Shutting Down the Govt. - Where Do You Stand?

[charlestudor2005]

Title says it all.

[phatdaty]

I wonder what happens when you're deep in the backcountry of some National Park and it closes?

If a tree falls in a national forest and no park rangers are there to recycle it, will it still become mulch?

[Can I Play Too???]

Not going to happen. QE2 ends in June and you can bet your sweet ass that there will be a QE3 to prop up this falling house of cards. It is possible (it's been discussed by tptb before) that states will borrow from the Fed to keep the gravy train going.

[I B Hankering]

It’s a staged event: the Democrats are trying to paint the Republicans as the bad guys. The reality is that the Democrats dominated Congress last year, and the Democrat controlled Congress could have should have passed almost any budget it wanted by last October (it passed Obamacare? WTF?). It failed! Even after the election, Congress failed to act. The outgoing Democrat congressional representatives had nothing to lose by passing a self-serving budget, but they didn’t. The only possible explanation for their—the Democrats—failure to act in 2010 is to misrepresent the cause of this probable shut-down in the 2012 election.

[Rudyard K]

While a bit oversimplistic...if I were the house? I'd pass a budget (at least a short term one) that funded anything for the American people directly (entitlements, medicare, welfare, etc) but cut the sh*t out of everything else (PBS, foreign aide, any kind of defense that wasn't absoultely required, etc)...and send it to Reid for an "up or down" approval in the Senate. That would keep the doors open.

The American people would be happy to get behind that...until there was a long term budget that really brought down our debt. Only the elitists would be cringing.

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by Rudyard K

While a bit oversimplistic...if I were the house? I'd pass a budget (at least a short term one) that funded anything for the American people directly (entitlements, medicare, welfare, etc) but cut the sh*t out of everything else (PBS, foreign aide, any kind of defense that wasn't absoultely required, etc)...and send it to Reid for an "up or down" approval in the Senate. That would keep the doors open.

The American people would be happy to get behind that...until there was a long term budget that really brought down our debt. Only the elitists would be cringing.

That's been done. The House submitted a budget in mid-February, and the Senate rejected it.

http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-P...10737419709-4/

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by Rudyard K

any kind of defense that wasn't absoultely required,

That would leave some of the larger defense contractor twisting slowly in the wind...

[gnadfly]

Originally Posted by Rudyard K

While a bit oversimplistic...if I were the house? I'd pass a budget (at least a short term one) that funded anything for the American people directly (entitlements, medicare, welfare, etc) but cut the sh*t out of everything else (PBS, foreign aide, any kind of defense that wasn't absoultely required, etc)...and send it to Reid for an "up or down" approval in the Senate. That would keep the doors open.

The American people would be happy to get behind that...until there was a long term budget that really brought down our debt. Only the elitists would be cringing.

The Feb budget passed by the House in Feb may not have all the "provisions" you describe but yes, the HOR passed a budget and the Senate rejected it.

RK is a pretty smart, informed guy so the lesson is the Republicans need to get in front of this and write the narrative. They failed to do so in 2008 and it cost them the election. Simply find someone other than Boehner who might break down crying if someone poses a question about schoolkids not getting fed and press the point that the Republicans are doing their part in sending a budget to the Senate and the President but they opt to reject it forcing a govt shut down. Don't expound on it. Just say the bill is on Reid/Obama's desk.

Let the Democrats justify the shutdown.

[urhuckleberry]

We would quickly learn which Federal employees are non-essential! IMO any bureaucrat in Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, DHHS, HUD, Labor, ad nauseum, is non-essential in my twisted view of things governmental...

Huck

[Rudyard K]

Originally Posted by gnadfly

Republicans need to get in front of this and write the narrative. They failed to do so in 2008 and it cost them the election. Simply find someone other than Boehner who might break down crying if someone poses a question about schoolkids not getting fed and press the point that the Republicans are doing their part in sending a budget to the Senate and the President but they opt to reject it forcing a govt shut down. Don't expound on it. Just say the bill is on Reid/Obama's desk.

Let the Democrats justify the shutdown.

Admittedly, that is the "read between the lines" message.

I am a "We've got to get control of the spending" guy (I know, that's a shocker ) and the Pubs (at least today) seem to be the ones carrying that message...so I'm for them.

But I also think that once that's done...there is going to have to be tax increases (with the upper end folks shouldering considerably more of the burden) for the sole purpose of debt retirement. I'm not sure I have a feel as to what is the right debt load for us...but I know that's its too much today. Once that debt retirement brings the debt down to a managble level?...then we start whittling away at the tax burden again to bring it down to equilibrium.

It ain't a lot different than you home finances. Your spending habits is what got you into this mess...get control of your spending first. Once you've done that, start figuring out how to make more money so you can live a better life.

The devil is always in the details...but this ain't exactly brain surgery folks.

[catnipdipper]

This ain't nothin but a pissin contest. Trouble is the Tea Baggerz are holding Boehner's Dick to aim it and his nuts to squeeze. It isn't exactly consensual in my opinion. That is why he cried because it hurt.

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by urhuckleberry

We would quickly learn which Federal employees are non-essential! IMO any bureaucrat in Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, DHHS, HUD, Labor, ad nauseum, is non-essential in my twisted view of things governmental...

Huck

You forgot to chop off the 3 biggest budgets: DHS, DOD and VA.

[phatdaty]

Originally Posted by Rudyard K

While a bit oversimplistic...if I were the house? I'd pass a budget (at least a short term one) that funded anything for the American people directly (entitlements, medicare, welfare, etc) but cut the sh*t out of everything else (PBS, foreign aide, any kind of defense that wasn't absoultely required, etc)...and send it to Reid for an "up or down" approval in the Senate. That would keep the doors open.

The American people would be happy to get behind that...until there was a long term budget that really brought down our debt. Only the elitists would be cringing.

Not so simplistic. I think we had something just like that around 1785, but check me on the date. I think Alexander Hamilton was the genius behind it. He understood the difference between credit and debt. To put it in today's terms, our current government approaches a budget like it is a Visa or Master Card. Hamilton always believed it should be more like American Express: You can't borrow more money until you pay off the last cycle of debt.

Perhaps we should revisit that as a fiscal policy.

[Sensia]

Originally Posted by Rudyard K

While a bit oversimplistic...if I were the house? I'd pass a budget (at least a short term one) that funded anything for the American people directly (entitlements, medicare, welfare, etc) but cut the sh*t out of everything else (PBS, foreign aide, any kind of defense that wasn't absoultely required, etc)...and send it to Reid for an "up or down" approval in the Senate. That would keep the doors open.

The American people would be happy to get behind that...until there was a long term budget that really brought down our debt. Only the elitists would be cringing.

True.

Too bad congress can't get their act together on this.

[charlestudor2005]

I guess the U.S. Office of Escort Permits will be closed...or maybe they are essential personnel after all.