Skip to main content

Someone turn out the lights, we're out of here! (never mind, they'll get turned off soon enough)

Well. we did it. An incompetent congress, directed by an incompetent president has taken our national debt to a whole new record! Sometime this week (as I write this on Dec 23, 2011) our national debt has exceeded our GDP.

Now some of you do not know what a GDP is. (some of you don't care, but then you shouldn't be reading this - move on to some of my light hearted ones - they get all the hits anyway). GDP, or Gross Domestic Product is the total of the value of all the goods and services produced/performed in the U.S. combined with the value of all the goods produced and exported, minus the value of the goods imported. Or, GDP = private consumption + gross investment + government spending, + (exports - imports).  There are other ways of measuring GDP, but in theory at least they should all add to the same number.

What really bothers me is this travesty occurred while Congress was battling over extending a social security tax suspension for two months. TWO FREAKIN' MONTHS!! Whether you think the idea is a good one or not (a whole other subject) is there anyone that thinks congressional leaders, members, and staff should have devoted the better part of a month on extending a tax break for TWO MONTHS. They fought over it for half the time that the tax will be deferred! Then they have to do it all over again! This is why government does not work!!

The only solution I see is to end the cycle of re-election that has these anointed ones scrambling for sound bites every day instead of doing their job, is term limits. If you read the history of Constitution of the U.S. the designers were wondering about the clauses that cover terms and eligibility for office. They were worried about getting good people to run and serve. The House of Representatives is the "people's" chamber. The representatives were to come to Washington, serve their term, and GO HOME! The founders kept the term at two years to insure that people would serve, knowing they could go back to "real life" in just two years. If they served two terms, it would only be four. Now we have people that spend their entire careers there. John Dingell was sworn in under a flag with FORTY-EIGHT STARS!! That's right, he was sworn in to his first term in 1955!! That is ridiculous! I don't care how good a job he is doing, he should go home and let someone else serve.

We have a very important election coming up. We need to vote for people, not politicians. We need to vote for people that will help set up term limits for congress. This is the only way to remove the pressure that makes these people, when elected, go crazy and to be afraid to make the decisions that need to be made. The spending we are doing now at the federal and state levels CANNOT BE SUSTAINED! I don't care how many millionaires you tax, it cannot be sustained. We have to CUT SPENDING! We have to get people in Washington that will do so.

If you want an education into our national debt and spending read this post from earlier in the year:
http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2011/07/im-back-and-were-all-broke.html

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Our Guv'ment

Section 8 - Powers of Congress The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises , to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and Post Roads ; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings a...

Who's got gas?

Here is another thing that is bothering me - I am tired of people whining about gas prices. Gas was never free!! When people whine about "$40 to fill my tank" they forget that even at $2 a gallon it was $25 or so to fill it!! Here are some numbers: The average car in the U.S. is driven about 12,000 miles a year. If you get 20 MPG (hey if you are driving a Hummer, getting 10, I don't want to hear it!) That is 600 gallons of gas a year. Most people would be estatic if gas was at $2 a gallon again -SO, that is about $600 a year (for the extra $1 a gallon) or $11.54 a week. Now I know there are a LOT of folks that were struggling to pay the $2, but the average person I know was not. Here is another way to look at it. How many Starbuck's coffees or lattes have you had lately at $$37.33 a gallon? ($3.50 for a 12 oz one) How about a beer on an airplane at $53.33 a gallon? ($5 per) Then there is bottled water at $10.66 a gallon. ($1 a 12oz bottle -and it can be MUCH higher...

A Three Hour Tour, or, Perchance to drown

Imagine you and your spouse, or significant other, are on a nice boat ride called life. You are on this inconceivably large boat in a sea of unimaginable size on a trip of indeterminate length. Once in a while, you go through some beautiful. almost indescribable days where birds sing, wonderful angelic music accompanies you in your daily activities , and everything you want is there before you. Then there are the dark and stormy days where all you can do is hold on to the rail and upchuck your lunch into the water. Most of the days, however, are just a boat ride. One day your spouse falls overboard, fully clothed, and for no apparent reason. You quickly toss them a line, and say"hold on, I'll get you out!" There is no reason to panic, people fall into the water all the time. Plus, they are a fairly strong swimmer, we will get them out. So, you start pulling on the rope. After pulling and pulling you notice they are not any closer to the boat. You decide you need help....