Will the Government shut down on the 27th of March?

[Razgovory]

I think there is a disconnect in how people view spending and services.  Spending is what other people get.  Services are what I get back from my hard earned tax dollars.  There are similar disconnects in entitlements, (welfare is what lazy people get, but I payed into to Social Security so I deserve what I get back out), and goverment employees (leeching bureaucrats vs brave soldiers saving democracy).  The result is you have people who say they want a balance budget but think they can do it by only cutting the things they don't like unaware that the things they don't like and the things they do like are often the same thing, or they automatically ignore 70% of the budget and focus on tiny things like foreign aid.

[Razgovory]

Seriously though, I think Congress is much more responsive to what people want then we give them credit for.  The problem is that we want contradictory things.  People want low taxes and high quality services.  The result is high debt.

There's some truth to that.  But I think another problem is with career politicians (on both sides) who get entrenched in their positions and institutionalize bad habits, like deficit spending.

I used to be 100% against term limits but I'm much more open to the idea now.

They only get elected by doing what people want.  People want deficit spending, (though nobody says it like that), instead it's things like "giving back that tax money to the people".  Guess what, that's deficit spending.

[derspiess]

They only get elected by doing what people want.  People want deficit spending, (though nobody says it like that), instead it's things like "giving back that tax money to the people".  Guess what, that's deficit spending.

That's too simplistic.  Some people want spending, and some want low taxes.  There's not necessarily a complete overlap there. 

And btw I don't think most of the people understand some of Washington's institutionalized silliness.  Like baseline budgeting, under which "spending cuts" only mean a reduction in the originally expected increase in spending

[Valmy]

They only get elected by doing what people want.  People want deficit spending, (though nobody says it like that), instead it's things like "giving back that tax money to the people".  Guess what, that's deficit spending.

Eh they win re-election something like 90+% of the time and many of them run unopposed.  I am pretty sure they are under that much pressure to conform to this roaring populist tide to destroy the country.

[Valmy]

I think there is a disconnect in how people view spending and services.

Indeed.  It is what Bismark said would destroy our system.  And it is.  So...why not stop doing that now?  Surely there comes a time when self preservation has to factor in there.

[fhdz]

We elect members of our our citizenry to represent us.

Are they representing us, Raz?

[Razgovory]

They only get elected by doing what people want.  People want deficit spending, (though nobody says it like that), instead it's things like "giving back that tax money to the people".  Guess what, that's deficit spending.

That's too simplistic.  Some people want spending, and some want low taxes.  There's not necessarily a complete overlap there. 

And btw I don't think most of the people understand some of Washington's institutionalized silliness.  Like baseline budgeting, under which "spending cuts" only mean a reduction in the originally expected increase in spending

Not complete, but a great deal.  It really stuck me when they were polling Tea Party types back in 2010 how many wanted to "cut spending", without actually cutting spending.  I imagine there are similar problems in the Democratic party.  Blaming Washington is easy, but useless.  The lion's share of the blame lies with us.

[Razgovory]

We elect members of our our citizenry to represent us.

Are they representing us, Raz?

Well, me at least.  I don't know if you are still a citizen.  You sorta dropped off the radar for a while, I don't know what you were up to.

[Jacob]

I read some piece about GOP types - including Michele Bachmann - complaining about the FAA shutting down flight control towers in their districts; those towers were economically positive for the community and important.

That does seem congruent with Raz's point - people are fine with cutting stuff in other peoples districts, but less fine with cuts in their own.

[derspiess]

The lion's share of the blame lies with us.

Not us.  You

[Jacob]

Not us.  You

I blame you way more than Raz.

[Razgovory]

I didn't know Derspeiss wasn't an American citizen.

[Admiral Yi]

I read some piece about GOP types - including Michele Bachmann - complaining about the FAA shutting down flight control towers in their districts; those towers were economically positive for the community and important.

That does seem congruent with Raz's point - people are fine with cutting stuff in other peoples districts, but less fine with cuts in their own.

You missed Raz's point, which is a good one.  Tea Partiers thought they could balance the budget by cutting Sesame Street and Food Stamps.  That saves you a little more than Senate hair cuts.

[derspiess]

Not us.  You

I blame you way more than Raz.

I'm shocked.

[fhdz]

We elect members of our our citizenry to represent us.

Are they representing us, Raz?

Well, me at least.  I don't know if you are still a citizen.  You sorta dropped off the radar for a while, I don't know what you were up to.

Corporate bailouts represent Raz's interests. Good to know.