" Instead of electing so many lawyers to set in the capital we should be electing mathematicians and economists. "

" When times are tough, the average Joes have to cut back on spending. You cannot strong arm your employer into giving you more money just because you have been spending more than you make. Your government, on the other hand, CAN and WILL do this. They have no problem borrowing trillions of dollars from the Chinese to pay for their little pork projects and make their big donors happy. It's all good as long as we call it "stimulus". They can justify their tax increases by a little bit of class warfare as well. Simply convince the mindless hoards that we are only taxing the "evil rich people who have been taking advantage of the poor for decades". What they don't tell us is how corporate taxes will affect us all in the form of higher consumer prices and jobs moving to countries with cheaper labor.

The sad thing is that when the economy improves, as it always does, the tax and spend politicians will all be grandstanding and taking credit for the turnaround, meanwhile future generations of Americans will be saddled with stagnant growth due to a weak dollar and trillions more in government debt. No matter, by then the current crop of fools will be gone and it becomes someone else's problem.

One of the main reasons we declared our independence was to avoid excessive taxation from England. They were soaking us in order to pay for their wars with Europe. Our current government is doing the same in order to create a giant nanny-state. Our forefathers envisioned a federal government that was responsible for national defense, regulating trade, and little else. Now look at the bloated entity it has become. The only fields than gained employees last quarter were health care and the government. What does that tell you? The government produces nothing. Unfortunately, the economy cannot function when we all work for the government. It is like perpetual motion, a physical impossibility.

As the government gets larger they gradually exert more and more control over us as well. So far they have told us what light bulbs and cars we can buy and even what foods we can eat. More is on the way. Gradually, so as to go unnoticed, free speech will start to slowly erode under the guise of "hate speech". It's already happening in Great Britain. They have banned an American conservative radio personality from entering the country, thus labeling him in with Nazi's and terrorists. Even our own Homeland security has suggested "watching" returning veterans for radical, extremest behavior. It is only a matter of time before religious figures are arrested for sermons that are deemed "hateful" to some minority group. This behavior should scare us all. Unfortunately, most people will continue with their blind party loyalty because they think of politics as some sports rivalry where their own parties do know wrong and the other guys do nothing right. "

" Jim1969 wrote on May 8, 2009 10:41 PM:
" Instead of electing so many lawyers to set in the capital we should be electing mathematicians and economists. "

Don't forget the English teachers. "

" Instead of electing so many lawyers to set in the capital we should be electing mathematicians and economists. "

I wouldn't argue about the mathematicians Jim, but look at it this way, most of the economists have a worse record than the politicians. "

" the us will never elect ANYBODY that is not a lawyer, or some other kind of crooked politician, so why should the state not follow example? "

" Who needs English teachers when we have message board grammar police.

It looks like some people have never heard of a type-o. "

" We cannot cut taxes, ever! Either the economy is too good or it is too bad, so we cannot place a burden on those growing the economy! EVER!!!

I agree with W.H. WILLIAMS. The poor should pay for everything.

Oh, and I love the McRib quote... class. "

" Ed Miller says: "Our forefathers envisioned a federal government that was responsible for national defense, regulating trade, and little else."

You hit the nail on the head with this one Ed!!!! Our bloated govt was never supposed to get this big. The states were to have most of the power and the Federal govt was just supposed to print money (which they gave away), sign treaties and provide for the common defense. Every year it gets bigger and more bloated. "

" STATES RIGHTS! An idea that needs to be promoted since, as you said Becky, that was the original intent. "

" I think the now semi annual increase on the price of stamps, takes effect today.

I happened across this yesterday. Postal workers make 23.2% more than a year ago, bringing them up to an annual salary of $54,550.

Sending a letter first class, just jumped another 2 cents. They have been headed to 5 day delivery, probably cutting out Tues.

The U.S. postal service is now a private company, but kept many of the government arm and employee perks. If the pay raise is anywhere close to true, today had better be the last jump in the price of stamps, for years to come.

If the UAW can be forced to cut, how is it the U.S. Mail can operate like this. It's no wonder volume drops significantly, after each jump in price, and they scratch ther heads in utter confusion.

This is another business that fails to grasp lower consumer cost for basic services can mean more profit. They get it, only as far as bulk rates for junk mail goes. The less regular people use them to send letters and bills first class, the less likely sending packages or other things through them, comes to mind. UPS, DHL, Fed Ex, all stand to gain another leg up on the competition that is pricing, operating and pay raising its self out of their own industry. Why aren't Mail trucks built like a prius, or other hybrid vehicle yet?

In a short time will there be another bailout, or have they continually done more than enough wrong, to let them fold, bankrupt, or restructure. Until they stop spending like they are still a taxpayer funded endless budget entity, they are digging their own demise. Probably not, but they should be.

Utilize the new forever stamps, for any mail you do send. Next increase might be soon. Might as well stop collecting books of each rate, but we are close to some of the older ones, from 25 cents on, being able to cover postage if you use 2 of them. "

" Becky wrote on May 11, 2009 7:26 AM:
" Ed Miller says: "Our forefathers envisioned a federal government that was responsible for national defense, regulating trade, and little else."

You hit the nail on the head with this one Ed!!!! Our bloated govt was never supposed to get this big. The states were to have most of the power and the Federal govt was just supposed to print money (which they gave away), sign treaties and provide for the common defense. Every year it gets bigger and more bloated. """""



hmmmmm......becky, you and eddie are sounding more like rick perry every day.
maybe you three should secede from the united states! LMAO! "

" Becky wrote on May 11, 2009 7:26 AM:
"You hit the nail on the head with this one Ed!!!! Our bloated govt was never supposed to get this big."""""


um.....so tell me just exactly how our government has bloated over the past 110 days. "

" Deficit 4 times what it was a year ago. "

" Reddy, it may have escaped your extremely limited field of attention, but government spending has ballooned because you Republicans DESTROYED THE WORLD ECONOMY with your deregulated fraud. "

" "um.....so tell me just exactly how our government has bloated over the past 110 days. "

I never said it only happened in the past 110 days fb. It's taken the last 30 years, if not longer with both parties responsible. If you care to read my posts, I'm not happy with either party and have been advocating for easier access for 3rd and 4th parties getting equal funding, tv time and ballot space as our overly narcissitic Reps and Dems. I really don't see much difference between the two parties anymore. They just say what they think their party constituents want to hear and then go ahead and do whatever Wall Street and big Corp tells them to. "

" Even our own Homeland security has suggested "watching" returning veterans for radical, extremest behavior.
---
That would be "extremist" behavior, little Eddie. And if you wonder why, just check out tomorrow's headlines from Baghdad. "

" It has really gotten to the point where a candidate does not so much win his/her seat in office as they buy it, or if that sounds to harsh towards the candidates, they have their seat bought for them through campaign contributions to either the candidates themselves or to the party they belong to.

Pump enough money into a campaign and you could a Paris Hilton/Britney Spears ticket elected to POTUS assuming they meet the age requirement. "

" thanck yoo mistur speling expurt. Do yoo feal smarrter noww? "

" Jim1969 wrote on May 11, 2009 4:27 PM:
" Pump enough money into a campaign and you could a Paris Hilton/Britney Spears ticket elected to POTUS assuming they meet the age requirement. "

I think we already proved your point in 2008, Jim. "

" Another way to get in is to have a Republican friendly Supreme Court. "

" The Question wrote on May 11, 2009 3:47 PM:
" Reddy, it may have escaped your extremely limited field of attention, but government spending has ballooned because you Republicans DESTROYED THE WORLD ECONOMY"

Oh that's right YOUR party had absolutely no part in any of the ills of the world. YOUR party does everything right and only has our best interests in mind. You're pathetic. "

" ed miller wrote on May 11, 2009 8:37 PM:
" The Question wrote on May 11, 2009 3:47 PM:
"YOUR party does everything right and only has our best interests in mind. You're pathetic. """""


aren't you "libertarians" supposed sound a little different than the limbaugh republicans? ......LMAO! "

" Well TQ, I guess you were right. A soldier wigged out and killed people. Maybe us Iraq veterans are all on the brink of terrorism. I have to admit that me and the guys at the VFW were just discussing how we could hijack a plane and fly it into a skyscraper. I guess the Homeland Security folks are justified in keeping a close eye on us. After all, how better to spend tax money than to monitor military veterans. I can't think of any bigger threat to the nation. "

" father bob wrote on May 12, 2009 9:26 AM:
" aren't you "libertarians" supposed sound a little different than the limbaugh republicans? ......LMAO! "

No, the GOP should sound more like Libertarians. They just lost their focus. "

" hmmmmm......becky, you and eddie are sounding more like rick perry every day.
maybe you three should secede from the united states! LMAO

Why, because I believe in our Constitution? Because I beleive in redress of grievences? Because I believe in hapeas corpus? or a sound money? a smaller Federal govt? A less police state? less taxes? not letting our politicians today spend my grandchildren's future?

Tell, me there fb, just exacly which is it that doesn't make me fit to be an American? Is it just because I don't tow party rhetoric? Don't agree with everything the Dems are doing (or the Reps for that matter)? Don't believe that all laws are being passed for our benefit? Actually pay attention to what BOTH parties are doing? Because I believe that we the people still have the power and have a right and the strength to take it back? Because I believe in what our founding fathers and veterans fought and died for? "

" I'm surprised that you would call Reddy pathetic, ed. Delusional and misinformed maybe, but pathetic seems a little strong. "

" The incompetent socialists running the country will continue the losing Democrat tax-and-spend insanity and further drag down the economy. All tax increases hurt the economy. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant of economic history or is just plain stupid, but that's what I've come to expect from Democrats in general. "

" even steven wrote on May 12, 2009 2:54 PM:
" The incompetent socialists running the country will continue the losing Democrat tax-and-spend insanity and further drag down the economy. All tax increases hurt the economy. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant of economic history or is just plain stupid, but that's what I've come to expect from Democrats in general. """"""



just so you don't forget a small minute detail you left out.....monkey boy and his henchmen asked the fox to watch the henhouse. when you let the financial sector regulate and oversee themselves, guess what you get?.....this mess we're all in today. squeal, squawk, and squirm as much as you want, that's the hard cold fact of the matter. "