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Republicans reject Obama's $4 trillion budget

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accusing him of “shamelessly pandering” to Democrats ahead of the 2016 election.

As opposed to "shamelessly pandering" to the Tea Party. LOL.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

This was a no brainer! As if anyone were surprised. As if the GOP would be that stupid and Obama knows exactly full well that they would never go for this and fight this every step of the way.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

Now the negotiation begins. If you're really into partisan politics and gridlock and angry white dudes complaining about the president, then this should be an exciting story to follow. The Republican party sickens and disgusts me to no end. There's a big tax credit in there, but of course this budget in their words is nothing but "massive new tax hikes," which is their way of saying, "You're trying to get the wealthy to pay something, anything!" So obviously, it's class warfare when you ask corporations to chip in. That's the way they'll sell it to their rabidly anti-Obama base who seem easily mobilized to argue against their own best interests every time. But at the same time, I'm just stunned at the whole idea of "mandatory caps" and the ease with which they're ignored. That would be hilarious if the situation wasn't so dire.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Now the negotiation begins. If you're really into partisan politics and gridlock and angry white dudes complaining about the president, then this should be an exciting story to follow. The Republican party sickens and disgusts me to no end.

Now you understand, how I feel about the Dems.

There's a big tax credit in there, but of course this budget in their words is nothing but "massive new tax hikes,"

So where is this credit that the Dems are talking about? What are the Dems proposals about cutting taxes on the ever growing huge entitlement culture we are building, for some reason I don't hear the Dems plan on that.

"You're trying to get the wealthy to pay something, anything!"

How much more do you want them to pay? Why is it and how is it fair that over 50% of Americans don't pay any taxes??

So obviously, it's class warfare when you ask corporations to chip in. That's the way they'll sell it to their rabidly anti-Obama base who seem easily mobilized to argue against their own best interests every time. But at the same time, I'm just stunned at the whole idea of "mandatory caps" and the ease with which they're ignored. That would be hilarious if the situation wasn't so dire.

Each side is going to play to their base, the libs do it as well. Either you are for paying more taxes or for cutting them. Just depends on which side of the political fence you sit and want to support

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

Turns out I was right. The Republicans outright rejected it, and the people see them for what they are - anti-middle class. Win for the Democrats.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Why is it and how is it fair that over 50% of Americans don't pay any taxes??

@bass4funk You might want to take that one up with the Founding Fathers. It used to be that only land owners paid taxes. Income tax was occasionally used to pay off wars, but it did not become permanent until 1913.

As it stands now, the richest 5 percent of Americans hold about 62 percent of all the wealth. The poorest 60 percent hold only 4 percent of the wealth. If you have even the slightest understanding of math, that should be a huge wake up call. The rich have been given every advantage in America. If this keeps up, they will soon have every penny of it. The poor should not even be paying sales tax at this point!

The question you should be asking is why a man with billions should get away with paying such a small percentage while his country is so massively in debt. Taking every single dollar away from literally thousands of poor people could not approach the level he could be pulling his country out of debt and still live in riches!

@everyone Why does the U.S. government need so much money anyway? The Founding Fathers certainly did not envision a government this bloated. All these taxes were certainly not what they fought the American Revolutionary War for is it? So what's it for? Well one big one is funding the U.S. military, which is quite the overblown resource hog. Its the largest socialist organization in the world and generates no income directly. America outspends any country on the military by multiples. That cannot be justified. So where are the military spending cuts?

The military industrial complex is going to be the undoing of America as we used to know it. Its already half way there. And for so many Americans, the topic of military spending cuts is about as welcome as talking about eye surgery at the breakfast table! And of course we have a country with only two parties and the only answer to any question they can say is "NO!".

America is doomed. By that I don't mean America will disappear. By that I mean its going to suck even more than it already does.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

how is it fair that over 50% of Americans don't pay any taxes??

Is that the rich ones or the poor ones?

Lobby groups representing Google, Amazon and other powerful US tech multinationals have launched a fierce attack on global plans to stamp out artificial corporate structures used to avoid tax.

<http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/21/us-tech-tax-avoidance-google-amazon-apple>

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Turns out I was right. The Republicans outright rejected it, and the people see them for what they are - anti-middle class. Win for the Democrats.

Middle class income has declined during the Obama recovery. Obama's redistributionist policies have proven to be a failure. Employment as a percentage of working aged adults is at historical highs. Obama has sought to move the middle class onto government programs but that is a dead end. What the middle class needs are jobs and an expanding economy. The American people know that and as a result tossed Obama's party out of power in Congress last November specifically to thwart his misplaced legislative priorities.

The Republican's rightly deemed Obama's historically high budget spending dead on arrival. I love it. Keep the sequester in place until the annual budget is balanced. Remember, the payments on interest for the national debt is now just under $300 million and is expanding quickly. So basically a large part of borrowing is just for paying for previous borrowing. Time to smarten up Obama. Remember, high deficits and debt are unpatriotic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyLmru6no4U

-13 ( +1 / -14 )

Obama balloons up the deficit than many presidency combined. He talks about helping the poor and middle class, guess what? the poor who depend upon welfare are at highest , and middle classes' income have dropped being squeezed by more taxes. If no private sectors increase the oil production as he opposed, the economy would be worse. False image and rhetoric without substance are Obama's specialty as poisonous feeds to Obamabots who have no accountability for future generation .Alleged speaking, if Obama kept some residual forces in Iraq, the two Japanese might be still alive!

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

This is one of the reasons why politics and politicians suck.

Both Republican and Democratic parties are guilty of halting progress because of their own selfish gains and interests. Politicians don't care about the people who put them in office, or ideas that can progress their country and humankind for the better. They'd rather bathe in their own faux power while upholding corporate interests and strongholds.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Republicans have already accused Obama of instigating class warfare and fiscal impropriety.

This is a sick joke! This non-yank has watched the repubs act so incredibly Un-American for 6yrs its disgusting!

And class warfare............YES the rich have waged a MASSIVE case of class war fare going on 3decades now non-stop!! How the hell do you think the rich have horded assets to stunningly unprecedented levels!! And at super low tax rates...........WTF it has to end, these parasites need to be eradicated & quickly.

The repubs I think are going to look very scary in 2016 once the election starts.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Welcome to the beginning of the GOP's 3rd straight election defeat. The writing is on the wall for those who have eyes to see it. This budget will help shape the election debate and Obama and the Dems have no doubt planned this so that Republicans say 'No!' in all the right check boxes so that Dems can box conservative candidates in during the 2016 campaign.

And here's some news for all the conservatives out there who - strangely - seem to have convinced themselves that Obama is "wrecking" the economy: 

You want to talk jobs? Where's the jobs?

Let's talk jobs -  Right now, America's enjoying the longest period of private sector job creation in American history..

www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/09/15/obamas-claim-that-businesses-are-in-the-longest-uninterrupted-stretch-of-job-creation/

Deficit? Let's talk deficit:

The Federal budget deficit is shrinking. It’s been reduced by two-thirds since 2009. "The $1.4 trillion federal budget deficit that Obama inherited in 2009 was in a large part due to the high rate of unemployment.  When millions of people were put out of work in 2008 and 2009, it resulted in far less income taxes and less economic activity to generate federal revenue. As ten million people have been put back to work, there have been billions more tax dollars generated. As a result, the deficit has been SHRINKING each year.  The 2014 deficit is projected to be around $500 billion, the smallest deficit since 2007 and roughly 1/3 of what it was in 2009."

www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_deficit_chart.html

Hey, income taxes are way down, too.

"For 95% of American taxpayers, income taxes are lower now than just about any time in the previous 50 years. After President Obama took office, thousands of Tea Party members all over the country held rallies protesting Obama’s tax increases.  At that time, President Obama had actually passed several tax cuts to stimulate the economy.  Most of the Tea Partiers who were protesting had only seen their taxes decrease under Obama. Yet polls indicated that most Tea Party members wrongly believed their taxes had gone up. In fact, the only people whose income taxes have gone up during Obama’s presidency are those making $400,000 per year or more.  That's less than 2% of the population.  Today, for the vast majority of people, tax rates are exactly where they were when Obama first took office or lower. The article below from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explains this in greater detail."

www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3151

Oops!

Oh, and one more - Obamacare's added years to the life of Medicare. "The Medicare trust fund had been on course to run out of money by the end of 2016. But due to cost savings from the Affordable Care Act and lower healthcare expenses, Medicare’s trust fund is now stable until the year 2030 without cutting benefits."

http://online.wsj.com/articles/medicare-social-security-headed-in-different-directions-1406564712

That's probably going to directly help you and your families.

Terrible! 

Here's more: 14 Facts About The Obama Presidency That Most People Don’t Know

http://jeff61b.hubpages.com/hub/14-Facts-About-The-Obama-Presidency-That-Most-People-Dont-Know

6 ( +8 / -2 )

And...WHY am I NOT surprised !! The elephat constantly stomping on the donkey!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sushi,

yeah its amazing how blind the repubs are.

And their followers............. are getting dumber & dumber, the repubs have made most of their followers believe a bunch of crap that makes their lives worse off, the affordable health care act for example, many of these idiots think universal health care is some commie invention wtf!

And they dangle the good ole "American Dream BS" in front of them & the idiots have swallowed hook line & sinker, heck its a wonder they are dying from lead poisoning they have swallowed so much of the BS!!!

The US has lots of problems & BOTH the dems & repubs need to do more for the poorer & middle classes NOT just allow the rich to rape the economy for the benefit of the very few that has gone on for 3decades now!

And govts worldwide need to seriously start tracking down & cutting off the ways the rich hide their spoils, its gotten way beyond obscene a long time ago! And ditto for companies that do the same, they don't want to pay taxes where they do business they shouldnt be allowed to do business there!

7 ( +10 / -3 )

a one-time 14 percent tax on the estimated $2 trillion of untaxed earnings held by US firms overseas.

Now how are they supposed to create jobs when the government is taking 14% of their $2 trillion? Guess they'll just have to save up a little more?

Wolfpack: Middle class income has declined during the Obama recovery. Obama's redistributionist policies have proven to be a failure.

Or perhaps there never was anything close to "redistribution policies" that Republicans pundits often talk of. Can you name a few for me, and be specific?

Bgood41: and middle classes' income have dropped being squeezed by more taxes.

Can you be specific on the taxes they are paying that have ballooned under Obama? And how does it compare with the overall tax rate people pay?

Wolfpack: The American people know that and as a result tossed Obama's party out of power in Congress last November specifically to thwart his misplaced legislative priorities.

How does that jive with the approval ratings? I've brought this up to you before but you retreated back to the Republican bubble. Obviously you feel it's safe to bring this point out again....but I'm still here waiting. If you really want to learn something, take this information back into the bubble, and actually ask other Republicans about it.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Republicans are stopping progress by not letting Obama have his way?

Every time Obama asks for somethings its either for increasing spending or raising taxes. It took sequestration to make any cuts to our out of control budget and that wasn't even enough. Some major cuts need to happen both to welfare and the military.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

The 4 trillion budget proposal is difficult for me to image,taxes,inflation,and the debt to follow would look horribly ugly for the people already having a hard time as it is. Though the proposal may sound good but its hard to say if its the ideal one.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Welcome to the beginning of the GOP's 3rd straight election defeat.

You said that a few years ago on JT and you were proven wrong....twice. Try again.

The writing is on the wall for those who have eyes to see it. This budget will help shape the election debate and Obama and the Dems have no doubt planned this so that Republicans say 'No!' in all the right check boxes so that Dems can box conservative candidates in during the 2016 campaign.

Yeah, and it's that exact thinking of we know what's best for you so shut up is what got the Dems tossed out of office...twice. Because believe it or not, the GOP didn't put themselves in office, they were elected to stop this madman from further damaging the country and it looks like they are on the right track so far.

Let's talk jobs - Right now, America's enjoying the longest period of private sector job creation in American history..

Hmmm, let's take a more in depth look at that spin.

http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/04/the-private-sector-not-obama-created-this-recovery/

The growth was propelled by a big rise in business investment, up nearly 9 percent, personal consumption up 3.2 percent and exports up 4.5 percent. Government spending, which is a negative for the economy, grew by 4.4 percent thanks to a big rise in military spending, but domestic spending is still restrained.

The news was so good that even the threat that the Federal Reserve will now have an excuse to raise interest rates couldn’t deter the bulls on Wall Street.

What’s generating the growth?

A huge factor has been the fall in energy costs. As the oil price fell from $105 a barrel this summer to close to $70 by September, the cost of oil imports tumbled. Imports fell by nearly 2 percent, and this alone added almost 0.2 percentage points to gross domestic product growth.

How about Free community college, which is technically already free.

http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/01/president_obamas_free_communit.html

The skills gap hits especially hard in manufacturing, science, healthcare and engineering jobs, and it is impacting our ability to remain economically competitive on the world stage. Something must be done. The President is once again more interested in making headlines than offering legitimate solutions.

Immediately after learning about the proposal, I asked how much the proposal would cost the taxpayer and how it would be paid for. Much to my surprise, the White House didn't even have a cost estimate. Only later did the White House issue a cost estimate of over $60 billion dollars, and they still haven't said how they would pay for it. If this was a serious proposal, don't you think the White House would have had a cost estimate ready, as well as a proposal on how to cover those costs?

States are also expected to foot a portion of the bill, but I seriously doubt the feasibility of adding these additional costs to state budgets. In Alabama, we are already facing a serious budget shortfall, and it is unrealistic to think we could shoulder another major expenditure, one with no limit or control on overall costs.

Then how about the stifling corporate tax rate

http://taxfoundation.org/article/us-states-lead-world-high-corporate-taxes

if lawmakers are serious about making the U.S. corporate tax system more competitive internationally, corporate tax rates will have to be reduced both in Washington and in state capitals. State officials should be champions of substantial cuts in the federal corporate tax rate because there is only so much they can do to improve their own competitiveness. After all, even corporations that operate in the three states that do not impose a major state-level corporate tax—Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming—still shoulder a higher corporate tax rate than fifth-ranked France and 24 other OECD countries because of the 35 percent federal corporate rate.

Oh, and then there is the true facts on Obamacare.....

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/19551-obamacare-in-2015-premiums-and-penalties-up

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which President Barack Obama once promised would “lower [health insurance] premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year,” is instead going to cost the average family significantly more for coverage next year unless that family switches to another plan — and even then, in many instances, premiums will still increase. Another investigation into ObamaCare premiums also uncovered significant increases. An Investor’s Business Daily analysis of rates in the largest city in each of 34 states participating in the federal exchange “found that for a 27-year-old earning 250% of the poverty level, the lowest-cost bronze plan, including any subsidies, would rise an average 7%. The lowest-cost silver plan in these 34 cities would rise an average 9%, while the cheapest unsubsidized catastrophic policy would jump almost 18%.” And the October Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that just 36 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the ACA, while 43 percent have an unfavorable view. Simply put, Americans have never liked ObamaCare; and as long as the law — as it must — continues to hike insurance rates and to penalize people for making rational financial decisions, they probably never will. The problem is, you are using a one-sided view as to painting a very rosy picture that Obama's so called utopia everyone is happy and frolicking and there is an entirely different side and more realistic look at the disaster that Obama is. If you like him, fine! But don't spin that Obama is this savior of us all when he isn't even close to it.

But Dems see in only one color spectrum and that's Blue and if they keep it up, they'll be crying a sea of blue tears

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

bass

Then how about the stifling corporate tax rate

http://taxfoundation.org/article/us-states-lead-world-high-corporate-taxes

The article you linked to is from March, 2008, when GW Bush was president. Nice try though.

I'm not about to attribute all of the economic upturns to Obama's presidency or relieve him from some responsibility for the negatives (e.g. income inequality). A president has limited power. This is the real world, and it's complex. It's not a cartoon.

I disagreed with Bush's economic policies, but I never thought the man was singlehandedly to blame for sinking the economy in 2008.

Let's keep some perspective.

stop this madman from further damaging the country

Comments like this are not constructive engagement, and do not lend credibility to your outlook.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

All I know is I'm seeing jobs now. Hiring signs are currently all over the place now. For the past 3 years I was able to not just get a job, but a STABLE career. During the previous presidency I WAS officially HOMELESS for 6 years because I couldn't find a JOB. There was a drastic rise in homelessness in my state and I wasn't the only one. I have something NOW that I didn't see when Bush was in office and the republicans were in complete power. Opportunity, and JOB SECURITY. Don't think I can't see the difference in that.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

What’s generating the growth?

Not the trickle down from the trillions in corporate savings or the 1%? We'll knock me over with a feather.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Republicans' solution to "class warfare" -- make the 99% become 99.5%, and the 1% become 0.5%.

"What’s generating the growth? -- A huge factor has been the fall in energy costs."

Then how come it's not helping Japan that much, which imports all its energy? US is major oil producer, so the falling prices are actually bad news for its considerable oil energy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Amusing watching the Repubs killing themselves!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The article you linked to is from March, 2008, when GW Bush was president. Nice try though.

That was a slip up. Hey, even I can make mistakes sometimes, If Obama can do it on a daily an hourly basis, why can't I?

Comments like this are not constructive engagement, and do not lend credibility to your outlook.

That's what you might think, I understand libs are always allowed to make mistakes, but a conservative, you have to be perfect. Plastic, you're trying to hard.

Not the trickle down from the trillions in corporate savings or the 1%? We'll knock me over with a feather.

And the income redistribution is not either, in fact, it's driving the 1% away, try again!

Amusing watching the Repubs killing themselves!

Well, not really. The only people they are killing is the admin. attempt at trying to seriously with a straight face get the GOP to go along with a tax increase that Obama will never see the light of day. As much as I hate this gridlock, I will just pray that the GOP will be the pinnacle obstacle and stone in Obama's shoe at every turn. the people voted, they wanted the Dems out, they got what they wished for, someone that can take on the bully.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The US really needs to change it's two party system. What a binary disaster. It never seems to stop.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So you're saying that you are personally making a killing with Obama's economics while at the same time Obama's economics are driving people like you out of the country.

Such is bass.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Why is this Obama fella always trying to help people, particularly those not so well off? What is wrong with this man? It's not the American way.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

That was a slip up. Hey, even I can make mistakes sometimes,

That's OK. It's easy to confuse corporate tax rates under Bush and under Obama. Because the rates are exactly the same. Only difference is one president is a Republican (good man), the other a Democrat (bad man).

I understand libs are always allowed to make mistakes, but a conservative, you have to be perfect. Plastic, you're trying to hard.

I know. I'll try harder to 'except the reality' and not let facts cloud my judgment.

I will just pray that the GOP will be the pinnacle obstacle and stone in Obama's shoe at every turn

Yea, even unto the pinnacle an obstacle we shall be. Not as a pebble but as a stone in the evildoer's unholy shoe.

I have a great idea for Obama. He should suggest lowering taxes on the wealthy, increasing them on the poor, and spending less on infrastructure. The GOP will automatically reject the proposals, suggest the opposite, and Bob's your uncle.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So you're saying that you are personally making a killing with Obama's economics while at the same time Obama's economics are driving people like you out of the country.

What does what I make privately have anything to do with what happens in the public sector? Where's the correlation?

Such is bass.

I am indeed the funk master!

That's OK. It's easy to confuse corporate tax rates under Bush and under Obama. Because the rates are exactly the same. Only difference is one president is a Republican (good man), the other a Democrat (bad man).

Never said Obama is a bad man, in fact, he might be a very cool guy, but as a leader and how he governs, bad is an understatement.

I have a great idea for Obama. He should suggest lowering taxes on the wealthy, increasing them on the poor, and spending less on infrastructure. The GOP will automatically reject the proposals, suggest the opposite, and Bob's your uncle.

No, it would be better if Obama would use his brain and try to govern from the center, but that would be asking too much from a person that has an egotistical mindset.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Trickle-down economics is carpola.

Send that money direct to the middle class, none of your trickle-down through the public sector, and while you're at it don't forget to add having a percentage of income taxes paid in direct labor, with no exclusion for rich or poor. Of course all those labor hours would inconvenience government employees, put many upon many of their jobs at risk, but did we really need them doing all that work in the first place?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What does what I make privately have anything to do with what happens in the public sector? Where's the correlation?

What are you smoking? That makes no sense.

it would be better if Obama would use his brain and try to govern from the center, but that would be asking too much from a person that has an egotistical mindset.

You mean keeping almost all of Bush's tax cuts in place is super liberal egotistical imperial socialism?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What are you smoking? That makes no sense

I wouldn't expect most libs to understand that.

You mean keeping almost all of Bush's tax cuts in place is super liberal egotistical imperial socialism?

As much as I liked Bush, the man wasn't a fiscal Conservative by any means!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Yeah, your response didn't make any sense at all.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Obama's Trickle Down Government policies are not working. Time for a change - and maybe a little hope. $18 trillion in debt and counting is Obama's legacy. Not very patriotic. But there are Just 23 more months and counting until the end of America's first full on experiment in Progressive governance. There is still a chance the country can survive. Like my boy Jesse always says, "Keep hope alive!"

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

bassfunk: What does what I make privately have anything to do with what happens in the public sector? Where's the correlation?

plasticmonkey: What are you smoking? That makes no sense.

It makes sense. Public sector jobs are funded differently and have different levels of effort, responsibility, and stability.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherbedding

Featherbedding is the practice of hiring more workers than are needed to perform a given job, or to adopt work procedures which appear pointless, complex and time-consuming merely to employ additional workers.[1] The term "make-work" is sometimes used as a synonym for featherbedding.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_rice_bowl

"Iron rice bowl" is a Chinese term used to refer to an occupation with guaranteed job security, as well as steady income and benefits.[1] The Chinese term can be compared to the similar (but not identical) English concept of a breadwinner with cradle to grave socialism. Traditionally, people considered to have iron rice bowls include military personnel, members of the civil service, as well as employees of various state run enterprises (through the mechanism of the work unit).[2]

Because the "Iron Rice Bowl" guaranteed a stable standard of living regardless of the amount of effort made by the worker, the term is used to describe extremely unmotivated and unproductive workers.

... In the Western society, the term has a similar usage. It has been popularized by Richard Lindzen in reference to government-funded scientists and labs that use their research results to justify continued government funding. Lindzen's thesis is that the intrinsic link between reporting and funding provides incentives to report research results in such a way as to ensure continued funding.[7] The related term "rice bowl" often refers to a military project which is being protected in the interests of a particular department rather than wider needs.[1]

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Well that certainly got weird fast.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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