Where Taxes Are Up, Services Down

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I agree with Jeff Tulsa about how the wars, and the mercenary "contractors", are the worst thing for the economy. But everybody is afraid to say it for fear of being called unpatriotic.

Phil of OK 1:10PM November 17, 2010

Scamfare
why not terminate leases on your own. and not support scamfare by taking government money.

lon of PA 10:47AM November 17, 2010

I agree that most people on welfare are working, they are working the system! As a landlord I find that 95% of my section8, welfare, medicaid and food stamp tenants are scamming the system. Yes, there is that 5% that are genuine and need all the help we can provide but it is difficult when the funds being misappropiated. I've tried to turn-in blatent cases of fraud to no avail. The agencies in charge of distributing the funds are confrontational and adopt a hostile attitude when fraud is reported. When welfare was administered at the local level it was known who needed help but then it went to state and then national level with predictable results. If they would pay a 1% bounty on fraud cases every landlord would be a millionaire.

Ed L'Hommedieu of ME 8:36AM November 17, 2010

Ending these two phony wars and the blank checks to military contractors would go a long way in solving the budgetary problem.

Jeff Tulsa OK of OK 7:59AM November 17, 2010

In only 18 months Obama has set more new bad records then all of the Previous 43 Presidents of America, He will continue to set more bad Records . If I stick my finger in a light socket I do not blame the Electric Company. Bush didn't set these Records---Obama did.
Record Deficit--3.4 trillion Dollars.--More then all of the previous presidents combined.
Record Poverty
Record trade deficit.
Record unemployment.
Record longest period of the unemployed.
Record home Foreclosures.
Record failing stimulus packages.
Record Government expansion.
Record gap between the rich and the poor.
Record divisions in the House and Senate.
Record insurance premium payments.
Record extensions of unemployment benefits payed out.
Record business failures.
The worst record is for pulling the wool over so many Democrats eyes.
All of these records and more are on the internet check them for your selves.
This Democrat will not be voting Democrat on November 2 or in 2012......

Jerryray of OK 11:51AM October 26, 2010

Where have you people been, what about the working poor, remember then ones that greet you at Wal-Mart, the ones that are paid Chinese wages and have no insurance and can't afford it, feel lucky your job hasn't been outsourced and count those blessings because if your employer can find a way to make your job cost less it will be gone to.
Not everyone on welfare are unemployed, the majority work, work every day, most of the times 2 and 3 jobs and you say they are lazy, they work their tails off without any hope or prayer of getting ahead.
Most of you are just one paycheck of loosing your homes, cars, livelihood and everything else. Insurance poor who better wake up, it took us 8 long years of selfishness and trickle up economic voodoo, actually since the last Regan recession, that make the rich richer beyond belief and then there is everyone else, to get us where we are today, trillions in tax cuts that drive us further and further in dept and borrowing from China to pay our debts those tax cuts forced us into, that’s OK though, the rich are still reaping. Billion dollar CEO’s and hedge funders.
Where have you all been, you need to stomp on those rose colored glasses your wearing and wake up, this is your country and everyone is in the same boat, except for the 1% of 1% that owns everything. I paid more then my fair share all of my life and was grateful that I had a country that worked for everyone, not anymore, buck up and pay yours and quit complaining about someone else’s misfortune, we wonder why America is failing, it's the me generation out for know one but themselves and screw anyone else.

Franklin of WA 2:37PM October 25, 2010

I just love these comments about what could be done if only the legislature would be smarter, put some steal into their spines, or whatever.
Folks, the legislature attracks people who are pretty much as is the current legislature. Call them dumb and spineless if you want, but that's the way the are, and any new members soon become that way.
Make your plans accordingly.

Long term staffer of WY 11:49AM September 19, 2010

Your premise is incorrect. Spending cuts don't equal a reduction in life style for those that are paying the taxes. You would be better off using a sign in your index i.e. the bigger the negative numbe rthe better for the producre in the state. You index measures the pain felt by the "zero-liability" residents of the state. If you pay no taxes and only receive hand-outs from the state, a reduction in state spending is indeed "painful". A reduction in taxes will have no effect other than reduce the income that can be redistibuted. I can't believe you would actully promote an index that demonstrated that more spending by the state is good. If that were the case why don't we just confiscate all income and redistribute it in state spending?

Vince of DE 9:45PM September 04, 2010

Although I tend to vote liberal-- Public employee saleries and benefits have far outstripped the private sector over the last thirty years-While real wages declined for most of middle class since 1980( thanks, Reagan) Public emp. get automatic cost of living increses. They now make 70% more than private counterparts. Cut back to same wages and benefits as private sector and deficits go away.

bill fritsch of WI 3:26PM August 19, 2010

Taxes will always be a subject of much conversation. The REAL answer is, NOT more taxes, less taxes, tax code modification etc, it is a brand new (from the ground up) tax code. Can't be done? YES IT CAN!
Stop by your library and go to the reference section. Take out any part of Title 26 of the U.S. Code (our tax code) and read a few pages. Pick a subject and try to wind your way through it. Disgusting isn't it?
There is NO EXCUSE FOR THIS COUNTRY TO HAVE A TAX CODE THAT IS ABOUT 11,000 PAGES (I think think that is right, but what is a thousand pages here or there)
Such a document could be achieved over a period of time; however one of the basic ingredients needed is a congress with a real moral compass and a true love of country. (too bad that we seem to have run out of those people)

Robert C. Smith of NY 5:25PM July 30, 2010