Wait - wasn't he just cutting the ribbon at a Sunrail construction site?
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
His headlines don't give one an impression of impartiality.
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
I've got the hearings on in the background. Mica is promising 3 more hearings before the end of the year. Here's a link to the testimony and a video recording of the hearing via the minority (Democratic) Transportation & Infrastructure committee page.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
When we here all the posturing and pontificating, a look at the following I received a few days back can be somewhat enlightening. Regardless of who and on which side they are, when we here all the talk about government spending, this help bring a little perspective to it.
quote:This rather brilliantly cuts thru all the political doublespeak we get. It puts it into a much better perspective.
Lesson # 1:
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 * Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 * New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000 * National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 * Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Now, let’s remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700 * Money the family spent: $38,200 * New debt on the credit card: $16,500 * Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710 * Total budget cuts so far: $3.85
Got It ?????
OK, now Lesson # 2: Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:
Let's say, You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in you neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.
What do you think you should do......
Raise the ceilings, or pump out the feces?
Our choice is coming Nov. 2012.
So if we take Amtrak's subsidy and move the decimal 8 places, what would we really be saving and how does it relate to the total money flow?
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Thanks for that video link, Gil. I listened to a part of it yesterday, but not the whole thing. I don't get the feeling that anyone on the committee wants to "do away with AMTRAK," but they do expect it to be run MUCH MUCH more fiscally responsibly, which is the hope for any business. I agree with that. I admit that I may not understand all the political overtones, however.
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
quote:Originally posted by George Harris: Lesson # 1:
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 * Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 * New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000 * National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 * Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Now, let’s remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700 * Money the family spent: $38,200 * New debt on the credit card: $16,500 * Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710 * Total budget cuts so far: $3.85
Sorry to nitpick, George, but that last line of cuts should actually be $385.00 according to the figures you give. However, it doesn't change the fact that our spending is wildly out of control.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Of interest; look who has opposition this time around:
Rich, you should have hung around to vote for this guy. Otherwise, I have two words for his candidacy: "Good luck".
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by ehbowen:
quote:Originally posted by George Harris: Lesson # 1:
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 * Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 * New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000 * National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 * Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Now, let’s remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700 * Money the family spent: $38,200 * New debt on the credit card: $16,500 * Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710 * Total budget cuts so far: $3.85
Sorry to nitpick, George, but that last line of cuts should actually be $385.00 according to the figures you give. However, it doesn't change the fact that our spending is wildly out of control.
Yep, you are right. That is what I get for doing a copy-paste without first reading carefully.