storm is coming

If you are not in the US, the whole social machinations for money debate which is holding up the US government process has got to seem pretty stupid. If you are in the US, you lives aren’t going to change much on a daily basis. Whether or not you tolerate the Tea Party, support it, or want to drop the rock right back on their thick heads – the implications for US personnel overseas are significant.

Personally, I don’t like being held hostage to some right wing agenda. I make a very good living as does my husband. And we should have our tax rate drop from 35% to 25% because? Why? So that some one on the poverty line can drop below as they pick up a larger share of the burden? So that we cut health services to the impoverished – driving even more into the ERs where care is even more expensive than the basic pre-natal care, childhood immunizations?

To top it off today – it was a USAREUR training holiday. Means that active duty were off work while civilians worried about having a paycheck. About making their own rent, feeding their families. Fretting that they could not get to the commissary today. Which might be shut tomorrow, leaving them without bread, milk and TP.

Never mind you might be able to buy many things cheaper in Germany than in the PX, it is the principle of anxiety foisted off by those who “are holding the troops hostage.”

Last time I looked – that was one of the definitions of terrorists.

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13 Responses to storm is coming

  1. Lynne says:

    Word here is that , regardless of whether there was a shutdown or not, the commissaries would remain open…

  2. Holly says:

    not according to the people who run them. It changed last night – but the assumption of everyone working there, and the management was the PX and commissary would shut. The NAF stuff would stay open (which includes Army billeting but not AF or Navy….)

  3. Cat says:

    I would have no objections to paying tax if I earned enough and Dad does not object to paying tax but I DO object to the government wasting the money or obtaining more than they are entitled to under the legislation of the day and then refusing to refund it so that it can be wasted. Both those things are forms of theft in my view. Taxes should go to the good of all, not so the Premier of this state can open a nice new upgraded oval building nobody needs. (Government is putting $535m – more like $800m – but is cutting back on health, libraries etc).

  4. Diane says:

    Your posting speaks volumes…not only for the US but the UK as well….I think you should post this somewhere online where more hard working people can read.

  5. AlisonH says:

    There’s a good article here on how the system has become ever more rigged, so that 1% of the population now controls 40% of the wealth. http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105?currentPage=2 Warren Buffett asked Congress why his secretary had to pay taxes at a higher rate than he did.

  6. Bob says:

    On a wider scale I think adopting Sweden’s changes in getting people back to work and restructuring the tax base seems workable, but something our government leaders have overlooked.

  7. Bob says:

    And that’s the real kicker. Whatever is ultimately voted for, Congress usually excludes itself from having to be compliant. The very first thing that comes to mind is this new Health Care–nicknamed Obamacare. If it becomes law–which I fervently hope does not happen–Congress has already exempted themselves. So I’m not real sure any government body should be welcome to do what they want for themselves. Oh well, statistically speaking I won’t be around to see the finality of what’s pretty obviously in store.

  8. Mark says:

    The budget for 2011 should have been passed last Oct, when the Dems had control of the both houses and White House. The incumbents punted instead of getting the budget out. They were worried about the election. That was the root cause of the cluster fuck that occurred last week. Congress is exempt from any govt closure or loss of pay. All of them should have to endure a furlough day every pay period for 26 weeks. I had to go through that twice in 30 years with Nassau county. Equaled a 5% pay cut. I voted for it via my PBA(union)so others would not be fired. Congress can’t understand how normal folks and SMs live pay check to pay check. I lent team members money a few times while they had to wait to get their pay straightened out

  9. Ron says:

    Gas is still the cheapest fluid you can purchase by volume in a US gas station… Orange juice is $12 a gallon. Most of the price is in made up taxes designed to get us to drive less. 50% taxes in most states. Taxes wasted on things other than roads or emission controls. No tax is a good tax.

  10. Mitch says:

    “The problem is that if I don’t drive, I can’t get where I need to go…”

    This sums up the broader issue. People have made their choices. Unwillingness to pay for and use public transportation or to live close to commercial and entertainment centers in order to reduce driving has made most people all too willing to pay the premium of high prices gas for the right of driving where they want, as far as they want, when they want (even in the Midwest).

    Sometimes the first place for us to point a finger is toward the mirror. Sigh. (At least since retirement I have been filling the car once a month or less often rather than every other week or more often.)

  11. Bruce says:

    My take from the bru ha ha.

    Neither group could stand the idea of being blamed for cutting the military.

    Our standing in the eyes of the US public is well above the post VN standing that we remember as young adults.

    Early last week, the most vociferous House cutters proposed a bill with at few cuts, one week extension and funding for DOD for the rest of the FY. When the Senate didn’t act on it, they were about to go on record as opposed to continuing the military funding. The possibility of not paying the military was hot politically here.

    When the Senate didn’t take the house bill above, strip off the cuts and send it back to the House, we either were on a compromise or a political suicide mission by the Senate Dems.

    The next battle will be the debt limit which must be raised. The interesting speech on debt limit came from the Jr Senator from Illinois in 2006. The political entertainment should start to peak again in 30 days.

  12. Shawn says:

    I like your sentiments and don’t often hear them voiced – I believe we market/discuss “taxes” in a wholly disparaging, negative way in the US. Visiting a kids interactive museum in Rome last week, one activity taught them to make money and then to spend it via activities, donating, buying things, etc – I laughed when I figured out without using the word ‘taxes’ that a child’s total decreased slightly when they earned money due to “your share to support your community”. Many people simply seem to have no concept of what their taxes are buying.

    You have a commanding voice – I hope you keep speaking.

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