Balanced budget

[gphockey]

Not sure how you can argue against this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phQu-2s53xA

[Sotnos]

Moved, this really is unrelated to health care.

[jason_haas]

Great idea, however running a balanced budget in a recession is a sure fire way to lengthen it.

[Donnie D]

Originally Posted by gphockey

Not sure how you can argue against this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phQu-2s53xA

This guy is a supreme hypocrite. He's against spending, except pork. The city just got a pork project that they didn't even request. He got Mote Marine a $500,000 grant that was supposed to assist low income homeowners. When the post office tried to close a post office that wasn't necessary, he kept it open and then bragged about how he kept it open.

Typical Republican. They preach balanced budgets, but aren't willing to take the actions necessary to actually attain them.

[Sotnos]

Donnie, for fun look him up on Wikipedia, he's about the last person that should be talking about smart money management. You probably know his background already but I got a good chuckle.

[Donnie D]

He is pretty questionable, and that's kind.

He only "won" the first election because the ballot design hid the race. Not intentionally, but when you turned the page, it was at the very top of the ballot, in what would be the margin of a paper. There was white space and then the Governor's race. Your eyes went there and the first time I went through the ballot, I couldn't find the congressional race. Folks who went to vote complained that the race wasn't on the ballot and they had to be shown by the poll workers where it was. Even though there were complaints before and during election day, the Elections folks, a Republican, didn't alert people about the problem thourghout the county, only in the Republican areas. A lot of others in Sarasota County missed it too and it had a huge undervote. He ended up winning by a handful of votes, but in Sarasota County, where he is known, he lost by a fairly good amount. If those voters hadn't missed that race, and most were in democratic areas, he would have never won.

The second time he won narrowly, with some very prominent Republicans running in TV ads for the challenger saying the guy was a major sleeze.

This time, he is virtually unopposed and will get reelected easily.

His past business dealings have been "questionable" and the fact that he has been caught not paying his taxes hasn't kept him out of office.

[the_narrow_way]

I didn't review the video link, but let me guess, Vern Buchanan?

[Donnie D]

Yep

[gphockey]

Its everywhere and like on wikipedia, an editable online "encyclopedia", everyone has an opinion. (The media is another whole issue in itself)

http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/adamo/090219

Hey, I was not a Buchanan supporter this election either, with trembling hand I actually voted against him. When you are flushed with power and money temptation is great. Wash DC is a prime example.

Is Vern Buchanan correct on this issue?

[gphockey]

Passing on an email that was sent to me.
It contains some ideas we should consider enacting into law. Taking into account my own ignorance on the history of congressman and senators since the beginning, I will say that it it possible we have elected the worst group of representatives in the entire history of the United States of America.
Perhaps its time we eliminate the R & D “party” system and elect them to work for all Americans.
Anyway, here it is.

QUOTE:
“THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS
I am sending this to virtually everybody on my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends..
My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2009
It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

I know many of you will say, "this is impossible". Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us.

We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. These people will become American hero's..
Thanks,
A Fellow American.

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C.. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately.. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people..

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11 .
The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work."
END QUOTE