How the US can get out of debt

[glockmail]

How the US can get out of debt

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1. Stop spending like a drunken sailor. Just take spending back to 2006 levels and freeze it there for a while.
2. Drill baby drill. Lets make a serious effort to become energy independent. Stop the war on coal and fracking. There's lots of revenue in drilling rights and of course more revenue and jobs by exploiting our own energy.
3. Sell land. The feds own huge swaths of land in western states. For instance central Oregon is like little islands of private land in a huge sea of federal property, and it's not all national parks and pristine wilderness.
4. Legalize marijuana and tax it. This would create a lot of revenue and save billions on the stupid war on drugs. Anyone involved in the current illegal drug trade would be forever forbidden from the legal one. This would have the added benefit of destroying drug cartels.

[fj1200]

How the US can get out of debt

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1. Stop spending like a drunken sailor. Just take spending back to 2006 levels and freeze it there for a while.
2. Drill baby drill. Lets make a serious effort to become energy independent. Stop the war on coal and fracking. There's lots of revenue in drilling rights and of course more revenue and jobs by exploiting our own energy.
3. Sell land. The feds own huge swaths of land in western states. For instance central Oregon is like little islands of private land in a huge sea of federal property, and it's not all national parks and pristine wilderness.
4. Legalize marijuana and tax it. This would create a lot of revenue and save billions on the stupid war on drugs. Anyone involved in the current illegal drug trade would be forever forbidden from the legal one. This would have the added benefit of destroying drug cartels.

1. Never happen. The citizens won't stand for it and they'll blame Republicans; They'll be a minority party for decades. Better to elect the 1994 Republicans again in '16 with any kind of reasonable POTUS so they can restrain spending growth and implement new growth friendly policies.
2. We'll never be energy independent but we should do what we can to create high value jobs.
3. How much money can that reasonably raise?
4. Your pothead conservatism is showing.

Overall I think the Republicans need to educate on the real issues and not get caught into any knee-jerk responses that can easily be demonized to the low-information crowd. For example informing the populace that the real driver of deficits is not low tax rates but rather high unemployment. And of course entitlement reform; SS and Medicare of the major deficit drivers into the future.

[Jeff]

How the US can get out of debt

---

1. Stop spending like a drunken sailor. Just take spending back to 2006 levels and freeze it there for a while.
2. Drill baby drill. Lets make a serious effort to become energy independent. Stop the war on coal and fracking. There's lots of revenue in drilling rights and of course more revenue and jobs by exploiting our own energy.
3. Sell land. The feds own huge swaths of land in western states. For instance central Oregon is like little islands of private land in a huge sea of federal property, and it's not all national parks and pristine wilderness.
4. Legalize marijuana and tax it. This would create a lot of revenue and save billions on the stupid war on drugs. Anyone involved in the current illegal drug trade would be forever forbidden from the legal one. This would have the added benefit of destroying drug cartels.

Glock I agree with it all but #4 would bring money in so fast it would make your head spin , if you told people they where going to pay 20 bucks more for a half once but it would be legal and make it high quality stuff they couldn't keep enough in stock it would sell so fast

[glockmail]

1. Never happen. The citizens won't stand for it and they'll blame Republicans; They'll be a minority party for decades. Better to elect the 1994 Republicans again in '16 with any kind of reasonable POTUS so they can restrain spending growth and implement new growth friendly policies.
2. We'll never be energy independent but we should do what we can to create high value jobs.
3. How much money can that reasonably raise?
4. Your pothead conservatism is showing.

Overall I think the Republicans need to educate on the real issues and not get caught into any knee-jerk responses that can easily be demonized to the low-information crowd. For example informing the populace that the real driver of deficits is not low tax rates but rather high unemployment. And of course entitlement reform; SS and Medicare of the major deficit drivers into the future.

1. I'm not sure why you say that. This massive spending that's going on now is "stimulus" that started just before Bush left office. Folks weren't dying in the streets before then.
2. There's no basis for you to say that. We are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas and coal. And we need to expand our nuke base. We should have solar farms on top of every highway.
3. I've been told that the value of land held by the feds is worth around 60 trillion dollars.
4. I like scotch.

[DragonStryk72]

1. Never happen. The citizens won't stand for it and they'll blame Republicans; They'll be a minority party for decades. Better to elect the 1994 Republicans again in '16 with any kind of reasonable POTUS so they can restrain spending growth and implement new growth friendly policies.
2. We'll never be energy independent but we should do what we can to create high value jobs.
3. How much money can that reasonably raise?
4. Your pothead conservatism is showing.

Overall I think the Republicans need to educate on the real issues and not get caught into any knee-jerk responses that can easily be demonized to the low-information crowd. For example informing the populace that the real driver of deficits is not low tax rates but rather high unemployment. And of course entitlement reform; SS and Medicare of the major deficit drivers into the future.

1. And they'll never ban soda in NYC, and they'll never pass an act that directly shits on the fourth amendment. I do my level best to not say that something would "never" happen, as it seems to invite it.
2. We can and will eventually be energy independent. We just have to do the work involved along all fronts, and it's not just a matter of coal/oil, but wind, solar, and other alternative energy sources as well.
3. Well, it might not initially raise too much money, at least compared to the debt, but with new businesses and residents being built up on the land, it would expand the tax base quite nicely, so technically infinite over time.
4. Meh, pot's just fine, I figure. It's no worse than cigs or beer.

SS and Medicare do need serious overhaul, as neither systems works in any way like it's supposed to.

[aboutime]

As long as there is a DEMOCRAT in the White House, and Democrats control the U.S. Senate.

WE WILL NEVER, NEVER, EVER GET OUT OF DEBT!

It has been proven. Raising taxes to increase Revenue...DOES NOT WORK.

The One, and only way to lower, or eliminate the DEBT is.....STOP SPENDING MONEY WE DO NOT HAVE.

If Congress, and the President easily find ways to PRINT MORE MONEY without anything to BACK IT UP.

Nobody will ever be able to explain to our Children, their Children, and their Children's children...What the U.S.A. was.

[fj1200]

1. I'm not sure why you say that. This massive spending that's going on now is "stimulus" that started just before Bush left office. Folks weren't dying in the streets before then.
2. There's no basis for you to say that. We are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas and coal. And we need to expand our nuke base. We should have solar farms on top of every highway.
3. I've been told that the value of land held by the feds is worth around 60 trillion dollars.
4. I like scotch.

1. Truth. Not all of the spending is stimulus but either way much of the deficit is because Federal revenues are still way down from their peak in '07. Entitlements are continuing their march higher too. IMO we'll alienate more than we'll attract with the slash and burn than with educating the populace. The 90's approach is still the key.
2. The most efficient store of energy are dead dinosaurs and they are taken from the ground more cheaply in the ME than anywhere else. Should we pay more for energy just because we can get it locally? But I agree on your concept.
3. There's cash in the bank and value in the land; two different things.
4. Clearly your a pothead conservative who's dying wish is to sell out to the welfare state to get your next fix. Clearly.

[fj1200]

1. And they'll never ban soda in NYC, and they'll never pass an act that directly shits on the fourth amendment. I do my level best to not say that something would "never" happen, as it seems to invite it.
2. We can and will eventually be energy independent. We just have to do the work involved along all fronts, and it's not just a matter of coal/oil, but wind, solar, and other alternative energy sources as well.
3. Well, it might not initially raise too much money, at least compared to the debt, but with new businesses and residents being built up on the land, it would expand the tax base quite nicely, so technically infinite over time.
4. Meh, pot's just fine, I figure. It's no worse than cigs or beer.

SS and Medicare do need serious overhaul, as neither systems works in any way like it's supposed to.

1. Then you should agree with my never statement to hasten its arrival. Nevertheless, it'll never happen.
2. Disagree. Oil is the cheapest store of energy.
3. We are in no shortage of land that opening up half of Oregon will make much difference. Besides, the regulations involved in something like that would be so onerous that it would only give Richard Ellison another place to park a few billion.
4. Pot = welfare; silly boy.

SS and Medicare are the key to it all. And as long as we have citizens who demand what they put in we'll never get a fix.

[gabosaurus]

How the US can get out of debt

---

1. Stop spending like a drunken sailor. Just take spending back to 2006 levels and freeze it there for a while.
2. Drill baby drill. Lets make a serious effort to become energy independent. Stop the war on coal and fracking. There's lots of revenue in drilling rights and of course more revenue and jobs by exploiting our own energy.
3. Sell land. The feds own huge swaths of land in western states. For instance central Oregon is like little islands of private land in a huge sea of federal property, and it's not all national parks and pristine wilderness.
4. Legalize marijuana and tax it. This would create a lot of revenue and save billions on the stupid war on drugs. Anyone involved in the current illegal drug trade would be forever forbidden from the legal one. This would have the added benefit of destroying drug cartels.

1. You can't "roll back" anything to 2006 levels. Inflation has made everything more expensive.

2. We will never be energy independent. If we keep all our oil and gas for our own use instead of selling so much of it to China and Japan, our gas prices would go down. The truth is, Big Oil likes it the way it is. Drilling more would give them more product to sell overseas for inflated prices.
3. Who do want to see the land to? How about if the government decides to sell a large portion of Central Oregon to rich Arabs for a gigantic price? They could build an American Holy Land.
4. Totally in favor of this. It would be a win-win situation for everyone except tobacco growers. Who would suddenly lose a huge part of their profits. The Joe Camel types would send their lobbyists to DC and it would never happen.

[Jeff]

1. You can't "roll back" anything to 2006 levels. Inflation has made everything more expensive.

2. We will never be energy independent. If we keep all our oil and gas for our own use instead of selling so much of it to China and Japan, our gas prices would go down. The truth is, Big Oil likes it the way it is. Drilling more would give them more product to sell overseas for inflated prices.
3. Who do want to see the land to? How about if the government decides to sell a large portion of Central Oregon to rich Arabs for a gigantic price? They could build an American Holy Land.
4. Totally in favor of this. It would be a win-win situation for everyone except tobacco growers. Who would suddenly lose a huge part of their profits. The Joe Camel types would send their lobbyists to DC and it would never happen.

Gaby I disagree with #4 I smoke and if they made refer legal I would smoke it as many of the smokers would , ya could never smoke pot like you do cigarettes ya couldn't afford it , no one could , on average when I did get high a joint was a dollar so if you realize there are 20cigareetes in a pack a two pack a day smoker would have to spend 40 bucks a day to use pot instead of cigarettes and lets not forget if it becomes legal they will tax it ( that's where they will make there money ) so it would be more than 40 a day

[gabosaurus]

From what I understand, pretty much anyone can grow pot. Which means it would be easy for people to set up operations. I think a lot of tobacco smokers would switch because pot has fewer known side effects. Decreasing sales of tobacco products would be devastating to states that depend on it. Plus the majority of Republicans are still hung up on myths about pot being a "gateway drug." Conveniently forgetting that tobacco is a gateway to early death.

[fj1200]

1. You can't "roll back" anything to 2006 levels. Inflation has made everything more expensive.

2. We will never be energy independent. If we keep all our oil and gas for our own use instead of selling so much of it to China and Japan, our gas prices would go down. The truth is, Big Oil likes it the way it is. Drilling more would give them more product to sell overseas for inflated prices.
3. Who do want to see the land to? How about if the government decides to sell a large portion of Central Oregon to rich Arabs for a gigantic price? They could build an American Holy Land.
4. Totally in favor of this. It would be a win-win situation for everyone except tobacco growers. Who would suddenly lose a huge part of their profits. The Joe Camel types would send their lobbyists to DC and it would never happen.

1. You do understand that the increase in spending as far outstripped the inflation increases don't you? But you'll be OK with it if we adjust for inflation and population increases then?
2. How much oil do you think we export anyway? And I'm all for selling as much gas to China and Japan as they'll take. It's called value added and they are generally high paying jobs. You are for good jobs aren't you?
3. I'm sure we could have a law against that or something.
4. I knew it. Pothead conservatism run amok here at DP.

[Jeff]

From what I understand, pretty much anyone can grow pot. Which means it would be easy for people to set up operations. I think a lot of tobacco smokers would switch because pot has fewer known side effects. Decreasing sales of tobacco products would be devastating to states that depend on it. Plus the majority of Republicans are still hung up on myths about pot being a "gateway drug." Conveniently forgetting that tobacco is a gateway to early death.

I hate to say it because i am one of the dopes but people smoking dont look at the consequences yes we know they are there but we ignore thewm , and I am only speaking for myself if pot became legal I wouldnt smoke but a couple of hits here and there ( its all I did when I was smoking ) just enough to relax , people that smoke will simply do both

[Jeff]

1. You do understand that the increase in spending as far outstripped the inflation increases don't you? But you'll be OK with it if we adjust for inflation and population increases then?
2. How much oil do you think we export anyway? And I'm all for selling as much gas to China and Japan as they'll take. It's called value added and they are generally high paying jobs. You are for good jobs aren't you?
3. I'm sure we could have a law against that or something.
4. I knew it. Pothead conservatism run amok here at DP.

In our generation FJ most smoked it and if ya ever had ( not saying you have or haven't ) you would realize just a couple hits and the relaxation you get is fantastic , take a couple of puffs and get in front of a good movie , nothing better ( well that may be exaggerated LOL )

[gabosaurus]

We can further reduce our debt by withdrawing every member of the U.S. military from the Middle East and Afghanistan and refusing to send any more foreign aid into that region. There is not a single country in that area that deserves our aid or support. Let them settle things amongst themselves.