The GOP keeps asking, where's Obama's sequestration plan?

georgeob, Here are some of my criticisms on Obama; a) he should negotiate the adjustments to social security and Medicare (we all know these 2 programs will be insolvent sometime in the future as more baby boomers begin to retire, and the workforce doesn't pay in enough to sustain these programs) b) the sequestration is a two-way street. He can't continue to insist that benefits can't be cut while demanding higher taxes. c) I disagreed with Obama's extension of the Afghanistan war when he increased the troop levels by 50,000. What resulted are more dead on both sides, and many of the soldiers returning committing suicide. We need to fund all the programs necessary for our returning military service men and women - health care and to prepare them for civilian life. d) Close Gitmo. e) Don't authorize the use of drones that ends up killing too many innocent people. f) There are ways to cut the cost of Medicare by 1. penalizing those who commit fraud with heavy penalties, 2. computerize patient care that can be accessed by all authorized health care workers, 3. cut waste (e.g. they spending $900 for equipment that costs less than $100, and US patients pay more for drugs even those made in the US), 4. streamline end of life care by informing patients and families about providing their doctor's and families with "health care trusts."

There's more, but these were mentioned by me in many threads on a2k.

And GW Bush has 76 months to ruin the world's economy!

GW Bush's tax cuts that never created jobs, two wars that were never paid for, and Medicare drug benefit that was never paid for. The deficit created by Reagan and Bush makes up the major portion of our deficit - at a time when Obama took over the white house, the world was in the Great Recession. Obama funded the stim bill that saved our economy - and we have been on a slow but sure recovery for the past four years.

A miracle of sorts when you consider the Euro countries (one of our biggest trade partners) are having problems with their currency, and many are having financial difficulties.

From Reuters.


The US unemployment rate is 7.8%.

What's your ****'g problem?

The work of many minds, the Constitution stands as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

The first reports of this included pictures that looked like they were faked.

White House: Release of illegal immigrants not our call

Democratic Rep. Ellison launches into tirade on Fox News (VIDEO)

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/ellison-hannity-tirade-video-145809949--politics.html

Fiscal hawks say government waste, unspent funds could offset sequester

The first year spending cut in dollars will withdraw avout 15% as much money from the economy as the tax increases Obama engineered. It is hardly even significant in relation to them. I believe this may explain Obama's strange lack of communication with House Republicans over the past few weeks (worse after all the delay he plans not to meet with them until Friday - the very day the sequester's take effect). I believe the simplest explanation for all this is that he is resigned to the sequester and is trying to use it as cover for a second wave of recession that is looking more and more likely in this anemic recovery marked by business killing new regulations and idiotic energy policies.

Here's another problem with Obama; he won his second term, and he's going around the country as if he's still campaigning. Somebody has to tell him those days are over, and he needs to work on funding our education, infrastructure, and cut the cost of social security and Medicare. It's about jobs; campaigning was over several months ago.

His idea of infrastructure funding is a high speed rail line in California that will never be completed.

He is beholden to unions in general and the educational establishment & teachers unions in particular. Their only remedy is more money and they resist accountability in any form - meaning that more money won't help. Now that head Start has shown itselkf to be a near universal failure, yielding almost no verifiablke benefit, Obama wants to extend the giveaways to equally ineffective presdchool programs. These are all mindless giveaways to excite constituents, but sadly they make existing problems worse.

He has never appeared to enjoy or dirrectly involve himself in real governing and dealing with the several points of view bearing on key issues. He announces vague lofty goals, leaves the details to others (who quickly become gridlocked) and flies off to do some more campaigning. A bit of a narcicist, he sees himself as the bride in every wedding and and the corpse in every funeral. As a direct result the country is more polarized than ever and increasingly unable to deal politically with complex issues and tradeoffs.

So, what's your solution to upkeep our infrastructure and our schools - all necessary to remain competitive in the world marketplace? All I hear are complaints. We need solutions - and money to fix the problems. They don't come for free!

no, he thinks that this crisis will leave the people hating R's and loving him, this is all about him. wrong, the take-away is that his precious government does not work, which the R's have figured out which is why they are happy...............they want business running this country not government, so a government created unnecessary crisis which proves that government is incompetent plays right into their hands.

I believe the core problems are the poor current performance of our economy and our dangerously high public debt, combined with a predictable demographic collapse of our entitlement programs, from social security, medicare and medicaid, coupled with state pension plans. All the other issues are derivative and dependent on these.

The best solution is quick, certain action to reduce our long term entitlement problem by raising the elegibility age for social security and medicare, and curtailing medicare and social security disability fraud, both of which are rampant.. That will significantly ease the long term debt problem and give us time and debt wiggle room to address the current performance of the economy by various means. Unfortunately Obama refuses to even associate himself with these issues. No chance with him in office. He stupidly calls for new taxes which will quickly cancel any benefits he may get from new spending.

To stimulate the economy I would delay the new EPA rules on coal fired powerplants for three or so years, expand gas & petroleum extraction from domestic shales, approve the keystone pipeline and end the ridiculous subsidies on biofuels, wind and solar power. In all of this I would take definitive action involving committments to policies and dates. The reason is electric utilities involve huge investments and they need confidence and near certainty that the rules won't change before they can get a return on the needed large investments in new capacity and a better electrical grid. This will stimulate immediate large-scale investment in cheaper energy providing sharp job and investment growth and will lead to cheaper energy, making our exports cheaper, further increasing economic growth. The delay in the coal rules will give utilities to do an orderly phaseout (instead of the panic we have now) of the 50% of our electrical energy that comes from coal. Finally I would the end of the subsidies on wind and soplar power precisely to renew the sorely needed incentives to mase both cheaper and more reliable. Subsidies merely reward inefficiency and are a negative incentive for investment in improving these technologies.

Our schools are among the most expensive in the world. They just don't produce a very good product. I believe instead of more money we need radical reform of the system involving parental choice as a way of eliminating failing schools; accountability for teacher and principal performance; and a two tier system with a test of proficiency in (say) eighth grade and subsequent two track curricula focused on either university or job skill training.

With all that done, I wouldn't object to a little extra money for road and bridge repair. Though I also believe the hype on that need is a bit overblown.

Obama campaigned throughout his entire first term and he continues to campaign today.

He has never lead or governed, just campaigned. Obama is an unqualified empty suit, a big ass mistake.

Obama's sequestration is nothing more than liberal lies and threats... it's a scam.

Sequester This! President Obama's Colossal Media Blunder

Your solution for our schools,

Exactly what "radical reforms" are you talking about. You need to tell us how, what, and why. Generalities don't produce reform - especially "radical" reform.

I think he is talking about business running schools. You know the people who dont give a **** about education but care lots about the bottom line. Kind of likethe medical industry.

That's the stuff in your bullets, the stuff that has so badly affected your brain from years of sucking on your bullets and sprinkling shot on your corn flakes.

Someone will likely have to explain this to you.