I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

rosemary-b

No more Continuing Resolutions. We need a budget. The people we sent to Washington to work together and represent us need to do just that. Both parties need to compromise, even though the Republicans are acting like they have all the power. The Republicans put out a figure, the Democrats met it and the Republicans said no. Maybe they thought if we can cut this much we can cut more but it is about 9 months too late for that. I am tired of what seems to be just an old fashioned pissing match in Washington. The Repubican won the House but the Democrats won the Senate and if the Republicans are not careful they will overplay their hand. Remember who won after the last shutdown?

A government shutdown will be extremely expensive. Why do the budget hawks not care? 

bluedahlia

I guess there really isn't a cure for stupid.

Bren-2007

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/08/congress.budget/index.html?hpt=T1

Reid: Abortion issue preventing budget deal

Washington (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Friday morning that the abortion issue is the lone remaining stumbling block for negotiators trying to reach a budget agreement that would prevent a government shutdown.

"This all deals with women's health. Everything (else) has been resolved. Everything," Reid said. "It's an ideological battle. It has nothing to do with fiscal integrity in this country."

Republicans have been pushing to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood during the budget talks. They are also trying to get federal dollars now set aside for family planning and women's health turned into block grants for states, according to a Democratic source.

rosemary-b

I am beginning to wonder if there is a difference between libertarians and anarchists.

The best advice I have heard lately is don't put somebody in the government who doesn't believe in government. I wish I could remember which article I saw it in. Ah, chemo and Femara, you are keeping me humble.

Anonymous

Money doesn't grow on trees, we as a nation are deeply in debt, and cuts have to be made somewhere.

Cutting government funds to Planned Parenthood means that the people who run PP and those who choose to donate to that private entity will need to find money elsewhere, or decide whether their mission is to provide low cost health services to the poor or if that is simply a smokescreen to obscure their mission to promote abortions.  Perhaps they could raise the price of abortions slightly and that would cover the shortfall in their budget.

Many other organizations manage to provide all kinds of services to the poor without government funding, and PP can do the same if that is important to the people running the organization. 

The budget should have been passed BEFORE the elections in November.  That it is even an issue now is on the Democrats.  Time to buckle down and make those tough choices.  It shouldn't take the threat of an imminent shutdown as a reminder of just how many people have come to depend so heavily on the federal government for the basics of life. 

rosemary-b

I depend on the Federal govt for National Parks,highways, tax refunds passports and other things which while not the basics of life are part of what makes our country what it is. I love my country but I shudder at what some politicians are trying to turn it into

Wabbit

I have a cure for this budget nonsense ... but it will never happen.  Just stop paying the Congresscritters if they don't have a budget passed by the beginning of the Fiscal Year on October 1st.  It's their main job function so it seems fair to me.  Instead they play 'politics for idiots' with the whole thing.  Motivation is what they need.

I agree that another stopgap is just stupid.  This same crap has been going on since before I retired and it is crazy making.  Federal agencies cannot operate effectively when they don't know what their budget is until the fiscal year is darn near over.   

All that being said ... I see women, children, the middle class, the poor and the elderly being targeted to such a scary extent that I hope the Democrats hold their ground.  What a friggin mess  

3monstmama

There is more to federal government than parks and tax returns. 

I'll agree to cut subsidies to Planned Parenthood if we also cut the subsidies to oil companies and to agribusiness........most of the subsidies to agriculture go to giant farm corporations, not the little guys at my farmer's market. . . .

Otherwise, I confess that I am personally willing to hold the line over the issue of money to Planned Parenthood, to the District of Columbia and to EPA.

I am a government employee, I am not considered essential and I will be furloughed if there is a shut-down.  I am the sole source of cash income to our family of five.  If it takes a furlough to not to impose unequal hardship on the poor and the middle class,  not to force ideological viewpoints down other people's throats, then we will accept it. My heart aches at the way we as a nation treat the weakest members of our society.  Every week when my bus to work goes by the local food bank, the line is longer and longer.

We are well stocked on lentils and rice and have tightened our belts on all the rest.

Enjoyful

"Money doesn't grow on trees, we as a nation are deeply in debt, and cuts have to be made somewhere."

I agree with you, PatMom!  Let's take away all of the oil company subsidies!  Close up the corporate tax loopholes!  

Wabbit

While we are pretending that taking funding from PP will really help our budget crisis could we maybe also consider some other ideas ...

Do big businesses like GE really need more tax cuts when they already pay $0 in taxes?!  How about maybe closing some of those 'loopholes' so they actually contribute also.

Do oil companies who are able to make billions in profit really need tax money given to them?

If we were discussing stuff like that also I might be able to take this whole farce seriously. 

Enjoyful

White Rabbit - I see that you and I are wearing our aluminum foil deflector beanies today.  :-)

rosemary-b

3 monstas

I know there is more to the govt than paarks etc. My DH works for GSA which runs the federal buildings. There is a little in the bank so we'll be okay for a few weeks.

My point was that most of what the Federal government does, contrary to what some people think, is not promoting the so called nanny state. Can you believe the choas if the US stopped issuing passports for example, not to mention we would be the laughingstock of the world.

Enjoyful

No safety inspections, no fines imposed, no revenue collected, no bills paid, and on and on.  And guess what?  That work doesn't go away just because there's a shutdown.  People still have to do it when government reopens, and that means overtime pay, and delays, and lost interest and possibly more cost because invoices are paid late....

So yes, stick to your guns and force a shut-down.  I'll bill the Tea Partiers for my share of wasted taxes.

rosemary-b

You need the tinfoil hats.

Wabbit

enjoyful ... hahaha ... I prefer to think of it as 'great minds think alike'  

Maybe all those folks who prefer to forget all the essential services their tax dollars provide need a wake-up call.  Do without all of it for awhile ... because most of it is just taken for granted.   

Enjoyful

http://zapatopi.net/afdb/

Useful to combat mind control, but I've also found them useful for covert communications.

covertanjou

"Looks like the GOP and Palin are going after Planned Parenthood again, cause we all know how much Sarah Palin hates Planning and Parenthood."  David Chappelle.

Can't resist posting this here.  It is so funny. (enjoyful, great minds.....)

Why not admit that shutting down the govt because of PP is a political ploy?  It isn't about cutting spending.  It is about ideology.  Same with NPR and EPA.  I wish the TPers would at least be honest about their agenda instead of hiding behind cutting spending.  Where are the cuts to Agribusiness?  Oil companies? Kock-controlled industries?

On another note, Athena, where are you? I haven't seen you here in a while.  Hope all is okay.

Enjoyful

I think the TP people want to shut down government because they hate government.  I bet they'll be the first to complain when they don't get their social security checks or can't access the DC Mall because it's closed.

BarbaraA

The rotten b@stards in Congress will get paid. Check this out.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/07/house-members-charity-shutdown/

Enjoyful

NO!  NO NO NO NO NO!  You don't do your job, you don't get paid! 

Enjoyful

If they shut down and members of congress still draw paychecks, I'm going to DC and protesting.  I may even sing.  That'll teach 'em.

Anybody else want to go with me?

Anonymous

Taking away corporate tax breaks is a great discussion for another day.   Today, with a midnight deadline looming, the Senate Majority leader is saying that the ONLY thing standing between a budget agreement and shutting down the government at midnight is funding to a private organization that is widely known to provide abortions when government money is specifically not allowed to be used to fund abortions. 

"Washington (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Friday morning that the abortion issue is the lone remaining stumbling block for negotiators trying to reach a budget agreement that would prevent a government shutdown.

"This all deals with women's health. Everything (else) has been resolved. Everything," Reid said. "It's an ideological battle. It has nothing to do with fiscal integrity in this country."

Republicans have been pushing to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood during the budget talks. They are also trying to get federal dollars now set aside for family planning and women's health turned into block grants for states, according to a Democratic source."

Sounds to me that the Democrats are holding up the budget in order to get around the ban on federal funding of abortions.  If they wish to fund abortions, they are welcome to do so with their own money, not with tax money.

bluedahlia

Patmom, can you prove that tax money is being used for abortions?

Anonymous

Can you prove that it isn't?

Enjoyful

There is no getting around federal funding of abortions.  It's a condition of funding.

rosemary-b

I was trying to write a comment but it was all obscene. What about a 10% pay cut for Congress? That should help the budget and it would be shared sacrifice.

bluedahlia

I asked you first!  But nevermind.  You, being a woman and knowing what women go through with BC should be the first in line wanting the benefits that PP gives to poor women.  Totally boggles my mind.  So this whole thing rests on the backs of poor women.....who will always be second-class citizens.  That's disgusting to me as a foreigner and a pro-lifer.  But I'm pro-life even if the individual is 90 years old.

You're taken care of who cares about anyone else!  Right?

rosemary-b

Pat

Don't you know it's almost impossible to prove a negative? I'm surprised you'd ask.

Enjoyful

Whoa there, Blue.  Let's not forget that we have to take of Big Business, too.

bluedahlia

Yeah Big Business is more important than a woman's health.