bags
Joined: October 30, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 8545
Fun Facts
February 02, 2004 at 10:45 PM UTC
#
Information to Remember
From the Democratic response to the State of the Union Address. These are the numbers that killed me, and they're just the tip of the iceberg. The costs caused by budget cuts need to be quantified. I believed then and believe now that the $150 tax rebate I got back in 2000 will cost me over $7000 in essential services and benefits from the states, localities, social security, etc.
Fun facts
"The massive tax cuts that were supposed to spark an economic expansion have instead led to an economic exodus. To make up for the three million private-sector jobs that have been lost on President Bush's watch, the economy would have to create 226,000 jobs a month through the end of his term. Last month, the economy created only 1,000 new jobs."
"At the same time, the President's tax cuts have put states in such a bind that they're being forced to raise the cost of college. Since President Bush took office, the average tuition at a four-year public college has increased by nearly $600."
"Today, 43.6 million Americans – almost all of them from working families – have no health insurance. That's over 3.8 million more than when President Bush took office. Those Americans lucky enough to have health insurance have seen their premiums go up each of the last three years. The increase in premiums that middle- income families have seen over the past three years is larger than the four-year tax cut they've been promised. This is an invisible tax increase on middle class families."
flawd101
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 12:52 AM UTC
#
why dont you just say bush fucked us all in the eye and came in our nose.
and then fired and robbed us.
Guiny
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 01:01 AM UTC
#
Bush this, Bush that, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah :roll:
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:14 AM UTC
#
Originally posted by Bags:
I believed then and believe now that the $150 tax rebate I got back in 2000 will cost me over $7000 in essential services and benefits from the states, localities, social security, etc.
You could have refused the refund, or sent it back to the treasury.
bags
Joined: October 30, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 8545
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:30 AM UTC
#
I donated it to Hands on DC. It's still gonna cost me $7000. Refusing it just would have cost me $7150. At least there will be some scholarship money out there…
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:38 AM UTC
#
Originally posted by Bags:
I donated it to Hands on DC. It's still gonna cost me $7000. Refusing it just would have cost me $7150. At least there will be some scholarship money out there…
Do you have a breakdown on that $7K? Or should I just look for it on the Michael Moore website?
bags
Joined: October 30, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 8545
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 04:03 AM UTC
#
Of course I can't break it down, and I admitted that I pulled that figure out of the air (or out of my ass, whichever image you prefer), but I'll bet it's pretty close, if not too small.
The costs will come in increased local, county and state taxes for almost every service that gets some federal funding which is being cut (yes, even police and emergency services, which seems so antithetical to the terrorist threat, but money's being diverted to pay for the tax cuts and surveillance – oh yeah, and all that good intelligence). Education costs through tuition and subsidies; infrastructure costs through fees or simply less development; the cost of borrowing from social security to try to pay down a $600 billion deficiting that's growing virtually exponentially. Health costs go up because fewer citizens have insurance coverage so we all have to subsidize the system. The list goes on and on. This money is not free, and while Bush is not a Tax and Spend Liberal, he's a No Tax and Spend Republican, which is a much bigger lie. If you're a conservative, I don't know how you can stomach what he's doing. And it's not all the cost of the war. Another lie – just the costs, I'm not even getting into the war itself. 'Cuz we were talkin' about money.
Haven't read any Michael Moore. Should I pick it up?
Rhett Miller
Joined: November 15, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 17762
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:32 PM UTC
#
Bags' typically overly animated use of the English language leads me to one of my typically overly sophmoric uses of the English language….
I'll choose the air. With the air, they'll be a lot less space and shit to pull things from.
harhar
Originally posted by Bags:
Of course I can't break it down, and I admitted that I pulled that figure out of the air (or out of my ass, whichever image you prefer), but I'll bet it's pretty close, if not too small.
mankie
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:35 PM UTC
#
With my $150 I bought a couple of shirts for work and took my wife out to dinner. I have a job and health insurance so I don't give a crap about anyone else….OH MY GOD! I am an American.
kurosawa-b/w
Joined: January 28, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 2399
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:40 PM UTC
#
The more I hear about the proposed budget the more sick I feel. Fact learned today: As part of Bush's proposed plan, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would be opened to oil drilling. Sigh. They just will not let that go.
bags
Joined: October 30, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 8545
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:43 PM UTC
#
Well Kurosawa, you know there is enough oil up there to supply California for three entire weeks! This could be a real boon to the American economy…
[Actually, there is a lot of natural gas, but there's a lot of natural gas all through western Canada, and that involves an entirely separate pipeline.]
Rhett Miller
Joined: November 15, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 17762
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:43 PM UTC
#
I don't feel like I'm getting $7000 less in goverment services. Doesn't seem like anything has really changed in my life.
chaz
Joined: December 09, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5111
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 03:50 PM UTC
#
Check
this out, it's great, and sorry if this link's been posted somewhere here in the past.
Venerable Bede
Joined: October 16, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3863
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 04:30 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by Bags:
Well Kurosawa, you know there is enough oil up there to supply California for three entire weeks! This could be a real boon to the American economy…
[Actually, there is a lot of natural gas, but there's a lot of natural gas all through western Canada, and that involves an entirely separate pipeline.]
oh come on bags, you know that's not true. there's already drilling near the anwr, and the legislation initially authorizing anwr said that it could be opened for drilling. it's not like it's taking over the entire area. . .anyway, the eskimos want it and the alaskans want it, why shouldn't it be allowed? how often have you visited anwr?
btw, we just finished a 40 page report on lng. . .i now know way more than i ever wanted to know about lng. alaska is trying to figure out a way to make money on lng, which involves building another long pipeline from prudhoe down to valdez. . .hopefully exxon won't be in charge of shipping the lng down to california. :)
keithstg
Joined: December 17, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 402
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 04:44 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by mankie:
Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
. . .anyway, the eskimos want it and the alaskans want it, why shouldn't it be allowed? how often have you visited anwr?
:)
Did anyone ask the wildlife what they wanted?
Probably not. We are, after all, at the top of the food chain. :p
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 04:46 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by mankie:
Did anyone ask the wildlife what they wanted?
The caribou heart the pipeline. They snuggle up against it to keep warm on those chilly arctic nights.
godsshoeshine
Joined: September 18, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4826
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 04:48 PM UTC
#
clearly these are all things that are mike moore or janet jackson's boob's fault. or not enough people getting married to the opposite sex. but seriously, i don't see how economic conservatives aren't freaking out. some members of congress are starting to say stuff in the papers, i guess…
Rhett Miller
Joined: November 15, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 17762
Re: Fun Facts
February 03, 2004 at 04:48 PM UTC
#
Stop driving big gas guzzling SUV's a mile to your local art movie theater instead of walking or taking metro, and maybe they won't need to drill there.