05 Feb 10
1 edit
Originally posted by whodeycurrent fiscal policy is dictated almost entirely by Congress.
Indeed, there is not much room for Obama to manuever. So what does he do? He seeks even bigger entitlements that would give the US less room to manuever.
The US has allowed Presidents from about a century ago dictate current fiscal policy today. It then matters little who else preceeds them, unless they make it worse like Obama is trying to do.
All of the entitlements that are in place are the result of legislation passed by Congress. All of the discretionary spending is also the result of annual appropriations passed by Congress. The president's job here is mainly to make a lot of speeches so the talking heads have something to poke fun at.
The only thing the president can actually DO is propose programs or a budget and then watch helplessly from his bully pulpit as Congress decides to do (or not do) whatever it orginally wanted to do anyway. The only power the president has is his veto pen.
05 Feb 10
Originally posted by KazetNagorraI was being sarcastic. Americans hate welfare for the poor but will fight and die for the right to protect welfare for the rich. Military industrial complex. There's a sacred cash cow if ever there was one. Corporate welfare, tick, that patriotic, thats American.
Do you have a reason to suspect this danger could materialize?
I.e. if you look at countries with extensive social security systems, do they have "a class of people hooked on welfare"?
Social welfare, cross, thats pinko subversive godless commie loving traitor trash, definitely UN-American.
05 Feb 10
1 edit
Originally posted by kmax87Meaningless liberal talking point that has no relevance to reality... if you're even serious about that.
I was being sarcastic. Americans hate welfare for the poor but will fight and die for the right to protect welfare for the rich. Military industrial complex. There's a sacred cash cow if ever there was one. Corporate welfare, tick, that patriotic, thats American.
Social welfare, cross, thats pinko subversive godless commie loving traitor trash, definitely UN-American.
05 Feb 10
Originally posted by MelanerpesYes, I know, but massive entitlement programs usually starts at the White House and ends at the White House. That is what I was referring to. Really we must concentrate at the source of our ills which is medicare/social security/defense/ and the interest on the debt.
current fiscal policy is dictated almost entirely by Congress.
All of the entitlements that are in place are the result of legislation passed by Congress. All of the discretionary spending is also the result of annual appropriations passed by Congress. The president's job here is mainly to make a lot of speeches so the talking heads have something to p ...[text shortened]... o) whatever it orginally wanted to do anyway. The only power the president has is his veto pen.
05 Feb 10
Originally posted by KazetNagorraOkay,using your figures thats 5 billion yearly coming in yearly. Minus the 25-45 Billion being saved fighting it.These funds could be better used else where.
I was curious for some numbers, so let's calculate something on the back of an envelope. Income from tobacco tax ( around 200% ) here is 1.8 billion euros per year, roughly 2.5 billion dollars. The amount of regular smokers is about 40% of the population or so, so let's assume the amount of regular pot smokers is about a tenth of that, 4% of the populat ...[text shortened]... therlands. Correcting for population size, that would mean about 5 billion dollars in the U.S.