Government

Paul Ryan Explains $6.2 Trillion Budget Cuts to Glenn as Gov’t Shutdown Looms

It’s a bold plan to slash government spending. But so far, it’s falling on deaf ears.

Republicans in the House today unveiled a new plan to cut $6.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next 10 years. Spearheaded by House Budge Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the proposal is meant to provide a framework for government spending and fiscal responsibility.

On radio today, Ryan talked with Glenn Beck about what’s exactly in the proposal, and explained why it’s important to pass it.

“We’re talking about shrinking the Federal workforce by 10% over the next three years through attrition, pay freezes in the Federal workforce,” he explained to Beck. “We’re talking about cutting discretionary spending on government agencies below 2008 levels. We’re talking about entitlement reform, block granting Medicaid to the states, and doing welfare reform 2.0 which is food stamps, housing programs.”

We want to “get people into a system where they don’t become complacent and dependent upon government,” he added.

According to analysis done by the Heritage Foundation, he said, the new plan “kicks out about a million new jobs next year alone, brings unemployment rate down to 4% by 2015, and producing about 2.5 million new jobs by the end of the decade, a thousand dollars in extra family income…a year, and $1.1 trillion in higher wages, and $1.5 trillion in faster economic growth.”

The interview is available in two parts below:

Ryan’s plan far exceeds the $1 trillion-plus in budget cuts outlined in President Barack Obama‘s February budget and is on par with recommendations from Obama’s own bipartisan deficit commission in December.

His Budget Committee put together a YouTube video explaining the plan:

Under the decidedly arcane congressional budget process, the GOP plan is not actual legislation but provides a nonbinding, theoretical framework for future action in Congress. And with Democrats controlling the Senate, the GOP plan serves more to frame the debate heading into next year’s election than represent a program with a chance of passing Congress and actually becoming law.

Despite cuts already deemed draconian by Democrats, Ryan‘s plan can’t claim a balanced budget by the end of the decade – getting the deficit to the $400 billion range after six years – because of promises to not increase taxes or change federal retirement benefits for people 55 and over. But he says the measure would stabilize the nation’s finances and prevent a European-style debt crisis that could force far harsher steps.

“We’re actually saving Medicare and Medicaid, making them solvent for future generations,” Ryan told the Associated Press. “And, yes, we’re cutting spending. We’re cutting a lot of spending, because government is spending way beyond its means.”

Tuesday’s unveiling of the 2012 budget blueprint comes amid a separate, escalating battle between Republicans and the Obama administration over smaller but more immediate spending cuts for the current budget year. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, had a meeting scheduled at the White House Tuesday for a session with Obama aimed at staving off a government shutdown this weekend.

But by Tuesday afternoon, Boehner said those private talks with President Barack Obama failed to produce a deal to avoid a government shutdown and warned that the House Republicans “will not be put in a box” of accepting options they refuse to endorse.

Short of an agreement to cover the rest of the budget year, Boehner said House Republicans want a stopgap bill that would keep the government running for one more week and slash another $12 billion in spending. The White House has shown no interest in that approach.

Friday is the deadline to avoid a shutdown. Boehner’s account of the meeting between Obama and top lawmakers of both parties, released in a statement from his office, did nothing to suggest the White House and Congress were closer to reaching a deal.

Boehner again insisted the parties have not even agreed on a target for spending cuts The White House disputes that.

As the meeting was taking place, White House press secretary Jay Carney had expressed confidence that a deal could still be reached this week as long all sides were reasonable. Yet some public frustration also seeped into the White House’s words.

“The fact is that the president is calling this meeting in part because Congress can’t get its work done,” Carney said as Obama met with Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the top House appropriators from both parties.

The White House has begun advising government agencies on the proper steps in preparation for a shutdown of the government.

But the looming shutdown hasn‘t shaken Ryan’s resolve.

“It’s what I owe you, my children, my constituents,” he said of the GOP budget plan. “We owe this to our country.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Comments (206)

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  • Liberty Minded
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:35pm

    This same Paul Ryan that everyone is having an orgasm over is the same Paul Ryan that voted for:
    BushCare a.k.a. Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
    TARP
    Stimulus Bill
    No Child Left Behind
    GM Bailout
    Extending Unemployment Benefits
    Patriot Act
    Warrantless Electronic Surveillance

    Dearest Concressman Ryan, if you are so against debt then why have and do you vote for it time and time again? You like most other GOP members are a conservafraud. Throw out a little conservative rhetoric and viola, they must be presidential material.

    Report Post »  
    • Stopit
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:45pm

      If he voted for the Stimulus, TARP, Bushcare, & GM Bailout guess I need to withdraw my “good man” comment below.

      Report Post »  
    • Nobamazone
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:49pm

      and he has been there long enough, no more career politicians NO MORE! We need people in there who are doing it because they love this country and want it to survive, not because they want another term, a big paycheck, big staff, fancy lunches, big fat health care plans and a big fat pension, BULL! NO MORE career politicians, PERIOD!
      UNLESS they all agree that their own pay and beneft packages will match the national average, dollar for dollar and benefit for benefit.

      Report Post » Nobamazone  
    • sleazyhippo
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 7:16pm

      Rep Ryan was publicly humiliated by President Obama in the day-long, C-SPAN televised “budget and health care” discussion in 2009. The underwhelming GOP performance that day caused them to enforce a “Just Say No” revolt against bipartisan ideas and fired up the Taxed Enough Already party to begin outing RINOs. With TEA Party fever running the halls of Congress, the ambitious Mr. Ryan quickly learned to use his youthful appearance and boyish mannerisms to “change his stripes” and appear TEA-like.

      Report Post » MONICNE  
  • Tagudinian
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:35pm

    Paul Ryan is the man. Let us save our country by stopping this ridiculous spending and printing of money by the fed, paring down government, and funding Michelle Obama’s obesity obsession.

    Report Post » Tagudinian  
    • MustComment
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:50pm

      Yes, and funding the Obama’s trips, their dog’s airplane rides, parties, golf excursions, shopping sprees, and all HIS HAIR DYE etc., etc., etc..

      Report Post » MustComment  
  • swigs
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:24pm

    It’s not rocket science …Balance the Budget.

    Those Damn Dems never attempted it for obivious reasons. The truth hurts.

    Balance the Budget stop the games. Reclaim the Republic 2012!

    Report Post » swigs  
  • pwatkins
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:21pm

    Shut it down! and get this mess in order now.

    Report Post »  
  • lynnissmart
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:21pm

    I shut off the tv 5 minutes ago because O is speaking…..“let me be clear” that I’m not at all clear, I am a phony, communist, marxist and America hater….I‘m assuming that’s what he said….can’t stand to hear his voice and his bs….

    Report Post »  
    • Dannowood
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 4:21pm

      No, You’re a genius. Excuse me I need some Peptol

      Report Post » Dannowood  
  • Brontefan
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:20pm

    The basic fact is we are broke and sinking rapidly into an implosion. These things MUST be done and we are all going to feel the pinch. There will be something cut that each American will be unhappy about–but we can get through this. If we can get a new administration and find a way to cripple the regulations of the EPA, individual states could explore their own resources and find alternatives to purchasing foreign oil. I don’t want to shift from OPEC to Brazil!! We can get our own oil right here. And doing this will create jobs, taxpaying Americans, and new venues for our future. Americans have always been resourceful–at least we were before the federal government crippled us.

    Report Post »  
  • Gypsy123
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:20pm

    If you would take all the dead beats off the welfare system. And the Illegals out of our pockets. Medicare could survive.

    Report Post » Gypsy123  
  • glennisright.com
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:16pm

    Paul Ryan for Speaker of the House!

    http://www.glennisright.com

    Report Post » glennisright.com  
  • Hugie 59 PA
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:15pm

    The work the federal government does has increased and will continue to increase in proportion to the number of federal employees there are to do it (Peter Principle). Congressman‘s Paul Ryan’s Answer: Reduce the workforce through attrition and freeze the hiring of new employees which brings the size of government down to its normal levels.

    Report Post »  
  • Marine Recon Dad
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:09pm

    Shut the government down. No vital services will be cut, no matter what the MSM screams. Where we can increase the savings, though, it to include stopping the pay to Congress. You know, they will STILL get paid…..

    … shutting down the gov’t will be like taking a sucking leach from our jugular vein….

    Report Post »  
    • sleazyhippo
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:54pm

      After they get the old folks Medicare and Social Security they will come for the military benefits, which will then look like “huge entitlements.” .

      Report Post » MONICNE  
    • Blackhawk1
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:16pm

      Hey Sleazy, way to start with the liberal scare tactics. If you actually read the proposal it doesn’t end Social Security or Medicare. You must have heard Nancy Pelosi spewing her ignorance today before she read the bill.

      Report Post » Blackhawk1  
    • abc
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:52pm

      Define vital services.

      Report Post »  
    • sleazyhippo
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 7:07pm

      B-Hawk, Thanks! for the comment, I will try and clarify. I think we are looking at a slippery slope that has a strong ideological basis. The current plan is to privatize Medicare and Medicaid. Then SS will be easy to convert, after that, who knows. Look at what has happened to the American workers! Haircuts everywhere!
      BTW I downloaded the bill and I am reading it now. You are right, I had not finished it when I commented, just read the overview. Thanks again.

      Report Post » MONICNE  
    • Igno Ramus
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 8:57pm

      Marine– You are absolutely right about the leech thing. Damn I NEVER thought I would say a Marine was right. USN

      Thanks for serving

      Report Post »  
  • Ashrak
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:07pm

    The left goes way hard left in order to get the right to “come to the middle”. Obama and crew went off the deep end in spending and now the solution is a freeze at levels so many opposed “for the last eight years spending like drunken sailors”???

    Folks, this is just the right going hard right to get the left to “come to the middle”. And in the end, it means Democrats and Republicans have played us all like fools to get everything they wanted.

    This is all a scam and. as such, I stand against it as the rouse it is.

    Soetoro now saying he has always been about cutting cutting cutting, “substantial cuts”
    The lies continue and we are still borrowing money from China, and others, to send abroad with not even a hope of it ever returning. This madness has got to stop. Politicians are STEALING from children not even yet born and it must be put to an end.

    This ten years out garbage has to be rejected and we must command our employees, the governments of this nation, to STAND DOWN the debt spending NOW.

    NO MORE.

    What I expect Soetoro, is for the LIES to stop. Enumerated powers spending ONLY and anything beyond that intended must see a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to facilitate it. GOT IT?

    Report Post » Ashrak  
    • Antilib
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:36pm

      AMEN. This is a scam. Plain and simple. We are far past the point of no return as a country.
      BTW…I’m an optimist.

      Report Post »  
  • Susan Harkins
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:05pm

    The biggest cost to this country IS the government.

    SHUT IT DOWN — LEAVE IT DOWN and we will be back in the black, lickety-split.

    Report Post » Susan Harkins  
    • abc
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:49pm

      The Marines are the government. Your local fire department is the government. The FDA is your government. Your local police is your government. Your kids’ teachers are likely the government. Your road workers are your local government. Your food inspectors are your government. Did you forget all of that when you started bashing the government as though it is cancer? Either you would prefer living in HK, where 50% of the kids have asthma from the air polution and food poisoning is far more common than in the US, or you should be a little more nuanced in your criticism of the US goverment, which delivers to you a much higher standard of living than that ueber-capitalist city in the South China Sea. People should be careful what they wish for. And they should be more thoughtful and informed before they start calling for complete shutdowns of their government. Pray you are not robbed or have a fire in your home during the shutdown that you are rooting for.

      Report Post »  
    • raggle
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 9:57pm

      My State can take care of all of that, except of course the national defense

      Report Post » raggle  
  • RJinCO
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:01pm

    If the plan gives tax breaks to oil companies to expand drilling, then I disagree with that. Oil has posted huge (record) profits for the past five years or more. No special tax benefits or grants to any company. Defund NPR, Planned Parenthood, and all other discretionary grants and tax incentives.

    Report Post »  
  • suzy000
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:59pm

    OK…question…bottom line….what will our National Debt be (approx.) in 10 years? I think that IS what Americans want to know. Then and only then can they feel good about ANY budget plan.

    Report Post »  
  • marine249
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:53pm

    a few days ago I said when I left Wis. all the brains left with me not quite right
    Paul Ryan’s folks found a lot of brains left over and them in this kids head Go Paul

    Report Post »  
  • emertz8413
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:52pm

    Thank you Paul Ryan!!! It‘s a good start and hopefully we’ll get most of this through.

    Report Post »  
  • TheObserver
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:51pm

    Nevermind, after refreshing this page 5-6 times, I’ve finally managed to get the videos to play properly. Might of been on my end – stupid computer!

    Report Post » TheObserver  
  • wkan
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:50pm

    is the GOP so desperate that anytime some republican does the right thing he/she has to run for president. Lets let some of these leaders stay put and do thier work in the other branch as well. Most of the potiental phonies will be exposed pretty fast anyway. We need a Reagan not a number cruncher.

    Report Post »  
  • TheObserver
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:50pm

    Something is wrong with the first video. The audio and visuals are all glitched out. Hopefully the second video will work correctly.

    Report Post » TheObserver  
  • Cabo King
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:47pm

    i went to the post office yesterday, i thought it was shut down!!! dumb arses

    Report Post » Cabo King  
  • YouMayFireWhenReady
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:41pm

    I wish that Ryan would run for President. Ryan/ Rubio ticket sounds like something I can believe in!!

    Report Post »  
  • Commando
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:40pm

    This is the Handout Generation! Obama money! Give me some Obama money! Obama is going to buy me a house! Obama will give me an IPod and laptop…Obama give me a cell phone… Obama tell me what to eat… Isn’t this great! Please…..

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:37pm

    It’s a good plan that makes a lot of sense. Therefore, the Dems will never go for it. We need the Senate and The White House.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Blackhawk1
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:09pm

      In 2012!

      Report Post » Blackhawk1  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:48pm

      There is nothing good about a plain that will place the burden an the risks on the backs of the working and middle classes, while the upper 1% enjoy every increasing share of the nations wealth with need to contribute.

      There can be no serious debate about the budget, while the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy remain in effect. This plain takes from the least of us and gives to those at the top, how very christian.

      Report Post »  
  • Showtime
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:34pm

    Have you noticed that it’s the Democrats who get their panties in a wad?
    Wisconsin state senators culdn’t handle being outnumbered. The U.S. Senate cannot pass a budget bill. The Democrats are all about spending but have no idea of what fiscal responsibility is.

    This country is in a royal mess because of Progressive Democrats!!!

    Report Post » Showtime  
    • Showtime
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:39pm

      …couldn’t…

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:44pm

      Think the Senate damocrats will walk out to stop it?

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • Ubernerd
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:55pm

      Think the Senate damocrats will walk out to stop it?
      —————————-
      Doubt it. They still have the majority. Only way they would walk out is if some of their people (heaven forbid) crossed party lines and saw the larger debt issue.

      Report Post »  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:57pm

      Show
      I still can’t figure out how the DEMOCRATS got away with passing Opaque Legislation, when they couldn’t pass a Budget.? How will the Gov Shutdown affect me.? It won’t.The only people that are affected will be the handout class. Those that Squeal the loudest will be the biggest sponges. The only thing the Fed Gov has ever done for me is a GREAT(non unionized) Military and mediocre interstate highway(unionized) system. Almost ready to start scraping barnacles and cleaning teak.
      Fair Winds

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • Non-sequitur
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:02pm

      “Doubt it. They still have the majority. Only way they would walk out is if some of their people (heaven forbid) crossed party lines and saw the larger debt issue.”

      You’re projecting. Republicans vote in lockstep, Democrats do not.

      Report Post »  
    • Untameable-kate
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:04pm

      I have spoken to dems regarding the budget and overspending and I’ll be darned if one of them has ever been able to explain sufficiently why all the excess spending is necessary. If you suggest small steps, like cutting pork, they claim it doesn‘t do enough to fix the problem so we shouldn’t try; if you suggest cutting in larger steps they start screaming about feeding the elderly Alpo. You can‘t talk to them because it isn’t their money so they don’t care.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • Showtime
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:13pm

      @Ubernerd
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:55pm
      Think the Senate damocrats will walk out to stop it?
      —————————-
      Doubt it. They still have the majority. Only way they would walk out is if some of their people (heaven forbid) crossed party lines and saw the larger debt issue.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      The Senate Democrats do have a majority, but they lead by only four seats. There are 23 of 33 seats that they will have to defend in 2012. The Tea Party is now the driving force behind Republicans; and the Democrats know that the Democrats voted for healthcare, raising taxes, and government spending which got us into this mess.

      What the Senate Democrats do with this budget remains to be seen, but they are weighing their decisions with reelection in mind.

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • SMALL GOVT
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:36pm

      @showtime

      raised taxes on who? you? Just goes to show you how misinformed you are.

      Report Post »  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 4:37pm

      @Showtime,

      The Astro-Turf Tea-Party blew their load, it is becoming evident that the labor is on the rise and the American people do not like the GOP’s agenda when it is put into motion. The Tea-Party is only goin got allow the most extreme candidates in. The GOP, unless they cut lose the lunatics that make up the vast majority of the Tea-PArty have doomed themselves.

      Report Post »  
    • abc
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:45pm

      Kate, four programs account for 80%+ of the budget. What is the fat in those programs? How much of it can be cut that people will not notice? I believe Art Laffer went on Beck’s show and even he could not balance the budget by simply cutting programs. The problem goes beyond an unwillingness on the part of liberals to cut fat. To balance the budget, we need to cut muscle and bone and then some marrow. In reality, we need to raise taxes as well, but then you hear Republicans react even more violently and irrationally than liberals. And they are not defending little old ladies who really will have to eat Alpo. They are defending people with G6‘s and Continental GT’s. I would step off the moral high horse and take a hard look at the numbers before you start blaming unthinking liberals for this mess. There is a lot of blame to go around, and the Republicans are actually at least as responsible for the current debt and deficits as the Democrats.

      Report Post »  
    • midcoastmainepatriot
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 10:55pm

      Encinomoonbat: It must hurt to be as stupid as you….your posts HAVE to be jokes!!?? But either way GO AWAY TROLL !!!!! Nobody likes you ( I mean in your real life too) SCREW !!!!

      Report Post » midcoastmainepatriot  
    • realindependent
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 4:39am

      Isnt it funny that ryan doesnt touch people over 55 right now? Cause if the republicorps did what they really want and do it to everyone no matter thier age. The tea party made up of older people who believed Obama was going to cut their benefits would now be ragging at him and the republicorps..

      Its all a game to get you to vote republican. wake up America

      Report Post » realindependent  
  • Showtime
    Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:31pm

    Paul Ryan knows what he’s talking about. As far as I’m concerned, shut the government down until the Senate “comes to order!”

    Report Post » Showtime  
    • TERMLIMITSNOW
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:33pm

      More like shut it down for good!

      Report Post » TERMLIMITSNOW  
    • lovenfl3
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:38pm

      Paul Ryan is the best man for the job. The guy knows what he’s talking about. Sounds like he’s ready for the media attack as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11eYGdOVnvc

      Report Post » lovenfl3  
    • exdem
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:40pm

      We need people like Ryan to run for President , but he says his kids are too small and his head isn’t big enough. Gotta love the guy for his honesty ,integrity , intellect and love of country. I hope the idiots in Washington embrace his plan, but I won’t hold my breath.

      Report Post »  
    • ADNIL
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:40pm

      Sounds like a GOOD START to me!

      Report Post »  
    • Revere1
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:42pm

      Reigning in the gov’t spending is our only chance of a future. But the Dems will oppose it at every step: http://www.battlefield315.com/2011/04/what-liberals-really-think-about-tea.html As far as the left is concerned, spending should keep going up forever…

      Report Post » Revere1  
    • AzCowboy
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:44pm

      Boehner, Don’t back off. Shut it down
      jH…

      Report Post »  
    • redneck
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:48pm

      PBO attempt at budget conference is about him saving the government shut down.  Everything is a calculated risk.
       

      Report Post » redneck  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:53pm

      Paul Ryan seems to be sticking to his promises; and I pray for God to open the doors for the plan to be made and for all to stick with it. So far, this seems to be the best one yet, and the drawbacks can be summarised as follows;

      1. Congress (left)
      2. Congress (progressive)
      3. President Obama
      4. George Soros (?)
      5. Kermit the Frog (Kidding)

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • thesource
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:55pm

      How about closing the tax loopholes that corporations get. How about not letting ceo’s of failed companies get 30 million dollars. Hmm. That could save a lot of money.

      Report Post »  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 1:59pm

      The bummer part, Congress will still be paid. Maybe if these morons suffered like we do, when they screw things, they up wouldn’t be such a group of schmucks.

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
    • Creestof
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:02pm

      Knowing what snakes they are in Washington…one more obvious alternative would be to learn to like Chinese food.

      Report Post »  
    • Non-sequitur
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:03pm

      @thesource

      No, the poor get all the breaks and they should carry the weight.

      Report Post »  
    • Thug sauce
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:17pm

      Paul Ryan is a neocon who voted for TARP and taxpayer funded bailouts of AIG and Foreign banks. So far as I am concerned, this is just a ploy for him to gain tea party backing, considering how he knows this proposal will NEVER be passed. its just Washington histrionics, if you want a true conservative who always votes consistent with the Conservative philosophy vote for RON PAUL in 2012, otherwise, your just getting con’d by Fox News and Corporate America. And make no mistake, Corporate america is no friend to a true capitalist.

       
    • SavingtheRepublic.com
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:26pm

      Its all great but the socialists will fight this to no end and BHO will have no part of it esp when he is planning on spending more. Kinda odd isnt it a Pres who said he would cut the deficit in half to get elected has quadrupled it in 2.5yrs!

      This is what has to be done but I dont see it happening, shut the govt down let the socialists go back to their districts and get hammered by the constituents! Also keep in mind any funding that goes through is more money going toward Obamacare and other unsustainable programs. Mark Levin spoke a while ago on this I have to find the clip but he was dead on any move in favor of CR is just funding these horrible programs.

      Report Post » SavingtheRepublic.com  
    • DrFrost
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:38pm

      If you have a shutdown what is granny going to do without her monthly check? Who’s going to pay for her heart medication?

      I say you pass an emergency bill that only keeps truly necessary services open. Shut everthing else down. The longer the better.

      Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:45pm

      The next thing we‘ll hear is that the Senate and it’s occupants left the state in an exercise of defiance so they can avoid the budget cut vote. At that point the media will demonize conservatives for trying to bring down congressional collective bargaining in attempt to hurt the non-working class and entitlements.

      ….or something.

      Report Post »  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:45pm

      Of course in this GOP, astro-turf tea-party approved budget, the upper 1% will pay less in taxes and receive more in benefits, will its the middle class and working class that will receive less and less in the way of services and safety nets.

      The 1950′s post war era many conservatives point to as our golden years as far as growth and production. It was also the highest percentage of union membership and 90% tax rates for the upper 1%.

      While the good christians here, debate why its moral and just to slash the medicare and medicaid along with the other programs that benefit neediest among us. The rich are doubling their share of the wealth of this nation, while passing on the risks and price tag to the middle class.

      Report Post »  
    • gman46
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:51pm

      As others say, its a good start, but we need to solidify behind people who will make this happen, not only a fiscal conservative president for 2012, but we need fiscal conservative majority in the Senate and Congress.

      Report Post » JohnGalt  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:51pm

      Shut it down. It seems to work better when they are out of town anyway. It’s not like the country will shut down.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • realindependent
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:01pm

      Heritage foundation? Really Glenny boy. Your using stats from the koch borther funded heritage foundation to back Ryans budget? Why do republicorps insist on balancing the budget on the backs of the weakest of our nation the poor, the old, and the sick? While the top 2% of wealth owners in this country get tax breaks and The wealthiest companies pay 0% taxes at the end of the year and get refunds in most cases? We arent broke. we just dont have enough revenue after 10 years of tax breaks and tax loop holes for corporations.

      Also the CBO a real non partisan accounting group say that HR1 would cost America 700 thousand jobs if passed by the Senate and signed by the BO. thats why the senate wont pass that bill or Mr Ryans lets rape the middle class some more for our corporate masters bill. you all make me sick. and now i wont have medicare or medicaide to help me get better. ill have to go to the emergency room which costs 10X that and you’ll have to pay that. Stupid

      Report Post » realindependent  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:05pm

      Non-sequitur
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:03pm
      @thesource

      No, the poor get all the breaks and they should carry the weight.
      ___________________________________________________

      Are you serious, what have you been smoking? The poor receive just enough to barely get by. While the rich are allowed to double their share of the nations wealth at the same time they pass the risks and the burdens onto the middle and working class. It is time for the upper 1% to pay their fair share, its time to end the welfare for the rich that Ryan is proposing in his budget.

      Report Post »  
    • realindependent
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:07pm

      To balance the budget it has tio include everything. Defense spending, tax increases, and intitlement cuts. but we must control the costs of health care.Which the affordable health care bill did, but your overlords in the house want to defund it. Yes i said it tax increases. we wouldnt be in this mess if GWB didnt cut taxes 2 times while bieng in 2 wars and doing homeland security office and medicare part D all funded with borrowed money from China i might add. But no your guys never explain that. You just say it was poor people buying houses and BO’s stimulus package. What about GWB’s stimulus package to the banks? and they are still giving out millions in bonuses. Fricking shame on all of you republicorps SHAME!!!!!!!

      Report Post » realindependent  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:07pm

      @ encinom

      Re-fill your wine glass.

      Report Post »  
    • AKMIIKEUS
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:11pm

      LOL, bring it on Tea Baggers. Everyone knows who will be blamed and who will be at fault if there is a shutdown.

      AKMIIKEUS  
    • sbish
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:12pm

      I just do not get it. What is everybody on this board so excited about? Ryan is talking about cutting $6.2 Trillion from our national budget over the next 10 years and having the annual deficit down to about $400 Billion by 2017. In Bush’s last year as president, we had a national debt, according to the Office of Management and Budget, of $458 Billion. That was 2 years ago!!! Why in the hell is it going to take six years to get back to the same lame $400 Billion over from 2 years ago?! This is a budget I would expect a Blue Dog Democrat to dream up, not a person a bunch of Tea Partiers and right wingers day dream about making the next president. Seriously? Wake up people, we have to demand better than this. Instead of $6.2 Trillion in budgetary cuts over ten years, we should be talking about cutting our debt by $6.2 Trillion over that time frame.

      Report Post » sbish  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:14pm

      @ encinom

      The poor receive just enough to barely get by.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Exactly, and in doing so the government keeps them exactly where it wants them by just barely keeping them satisfied with their hand-outs.

      I submit that if the government hand-outs got eliminated the same people would become motivated to AT LEAST try to maintain their current standard of living. You might be surprised to see what proper motivation can do to an individual.

      Report Post »  
    • realindependent
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:15pm

      @Non-sequitur

      The poor get all the breaks? really? Man they got you brain washed dont they. So the poor have houndreds of lobyist in washington lobying for tax breaks less regulation and subsidies? The poor who have to decide wether or not to buy they’re kids food or medicine? while the rich all have health care and send they’re kids to private schools? Not everyone can be rich and powerfull. Its not like one day we all will be millionaires. Why should the poor pay more they have less to give? So if im poor its my fault im poor? I should pull myself up by my bootstraps and make it rich? Yeah thats all it takes. willpower? preying to God? or does it take money to make money? Yes some people make it rich through hard work. Not everyone, and yes some people abuse the system. Just like corporations do and middle class people do. So dont just say poor people get more breaks or get mor this or that. Cause ya know what? One day you might be poor. Then you’ll see what eating crackers for dinner is like….

      Report Post » realindependent  
    • ObamaWatcher
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:15pm

      $6.2Trillion is a good start. Spending needs to be cut at all levels of government; and I’m not talking about “cuts” in projected increases. Federal, state and local governments have been no less than irresponsible with the public trust. I’m tired of watching these children rob the piggy bank, tired of watching these thieves steal my children’s future, while mindless partisans play tit-for-tat. I will believe the republicans are serious about real spending cuts when I see real spending cuts. My daddy always told me: “You know ‘em by their fruit son, you know ‘em by their fruit.”

      Report Post »  
    • gman46
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:31pm

      @AKMIIKEUS,

      Yes sir, those Democrats, the party of “No”, will get there’s! Thank you for noticing!

      Report Post » JohnGalt  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:36pm

      @SHOW

      I agree shut it down .. which really doesn’t shut it down .. just those things which are not deemed unnecessary … SHUT THOSE UNNECESSARY DOWN FOR GOOD!

      Report Post »  
    • amwhatam
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:36pm

      Ann Barnhardt tells it like it is.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qeyrp-V3Jvc

      Report Post » amwhatam  
    • TexasCommonSense
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:39pm

      Imagine the hand wringing that would go on in DC if the government were required to pass a balance budget. I live on les than I make in my house, and I actively teach my kids to do the same. Why should the government be forced to do the same with OUR money?

      Report Post » TexasCommonSense  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:45pm

      oops .. not necessary …

      Report Post »  
    • maryslittlelamb
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 3:48pm

      @DrFrost
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 2:38pm
      If you have a shutdown what is granny going to do without her monthly check?
      ——————————————————————————————-
      Granny’s check continues to arrive in a shutdown. So do welfare checks. In fact, nothing much changes except the Dems and RINOs can’t fire their zingers at us for awhile. Don’t be afraid of a shutdown. ARE YOU LISTENING, SPEAKER BOEHNER?!

      Report Post »  
    • goatkid
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 4:01pm

      @showtime
      You bet. This is what needs to be done for our children, as he said.

      Report Post »  
    • jacobstroubles
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 4:10pm

      We’re probably watching another BS diversion tactic.
      So I‘d not get too wound up into what they’re talking about just yet.
      You all need to know that most of them (dems/libs/convs)..are either cut from mostly the same fabric and or have the same corrupt threads woven threw their behavior.

      Dont be so quick to jump on the train of what any of them are spewing…
      let’s see what they acutally do, rather than what they say.
      The vast majority of them CAN NOT/SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED!

      Report Post »  
    • IntheKnowOG
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 4:53pm

      @DrFrost

      Shutdown= non essential services. Military still gets paid, most “gubmint chex” are printed automatically or depositied via direct deposit. All the vampires in the alphabet agencies will have to sit at home in a “time out” and think about what they’ve done to us for the last 40 years.

      Report Post » IntheKnowOG  
    • Blackhawk1
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 4:58pm

      I see all the liberals made it here to whine about what they won‘t get on the backs of their neighbors because of Ryan’s budget proposal. It is really sickening to see how many people can’t take care of themselves and wants me to do it for them. Liberalism truly is a mental disease.

      Report Post » Blackhawk1  
    • 1chancey1
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:08pm

      I see Soros’ hacks are out in full force spreading their BS & lies. Do you ladies get paid by the word?

      Report Post »  
    • abc
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:19pm

      Showtime, a government shutdown during times when government is a key source of demand to keep the economy in recovery mode will cause a double dip. Look at England. They are seeing a dramatic slowdown in growth and rising unemployment because they just implemented the austerity measures that Ryan is advocating. Do not get me wrong. I am in favor of cutting a ton of spending, and I was calling for it since about 2003 when Bush started running up the debt like a drunken sailor. But there is a difference between calling for such measures when the economy can handle it versus during times when it cannot. Republicans were curiously silent about the excessive spending at a time when the economy could handle the austerity, and now they are curiously loud about addressing it when the economy may not be able to. Not every smart.

      Also, given how Bush sold the tax cuts in 2002 and 2003, the source of more than half of the current structural deficit, as job creating and pro-growth, and how Bush relied upon analysis from the Heritage guys to justify those claims, it is strange that Ryan would rely upon them for his work given how the Bush tax cuts turned out. We got very little employment growth as a result, and the tax cuts were not very stimulative for economic growth either. In fact, most credentialled economists cannot find a strong correlation between modest shifts in tax rate (3-5%) and employment or GDP growth at all. So it is strange that Ryan would claim that the new plan “kicks out about a million new jobs next year alone, brings unemployment rate down to 4% by 2015, and producing about 2.5 million new jobs by the end of the decade, a thousand dollars in extra family income…a year, and $1.1 trillion in higher wages, and $1.5 trillion in faster economic growth.” You cannot cut 10% of government workers and create a million incremental jobs. It is simply not possible. And a 4% employment rate by 2015 is not possible either. Germany is firing on all cylinders right now, thanks to its export led industries and robust emerging market demand, but it has 4.5% unemployment and didn’t have the huge housing crash that we did, nor the overly indebted consumers that we do. These are really unrealistic promises he is touting.

      Here is what Ryan should say:

      1. we have partied for 30 years and the party is over
      2. the American people have been lied to, but they wanted to be lied to, since they consistently voted for the guy who promised the moon rather than the one who was honest
      3. we have spent much more than we earn, both as a government as as individuals (in the aggregate) and that must stop
      4. the American consumer is screwed right now, with little savings, very uncertain employment prospects and a mountain of debt, which, unlike that of Wall Street banks, was never magically erased or taken over by the Fed’s balance sheet
      5. rising gas prices have made the American consumer’s position even more precarious
      6. the private sector knows that the consumer is screwed and is trying to avoid raising prices to avoid losing market share (e.g., Coca-Cola), and is also avoiding expanding capacity or employment for this reaason
      7. the government is an important part of what is keeping the economy afloat at the moment, and will continue to remain important until we have a much more robust recovery
      8. we must cut spending and raise taxes in the long term to address the deficit and debt, but we have to ease into it, lest we remove the only pillar supporting a recovery right now, which is the government
      9. both spending cuts and tax increases are necessary to get us out of this mess, since both tax cuts and spending creep put us into it; the Bush tax cuts and the reduced tax payments by corporations account for nearly all of the current structural deficit, while runaway social entitlements and gushing defense spending will make it hard to prevent future deficits without reform
      10. the Bush tax cuts account for about 4% of the 10% of GDP deficit, while corporate tax receipts, which have fallen from greater than 6% of GDP under Reagan to less than 2% currently (few of the major companies pay the statutory 35% that Fox loves to report anyway), accounts for about another 3% of that 10%; so reverting back to Clinton level tax rates, which were not at all job-killing (he produced more job growth than Nixon, Reagan or either Bush), should help a lot.
      11. spending cuts should be phased in gradually as the private sector’s contributino to demand rises and the recovery is firm; cuts should center on SS, which should be means tested and which should have a much higher retirement age, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare should be able to negotiate monolithically with drug companies, just as Walmart does with Proctor, Coke and Kraft. And it should be means tested.
      12. voters should be prepared to pay more and receive less, since they have been in an unsustainable situation in which they order the $100 steak, pay for 80% of it and then leave the other 20% for their grandkids to pay. Returning to a sustainable path means that they will pay more and get lower quality steak. These are the facts of life, and voters who believe people who tell them different should not vote since they are hurting their country.

      Report Post »  
    • sleazyhippo
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:25pm

      The country needs to pay its debt – return to the discipline of the last generation – pay our bills as we go (or avoid making too-costly decisions). If the debt were reasonable, 90 percent of this class-war kerfuffle would be erased, and folks would feel better about being a single, united country again.

      Report Post » MONICNE  
    • SimpleTruths
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:41pm

      @TSUNAMI-22

      Yeah let‘s just roll with the Wisconsin’s Gov’s employment philosophy…
      Privatization buys you a two time convicted drunk driver with no real job experience and two years of college earning 81,500.00 running the environmental and regulatory matters at the Department of Commerce under Walker while at the same time, Walker smears union members (police, firefighters, teachers, teamsters, etc) as entitled thugs.
      That 25 year old loser is the son of one of Walker’s big contributors – sounds fair right?

      Report Post » SimpleTruths  
    • Uncle Sambo
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 6:24pm

      @thesource

      “How about closing the tax loopholes that corporations get. How about not letting ceo’s of failed companies get 30 million dollars. Hmm. That could save a lot of money.”

      You know; had it been up to the House Republicans TARP would have never passed. You can thank Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats for the Bank Bailouts of 2008.

      Now here is my opinion on the looming shutdown. It will mean less federal debt for the Federal Reserve to monetize I think Paul Ryan should accuse the Democrats of wanting to destroy the value of savings of Senor Citizens and Young People saving up for their first home down payments.

      Report Post »  
    • missionarydad
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 6:53pm

      Now this is the type of plan that we sent them to Washington to do. Let’s all get behind this wonderful plan and do all we can in each upcomming election to make sure we shrink our government and get the kind of people up there in Washington to get this accomplished. People like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara (worked so hard) Boxer and Harry Reid need to be put on forced retirement as well as Obama who needs impeached and retired asap.

      Report Post »  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 7:09pm

      missionarydad
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 6:53pm
      Now this is the type of plan that we sent them to Washington to do. Let’s all get behind this wonderful plan and do all we can in each upcomming election to make sure we shrink our government and get the kind of people up there in Washington to get this accomplished. People like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara (worked so hard) Boxer and Harry Reid need to be put on forced retirement as well as Obama who needs impeached and retired asap.
      _________________________________________
      How very Christian, you voted to bankruptcy the needy, to let the poor and old die in the streets cause they can no longer afford health care, while the rich among us can enjoy additional tax cuts. Ryan‘s plan is nothing more than Reagan’s senile wet dream and will truly show the thinking American how morally bankrupt the GOP is.

      Report Post »  
    • restorehope
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 7:53pm

      Paul Ryan should replace ineffective and bumbling Bernanke at the Fed. Ryan has more common sense about economics than any other person in DC. At the very least, he is smart enough to see that the Dem approach of holding their finger in the **** is not going to keep us from a financial tsunami. Ryan’s far-reaching plan is yet another reason for us to retake the Senate and the WH in 2012.

      Report Post »  
    • S G Applebee
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 7:57pm

      The only “Czar” we need is a WASTE Czar!
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMSXwxLeCu4

      Report Post »  
    • G.W. Dobbs
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 7:57pm

      Ryan and Beck fell right in line using the recently popular coloquial expression “as well” to each other in their conversation.

      Why not? EVERYBODY is doing it, “Right”? Might as well, huh?

      Report Post »  
    • gman46
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 8:21pm

      Encinom,
      How very Christian, you voted to bankruptcy the needy, to let the poor and old die in the streets cause they can no longer afford health care, while the rich among us can enjoy additional tax cuts. Ryan‘s plan is nothing more than Reagan’s senile wet dream and will truly show the thinking American how morally bankrupt the GOP is.

      ———————————————————————————————————————————————-

      Well actually having gone to Haiti and helping there, I can’t say that the poor in the U.S is are rich by world standards.
      The U.S people give so much already without a mandate from Government to do so.

      Your leftist “feel-good” ideology and rhetoric just doesn’t cut it anymore.

      Report Post » JohnGalt  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 9:18pm

      @ SimpleTruths
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 5:41pm

      @TSUNAMI-22

      Yeah let‘s just roll with the Wisconsin’s Gov’s employment philosophy…
      Privatization buys you a two time convicted drunk driver with no real job experience and two years of college earning 81,500.00 running the environmental and regulatory matters at the Department of Commerce under Walker while at the same time, Walker smears union members (police, firefighters, teachers, teamsters, etc) as entitled thugs.
      That 25 year old loser is the son of one of Walker’s big contributors – sounds fair right?
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      First of all, what the hell does that comment directed to me have anything to do what we’re talking about?

      I will comment that your impression of Walker is skewed, however. Walker (as far as I could tell) didn’t smear police, firefighters, teachers, teamsters, etc. All [Walker] wanted to get across was that some of the benefits they receive were breaking the back of the state. It was the poor attitudes and behavior of the protesters and the democrats that supported them by leaving the state of Wisconsin that literally did the smearing of themselves.

      Nobody seemed to give a crap about a drunken Ted Kennedy when he drove off the bridge all those years ago where a death was actually involved, so what’s your point? They made HIM a Senator. So much for governmental employment philosophy, eh?

      I guess personal demeanor only matters when it goes against the liberal ideology.

      Report Post »  
    • gman46
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 9:25pm

      Should have said, “I can say that the poor in the U.S are rich compared to the rest of the world”

      Report Post » JohnGalt  
    • Uncle Sambo
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 10:03pm

      @encinom

      While your at it. Let’s talk about the harm President Bobo is doing to the senior citizens and the poor by engaging in reckless budget deficits that are resulting inflation because of it. Did you see the price of Gas? Senior Citizens and the Poor will soon have to choose between heating their homes and food. Thank you President N-Word. You heartless b@$t@rd.

      Report Post »  
    • American Soldier (Separated)
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 10:14pm

      He best be advocating for as much cuts for military spending. If we only had the bear minimum to spend on our military, we would be limited to using that force unless we are truly in imminent danger. We wouldn’t be spreading around the world trying to police it.

      Report Post » American Soldier (Separated)  
    • sbish
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 10:24pm

      ABC

      The other day you gave me a little lesson on CNN reporter lady who is not a partisan hack, and now I would like to return the favor on the Bush tax cut and whether it was effective or not. While you, and a bunch of economist who frequently get it wrong because they base most of their analysis on what they learned in college from Keynes (not to lump you in with a bunch of Keynsian egg-heads), would have all of us believe the Bush tax cut is responsible for half of the current structural deficit we face now, that is not a factual statement. That would only be true on two accounts:

      1) If subsequent to the tax cut, tax revenue went down markedly. That didn’t occur. Even while saddled with the ramificiations nationally of 911 and a crushing tech bubble, the revenues stayed quite stable upon passing the Bush tax cut as compared to the Clinton years just previous. In addition, from 2005-2008, tax revenues exceeded by a long way any single Clinton era tax revenue intake during what was a very prosperous time. According to the Office of Management and Budget, the revenues were as followed:
      (in trillions)
      1995 1.35
      1996 1.45
      1997 1.58
      1998 1.72
      1999 1.88
      2000 2.02
      2001 1.99
      2002 1.85
      2003 1.78
      2004 1.88
      2005 2.15
      2006 2.40
      2007 2.56
      2008 2.52

      As you can see, revenues were on the same trajectory from 1995-2001, we have 911 and tech bubble, things stall for a couple of years, and then there is an explosion of growth in revenues, despite this “horrible” idea of Bush tax cuts where people get to keep more of there money and not have to give it to a bloated nanny state.

      2) The only other valid argument that the tax cut was a failure is if you have a crystal ball and can look into it and say that the few percent we let the companies and earners keep would have come straight to the government (translating into higher revenue and smaller deficits) and that economic growth would not have been hamstrung in the process. This of course cannot be proved, but when you add the data up of my first point to the fact that GDP growth was steadily escalating at a similar rate as during the Clinton years, it seems that we were not hamstrung or shortchanged by the Bush tax cut, but that things continued on in a positive way, plus people got to keep more of their money. Here is the GDP chart link showing the continuous growth patern from Clinton-Bush.

      http://www.data360.org/graph_group.aspx?Graph_Group_Id=149

      Regarding your point on employment growth. What do you mean by that? The best way to gauge employment is the unemployment rate, which during the Bush presidency ranged from 4%-6%. Those are healthy numbers to be in a range of.

      http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/Unemployment-Rate.aspx?Symbol=USD

      Lastly, on what you said about cutting government jobs, I think you have underestimated the ingenuity of the United States. While there would be some short term pain by laying of 10% (in fact, we could and should loose much more if we just privatized several departments like the USPS) of fed workers, they will be absorbed into the private sector or state/local governments. Many of the jobs which should be cut have legitimate uses, but just shouldn’t be done by the federal government. Oversite of energy, education etc… are only Constitutionally permissible jobs when using the loosest enterpretation of the document. I believe, those jobs in many cases are needed, and will be duplicated in the private and state/local govt levels once they are cut from federal jurisdiction.

      Report Post » sbish  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 5, 2011 at 10:51pm

      @SBISH

      Playing the Heritage Foundation word games. The tax revenues historically rises, so the increase shown by your graph would be expected.

      In 2006, according to the CBO, individual income tax revenue was 1,043.9 billion, an increase of 5 percent since 2001. Corporate tax revenue was 353.9 billion in 2006, a 134 percent rise from 2001. That’s a dramatic increase.

      “It really is astonishing,” Viard says of those numbers. But he can’t point to major corporate tax cuts that would have spurred the growth. Corporate profits are doing very well and the economy is growing, but “I don’t know that there’s a single, clear cut reason for that.”

      A May 2006 report by the Federal Reserve Board did not find that the 2003 dividend tax cut had a major impact on stock prices.

      Federal Reserve Board authors: “We do not find any imprint of the dividend tax cut news on the value of the aggregate U.S. stock market. On the other hand, high-dividend stocks outperformed low-dividend stocks by a few percentage points over the event windows, suggesting that the tax cut did induce asset reallocation within equity portfolios.”

      That contradicts President Bush’s pronouncements. In May 2006, when the president signed an extension of tax relief legislation, he said: “The cuts on dividends and capital gains are reaching families and businesses alike…. By cutting the taxes on dividends and capital gains, we helped add about $4 trillion in new wealth to the stock market.”

      Additionally, the rise in revenue represents the combination of both individual and corporate taxes. There was no Bush tax break for corporations. The numbers you are using fail to take this into account. Additionally, through out this period the US Treasury was being raided to pay for Bush ‘s wars.

      http://www.factcheck.org/taxes/supply-side_spin.html

      Report Post »  
    • sbish
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 12:23am

      Encinom

      I am having trouble understanding what you are arguing or what it has to do with what I was saying. My point is that revenues continued to trend upward at the same trajectory before and after the Bush tax cut and that there is no reason to believe that there was a windfall of revenue which was not captured by the federal government if the cut had not been passed. It was asserted by ABC that the deficit we are now facing is in large part due to a lack of revenue generation due to the tax cut, and that if the tax cut would have not been implemented, more revenue would have been generated, which is plainly false, or at the very least, not able to be known. Considering that people got to keep more money that they earned and the trend stayed the same for unemployment, tax revenue generation and GDP, I am happy to not burn to many brain cells to speculate if we could have made a tiny bit more revenue.

      It seems you are making an argument, in large part, that during the Bush era, corporations had a much steeper rise in taxes paid than individuals 134% to 5%, and that this shows that corporations were seeing much larger revenue increases than individuals, which in turn shows that there was a growing gulf between the rich and the average working man’s overall worth. First, a lot of those companies are small companies that make under one million dollars a year and are not the GEs of the world. Second, these gulfs probably do exist, and good for the companies and their owners. They must be doing something right, as I never have known many folks who made a lot of money doing something wrong without going to prison. They are taking all of the risk and have the organizational skills, know-how and ingenuity to make those profits with a clear conscience. That’s what happens when you start your own business, you make the most money in that corporation! Crazy, isn’t it?! Many of the people who started those companies once were the common working man who were hired by the guy that started a business. Upon learning the trade or vocation they were employed in, they thought that they could do it better or at least as good, started their own business and now they are the highest earner in that company. Seems like a pretty fair system to me. Take the risk, reap the reward. From reading post of yours over the past several weeks, I know your are an income redistributer, so these concepts probably seem crazy, but we are the greatest, most powerful nation in the history of the world for several reasons, and this is one of them. Capitalism. Individualism. Personal responsibility. Historically, people come to this country for a reason, and we do not emigrate to other countries in search of a new start or better life. We are now a nation in decline because people like you are slowly eroding away at those principles, and unless we turn back the clock to a simpler vision of the role of federal government, we will continue to breakdown and become another second rate group of people, like the EU. As Churchill said (and I am paraphrasing), “Socialism is mechanism which insures all shall share misery equally.”

      Finally, I didn‘t know Bush put a gun to everybody’s head in congress when they voted to go to war. If he had gone to war unilaterally, as our current president has done, I would agree with your statement, but since there was near unanimous support in the Senate and House, not sure it is quite fair to lable them Bush’s wars. Paying for wars is another interesting issue. Obama has been in office for 2 years. He has also been at war as the Commander in Chief for the same amount of time, and now he has started another military conflict in Libya. I haven’t heard about how those three wars, under his supervision, are getting paid for, have you? I don’t recall him in the last month making any speeches on tax increases or spending cuts to pay for this new conflict in the Middle East, have you? I thought so.

      Report Post » sbish  
    • freeus
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 12:55am

      Ryan is next to impossible for the left to demonize. He is a true leader. Shut down the government if necessary.

      Report Post »  
    • r304indy
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 1:06am

      Paul Ryan and the heritage Foundation. The heritage Foundation, hey are they the conservative Foundation that only agrees with the CBO when the numbers are what Ryan wants? They have no political dog in this hunt. Overall maybe a good plan if he were not bowing to the health care compaines by giving turning over medicare over to them. And what about defense spending? Good luck with that.

      Report Post »  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 8:25am

      @SB,

      The point I am making is that the increase in tax revenue is due to the fact the corporate tax rates stand the same and that historically one would expect such an increase anyway. The increase has nothing to do with Bush’s tax cuts. Additionally, the tax cuts at a time of war hurt the US economy by drying up revenue for the execution of two wars (one a war of choice), today‘s budget problems are the result of Bush’s failed economic policies.

      Report Post »  
    • sbish
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 10:45am

      Encinom

      I guess I view a successful economic plan differenty than you. If a president can cut the tax rate for individuals and let them keep more of their money while simultaneously keeping the GDP growth rate, unemployment rate and tax revenue the same, seems like a success to me. One could only see that as a failure if the are determined like hell to do so.

      Report Post » sbish  
    • sbish
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 10:58am

      Encinom

      I forgot to mention one other thing. There is no bigger lie than the one Obama supporters and Bush detractors tell about why we are in the budget deficit we are in now. According to you and your friends, we are in the fiscal mess today because of two unpaid for wars. I have several incontravertible facts regarding this falacy your group keeps spewing.

      1) There was no decrease in tax revenue during the time of the Bush era/Bush tax era. The amount trajectory of the revenue was fairly constant.

      2) During the really heavy fighting, and pressumably the largest wartime financial burden, the deficit never went above $460 Billion. To me this is outrageous, because we should have continued with a surplus rather than fall into deficit, and we should have done so by cutting as much as we needed to cut in spending to balance the budget, but you are not arguing that, but rather we should tax the rich, which would have bogged down the economy.

      3) Since Obama took office, our budget deficit has grown by 200% and has no plans on pulling back. None of that has to do with Bush tax cuts or the war. Obama has chosen to spend as much money, as a good Keynsian will do in a time of financial uncertainty, which has failed miserably and prolonged our downturn/recession, as it always does (refernece 1930-1942). The Democrats are not interested in pulling back, but rather, as Hoyer said, it will be 15-20 years before we can balance the budget. Ha! What a joke.

      4) The Democrats, which are so fond of paying for wars that we are taking part in, have done absolutely nothing to pay for it now that they have had complete power for 2 full years.

      Report Post » sbish  
    • encinom
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 12:14pm

      @SBISH,

      The Bush Tax Cuts and the unfunded wars nearly bankrupted this nation. Bush took office with a budget surplus and left with a national debt of $1.2 trillion. During the 1950′s, the golden age for conservatives, union membership was high and tax rates for the upper 1% was 90%. Even a return to the Clinton era tax, which where lowered from the Reagan era would restore the budget. Clinton over saw a boom in American growth.

      The Ryan plan, passes off the burden of the budget onto the least among us, while letting those that benefitted from the ill advised tax breaks to continue to receive government welfare. The GOP is seeking to destroy the social safety nets for the benefit of the rich few.

      Report Post »  
    • gman46
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 1:09pm

      Encinom, Isn’t Congress responsible for spending? and since it was a Democratically run Congress it goes without saying. Also you give such leeway to Obama who is still keeping us in the same wars that Bush did, which means they are now Obama’s wars, to be truthful. Since Obama took office, He had a budget for 2010 of $3.552 trillion (estimated) which the then Democratic Congress agreed to , so why not get on his case? It’s one thing to get upset at a previous president but far worse when you over look this presidents who is doing far worse.

      Report Post » JohnGalt  
    • MIBUGNU2
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 4:01pm

      Paul Ryan you are my HERO !!!
      Please tell Speaker Boehner to hold firm..
      Shut It Down, Send everyone home !!!
      Semper Fi.. Old Yahoo Right Winger…

      Report Post » MIBUGNU2  
    • Igno Ramus
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 8:32pm

      American Soldier—–You obviously didn‘t see GB’s show where he showed that the military budget could be cut drastically without harming or hindering the mission of the military or lowering the care and aid given to our veterans. That’s what we want. The progressives say that GB’s plan is nutz. Yes, if we had a smaller military budget, we would be more limited in what we might want to stick our nose into. However, the entire world wants SAM to fix ALL of their problems. Is your kids name Sam? Mine ain’t. I am a veteran. I want the waste cut from our budget. The waste and fraud in entitlement programs exceeds, by far the entire military budget as it stands today. This has been true for several decades now. If the greatest waste and fraud is in the entitlement programs, why shouldn’t we cut the heck out of them? I saw a tremendous amount of waste while I was in the service, yet I’ve seen even more since I was discharged. Many people fall through the cracks of our entitlement programs but the people who allow this to happen absolutely do not care. The gov’t workers who are responsible will do anything, say anything, allow anything to justify their job at whatever cost because they are not held accountable by anybody. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. If shutting down the gov’t will stop this crap from happening, I’m all for it. I ain’t rich, in fact I am homeless. I just got a brain and I choose to use it.

      Report Post »  
    • leftcoastslut
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 11:19pm

      if you can’t run for president (and I’m purposely not capitalizing president, because to many of us feel that those who have held this position don’t deserve it, u.s. government, congress, house of representatives, state representatives, governors, none of you).

      suddenly i was overcome with the vision of all of us being sheep, and now farmer jones says his grass is greener over on that side.

      …. we all know our pecking order, you guys are killing us…. and when people feel they are dying, that is when they feel energized, fighting for what is right…. we are watching you guys, don’t let us down.

      Report Post »  
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