Get rid of the rumblings
I've heard some really interesting (read weird) excuses for why Mitt Romney lost the presidential election, but the excuse in the letter “It was the storms” (Nov. 23) has to be the best/worst. First Tropical Storm Isaac during the Republican National Convention, then the good weather during the Democratic National Convention. Superstorm Sandy had to come along right before election time. That played right into President Obama's hand, didn't it? And poor Romney didn't have Air Force One, though I never heard that Romney had trouble getting around to all the states he went to; did anyone else? Did anyone hear Romney using that excuse for why he lost?
I do agree with her on one point. I am glad that the negative ads are gone. Now if we could just get rid of all the negative Republican/Democratic rumblings on the editorial pages and in the newsrooms, I'd be one happy woman. Can we get back to reporting the day-to-day news, please? Quit the bashing of both parties.
What we really need is for members of Congress, who really are the decision-makers in the government, to get off their asses and get to work. Meaning, work together. That means both Republicans and Democrats looking for what is best for us, all the people they represent. Not just their money people, but us middle-of-the-road people too; and do something soon that will be the best for all. The best leaders compromise. It can be done.
LOIS VONCANNON
Kernersville
Greedy culture
One of the great tragedies of the past election is the amount of money spent on political campaigning. With our nation on the verge of financial bankruptcy, and millions of Americans without jobs, being reduced to poverty, millions of dollars were spent to promote contenders for the presidency.
A bipartisan Congress passed legislation to limit the amount of money spent on campaigns by each candidate. Then the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that this law did not limit the amount of money that could be collected in Super-PACs for candidates, and Congress and the president have done nothing about this hypocrisy.
President Obama apparently was glad to get all the money he could for his campaign, and Mitt Romney and his supporters also undertook to raise all the money they could for advertising. The media were delighted by the millions that flowed into their coffers, revealing the problem with much of our American culture: it is greedy.
Obama does not mind spending millions, making America indebted to China. And Congress passes laws to increase its own salaries and enjoy special health and retirement plans. Our president, along with Americans, must challenge Congress to make laws avoiding conflicts of interest by putting limits on their terms and see that restrictions in expenditures for campaigning are legally established.
Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world for he was genuinely concerned about helping others, not himself. The question is, what happens to America and its greedy culture under our president?
JIM HELVEY
Winston-Salem
Mismanagement
The solution for people who are in financial difficulties because of poor stewardship of their finances is not to give them more. It will be mismanaged at best and wasted at worst. The lottery winner that wastes his or her fortunes will do the same if he or she wins again.
The elected officials of the federal government have proven to be incapable of stewarding the resources that they have been given. And, by penalty of law, the citizenry is forced to be an enabler of their dysfunction. And they have the gall to ask for more. No matter where the revenue is coming from, more will only perpetuate their inability to govern wisely, courageously and respectfully.
They should stop spending time devising how to get more. Rather, they should figure out how to wisely spend what they have. That is what we, the people, have to do. We don’t have the luxury of taking from others so as to not face the hard choices. With all due respect, and I apologize for the harsh words, but they are lazy cowards (and none of them, for decades now, are excluded from that indictment).
Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe it’s the responsibility of all citizens to support those we have elected and the programs needed for the functioning of society. I would not even begrudge my tax burden being increased if I had some confidence that my leaders were respectful of that which they have been given to steward.
VERNON SCHMIDT
Winston-Salem
Many contributions
Bill Clinton was our president for eight years. Since serving as president, he has led foundations and initiatives that have worked to improve the world. He has provided millions of dollars to help the less fortunate and to alleviate disease and poverty. He has committed countless hours and resources to helping Haiti overcome the 2010 earthquake that devastated it. He has made many positive contributions to our world, yet all the writer of the letter “Rumor” (Nov. 25) has to say about him is that he committed a sexual indiscretion 14 years ago.
The letter is petty and childish and no, it’s not funny. And it demeans the Journal to print such blithe trash.
HENRY TUBB
Winston-Salem
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ReplyDeleteGet rid of the rumblings. Think Rolaids would help? It is not unusual for the loser to complain...what baffles me is so many on the winning side seem so miserable after having just won. I too am glad the ads are gone from tv and the non stop calls are over. Editorial pages are for the purpose of doing just what the writer objects to. Better words on paper that bullets flying. Both parties need to be bashed early and often. "What we really need is for members of Congress, who really are the decision-makers in the government, to get off their asses and get to work. Meaning, work together. That means both Republicans and Democrats looking for what is best for us, all the people they represent. Not just their money people, but us middle-of-the-road people too; and do something soon that will be the best for all. The best leaders compromise. It can be done". I'll admit, it can be frustrating when arguing parents can't agree what is best for the children. It comes down to "what is best"...aye, there's the rub.
ReplyDeleteGreedy culture. Yes we are and have been for generations. Georges Clemenceau, French writer and thinker once remarked that "America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone from barbarism to decadence without the usual interval of civilization". We are beginning our descent into barbarism in the name of equality. This is the "new normal"-I hate that term. Get used to it though. Somebody try to explain things to the thirty somethings and twenty somethings. Tell them how to spot a bullseye on their future earnings.
ReplyDeleteMismanagement. Those lottery winners are often a good lesson. What ever they are like before they win, they will be a great deal more of that afterwards. This writer has pegged our government correctly. It is utterly corrupt and dysfunctional and some want to give it more money. It's like giving a drunk another pint. Same outcome. Expecting otherwise proves Einstein right. More money to the Federal addict will only be misspent and then used to leverage more borrowing to support the new level of spending these addicts just authorized. More dollars out of the private sector where it is used best and given to the government sector where it is used badly for their own power and control. Our nation will do anything to avoid the coming hangover. For now the best thing is to starve the beast even if the "fiscal cliff" is breached. Just a hint, if our government had to submit an honest financial statement to a lender, the lender would reject it because we are already over that cliff by miles. It's not yet fashionable to admit it.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: The Chicken Little shtict is getting old. Whether Obama or Romney was elected is irrelevant to the problems at hand because there is still a divided Congress that couldn't get its act together, but yet was still re-elected.
LTE 2: $2 billion is a ridiculous amount to be spent. A greedy American culture is not a recent phenomena. In fact, free market capitalism feeds off greed. After the Citizen's United ruling, the only way to legally limit campaign spending is through a Constitutional amendment. Barring that, the recent election results may dampen the expectations billionaires may have in the future of influencing the vote through massive contributions to their employed candidate. Btw...Congress, not Obama is in charge of the purse strings and the US is in debt by a large amount to ourselves, not China.
LTE 3: Mr. Schmidt seems to have a lack of understanding of govt accounting and finance. There is absolutely no comparison between an individual's budget and that of the federal govt. The majority of federal spending is mandated by law. Where that money goes is dictated by the members of Congress who are charged with maximizing the money brought to their districts and states in order to maintain a quality of life as well as local jobs. Make no mistake, cutbacks in govt spending do result in fewer jobs which is why the UR has remained at the level it has. The increase in private sector jobs is being offset by the loss of govt sector jobs. Stewardship is recognizing when revenues and expenditures are out of whack. Due to the recent financial implosion, 2 wars, and Bush era tax cuts, we have had a revenue / GDP ratio at historic lows while an abnormally high spending / GDP to compensate for the high UR and fighting 2 wars. The remedy is revenue increase in addition to spending reductions.
LTE 4: Clinton has done a lot in his post-POTUS days, but I don't think the referenced LTE was worth huffing and puffing over. Clinton's "indiscretions" will always be a part of his legaacy.
LTE #1 – Aside from the loonyness of the hurricane chat, the Romneyites always seem to forget that the remains of Isaac caused severe thunderstorms in the Charlotte area, forcing Obama to move the finale of his convention from a 74,000 seat stadium into a 21,000 seat basketball arena. The closing night of the convention would have been spectacular in the stadium, so Obama lost much more than Romney did from any storm
ReplyDelete.
BTW, all the seats were filled in Charlotte…not so Tampa.
LTE #2 – Greed is a characteristic of homo sapiens and has always been with us since day one, some 140,000 years ago.
1. More Chicken Little. The nation is nowhere near “bankruptcy”.
2. China owns about 8% of US debt. The majority of the debt is owned by private citizens and government entities in the US.
3. Americans, public and private, will still be greedy long after the cows come home.
LTE #3 – Actually, our biggest problem is not runaway spending so much as it is shrinking revenues, thanks to the CheneyBush runaway tax cuts and the CheneyBush not-quite-a-depression. Federal tax rates are the lowest since the WW I era. Tax whiners are a sad lot indeed.
LTE #4 – Pettiness and childishness are, like greed, a characteristic of homo sapiens.
It would not matter if Bill Clinton permanently ended all warfare and figured out a way to feed the hungry and heal the sick worldwide, there would still be petty, childish people sniping away at him.
"all the seats were filled in Charlotte…not so Tampa."
DeleteYep. And also, the crowd in Charlotte looked like America. The crowd in Tampa not so much...it was more like Whitestock.
Go ahead, make my day!
ReplyDeleteI'm already betting on the economy taking another dump under Obama, so let's get on with it.
Let the Bush tax cuts expire, and let's begin implementing the spending cuts.
Some R's are backing away from Norquist's tax pledge. They no doubt see that "No New Taxes" didn't sell well in 2012. Some compromise on taxes is necessary. I don't know that I agree with a 200K floor on increases, but starting higher would seem to be OK. Also, with the technology of today, I don't see why after a certain level of income, the abrupt steps in tax rates end, replaced by a continously increasing rate, capped at some reasonable level, say 49.5% for sky high incomes.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I say take the cap off SS and Medicare taxes. Why this isn't in play mystifies me. Perhaps someone with a better grasp of economics can enlighten me. Or should it be a better grasp of politics?
Politics....economics in this country went out the window years ago. Same with finance. Who needs it with fiat currency.
DeleteThe SS cap is in place to prevent very well compensated ordinary income earning individuals from paying way too much into the system than they would ever hope to received in benefits. That said, if the salary caps were increased substantially and then indexed to some wage benchmark, that would end most problems with SS funding for the foreseeable future. There there is not a cap on the Medicare 1.45% portion on the FICA.
Delete