Debt Ceiling

I know even before I start to write this that some of you are not going to agree with me. I know this because the people that read my blog have a large range of incomes. One reader I am guessing makes less than 10K a year, four I think are making in the eight digits and one I am pretty sure is around nine digits or close to it. I could do a post just about one of his houses. The thing is huge. His guest house is bigger than my only house. I also know a few that pretend or talks like they are rich but in reality they are far from it or hide it very well. I say this because I believe your income level has something to do with your political views. It is not the only thing but I believe it plays a part. One of the rich people that I know thinks the way I do about taxes. I know this only because we have had conversations about the debt ceiling and taxes.


In the news for the past few weeks is the subject the Debt Ceiling. The Right Wing wants spending cuts and the Left Wing wants Tax increases. One would think this would be an easy solution but it is far from easy. The Left Wing is willing to compromise but the Right Wing backed by the Tea Party is saying they are standing firm on no Tax increases. Let me say up front that I don’t like the Idea of paying more in taxes. I also don’t like that we are engaged in multiple wars around the world. I didn’t like it when we invaded Iraq. I didn’t like it when we didn’t use the military to save people when Katrina hit New Orleans. I didn’t like it when the Patriot Act was passed and O’bama renewed it. My point is there are lots of things the government does that I personally don’t agree with. That doesn’t mean I should not have to pay my taxes. I hear people say that the government is too big and I agree but this is a big country.

The Right Wing likes to say “it’s not the government’s money, it’s your money”. That’s a load of crap. We as a people have to pay the government. Having the military to protect us, roads to drive on, clean water to drink, air that is somewhat clean, and multiple other offices to regulate business to protect the citizens. These things are not done free of charge. Now if you ask me if I think that the government spends too much or waste lots of money, I would say yes it does. After being in the military for 20 years I can say without a doubt, it wastes lots and lots of money. That being said I can also say people waste lots of money. I will go further and say I waste lots of money. People waste money that is what we do. Should the government looks for ways to save money? I say yes.

This debt ceiling is coming down to the wire. There have already been some spending cuts so I would vote to raise taxes up to 40% for everyone making $1,000,000 and up. For my readers in this group I say I’m sorry and I am very proud of you. Paying taxes is the price you pay for living in this country. When I was in the military it was considered PATRIOTIC to serve your country and possibly making the ultimate sacrifice by giving your life. Why is it that when the government asks for some of your money it is considered Socialism? That doesn’t make sense to me. Giving your time and life is patriotic and giving your money is socialism. Please someone explain that one to me because I truly don’t understand it.

I know people don’t like to have money taken from them. I believe that is why President Bush didn’t have a war tax to fund his wars. If he had done a war tax people would not support it very long. There should be a law stating that for every war this country is engaged in there has to be a tax to support it. That would make more people pay attention to what is going on. I know that would not fix everything but I think it would help. As long as people don’t have skin in the game they don’t care what happens.

I would also end tax breaks for companies making over a billion dollars a year. No tax breaks for companies with more than 50% of their labor force is outside the United States. I would close corporate loop holes. I would do all I could do to raise revenue. While that is being done I would also try to end as much waste as possible. The last thing I would do is take money from the people that already have very little. I know there are people on Social Security that should not be getting it. I just don’t think that number is as high as the amount of money we give away to the multinational companies. There are too many people barely getting by on Social Security and Medicare to cut it.

There are lots of things wrong with this country. Our government is broken. It spends too much on some things and not enough on others. What those things are will vary depending on who you ask. I’m not sure what the answer is or how to fix it. What I do know is that it should not be done by taking away from those who have so little. We should not deprive a person of an education in order to give a rich person a little more money. I don’t have a lot of money and I hate having to give more money to Uncle Sam. What I hate more than that is seeing people lose their home. I really hate to see people that are hungry and forced to live on the street. I hate to hear about the children in Alabama that don’t have enough money for school books but plenty of money to fund the Confederate Cemetery. We can do better than this.

We have the wrong people in office.