hurt-to-the-core-christian-values outrage ? Why do liberals see a tax as the solution to everything? There are some things that the private sector does better than the public sector and vice versa. For those things that the government does better, we need funds. Funds come from taxes. Any other questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 exactly.....why do we need to hold the hand of those not willing to chip in. darwin would not be happy. because Jesus told me we should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 There are some things that the private sector does better than the public sector and vice versa. For those things that the government does better, we need funds. Funds come from taxes. Any other questions? Yes. Are there some things the government does that the private sector can/does do better that the government shouldn't be doing (and therefore shouldn't be collecting taxes for)? If so, what are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 What's the problem? The energy industry should bestate run anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Yes. Are there some things the government does that the private sector can/does do better that the government shouldn't be doing (and therefore shouldn't be collecting taxes for)? If so, what are they? Look at nuclear power in France vs. here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Yes. Are there some things the government does that the private sector can/does do better that the government shouldn't be doing (and therefore shouldn't be collecting taxes for)? If so, what are they? Obviously plenty of things and I would hope that distinction is being made by people who know what the hell is going on. Then, of course, the tax policy can be change to reflect that balance. I think the overwhelming sentiment among those of us who don't pitch a fit every time a tax is proposed is that it isn't as if that for the last 6 years, that balance has hardly been achieved. War, for instance, is gonna come out of the public money (though one could make a very good case for it coming out of the pockets of big oil but that's another topic for another day). We've got to pay for it somehow. Considering the massive cost of Iraq and the costs involved with such unplanned situations like 9-11 and Katrina. Even if we gutted all the touchy-feely programs, continued to short-change education, and bailed on welfare, would we even have enough then? Honestly, I really don't know. Anyone have some insight here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 (edited) Anyone have some insight here? Here ya go. Federal budget 2007, from Wikipedia. Total Spending The President's budget for 2007 totals $2.8 trillion. This budget request is broken down by the following expenditures: * $586.1 billion (+7.0%) - Social Security * $466.0 billion (+4.0%) - Defense * $394.5 billion (+12.4%) - Medicare * $367.0 billion (+2.0%) - Unemployment and welfare * $276.4 billion (+2.9%) - Medicaid and other health related * $243.7 billion (+13.4%) - Interest on debt * $89.9 billion (+1.3%) - Education and training * $76.9 billion (+8.1%) - Transportation * $72.6 billion (+5.8%) - Veterans' benefits * $43.5 billion (+9.2%) - Administration of justice * $33.1 billion (+5.7%) - Natural resources and environment * $32.5 billion (-15.4%) - Foreign affairs * $27.0 billion (+3.7%) - Agriculture * $26.8 billion (+28.7%) - Community and regional development * $25.0 billion (+4.0%) - Science and technology * $20.1 billion (+11.4%) - General government * $1.1 billion (-47.6%) - Energy Edited April 26, 2007 by Ursa Majoris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Here ya go. Federal budget 2007, from Wikipedia. Gotta love that interest on debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 (edited) Gotta love that interest on debt. At least the government can deduct that interest expense on its federal income tax return. Edited April 26, 2007 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 This is flat wrong. Sarbanes-Oxley is a HUGH pain in the ass but companies brought this entirely on themselves by flagrantly breaking the law and having pathetically lax practices. You give the government a chance to legislate, then you can bet your ass it will. If companies had got their $hit together as they should, no legislation would have been forthcoming. I can hardly believe the affect SOX has had on my job. I'm doing 3 or 4 times the documentation I was pre-SOX. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's clear that companies are taking it seriously. Ursa is right - it's a real PIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I can hardly believe the affect SOX has had on my job. I'm doing 3 or 4 times the documentation I was pre-SOX. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's clear that companies are taking it seriously. Ursa is right - it's a real PIA. A lot of companies have entire SOX sections doing nothing but compliance. It has to be taken seriously because auditors will nail your ass to the mast if they find lack of compliance - none of them want to go the Arthur Andersen route. Fortunately, we're private so we're not subject to SOX.....yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 * $89.9 billion (+1.3%) - Education and training $25.0 billion (+4.0%) - Science and technology that is just plane sad..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.