Fiscal Fitness: Taxes, Budgets, and the Economy

[Screwball]

 

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Screwball said:

 

I don't mind Congress Critters being well paid - there are a lot of places in the Country where $250K is not great shakes for a professional. But the payback ought to be tighter financial ethics rules and an end to private money campaign finance slush funds. I know - dream on.....

Edited December 18, 2024 by gehringer_2

[CMRivdogs]

Not defending it, but the last time Congressional Critters received a pay raise was 2009. 

[CMRivdogs]

Quote

Oh please GOP DO IT!

Don’t let the RINOs win!!!!  Shut it all down and show was GOP majority governing looks like!!

https://bsky.app/profile/adamkinzinger.bsky.social/post/3ldm5byy3sk25

[gehringer_2]

LOL - tonight Wapo is reporting that the Congressional pay raise was stripped from the bill and it was not 40%, it was a 3.8% cost of living bump - $6.6K   I wonder if some reporter or social media maven last week couldn't locate a decimal point....

Edited December 21, 2024 by gehringer_2

[Tigeraholic1]

There was so much fat in that original bill lol. Now let the elected representatives who control House, Senate and WH manage it with a clean slate. 

[CMRivdogs]

Who managed the WH after 1/20, Trump or the unelected guy who falsified his papers to get into the country?

Does Trump have buyer’s remorse yet. Once again  bad businesses deal, much like what the natives sold Manhattan Island for

[gehringer_2]

26 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

Who managed the WH after 1/20, Trump or the unelected guy who falsified his papers to get into the country?

Does Trump have buyer’s remorse yet. Once again  bad businesses deal, much like what the natives sold Manhattan Island for

IDK, If Trump throws Elon overboard, DJT walks away debt free with the result of all of Elon's election spending and twitter manipulation to get him elected. Could be the best deal he ever made.

Edited December 21, 2024 by gehringer_2

[CMRivdogs]

15 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

IDK, If Trump throws Elon overboard, DJT walks away debt free with the result of all of Elon's election spending and twitter manipulation to get him elected. Could be the best deal he ever made.

And it won’t be the first time he stiffed a buyer

[Screwball]

Elon didn't get Trump elected, the democrats did.

[gehringer_2]

21 minutes ago, Screwball said:

Elon didn't get Trump elected, the democrats did.

I suppose you can say that in any election where the sides change, but given the retention in the House and he small loss in the Senate in an already unfavorable year (more Dems seats at play), the party didn't fair as badly as the top of the ticket. Obviously the high level of enthusiasm Harris generated among the party faithful wasn't translating beyond it. You can as easily and maybe more accurately blame the loss on Biden for not realizing soon enough he would not be a viable candidate. If there had been a full democratic primary season the candidate that emerged might have had broader appeal. But I think that argument is more attractive in hindsight than in reality - when a party primary tosses a VP that's usually a party too fractured to win anyway. Heck, maybe the die was already cast when Biden won the primary in 2020 and made Harris his VP. Biden's age and likelihood his VP would end up the next candidate, Harris' lack of broader appeal were all known issues then if anyone had wanted to recognize them.

[Screwball]

19 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I suppose you can say that in any election where the sides change, but given the retention in the House and he small loss in the Senate in an already unfavorable year (more Dems seats at play), the party didn't fair as badly as the top of the ticket. Obviously the high level of enthusiasm Harris generated among the party faithful wasn't translating beyond it. You can as easily and maybe more accurately blame the loss on Biden for not realizing soon enough he would not be a viable candidate. If there had been a full democratic primary season the candidate that emerged might have had broader appeal. But I think that argument is more attractive in hindsight than in reality - when a party primary tosses a VP that's usually a party too fractured to win anyway. Heck, maybe the die was already cast when Biden won the primary in 2020 and made Harris his VP. Biden's age and likelihood his VP would end up the next candidate, Harris' lack of broader appeal were all known issues then if anyone had wanted to recognize them.

They lost to a reality show circus clown - twice.  Maybe it's time they look in the mirror instead of blaming everyone but themselves.

[CMRivdogs]

The two losses came to a woman, one was a woman of color. That tells you a lot about the American electorate.

[gehringer_2]

41 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

The two losses came to a woman, one was a woman of color. That tells you a lot about the American electorate.

this also

[Tigeraholic1]

4 hours ago, CMRivdogs said:

Who managed the WH after 1/20, Trump or the unelected guy who falsified his papers to get into the country?

Does Trump have buyer’s remorse yet. Once again  bad businesses deal, much like what the natives sold Manhattan Island for

It is going to be a long four years for some folks….

[Tigeraholic1]

1 hour ago, CMRivdogs said:

The two losses came to a woman, one was a woman of color. That tells you a lot about the American electorate.

Maybe just maybe their ideals did not line up with the voters? always the victim…

[pfife]

10 hours ago, Screwball said:

They lost to a reality show circus clown - twice.  Maybe it's time they look in the mirror instead of blaming everyone but themselves.

I blame Republican voters for electing Republicans.   They chose a reality circus clown 3 times.  Thats alot of primary elections a circus clown won.

Edited December 22, 2024 by pfife

[Tigeraholic1]

How many primaries did Harris win? Always the victim…

[Tiger337]

23 hours ago, Screwball said:

They lost to a reality show circus clown - twice.  Maybe it's time they look in the mirror instead of blaming everyone but themselves.

Yup.  That is an epic failure on their part. That's what I tell them when they call me up asking for donations.  

 

[gehringer_2]

21 hours ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

It is going to be a long four years for some folks….

probably more  like 2

[chasfh]

22 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Yup.  That is an epic failure on their part. That's what I tell them when they call me up asking for donations.  

 

And the moral is, don't run a woman candidate for president. After all, Jill Stein hasn't won yet, has she?

[chasfh]

22 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

probably more  like 2

President Vance will make it four.

[gehringer_2]

4 hours ago, chasfh said:

President Vance will make it four.

That too, but I wasn’t thinking so much about Trump passing as just loosing the Congress again. 

[VegasTiger]

9 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

That too, but I wasn’t thinking so much about Trump passing as just loosing the Congress again. 

As opposed to the tight Congress he starts with.

[Edman85]

I could see the house flipping in less than two if they go as extreme as they seem to be. Special elections will be a chore if they go as cruel as they seem to be going.