Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=tryfuhl;664786]Exactly, we hear about dems "wasting money" but it really is no different than the repubs doing the same.

I hear too much about guns, god, abortion, etc.. I guess that it's just easier to sweep the economy issue under the rug because most people can't even explain the issues when I talk to them.. too boring for the average mind it seems[/quote]
The only time I'm hearing about guns, god, and abortion is from the left trying to make everyone think thats all the right talks about.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=tryfuhl;664784]Every dept of the government should find ways and submit reports on how they can help the overall budget reduce

Everything from less expensive furniture, travel and entertainment expenses, etc

If we expect it from the banks that we bail out, we should expect it from the fed that we're bailing out as well.. states shouldn't be exempt either[/quote]

The way the goverment budgets money has to be changed first before we can expect them to save any money. They reward spending and punish saving. For example if a goverment department has a budget of 1 milion and at the end of the year they have only spent $800,000 then their next year budget is $800,000 plus a % for inflation. Now if they spent the entire 1 million then their following budget would be 1 million plus a % for inflation. There is no incentive to cut cost. We need some type of incentive or bonus plan for people who can find ways to cut cost. I say just cut every program by a certain % and they will learn to make do on what they have. We have to start somewhere but no one wants there program cut so start by cutting all of them first.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=firstdown;664781]Things started going wrong for the republicans when they got away from being conservative.[/quote]
Bingo. When a REAL Conservative runs on a truly Conservative platform they do not lose elections, period. Sadly, the last one was Reagan. He won 94/100 states in his two elections because the Conservative message resonates with every day Americans, whether they identify themselves as Conservative or not. Also, America wins when a Conservative is running the economy.

We're at a point where conditions are becoming identical in so many ways to the Carter Administration. High unemployment, mega-inflation is beginning to set in, high energy costs, problems with Iran and Islamic terrorists.

For America to survive, history needs to repeat itself as closely as it can. We may never see another Ronald Reagan, but we need someone who can use his proven principles on economics and foreign policy to turn this ship around before it sinks. The similarities between Presidents Carter and Obama are striking. The fixes will need to be similar too: lower taxes to encourage hiring and production, massively cut spending, be tough and decisive on foreign policy, etc.

Many American voters are more educated and sensible than the two political parties give them credit for. The current D.C. mindset WILL be sent packing in the 2010 and 2012 elections. We can't afford (literally and figuratively) to let them remain in power any longer.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=firstdown;664818]The only time I'm hearing about guns, god, and abortion is from the left trying to make everyone think thats all the right talks about.[/quote]
google "obama guns" or "obama take guns"

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=firstdown;664840]The way the goverment budgets money has to be changed first before we can expect them to save any money. They reward spending and punish saving. For example if a goverment department has a budget of 1 milion and at the end of the year they have only spent $800,000 then their next year budget is $800,000 plus a % for inflation. Now if they spent the entire 1 million then their following budget would be 1 million plus a % for inflation. There is no incentive to cut cost. We need some type of incentive or bonus plan for people who can find ways to cut cost. I say just cut every program by a certain % and they will learn to make do on what they have. We have to start somewhere but no one wants there program cut so start by cutting all of them first.[/quote]
Exactly, which is why finding a better operating budget is important. Making them fit within a guideline would be fine.

I have a friend whose aunt works for a state agency in VA and to keep their budget up they replace their entire office carpet and some furniture every single year. Something tells me that if you need to spend all of your budget just to keep it, you didn't really need it, so I more than agree with you.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=Buster;664850]Bingo. When a REAL Conservative runs on a truly Conservative platform they do not lose elections, period. Sadly, the last one was Reagan. He won 94/100 states in his two elections because the Conservative message resonates with every day Americans, whether they identify themselves as Conservative or not. Also, America wins when a Conservative is running the economy.

We're at a point where conditions are becoming identical in so many ways to the Carter Administration. High unemployment, mega-inflation is beginning to set in, high energy costs, problems with Iran and Islamic terrorists.

For America to survive, history needs to repeat itself as closely as it can. We may never see another Ronald Reagan, but we need someone who can use his proven principles on economics and foreign policy to turn this ship around before it sinks. The similarities between Presidents Carter and Obama are striking. The fixes will need to be similar too: lower taxes to encourage hiring and production, massively cut spending, be tough and decisive on foreign policy, etc.

Many American voters are more educated and sensible than the two political parties give them credit for. The current D.C. mindset WILL be sent packing in the 2010 and 2012 elections. We can't afford (literally and figuratively) to let them remain in power any longer.[/quote]

A more conservative president would be nice but I don't know when that will happen with the way things have been going. The gov't is huge and there will be a shitstorm if there are layoffs to a significant degree, job security is amazing in the govt sector and frankly a lot of the programs need to be scaled back. It may take a steady stream of conservatism to pull off greatly reducing govt as well as taxes. Informing programs that they're getting a lot less money or getting canned isn't going to be easy, not that it shouldn't be attempted.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=tryfuhl;664867]Exactly, which is why finding a better operating budget is important. Making them fit within a guideline would be fine.

I have a friend whose aunt works for a state agency in VA and to keep their budget up they replace their entire office carpet and some furniture every single year. Something tells me that if you need to spend all of your budget just to keep it, you didn't really need it, so I more than agree with you.[/quote]

That scenario is not only commonplace in any agency that receives Gov't funding, it's the standard.

Infuriating. There are ALWAYS frivilous spending sprees in December so their next year of appropriations won't be reduced.

Re: Contract From America
 

Yeah that's just one tiny example of many no doubt, definitely disgusting.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=Buster;664850]Bingo. When a REAL Conservative runs on a truly Conservative platform they do not lose elections, period. Sadly, the last one was Reagan. He won 94/100 states in his two elections because the Conservative message resonates with every day Americans, whether they identify themselves as Conservative or not. Also, America wins when a Conservative is running the economy.

We're at a point where conditions are becoming identical in so many ways to the Carter Administration. High unemployment, mega-inflation is beginning to set in, high energy costs, problems with Iran and Islamic terrorists.

For America to survive, history needs to repeat itself as closely as it can. We may never see another Ronald Reagan, but we need someone who can use his proven principles on economics and foreign policy to turn this ship around before it sinks. The similarities between Presidents Carter and Obama are striking. The fixes will need to be similar too: lower taxes to encourage hiring and production, massively cut spending, [B]be tough and decisive on foreign policy,[/B] etc.

Many American voters are more educated and sensible than the two political parties give them credit for. The current D.C. mindset WILL be sent packing in the 2010 and 2012 elections. We can't afford (literally and figuratively) to let them remain in power any longer.[/quote]

Being "tough on decisive on foreign policy" usually means a military presence, which means more troops on the ground, which means spending money we don't have.

That's not exactly fiscal restraint.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=Beemnseven;664622]dmek and saden, I wouldn't take the Tea Party movement as something that's solely Republican-driven. Yes, the Democrats are probably going to get it broken off in their ass this November, but that's only because they have complete power. If the Pubbies were in control, the same thing would happen to them. In fact it already [I]did[/I] happen to them in '06 and '08. The issue then was outrage over the wars. Now it's health care and fiscal insanity.

I really believe that this is a backlash against both parties, against government in general. The system we have now, which has been in control by only two select groups for over a century, may be starting to crack. I'd like to see a break up of the two-party system into a mish-mash of many different ideaologies, all angling for something different than the same ol' business as usual, corrupt, back-room dealings with cronies who have had the ear -- and the pockets -- of both parties for far too long.

I know you two are democrats, but trust me -- the republicans are going to be a short leash this time around. If we see them going back to the ways of big spending, expanding government, and marching all over the face of the earth with a 'tough foreign policy' stance that they've always been so proud of, but does nothing but get young Americans killed, they'll be thrown right out just as fast as they got back there.

Nobody's going to get a long running free pass anymore, with the voters as apt as they've been for massive upheavals of power shifting in both directions. Only this time, I think there are some new players in the game, and that's a good thing.[/quote]

While it could be a backlash against both parties, their views, "principles", and rhetoric are mainly aligned with Republican ideology. There's no question about that. I would also ask myself, where was the Tea Party when the previous administration grew the size of government, passed legislation (namely Medicare Part D) without paying for it, and funded the Iraq war almost entirely through debt and budgetary supplements? All of which added significantly to the current deficit. So for them to suddenly come out and rail against big governement, the ballooning deficit, and universal healthcare is curious at best.

On a separate but somewhat related note, it appears as though Sarah Palin is making her bed with the Tea Party, which is just fine by me. The only problem -- a major problem -- with that strategy is that at some point she's going to have to tact to the middle on some issues be considered a serious candidate.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=Beemnseven;665048]Being "tough on decisive on foreign policy" usually means a military presence, which means more troops on the ground, which means spending money we don't have.

That's not exactly fiscal restraint.[/quote]
That's the Reagan way though. Cut education, etc and beef up defense spending. Better to have a country feared for its physical than mental power I suppose.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=12thMan;665070]While it could be a backlash against both parties, their views, "principles", and rhetoric are mainly aligned with Republican ideology. There's no question about that. [B]I would also ask myself, where was the Tea Party when the previous administration grew the size of government, passed legislation (namely Medicare Part D) without paying for it, and funded the Iraq war almost entirely through debt and budgetary supplements?[/B] All of which added significantly to the current deficit. So for them to suddenly come out and rail against big governement, the ballooning deficit, and universal healthcare is curious at best. [/quote]

That is a good question. You did hear [U]some[/U] right wing talk radio hosts offering brief, mild criticism of the Bush administration's spending habits, but they were always quick to follow up that criticism with, "but, but, at least he's kept us safe ... blah, blah, blah."

There were smaller pockets of true paleoconservatives, strict constitutionalists and libertarians who were louder with their opposition to Bush. There have been too many who were fine with a big spending, big government guy as long as there was an "R" after his name.

Rightly or wrongly, Obama's push for health care reform is what sent people over the edge. But I don't think it makes the Tea Party any less legitimate. Talk to any of them, and they aren't happy with GOP either.

Now you're starting to see mainstream republicans, national committee types cozy up to the Tea Partiers, and act like they've been with them all along -- but trust me, they aren't having it. What I don't want to see is the Tea Party infiltrated by the bible thumpers, the neocons, and chickenhawks trying to include their agenda with what one that is only about fiscal restraint, and smaller government. Because those are exactly the people you didn't hear from when Bush was doubling the federal budget, creating massive new government bureacracies like the TSA and Dept. of Homeland Security.

If the thumpers and the neo-clowns are successful then all you're seeing with the Tea Party is a washout of the moderate republicans into a party of extremes wanting to outlaw abortion and put the throttle all the way up with Iran and Russia. If that's the case, they'll be losers again and the Democrats will maintain control.

Re: Contract From America
 

FYI, the original Contract with America was conceived by Newt Gingrich, not Nancy Pelosi.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=70Chip;666813]FYI, the original Contract with America was conceived by Newt Gingrich, not Nancy Pelosi.[/quote]

He should've written Contract on America.

Re: Contract From America
 

[quote=70Chip;666813]FYI, the original Contract with America was conceived by Newt Gingrich, not Nancy Pelosi.[/quote]

Thanks, not sure where i got the idea Pelosi put it together?