Posts Made By: Greg Shaffer

Russ Carroll said:

End of message

David Cotterell said:

Inspired by the "What, Me Worry?" thread....

The current US debt is pretty close to $17 000 000 000 000. (I asked Siri for all numbers in this post....)

[COLOR="Blue"]Siri is full of shit, as of this reply it is 19 trillion, 967 billion, 234 million and climbing....

[/COLOR][COLOR="Green"]Assume that some sort of bipartisan cooperation (!) can be achieved to eliminate this debt in some finite number of years. Say 17 years for round numbers' sake. Debt gone by the end of 2034. This presidential administration plus nearly 5 more. These administrations will be a mix of R and D, in all liklihood. A trillion dollars a year skimmed from the US economy every year and applied directly to the debt.

And, at the same time, running balanced budgets each of the 17 years so that the debt snake does not continue to consume its own tail... (In 2016 spending exceeded revenue by 0.6 Trillion...)

so we are really searching for 1.6 Trillion per year.[/COLOR]

From whence cometh the 1.6 trillion? What specific programs/entitlements/entities or what have you can be eliminated to come up with this level of $?

To what degree does the average taxpayer have to become part of the solution in order to contribute? Should there be any tax increases for this? Corporate taxes?

What entitlements can be cut? Social Security? Medicare? Obamacare-or-whatever-replaces-it? Welfare? Food Stamps? Police, Fire? Public libraries? Infrastructure maintenance? Parks? Education? (I know I am mixing up Fed, State and Municipal things here but cuts at all levels would obviously seem to be necessary...)

How about the military? (2017 budget: $523.9 billion 0r about 0.5 trillion....) Can some significant trimming be done there?

And, perhaps the biggest question of all, what happens to the day-to-day lifestyle and quality of life of the citizenry when massive cuts are put in place?

The above is all terribly rhetorical but needs to be discussed... In any sane,practical sense, the items in green, above, are very likely too aggressive. A 51 year plan would maybe be a better idea - only have to look for more like 0.5 to 0.7 trillion a year.... (and no more deficit budgets!!) Just imagine 51 years of bi-partisan cooperation on this......

Your thoughts?

Dave

James Lacey said:

Well, it has not been a good week for Team Trump, to say the least.

1. The Browder testimony before Congress.

[COLOR="Blue"]Having read his entire testimony I didn't see any mention of anyone in trumps administration or of Trump.....

[/COLOR]
2. The Mooch's profanity laced melt-down.

[COLOR="Blue"]I will give ya that one....he made mistake and it was pretty bad

[/COLOR]
3. The complete collapse of the Republican health care bill.

[COLOR="Blue"]I wouldn't go that far....they just have not come up with anything worth having yet lol
[/COLOR]

4. The Joint Chiefs have no idea about this transgender ban announced over twitter.

[COLOR="Blue"]I don't follow that ridiculous crap
[/COLOR]
5. The head of the BSA apologizes for Trump's speech.

[COLOR="Blue"]Much ado about very little.
[/COLOR]

6. The veto proof Russia sanction bill that is sitting on his desk.

[COLOR="Blue"]Good with that one
[/COLOR]

7. The reporting about Tillerson's Rexit.

[COLOR="Blue"]Much of it fake news, hard to tell whats legit
[/COLOR]

8. The embarrassing public assault on Sessions.

[COLOR="Blue"]I agree Trump is chewing his foot on Sessions
[/COLOR]

Did I miss anything? Some are saying the Trump Presidency is effectively dead, which is of course hyperbole at best, but this is what I would hardly call "winning."

Matt Weiss said:

Any recommendations on a good quality observing chair? My only real criteria is it fold flat without any mechanical disassembly (i.e. no nuts or bolts or threaded fasteners to deal with)

Thanks- Matt

Russ Carroll said:

and I doubt we have that long to wait, probably before 1Q18. As soon as Mueller uncovers the very thing Trump is afraid of, he'll do it. He won't call it resigning, he will call it something more like "you don't deserve me as President" and "leave".

He will blame Congress, the Fake media, Democrats, and his most vulgar criticism will be the fake Republicans that won't support him.

He, like Hitler, is willing to throw America itself under the bus to try and save himself.

Joseph Hoener said:

Hello. Can someone provide contact info for the Astromart webmaster? I'm trying to troubleshoot apparent messaging problems. Thanks!


-Joe

Mel Maki said:

It would be nice to have a record of messages sent. I don't see the messages I have sent until they are answered.

David Cotterell said:

Trump failed to properly address the Charlottesville events. He weasled out a 'Both Sides Are Bad" comment. That's it. His total failure to name the hate groups specifically and tell them they are [COLOR="Red"]not true Americans or Patriots[/COLOR] is a glaring example of his fear of offending a portion of his support base. Disgusting lack of true leadership.

Both sides Bad? What a bunch of smarmy waffling. The Fascists arrived with clubs, weapons, helmets, jackboots, flak vests, heavy leather gloves - everything needed to beat the shit out of the counter protesters that would inevitably come to resist them. If the Nazis didn't feel empowered to rally yesterday the counter-protesters would have stayed home reading Thoreau and Pirsig and playing their Arcade Fire albums. There would have been just another peaceful Saturday in a small southern city. No one injured, no three deaths.

Thank the fates that Virginia Governer McAuliffe spoke the words that Trump should have spoken. Clear, forceful, succinct, specific and accurate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-D8wEFa3r0

And, lurking just about a month away, on September 16, is a planned rally by the same Nazi/Fascist/KKK/WhitePower groups at the National Capitol which they are ominously calling "The Mother Of All Rallies." What is to be done? Who will lead?

Dave

Keith Fredrickson said:

Well I don't really hate it, but I would like to see a new listing category for sponsors. The M&OA can really get convoluted with new and renewed memberships.