[OvDojQXN]

CNN: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...spending-cuts/

Most Americans want a special congressional committee tasked with drafting a long-term solution to the nation's mounting federal deficits to include tax hikes for the wealthy and businesses and deep cuts in domestic spending, according to a new national survey.

A CNN/ORC International Poll released Wednesday also indicates that the public doesn't want the super committee to propose major changes to Social Security and Medicare or increase taxes on middle class and lower-income Americans.

...

According to the poll, 63 percent say the super committee should call for increased taxes on higher-income Americans and businesses, with 36 percent disagreeing. And by a 57 to 40 percent margin they say the committee's deficit reduction proposal should include major cuts in domestic spending.

But cuts in defense spending get a mixed review: Forty-seven percent would like the committee to include major cuts in military spending, with 53 percent saying no to such cuts.

Nearly two-thirds say no to major changes to Social Security and Medicare. And nearly nine in ten don't want any increase in taxes on middle class and lower income Americans.

[Vapepreab]

It's a given taxes need to be raised, its just pure stupidity to grandstand on the idea of keeping taxes where they are. If anyone is serious about pulling us out of the mess we are in then they understand that it's a necessary to raise taxes to preserve the future of our country.

[9rCR9hWL]

In three separate national polls, the vast majority of Americans (60%+) agree with you.

They want taxes raised on wealthy Americans, they want tax loopholes closed for large corporations, they want Social Security and Medicare to be left alone, they want non-entitlement federal programs downsized and they want both parties to compromise on a road map to get us to those goals.

When Republicans say that they're representing the will of the American people with plans to slash Medicare and Social Security and keep tax cuts for the wealthy and keep tax loopholes in place that allow the wealthy and corporations to pay less than middle class Americans, it's really not clear what they mean, since they're clearly acting in opposition to the will of the American people.

[_tppga_]

Every committee member appointed by Spkr. Boehner and Minority Leader McConnell have signed the Norquist pledge not to raise taxes. Doing that not only goes against the majority of what Americans want, but severely limits any hope of reaching a compromise with the Democrats.

[duceswild]

Every committee member appointed by Spkr. Boehner and Minority Leader McConnell have signed the Norquist pledge not to raise taxes. Doing that not only goes against the majority of what Americans want, but severely limits any hope of reaching a compromise with the Democrats.

Boehner doesnt believe in compromise, he was asked that question on 60 minutes days before he was sworn in as speaker of the house.

"Will you compromise with the President". "No"

When are republicans going to understand that not everyone in this country has the same views as them? I am so sick and tired of Republicans standing in front of a camera and stating they are doing what the American people want them to do. Sure they are, but those American People they are talking about are less than half this country.

As long as we have politicians signing pledges to not raises taxes, then we'll never get out of this mess.

[LongaDonga]

The big money is with the Swift Boaters. As long as they finance compaigns and can spout off whatever they want to (no matter how heinious or fake) in advertisements, the GOP will figure they can appease them and the Tea Party and convert elections away from issues that matter.

They also figure that they can use the term "end tax breaks" in general and make the non-rich think it means their breaks. Scare people with taxes... And don't touch their Medicare while opposing all forms of government health care.

[arrismVam]

Only a moron would think that raising taxes will get us out of this mess. We are not in this mess because taxes are too low, we are in it because spending is too high? Cut spending, simple.

Just try a thought game. What will happen if you raise taxes on an industry, say grocers? Which group of people will actually be paying the taxes. Not the grocery corporations. Think about it?

[dyestymum]

Let's try another version of that game.....what will happen if you close loopholes and raise taxes (or at least cut subsidies) on an industry, say big oil? Which group of stockholders won't be making obscene profits?

And if we're being honest, I haven't heard anyone call for tax increases as the only step in fixing the problem.

[HomePageOEMfreeSOFTWARE]

I haven't heard anyone call for tax increases as the only step in fixing the problem.

Nope, nobody has. In fact, the most-voiced approach is to close loopholes, eliminate a host of deductions and ultimately lower tax rates to everyone while still collecting more revenue as a result of the eliminated revenue diversions.

[quack!]

Nope, nobody has. In fact, the most-voiced approach is to close loopholes, eliminate a host of deductions and ultimately lower tax rates to everyone while still collecting more revenue as a result of the eliminated revenue diversions.

Example Richard, closing which loophole will increase taxes paid by which company by how much?

Really, in fact, the most-voiced approach is not jacking tax rates on, the super rich, those making over 250K?

Really you believe that by closing deductions while lowering the tax rates on these companies will increase revenue? Are you just blathering or are you converted to the idea that revenue can be increased by lowering taxes? Ron Paul got you convinced?

[uncoodync]

Let's try another version of that game.....what will happen if you close loopholes and raise taxes (or at least cut subsidies) on an industry, say big oil? Which group of stockholders won't be making obscene profits?

And if we're being honest, I haven't heard anyone call for tax increases as the only step in fixing the problem.

Really you don't think that I cannot find a myriad of Liberal proposals that call for tax increases while not calling for an actual decrease in overall spending to a level below this year's spending. Honestly are you listening at all? BTW eliminating tax loopholes credits etc is a tax increase.

[TOOGUEITEME]

Only a moron would think that raising taxes will get us out of this mess. We are not in this mess because taxes are too low, we are in it because spending is too high? Cut spending, simple.

Depends on which "mess" you're talking about. We need to put people back to work to create demand in the economy, to stimulate growth that will create opportunity for new business. This economy is stuck in neutral. If we start taking money out it, either by raising taxes or cutting spending indiscriminately, it's only going to make it worse.

[sanddrareyk]

The data point that about 46% of Americans don't pay income taxes is accurate based on the reality that those same people don't make enough money to generate an income tax liability. The tax and entitlement systems were not designed with that scenario in mind.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have companies going through extensive financial acrobatics to take advantage of provisions in the tax code that, combined with nuances in the tax codes of foreign countries, allow them to funnel massive amounts of income to what ultimately end up being a couple of lawyers in Bermuda or a PO Box in the Caymans simply to avoid paying taxes on money that by all accounts should be taxed in the US because it was earned in the US (meet Google's Double Irish and Dutch Sandwich tax-avoidance strategy).

The long-term solution at the low end is ultimately more and better-paying jobs, which starts with a larger investment in education and tax and health care reform policies that incentivize entrepreneurialism rather than career nesting. If people could access low-cost health care separate from employer-based policies, many would indeed migrate to new ventures, both as owners and as employees. The solution at the high end is a sensible corporate tax rate to remove the incentive to create these diversionary funnels and more aggressive policy and enforcement to facilitate retention of domestic earnings.

[infelconi]

....
The long-term solution at the low end is ultimately more and better-paying jobs, which starts with a larger investment in education and tax and health care reform policies that incentivize entrepreneurialism rather than career nesting. If people could access low-cost health care separate from employer-based policies, many would indeed migrate to new ventures, both as owners and as employees. The solution at the high end is a sensible corporate tax rate to remove the incentive to create these diversionary funnels and more aggressive policy and enforcement to facilitate retention of domestic earnings.

In the real world, Richard, Capitalism is messy, but it is better than any scenarios your big government can come up with. Every time Government tries to fix a problem they create more problems then trying to fix those problems they create more problems etc etc exponentially expanding WAC-A-MOLE. Creating an ever increasing unproductive bureaucracy that stifles whatever they try to fix. Look at the massive increases in spending on education in the last two generations; it has been a massive failure for all except for the excessive benefits paid to public school educators. Eighth grade graduates from the middle of the last Century were better educated than a significant percentage of today's college graduates. Yeah Capitalism is messy, but support for big government solutions is criminally stupid.

[Fegasderty]

Is Paul Ryan's medicare plan an indiscriminate spending cut plan. If enacted would it make the economy worse?

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

According to the CBO analysis, "Because future federal spending on health care under current law is difficult to predict, the magnitude of the changes in budgetary outcomes under the proposal is also highly uncertain, particularly in the longer term. ...comparisons between projected federal health care spending under the proposal and under CBO’s long-term scenarios are highly uncertain."

Here's what is more certain: "...that uncertainty would be transferred to future beneficiaries. If the volume, complexity, and costs of medical services turned out to be greater than expected, future beneficiaries would pay higher premiums and cost-sharing amounts than are currently projected."

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/121xx/doc...yan_Letter.pdf

Bottom line? Ryan's Plan may or may not help the economy long-term, but it certainly will hurt the beneficiaries. That's pretty much why everyone but the supporters hates it, Paul.