Tax day: Tea partiers fill Pavilion

nice people in protest,and you say "Back to the wild west" bla bla bla. what a lousy response,you have know idea what this is all about. why dont you investigate i little before you spout off.

Call me a cynic....

Thank God that we live in country where free speech and protest are allowed. Agree or not with the purpose of the Tea Party, I think we can all appreciate the fact that we saw some of our greatest rights as Americans demonstrated yesterday at the Pavilion.

Wow Music Lover...I loved that list of causes to "where our tax dollars go." It reads like a who's who of careless spending, lousy results, no accountability and cost overruns! You forgot National Public Radio! Thanks for reminding me where my tax money goes. What Obama and his cronies really want to do is to tax the hard working folks in that $300k to $1 million range of income...the ones who will be hurt worst by the increases. Gray Matter Kennedy could care less up in Hyannisport; Michael Moore will keep chowing down burgers whilst making sick quantities of cash on his lousy movies.

This all goes back to LBJ. Worst thing that could have happened to this country.

And could you closet lib homophobes stop calling it "teabagging parties?" You all know what that refers to and it is a gay stereotype Gosh, it's like you all take your marching orders from Facial Madcow on My Sorry News Broadcasting Corportation.

I like this idea: if Obama really wants to nail the "rich," have the percentage go up with each $100k earned. So the guy making $300k pays 20 percent, $400k pays 21% and, by the time you get to Springsteen, he's forking over 80 percent of his income! Then we can watch him flee overseas with his money!

The Tea Party protests were no freak show. I cannot imagine someone in Charlottesville intimating that observation while pining for a Free Mumia,

If person "A" makes 1000 bucks and gives the government 400 in taxes... then pays the 600 left over to paerson "B" to paint his house, who pays the government 240 in taxes and pays person "C" the 360 left over to do his taxes, who gives the government 144 in taxes, and gives the balance of 216 to the local restaurant who does not declare it and lets their employees sign up for the FREE health care system because they make too little money... then what we have after four days is the government with 784 dollars of the thousand, and 216 spent possibly on booze and cigarettes and gasoline, all of which are heavily taxed, and idiots still comlaining that taxes are too low.

Yeah, like I said, it was real freak show. The Downtown Mall is a great place for freaks. Whether it's the cross dressing goth punks or homeless road dogs or Fox News puppets still completely pissed off they lost the election (don't worry, you still have Sarah Palin and 2012 to look forward to) and reduced to raging about a One World Government, or Atheist Liberal Community Organizers, or Communists in the State Department (I once heard there were at least 57 of them)...the Downtown Mall is the place to be if you want pure, unadulterated freakdom.
Just to get this straight, and for all you folks who think I'm some sort of liberal apologist for Barack Obama, you couldn't be more wrong. I'm extremely disapointed with the man in White House, one of those disapointments being his inability or refusal to level with the American people and tell us just how bad things are. The fact of the matter is all of this deficit spending is going to come to no good end,as it's all predicated on getting our economy back on track. All we need to do is just start selling hideously overpriced McMansions to each other again and everything will be fine. This religion of greed, mindless consumerism while praying at the altar of the Corporation is insidiously destroying ourselves and our planet. Our economy is a joke. A succession of both Democratic and Republican administrations and policies over the past 30 years effectively sold away most of our industrial base, and both political parties have eagerly taken gobs of cash from whatever corporation or rich prick needed a favor, all under the guise of campaign contributions.
What I want to know is where were all of you teabaggers over the past 8 years. Are you all so collectively dense that you've only now come to the realization that the US Government is run by and for the richest 1% of the population? Our country has been writing checks for years that our kids and grandkids are not going to be able to cash. You want to complain about government spending? Fine, I have lots of complaints about government spending. We can start with the Department of Defense. Half a trillion dollars a year blown on war toys while they let injured and recovering soldiers left to rot in their own excrement. All while some politically hooked up pig gets to rake in the cash from a government contract that is supposed to take care of those folks. I didn't see anyone teabagging about that.

Pete Deer

No, Rush Limbaugh's definition of liberality is different from George Washington's, but that doesn't make it so. (That guy's hopped up on something anyway, pretty sure...)

Certainly, the Constitution provides the limitations of government that make our democratic republic function, and it should be respected, debated, amended and constantly refined.

But to suggest that because the President (about whom I am indifferent - admirable guy, really, but he looks like a run-of-the-mill conservative democrat to me) does something that you disagree with, we are now suffering some sort of NEW TYRANNY, well, that's just silly.

And Reagan! Don't get me started. You give me a trillion dollar credit card and tell me I won't ever have to pay it off and I'll show you what a simulated "good life" looks like, too.

Too bad our payment is now overdue. Pray our Chinese overlords are extra patient....

This movement represents a failure of imagination ---folks have moved on --a new day is dawning --more tolerant, less greedy, more concerned about the world in which we live --a kinder, gentler, more caring world that has captured the hearts and minds of the young at heart and those who can still dream of a better tomorrow

Sue, by "a new day is dawning", you must mean a world where greedy people (us) bequeath their children with mountains of debt and inflation.

Unless of course you're in the political class where you can be forgiven for not paying taxes.

fdr try this link," Senior GOP Consultant Backs Gay Marriage"

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/17/senior_gop_consultant_bac...

Dopher it is your party that is the direct result that we're in this financial mess to begin with.

One thing we can all agree on is this is a national disaster and we will need to work together to get out of it. You're right fdr smarter spending is certainly needed both on the national and local level.

fdr, you are out of your mind if you think the tea parties was not created and driven by fox. they were the clear champion of that event, and once they realized the events were going to bomb, fox attempted to backpedal. it finally hit them that they were organizing protests of the bush tax code and calling attention to the deficit, of which bush added 3-4 trillion while in office.

they were so quick to jump on it they never did their homework. same for boehner and cantor. embarrassing.

Russ, (I'll ignore your weak attempt at a put down - a real knee-slapper!) - I don't know what to tell you. I changed 12 bulbs in my house to CF two years ago and my electric bill immediately dropped 60%. (and my house got brighter)

fdr - I think I'm with you on the spending, we just have different priorities. I'll take "lazy Americans on handouts" (overwhelmingly retired, disabled or simply screwed by "free market" exploitation) over wasted military folly any day. Then again, it's expensive to have a democratic system, and if we could close a few corporate loop holes, we'd likely have enough money for anything you can imagine.

You guys should maybe lay off the Limbaugh.

Crispy- ran a little quick math on your savings. Assuming you were burning the 12 bulbs (100W) 8 hrs per day and replaced with CF equiv (26W). Your 60% savings for home elec would mean you were running something else that was the equivalent of 93W 24 hrs a day. Maybe a very small dorm refrig to cool a little beer? Sounds unlikely for most houses.

Sorry to throw you of balance with my weak joke......as a resut you missed my point. The point is that there is little or no accountability in the govt. Central planners will be as responsive to your healthcare needs as with CF mandates. Govt mandated healthcare will make it impossible to even fight it out with your insurance company. Ultimately dictated by govt policy and the govt purse strings.

Smaller govt

Sue,
You missed Russ's point - again.

He was talking about your house and your fantastical claim to have cut electric use by 60% by changing 12 light bulbs.

Looks like you may be proven wrong Russ

" Since 2002, Christian has directed an effort to create "zero-energy" houses, a goal that is close to fruition. Recently, Christian completed five "zero energy" houses in partnership with Habitat for Humanity which were built for about $100,000 each and cost little to power.

http://readthehook.com/stories/2009/04/16/GREEN-zeroenergy.aspx

I find it very interesting that during the last 8 years, we allowed a president to basically crap on the constitution- start not one but two war to get the "terrorists" and torture people- completely crapping on the Geneva convention. we also allow him to deregulate most of the governing laws in the financial industry- which by the way caused this mess. And maybe during the past 8 years more millionaires were created because they were stealing other people's money "investing it" into overseas bank accounts.

And for the "tea Baggers" making over 250,000 should be very upset that they have to pay more taxes,except that they will just find more ways to not pay taxes but the other 90% are really just lemmings. Truly, they don't care about truth they just regurgitate what the dumb rethug right tell them to.

Egore - don't forget to add in sales taxes, meals taxes, federal gasoline tax, all your phone and internet taxes and fees, personal property tax, real estate tax (buried in your rent if renting), import duties buried in cost of goods, pending cap & trade tax ........ Your taxes are well over 40% of your gross income

does "bipartisan" mean they ALL suck?

It looked like a total freak show to me...

Pete Deer

No complaints from the right wing about spending millions per day in Iraq during the bush administration, but now that we have a new president they're suddenly fiscally conservative again.

I still like Huckabee's idea of eliminating federal taxes & charging 25% sales tax on every purchase. This would make sure that people who get paid under the table, drug dealers, pimps prostitutes, business owners who skim off the top, illeagles, etc. all have to buy stuff & this would make them pay their fair share. The working person not having to pay federal taxes would have more to spend.

Freaks huh? You want to see freaks visit the downtown mall on a Friday there's more leather and studs than a Ramones concert, I wont even take my family to the Downtown Mall on a weekday because it overflows with worst of society.
As for the comment about schools, roads and police funding; get a clue those services and infrastructure are paid for by your local taxes, not federal (up until the worthless bailout money)! Oh and spending money in Iraq, guess where that money goes, its pay for our soldiers, buys weapons systems produced by company's in the U.S.(hopefully U.S.), buy's uniforms, boots, food for our troops, etc.. In other words that money goes back into our economy. The only nasty and violent protests that occurred yesterday where committed by LIBERALS trying to stop concerned Middle Americans from exercising their first amendment rights.

Craig,

The point is not the tax rate it is the outrageous spending that Obama is using to try to get the american consumer to go on another spending binge. It is the social infrastructure he is creating that we all (rich and poor) will have to pay for for the next 100 years.

His math does not and cannot work. He is just barreling ahead while he has the chance. Just like Bush did with the war.. except Obamas ink pen is the REAL weapon of mass destruction.

All of the riches wealth cannot cover his social agenda for more than a couple of years... then what? Who are you gonna tax when the rich have been depleted?

Anybody that says the rich don't pay any taxes is a LIAR. The alternative mimimum tax takes care of that. Even if their tax rate through loopholes is lower they still pay tens of thousands in taxes per person... How much did you actually PAY????

There were more millionairs created under Bush then in the entire 200 preceding years.

There were more people moved from lower middle class to upper middle class then in any time in the preceding 200 years.

The number of people living in poverty actually diminished if you consider that the "poor" of today would have been solid middle class in 1970.

In 1970 the real "poor" in c-ville had no cell phones, DVD players, brand name clothes, cars, ER care, food stamps, rent assistance, A/C in their apartments, dishwashers, microwaves etc.

Now they say your in poverty if you cannot afford to feed a family of four working full time at mcdonalds.

Some of you crybabies who think you have it so tough need to go to a nursing home and ask some of those "rich" people about how "easy" their life was in 1940.

Some of you think Obama is Robin Hood, but you forget that Robin Hood did not take from the rich and give to the poor, he took from the Government and gave it back to the people...

....kinda like what George Bush tried to do....

Where were these tea baggers a couple of years ago when their hero W and a GOP Congress passed the Medicare prescription plan by claiming a cost of less than $400 billion over 10 years? One month after passage the White House said "oops" and the estimate went to $534 billion. About a year later it went up to $1.2 trillion over ten years. Of course, that was enacted by a Republican government - and none of these people hit the streets to protest anything until Obama became president.

They didn't protest the way Bush prosecuted two wars completely off-budget. I've seen many protesters mentioning that it's wrong to increase spending and cut off funds to the troops. The Obama defense budget is HIGHER than Bush's, and since he's killing worthless weapons programs it frees up money for THE TROOPS. It also will allow us to recruit more troops to reduce the deployment rotation frequency.

But the truly amazing thing is the defense lobby is so incredibly good at what they do that our annual defense expenditures are twice the COMBINED defense budgets of Russia and China!

Where were these protesters as the Bush administration consistently stripped Veterans' benefits? At home watching reality TV, perhaps?

But of course, Fox News and Limbaugh don't tell it that way, and that's all that matters to these lemmings. They will buy anything those people tell them to buy, believe anything they tell them to believe, and repeat any nonsense they hear them say, even when it defies all logic and common sense. And now they're letting themselves be led by disgraced and discredited former leaders such as Gingric, Armey, and Delay! Talk about grasping at straws!

I find it interesting that media people were running this in Charlottesville as well as just about everywhere else - these so-called tea parties weren't grass root efforts. They were AstroTurf efforts, driven by the conservative/wing nut media.

I'm looking forward to the post-tea party polling. I doubt there will be any change in Omaba's approval ratings. The unhappy conservatives spent a day whining to themselves, but it actually seems like they've lost the ability to change anybody's mind. I guess that's what happens when people become more aware and when you can no longer control the message.

The funny thing is, protests against Bush were considered un-patriotic. Now they're the American thing to do - but only if you're a "real" American.

As for the incredible tax burden, it's a myth. It's a lie. The overall tax burden AND the tax burden on individuals and families is historically extremely low. I know that the introduction of "facts" isn't as fun as getting together and making noise, but here you go: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=139

As a postscript, Federal tax dollars do, indeed, get sent back to states to help fund things like infrastructure, education, law enforcement, conservation, and any number of other resources and services. You can't even begin to count the number of entities in Charlottesville that were started with Federal loans, grants, and funding, nor can you count the number of local entities that rely on continued funding today. This isn't a new "stimulus" thing at all (and let's not forget that most of these heroic GOP governors took nearly all of the stimulus money offered). Federal tax dollars are granted to state and local governments for many purposes - just search The Google for "local programs receiving federal funds."

Here are just a few:

Disaster relief and recovery

Public health (states receive $17.60 per person on average from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to spend on public health)

Medical research

Energy research

Just about all public schools receive Federal funds. The same is true for just about every college and university.

National parks

Unemployment benefits

Natural resource management

Roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. Ever hear of the Interstate Highway System?

The conservative rhetoric just doesn't stand the test of time, and in today's world where fact checking is as easy as logging onto the Internet it's too easy for curious people to get to the truth.

Here's the way I see it, Egore. In order to start a business, you usually have to first spend a chunk of change, often going in to debt. That's basically how I see the stimulus program. We have a broken economy and we can't go on pretending it'll fix itself. The U.S. needs to start a new "business." I disagree with the TARP spending and toxic asset buying, but I'll gladly pay for healthcare, greener infrastructure, education, technology, and fighting poverty (even if they have to raise my taxes to do these things) . It makes more sense then invading and policing a foreign country.

sue, please knock it off. slavery is alive and well in the world today. made in china? most everything made there is slave made,and other parts of the world also. lets not pick on the dead in the grave. lets help the people of the world fight there masters that have enslaved them. i am a recovered liberal and geting the facts are a great way of life.

Crispy, give it rest. your quackery sounds a bit lame. I'm not sure what race has to do with this. I can bet you ALOT of blacks, asians & pigmies are also fed up with this run away spending.

First can we all lose the insults, and respect each other's right to an opinion? Those who fling the name calling when they even suspect someone mught not agree with their political view are arrogant, so threatened by another's viewpoint that they need to immediately marginalize anyone who disagrees. This tactic is tired and transparent.
Secondly: I don't know anyone who wouldn't wish for all citizens to enjoy quality healthcare, plentiful income, a safe car, college tuition, etc.
The point is: who is going to pay for it? And who is distributing the money collected?
It's not abut the taxes ( yet), its about doubling down on the national debt, in less than 90 days.

Elux Troxl - EXCELLENT point, and unfortunately closer to the truth than most of us would like.

egore - great points! Only problem is your math is totally irrational and your suppositions entirely devoid of fact or reality. First, the highest tax bracket in the US is 35%, and that's for those who make over $357,700. Since every point you make is predicated on a 40% tax, not to mention the incredibly asinine assertion that everybody who works in restaurants works for tax cheats, freeloads on the public health care system and spends their money on alcohol, cigarettes and gasoline (on a side note, I'll bet you're one awesome tipper!), I doubt anybody takes anything you wrote seriously. If that's the best way you know of to make a point I hope you aren't surprised that nobody listens.

News from one source--looked like a Fox News event.
And as for jobs one sign said no more hand-outs get a job. Wouldn't say that shows much compassion for the recently laid-off

I can not understand people supporting increased federal spending by a government that loses money running a cafeteria. Yet you want them to run your schools, health care and provide for your retirement. I suggest that you might want to rely on yourselves for a change.

Crispy, I think i was right the first time. Crispy is what a cooked duck becomes.

I tuned my reading skills viewing your bland site. Do you awake each day and kiss the mirror?

BRG, would you rather have Bernie Madoff and his pals in charge ?

quote: "Back to the wild westââ?¬â?? who needs schools, roads, police or fire protection and forget those people who happen to be old, disabled or mentally ill ââ?¬â??survival of the fittest is the mantra for these folks I guess"

That's not a really bad idea, IMHO. I'll make this short and sweet.... The public schools are a joke, and a danger to a child's mental and physical being. If my house burns down, it's insured and I will rebuild. If I am involved in a car crash I don't need fire trucks sitting there watching the rescue squad do their thing. Think about this next one carefully --> What have the police really done for you lately? Families currently take care of their old and disabled because it's hard to justify their elderly family members losing everything they own in order to pay $7,000 a month for a nursing home (yes, you have to lose everything before Medicade kicks in). The average tax paying citizen receives almost nothing from the schools, the fire department, the police and the government.

Everyone who is up in arms about the growing government, the looming spending spree, the past incompetent administrations, the ailing economy, the growing gap between rich and poor (of which the poor are not concerned), and how America is really going to pay to fix all of our problems: please ask those unregulated lenders who supposedly started all this, WHY they felt compelled to lend money to folks that shouldn't be borrowing money.

Buffalo Gal,
you asked if we wanted Bernie Madorf in charge? We sort of do since he was a big contributor to the Dems. Look at who AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac execs supported... Dodd, Obama, Barney Franks etc.

Regardless of what you think of our involvement in Iraq, it's cheaper than Obama and congress's current plans. I did not hear a single speaker mention the war in Iraq Wednesday anyway, so it's doubly irrelevant.
The rallies were not pro-Bush either, and if anything criticized his spending as well. And who said "don't criticize the president during a time of war?" I didn't. Who said "greed is good," and "guns fix everything?" Not me. I didn't hear anyone say those things Wednesday either. Debating the straw man you've built gets us nowhere.
And your quote only serves our purpose. I don't think by "liberals" Washington meant those in favor of an expansive government supporting the population from the cradle to the grave. And by "equally entitled" I don't think he meant a distribution of wealth. And, to me at least, the "protections of civil government" do not include education, transit, healthcare, housing, food, etc. His "liberality" held a different meaning than today, or else he would have never said this:

"The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."

"My" investment in Iraq? You're doing it again. I didn't indicate that I was for or against our involvement. And, don't tell me I'm wrong about liberality, because I didn't define it. I said it's definition is different than today, and by that I mean the coloquially accept definition of a "liberal" is not what it was two hundred years ago. By assigning me to points of view you want to attack you're only arguing with yourself.

I, for one, don't want to roll the dice and hope we're "lucky." And if you think that all this spending is going to strengthen the middle class then you need a history lesson. The New Deal only lengthened the Great Depression. Reagen cut taxes and excessive government and we flourished. And I agree, we need protection from the ruling elite. Those being the ones in power who believe we can't self-govern, who believe we need to have our decisions regarding healthcare, childcare, education and the like made for us.

A strong middle class is great, sure, but what happens when 51% of that middle class is wrong? In a democracy, that mob ruling has the capability of screwing over the other 49%. That's why we are a republic, not a democracy, because the majority is often not well informed.

Certain rights and rules must be established that cannot be changed by the upper, middle, or lower classes. Conveniently, those rights and rules are laid out in our Constitution. Do you agree Cripsy? Should we follow our Constitution?

"The Tea Party wasn’t only about taxes - it was also about irresponsible spending."

And according to the speeches and signs, it was also about: abortion; supporting the troops; Obama "sucking" the Saudi "jewels"; Obama's white slavery policies; the American taxpayers being the Jews for Obama's ovens; our tax dollars being given to Hamas to kill Christians, Jews and Americans; Obama being the new face of Hitler; guns; gay marriage; Barack "Osama"; America is a Christian Nation; succession; and immigration.

Also according to some of the speeches and signs, it was about some people having a VERY hard time coming to grips with the idea that the President of the United States of America is an African-American.

Sue, I'm in favor of gay marriage, I don't know why you bothered with that link.

The idea of tea parties is not partisan, its economic.

I have noticed that the only people that keep bringing race into the question of motive of the teaparties are those that seem to opose this right of assembly. Isn't that constant drone of racism in itself racism.....the constant focus on race??

Dopher I apologize for assuming you belonged to a particular party. I try to stay informed not from message boards but reading 3 newspapers a day listening to AM and FM radio reading the Hook and attending City Council as often as possible. I also agree that the deficit is a problem but we are facing a national crisis of historic proportions and to not change course for the short and long term would be criminal in my view. In the short term I agree with stimulating the economy and paring out all waste particularly in defense spending, re-regulating the financial markets to prevent a Madoff repeat, pulling the troops out of Iraq,and re-structuring the tax-code so as not to favor the rich. In the long term investing in industries that will further the health of the planet and thereby the quality of life of all human and non human beings inhabiting it. In doing this I believe after this short term crisis we will see a lowering of the debt due to a national consciousness shift away from money spending solutions to problems. I see us moving toward maintaining what we have and looking for sustainable solutions in all fields education, health, jobs, and a world that needs fewer guns and weapons to settle our problems.

I don't believe that saying no to taxes is appropriate for our current crisis.

For those who are still in the dark about this. No one there was praising the democrat controlled congress spending during Bush administration. This is about excessive spending that os unjustified by the constitution and by the simple principle of fiscal responsibility that we as citizens need to abide by in our own lives. It is also about taxes to a lesser extent....mainly because the federal govt has now accelerated its indebtedness at an alarming rate, financed by our soon to be "allied" socialist friends.

Just a couple questions to all those that support all this expansive federal govt.
1) Are you buying up federal govt debt as an investment to support this?
2) Did you add say a $100 to your taxes as a contribution?

Put your money where your mouth is.

Dopher, I do agree that no one party is completely responsible for the financial disaster we're facing. I am just frustrated by all the deregulation under the last administration.

Also for those concerned with debt again a local issue. The RWSA debt is presently $45 million and if the present plan proceeds will exceed $200 million. Shouldn't all of us that care about excessive spending and lack of accountability question this ?

Mr. Crutchfield does :

http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/arti...

- Even though neither of those two things are relevant to this discussion. As we've said over and over, the tea parties were non partisan, and of course, not racist.

The Tea Party was not about paying taxes. It was about paying unfair taxes. I believe there should be two tiers of tax payers. Those that are poor, should pay less than those that are not. The two rates, should be flat and no deductions what so ever.

For those of you who believe are taxes should go to a national health care system. You have not given this you full attention. Consider this. In countries which have a national health care system. It is the doctors that choose who gets care and who does not. It is the doctors that decide who lives and who dies. In a national health care system, the system rates individuals by their potential contribution to society. Where the young have more potential and the elderly have less. So, as you get older and therefore are more likely to develop cancer, or need a organ transplant or need a major operation. You will not be able to receive medical treatment, because you are not worth it to society. You are also not allowed to pay for treatment, even if you can afford it. Your only recourse is to seek treatment in another country that does not have a national health care system.

Sure”Š I thought the Tea Party was about whatever Fox News told you it was about. What was that again? Oh yeah, Obama bin WHATEVER. (secret muslim, no birth certificate - no, not racist at all)

You guys who are serious about tax reform and dissolving the Fed may have a point, but by aligning yourselves with the Fox Koolaid News wackos (the no information crowd) you do yourselves a serious disservice. Nobody’s taking advice from the right wing wackos that led the country into this mess.

As has been said here repeatedly, where were you guys when Bush was double deploying the military and cutting taxes on the richest 1%? All of it off budget? Heck, if we weren’t spending half our money on the military to begin with (as much as the next ten largest militaries on earth COMBINED), we could afford darn near anything we could imagine. Our military didn’t protect us on 9/11. And Iraq has proven a bunch of punks with cans of nails and over-the-counter explosives can hold us off for years.

I’m not sure Obama’s got this right, either, but after Bush, as long as he doesn’t dump the entire treasury into the desert, it will feel like a blessing.

Steve, in our current health care system, insurance companies get to decide who gets treated. And they waste a ton of money and deny incredible amounts of coverage while doing it. I’d rather let doctors decide without having to refer to some private company’s shareholders for permission.

You're kidding, right?

John Ashcroft famously said he didn't want to hear about Afghanistan-based terrorists anymore and then went to work busting TOMMY CHONG! George Bush said "your ass is covered" to the messenger who brought a warning to his Crawford ranch.

Just search "U.S. Military Budget," and you'll find a ton of data showing that the US military budget is massive, larger than any on earth, and a significant chunk (more than half by some estimates) of your tax dollar. Famously, Democrats spend more on military than Republicans do!

I'm with you, it's a bipartisan problem, but it's a HUGE problem, no less.

The 1040EZ stats include trust funds like Social Security in the budget. That's inaccurate. (and, frankly, dishonest) It also doesn't distinguish past military debt from non-military expenses.

Then, of course there's the fact that the Iraq/Afghanistan numbers were never included in the budgets.

It's a mess for sure.

It still doesn't change the fact that we're spending multiple times more than any other country for no good reason save unfounded reactionary paranoia.

Duck, the 1040EZ figure is accurate since that money is being spent now and borrowed from future tax payers. Also Iraq/Afgan are included in the spending.

Again, you keep avoiding the issue - we need to spend far less money.

Dopher here is an excellent article about the local debt situation we're facing at the RWSA. It's unfortunate that the folks in Fluvanna failed to bring the issue of forming a water authority there to a vote. People need to be very careful who they elect locally and if these people are genuinely concerned about wasteful spending. My hope is that all the people at the tea party will get more involved in local affairs. Rob Schilling, for one, has done a tremendous service trying to inform people of the financial cost this water plan will have for the citizens of the City. I just hope more people in the county will speak up before it's too late

http://readthehook.com/blog/?s=water+rates+rise

Um. It's Glass Steagall, and only part of it was reformed under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (all three Republicans) in 1999. The repealed portions allowed financial institutions to merge with investment firms. So they could all fail together! Good times.