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Robert Winner
Joseph City, AZ
United States

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Sequestration

Budget sequestration: U.S. legal procedure in which automatic spending cuts are triggered, notably implemented in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The cuts, plus nearly $1 trillion more over the coming decade, were concocted two years ago. Administration and congressional bargainers purposely made them so painful that everyone would be forced to reach a grand deficit-cutting compromise to avoid them. Hasn't happened.

Just for the record: The Administration (Obama) and Congressional bargainers (including Harry Reid) agreed to and voted for these cuts.

The national debit is $16,549,891,338. There are 113,061,786 taxpayers and 22,371,557 unemployed. The debit exceeds the GDP for the USA. The US government has grown by a estimated 17%. The United States credit rating went from AAA to aa-.

These cuts begin on 1 March 2013 by Presidential (Obama) and Congressional agreement. Many budgets will be impacted. There are no cuts that will endanger health or welfare of citizens this was done by design.

So we have facts, definations, and estimates regarding these cuts. The debate centers on are the cuts only the first step required to reign in government spending and balance the budget OR should we continue with entitlements, subsidizing, and a bigger government which Obama has said will cost another 4 trillion in the next four years.

Please support with benefits and consequences.

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Mike Colera 10+
- 0
Mar 14 2013: Let's see, We passed the 17th amendment, We kept the president to two bites of the apple but let the other 535 wannabees all the time in the world. We have lobbyist greasing every palm they can find open... We walk around grumbling that our neighbors are racists, well not to us exactly, but their ancestors treated our ancestors like crap.
We spend our time at the local watering hole complaining that Bill Gates don't deserve all that money or about the special place we nap and the boss can't find us.
And all we got here is sequestration? That's the least of our problems.
Dorian Knus
- 0
Mar 4 2013: Stop subsidizing.
Gordon Barker 10+
- 0
Feb 20 2013: I'm from Canada so that makes me an armchair politician at best but it seemed to me that the sequestration solution was first devised by the Republicans who were absolutely sure that they were going to win the next election. Witness their "deer in the headlights" stares when they lost.
But if they had won, they would sweep into office and cut spending, medicare, welfare and many other 'fares as is their ideology and the sequestration would not be required.
Since they lost and they are mentally unable to waver from their economic ideology and the Democrats, since they won, feel they don't have to, you sit in the middle of the track trying to stare down the oncoming locomotive.
Whoever first quoted "Politics is the art of compromise" is currently spinning in his/her grave
- Linda Taylor 50+
  - 0
  Feb 20 2013: Actually the sequestration solution was first devised by Obama. It came from the white house.
  
  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/20/boehner-to-obama-created-spending-cut-crisis-fix-it/
  
  http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/02/20/obama-boehner-pfeiffer-white-house-sequester/1932467/
  
  It was a manipulative ploy. Now the republicans are saying we're done playing.
  - Gordon Barker 10+
    
    0
    Feb 20 2013: Yes and no.
    The government was in technical default and heading for an August 1 drop dead date and at the time it was widely believed that the republicans were crazy enough to let the government default.
    Obama suggested it based on the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit reduction act of 1985.
    But to me it seemed that he had very little wiggle room at this point.
    No house democrats voted for the measure but 218 house republicans did vote for it and so it passed.
    I don't believe that the republicans are done playing yet.
    - Linda Taylor 50+
      
      0
      
      Feb 21 2013: See Ted :Lovers post.
Daryl Roche
- 0
Feb 20 2013: Welcome to American Austerity….bought and paid for with your vote, spent in an atmosphere of competition and the desire to winwinwin. No sympathy, we deserve whats coming, we've earned it.
Linda Taylor 50+
- 0
Feb 18 2013: I followed the media on this over the weekend. I watched the senate testimony of the leaders of the armed services and their vision of how it will affect the industrialized military complex. I also watched reports on the effects on everything from national parks to the effect on healthcare. After all the reports I have to say I do not think the sequestration will be a bad thing.

I will hurt like hell but it is necessary. Heck, the president doesn't care, he is playing golf with Tiger Woods. That right there sets the tone for the rest of the political leadership. Don't worry, be happy.

I have had to cut my budget or have it cut for me. I get how it works. There is only so much money because the presses can't keep running at this speed. We are too close now to sequestration to prevent it so the best we can do will be reactionary. I think sequestration will continue for a month or two which will save us a ton of money. Congress will get busy because so many people will be angry, return us to ridiculous spending but we will get a savings over a few months. At this point, this is the only option where each side saves face and blames each other. Temporary downsizing.
- Robert Winner 50+
  - 0
  Feb 19 2013: I like your answer and agree. The blame game is in full. swing and this will be the fodder for the next election. The National Debit has went past the GDP and we are in deep dodo. At some point someone has to take the checkbook away from the criminally irresponsible.
  
  Yeah I thought this was a time for serious people to be working on the many problems we have. Since Obama went golfing I guess that sends the message as you stated. Wonder why the media always says this is a battle between Obama and Bayner. Guess that Obama does not trust anyone else ... wow what a message. Also they never mention that this was a bi-partisan agreement but the media says it was a repub resolution.
  
  We could do away with the 32 new czars and homeland security as they do not enforce the boarder laws and have just entered the top three in expendatures ... with zero results ... what a waste.
  
  Oh well. I preached to much. Thanks for the reply. Bob.
  - Linda Taylor 50+
    
    0
    Feb 19 2013: "Since Obama went golfing I guess that sends the message as you stated."
    
    It's good to be the king. ~Mel Brooks
edward long 100+
- +2
Feb 18 2013: We should not continue printing trillions of dollars of fiat money. We should abolish the Federal Reserve System (which is not Federal, and has no Reserves) and we, as individuals and as a nation, should return to the gold standard where credit is not the same as capital. The "capital" in capitalism refers to an exchange medium linked directly to, and backed by, something of tangible, redeemable value (gold, platinum, heads-of-cattle, etc.). We are no longer a capitalism society, we are "creditism" society. The sequester is (was) an honorable though inadequate attempt to stop the madness of runaway economic activity based on nothing. The consequences would be massive redistribution of the workforce from featherbedding government jobs to real work. The benefits would be a return to reason, honesty, self-respect, and truly Free Enterprise.
Gail . 50+
- +1
Feb 18 2013: You write as if only the Democrats created the law requiring sequestration if other agreement cannot be realized. That is not the case. The law began in the house as a Republican initiative. It ended up as a case of bilateral support of kicking the can down the road. I know you don't like Obama, but he was only one of 536 players and you give him FAR too much credit for the Republicans' doing.

The House passed the Budget Control Act on August 1, 2011 by a vote of 269 to161. 174 Republicans and 95 Democrats voted FOR it (making it HEAVILY favored by Republicans), while 66 Republicans and 95 Democrats voted against it. (Again, making it a Republican initiative)

The Senate passed the Act on August 2, 2011 by a vote of 74 –26. (45 Dems & 28 Reps). 6 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted against it.

Total Congressional support: 297 Republican. 206 Democrat.
- edward long 100+
  - 0
  Feb 18 2013: Thank you for the research results and history of the sequester approval process. The debate asks that you choose a side and cite benefits/consequences for that viewpoint. Partisanship is not really in the equation. If the sequester is activated what do you anticipate the results will be and do you favor or oppose those results?
- Linda Taylor 50+
  - 0
  Feb 19 2013: Actually the sequestration was a white house initiative. They wanted to manipulate the republicans and threaten to take away thier pet military money. I even remember it being reported that way in 2011.
  http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/09/07/more-evidence-defense-sequestration-originated-in-white-house/
george lockwood 20+
- +1
Feb 18 2013: Expect the usual result if this happens. We will wish it didn't happen. Thinking and solving problems is what adults do. Don't expect that to happen - thinking that is.
- edward long 100+
  - +1
  Feb 18 2013: Wait. What? Think? Solve problems? We are talking about the United States Congress, right? Oh, I see what you are doing. you are suggesting a different modus operandi than what we have now, which is simple perpetuation of problems. Hmmm. It might work if the populace were to wake-up, inform themselves, and get involved. Interesting. Thanks.

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