As an indication of where the country is, the following blog reports on a poll that Americans do not want cuts in benefits but do favor an increase in taxation. We would like to know more about the survey, however, we think it is fairly safe to assume that the respondents who said they wanted an increase in taxes, wanted the increase on someone else.
Americans are acting like spoiled children who want everything but do not want to do anything to get it. "I want my benefits but don't tax me more--tax those wealthy guys!" seems to be the mantra of the day.
Whether we go over the cliff or not, makes little difference if we do not change the way we think about the benefits the government provides us. We simply cannot afford them anymore. Without bottom line cuts, in many cases very deep cuts, this country will sooner or later have to bankrupt itself or have others do it for us.
The time has come for our leadership to explain the mess we are in and stop politicizing the crisis. We need real solutions, not sound bites. Are you listening Washington?
Conservative Tom
Poll: Americans Want A Fiscal Cliff Deal Without Spending Cuts
December 19, 2012 by Sam Rolley
PHOTOS.COM
A new poll indicates that a majority of Americans want to have their cake and eat it, too.
An ABC News-Washington Post poll released yesterday indicates that a majority of Americans want to avoid the coming fiscal cliff, but are largely opposed to necessary spending cuts that would emerge from an agreement between President Barack Obama and Congress.
Respondents to the poll indicated that they favor a mixture of tax hikes and spending cuts in averting the financial calamity. They, however, remained opposed to any cuts to military or Medicaid spending. Sixty-five percent of those polled said that the Federal government should work out a deal that both raises taxes and cuts spending. But 55 percent of the same respondents said that lawmakers should avoid cuts to military spending and 68 percent opposed Medicaid cuts.
The poll also indicated that broader entitlement reforms are unpopular with the majority of Americans. Sixty percent of those polled said they are against raising the Medicare eligibility age; the same number did not support restructuring Social Security to slow rate increases.
Thirty-one percent of the respondents described themselves as Democrats, 24 percent Republicans and 38 percent claimed to be independents
Wall Street created this fiscal situation. Let them pay for it for a change, instead of giving them trillions in bailouts to sink us deeper into debt with QE4, QE5, etc. Of course, that won't happen, because it is not even an option on the table between Obama and Boehner. As I say, Wall Street runs the government.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, as for health care costs, use Obamacare to bring down costs in the short-term, and then go universal health care in the long-term (like all the rest of the civilized democracies in the world!). For Social Security, eliminate the cap fixes the problem for the next 75 years. I know you don't want to believe that, but every independent, nonpartisan study, including CBO, confirms it.
--David