U.S. Debt Ceiling. 31.4 Trillion!

[Exhausted]

I am not a big fan of litmus tests, but I absolutely have - zero tolerance for sexual harassment claims proven in a court of law*. Trump/Clinton/Johnson/Kennedy etc. have no place leading our nation.

*cannot apply for the job with pending litigation/claims/etc.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

They must go on TV and explain over the course of 15-20 minutes unscripted how an unemployed 19 yr old living in Arkansas who is good with his hands but not really a “classroom” person should go about getting a job, saving for a house down payment, secure medical insurance, save for kids college and their own retirement in the real world 2023 economy with actual numbers, no platitudes. If they say the word “bootstraps” they get 15 lashes in the parking lot afterwards. They also have to contrast that advice by explaining why a 30 yr old $800k a year hedge fund yo-yo gets to tax-free “carry interest” $50million of equity of a business he just finished moving all the manufacturing jobs to Asia.

And this rant is coming from a lifelong republican and staunch believer in a small govt and the free market. But it is broken. It is not free, and very few have the admission to play.

(And before @Ben Lamb gets a woodie, unions are not the answer, they are the ones the killed the goose 40 yrs ago)

I love a good union

 

[VikingsGuy]

I love a good union

Commie

I’d probably love a good one too, if they existed.

 

[Handlebar]

They must go on TV and explain over the course of 15-20 minutes unscripted how an unemployed 19 yr old living in Arkansas who is good with his hands but not really a “classroom” person should go about getting a job, saving for a house down payment, secure medical insurance, save for kids college and their own retirement in the real world 2023 economy with actual numbers, no platitudes. If they say the word “bootstraps” they get 15 lashes in the parking lot afterwards. They also have to contrast that advice by explaining why a 30 yr old $800k a year hedge fund yo-yo gets to tax-free “carry interest” $50million of equity of a business he just finished moving all the manufacturing jobs to Asia.

And this rant is coming from a lifelong republican and staunch believer in a small govt and the free market. But it is broken. It is not free, and very few have the admission to play.

(And before @Ben Lamb gets a woodie, unions are not the answer, they are the ones who killed the goose 40 yrs ago)

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Commie

I’d probably love a good one too, if they existed.

Let’s put a pin in this for 3-5 years and I will report back. Wife signed her card last week.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Let’s put a pin in this for 3-5 years and I will report back. Wife signed her card last week.

Even better, commie by proxy

 

[SAJ-99]

…unions are not the answer, they are the ones who killed the goose 40 yrs ago)

Yeah unions suck. Company profit margins at all-time highs and CEOs making 250x the median employee. But unions are the problem.

Top US CEO pay rose 7.7% last year, outpacing inflation, study finds

Median pay for top U.S. CEOs rose 7.7% last year to a record $22.3 million, a new study found, as big stock awards helped the group stay ahead of inflation while U.S. workers' pay fell behind.

www.reuters.com

 

[VikingsGuy]

Yeah unions suck. Company profit margins at all-time highs and CEOs making 250x the median employee. But unions are the problem.

Top US CEO pay rose 7.7% last year, outpacing inflation, study finds

Median pay for top U.S. CEOs rose 7.7% last year to a record $22.3 million, a new study found, as big stock awards helped the group stay ahead of inflation while U.S. workers' pay fell behind.

www.reuters.com

Unions don’t take money out of the pockets of ceos, they set silly work place rules that make businesses in effective and unable to compete. 2023 unions are mostly just partisan political actors, they are not the unions protecting coal miners.

 

[SAJ-99]

unable to compete

I think I mentioned profit margins at all time highs? Clearly they aren’t struggling that hard to compete.

They must go on TV and explain over the course of 15-20 minutes unscripted how an unemployed 19 15yr old living in Arkansas who is good with his hands but not really a “classroom” person should go about getting a job, saving for a house down payment, secure medical insurance, save for kids college and their own retirement in the real world 2023 economy with actual numbers, no platitudes.

Seeing as how you picked Arkansas, I had to make a small adjustment.

 

[Blue Steel]

2023 unions are mostly just partisan political actors, they are not the unions protecting coal miners.

"...mostly just [highly influential] partisan political actors"

Fixed it for you

 

[fmnjr]

I could never go into politics, I’m too optimistic, and believe that we can come up with government that functions and is reasonable.

 

[fmnjr]

Already had the conversation. It’s the Boomers. I’m not blaming them, but it’s them. We have seen this coming for years. They are living longer, healthier lives (with the assistance of medical advancements) than was ever anticipated. I guess we can blame some government actuaries in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Boomers are about 20% of US population.
They hold over 50% of the household wealth.
They accounted for 33% of the 2022 US government spending (SS and Medicare).

Well, if you have to saddle someone with the blame, why not make Boomers the scapegoat? Then we can ignore everyone else who's feeding off the government dole and remains unnamed. Last I heard (unsubstantiated), 50-something percent of the American Public was on some kind of government "assistance". What about them?

I'm 69 this year, the tail-end of the Boomers, and I'm pretty proud of it, too. My first work earnings show up on my SS record at 12 years old. I worked for it, think I'm going to lose any sleep over any of this nonsense? Ha! "I'm not blaming them, but it's them." That's pretty damn ridiculous my friend. Not blaming you for having the wrong answers, nobody has any good ones.

Oh, and those last 3 bullets? The biggest transfer of wealth the world has every seen is taking place through the death of those Boomers. Too bad most of those who are inheriting it aren't very deserving of it. Now that's a real shame.

 

[Blue Steel]

This was a great podcast from a few days ago re: the wealth transfer. INformative graphs showing Boomers, Gen Xers, et al.

Vid is bookmarked -- discussion starts at about 21:00 mark

$16T to be transferred just within the next decade

 

[Sytes]

...the problem are politicians with a interest in retaining their power and the ability to enrich themselves. I have come to believe that many of our problems could be fixed by term limits.

Yet Registered Democrat and Republicans continue to vote in the same slop your party serves. Retaining power? They would not continue if the registered D & R's didn't vote them in. Ultimately, it's you, the Registered R or D voter.

As for term limits for Congress? Not interested. Fix the problem. Demand quality candidates from your party. Legislative branch representatives need to stay if good and voted out if bad.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Yet Registered Democrat and Republicans continue to vote in the same slop your party serves. Retaining power? They would not continue if the registered D & R's didn't vote them in. Ultimately, it's you, the Registered R or D voter.

As for term limits for Congress? Not interested. Fix the problem. Demand quality candidates from your party. Legislative branch representatives need to stay if good and voted out if bad.

Always said, we have term limits every 2, 4 and 6 years if we want them.

 

[Sytes]

Unions don’t take money out of the pockets of ceos, they set silly work place rules that make businesses in effective and unable to compete. 2023 unions are mostly just partisan political actors, they are not the unions protecting coal miners.

Disagree. Together, they (Management and Union) create amicable rules to abide. If you've seen half the chit Management pulls to screw an employee to save egg on poor management decisions... If there are chit employees, Management should abide by their own agreed CBA and they would be gone. Problem is, Management wants to dig the grave instead, the dirt they dig from their own hole is tossed into the hole the employee him/herself is digging. Follow the agreed procedures and the Union watches the bad apple sink him/herself.

Ya, ya... heard the whole Union keeps bad ones. - refer to above. Unions must uphold the mutually agreed process (not any specific Union member) to maintain a healthy process. Union doesn'twant a turd employee anymore than management.

 

[SAJ-99]

Well, if you have to saddle someone with the blame, why not make Boomers the scapegoat? Then we can ignore everyone else who's feeding off the government dole and remains unnamed. Last I heard (unsubstantiated), 50-something percent of the American Public was on some kind of government "assistance". What about them?

I'm 69 this year, the tail-end of the Boomers, and I'm pretty proud of it, too. My first work earnings show up on my SS record at 12 years old. I worked for it, think I'm going to lose any sleep over any of this nonsense? Ha! "I'm not blaming them, but it's them." That's pretty damn ridiculous my friend. Not blaming you for having the wrong answers, nobody has any good ones.

Oh, and those last 3 bullets? The biggest transfer of wealth the world has every seen is taking place through the death of those Boomers. Too bad most of those who are inheriting it aren't very deserving of it. Now that's a real shame.

sorry. Can’t argue with the numbers. It’s not “blame” just cause. I don’t begrudge anyone trying to live a long healthy happy and productive life. It’s just the system wasn’t set up for you to do that.

50%? Probably not far off considering every boomer in the system and the 90m on Medicaid. The number is too high, but don’t worry you’ll get yours. Anyone under 40 is screwed.

 

[Sytes]

sorry. Can’t argue with the numbers. It’s not “blame” just cause. I don’t begrudge anyone trying to live a long healthy happy and productive life. It’s just the system wasn’t set up for you to do that.

50%? Probably not far off considering every boomer in the system and the 90m on Medicaid. The number is too high, but don’t worry you’ll get yours. Anyone under 40 is screwed.

On the subject, couldn't legislature toss more notes (bonds) to offset the ones taken from S.S.? Create the bond backing from the, "P&PLSW"? AKA: Private & Public Land Solar Wind fee collection. As Taxpayers ween off paying the initial "incentivized" subsidies, it reverts to repay Paul from what they stole from Peter?

 

[SAJ-99]

On the subject, couldn't legislature toss more notes (bonds) to offset the ones taken from S.S.? Create the bond backing from the, "P&PLSW"? AKA: Private & Public Land Solar Wind fee collection. As Taxpayers ween off paying the initial "incentivized" subsidies, it reverts to repay Paul from what they stole from Peter?

I think you lost me. If I understand, sure anything is possible. But taxes (and avoidance of) are set up to nudge behavior. Taxing PPLSW means you won’t get much of it. Not sure why you go after energy. Create a gasoline tax or increase electricity rates to do the same thing. The numbers are so huge it would be hard to make it work without pissing people off.

 

[Sytes]

Taxing PPLSW means you won’t get much of it. Not sure why you go after energy.

T'was a shade of humor. Maybe too vailed. Moreso - the idea of items that we, Taxpayers cover for gov't subsidized grants... Once those grants reach an end, move that money to offer bonds and, as with PLPW and P&R that fund conservation efforts, tax the electric "renewable" energy industry. to cover those bonds. All those free electric recharge stations are ripe to have a nice credit card fee.