Repeal the Sequester

[takoma]

John Conyers has introduced a bill to repeal the Sequester. Given that the Sequester failed in its purpose, and is now doing nothing but harm, this seems to me to be a no-brainer. If you'd like to sign a petition for passage, go to http://pac.signon.org/sign/congress-vote-for-the?source=homepage.

[Anonymous]

failed its purpose? Only if you feel that the only purpose was to force legislators to balance the budget. The point of the sequester was to ensure that we spend less starting this year to ensure that we can start paying down the deficit. Congress had the option to come up with an alternative way to balance the budget whether by increasing revenue (raising taxes, closing tax loopholes and shelters) or decreasing spending in a planned way. But the intent of the sequester was that either the Congress planned a way to do it intelligently or it would be done in the most balanced way possibly regardless of how inane that balanced way was. The money comes equally from Republican and Democratic sacred cows.

The better way to improve the situation is for the Congress to actually do their job, negotiate, compromise and pass a financial plan that will reduce the overall economic impact by some combination of increased revenue and/or decreased expenditure that will have the same effect and can replace the mindless sequester. It's amazing that in the last 6-8 months that they've known this was happening and the two houses of the US Congressional kindergarten could not learn to "share" and "play nice". Both sides grabbed a toy out of the other kids hands and ran screaming "mine! mine! mine!"

[Anonymous]

I disagree. This is the penalty for not working together. If we remove the penalty, well never get congress to work together.

[Anonymous]

I am tired of bending over for the R's. Its time to let the chips fall where they may. Do not over turn SQ. DoD needs to be cut. Let they shut down the government and default.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am tired of bending over for the R's. Its time to let the chips fall where they may. Do not over turn SQ. DoD needs to be cut. Let they shut down the government and default.

If I can't have a rational budget policy, then at least I get a Peace Dividend. Thank you Tea Party, for taking the blame for defense cuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:failed its purpose? Only if you feel that the only purpose was to force legislators to balance the budget. The point of the sequester was to ensure that we spend less starting this year to ensure that we can start paying down the deficit. Congress had the option to come up with an alternative way to balance the budget whether by increasing revenue (raising taxes, closing tax loopholes and shelters) or decreasing spending in a planned way. But the intent of the sequester was that either the Congress planned a way to do it intelligently or it would be done in the most balanced way possibly regardless of how inane that balanced way was. The money comes equally from Republican and Democratic sacred cows.

The better way to improve the situation is for the Congress to actually do their job, negotiate, compromise and pass a financial plan that will reduce the overall economic impact by some combination of increased revenue and/or decreased expenditure that will have the same effect and can replace the mindless sequester. It's amazing that in the last 6-8 months that they've known this was happening and the two houses of the US Congressional kindergarten could not learn to "share" and "play nice". Both sides grabbed a toy out of the other kids hands and ran screaming "mine! mine! mine!"

The most balanced way possible? You're joking right? Given the exemptions, no affect on major entitlement programs, and the fact that our so-called leaders' pay/benefits are not touched (you know, the folks asking us to suck up furloughs while the continue to receive pay/benefits) . . . you think that's BALANCED?

The point of the sequester was not to ensure we spend less and pay the deficit b/c it will not accomplish that. It was a penalty. A game of chicken. It was poorly thought out and doesn't solve a god damn thing.

[Anonymous]

increase the sequester

[Anonymous]

Make a SQ that would fix the long term budget, they would never agree to it.

[Anonymous]

Repeal the sequester?

Let's not.

The stock market is at an all time high. Un-employement is also way down. The sky has not fallen (and is not going to fall). The only people that are really suffering are some poor kids out in fly-over country who are not going to get to go on on their "White House" tour (but instead ended up mading a great YouTube video).

[Anonymous]

You really think that unemployment is "way down"? 7.7? That doesn't count the people who have given up and quit looking....13.8% among African Americans and over 25% for teenagers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really think that unemployment is "way down"? 7.7? That doesn't count the people who have given up and quit looking....13.8% among African Americans and over 25% for teenagers?

Who gives a shit about the unemployment rate for teenagers?

Yes, unemployment is way down from 2009 and the trajectory is positive. Jobs are coming back to this country. If you're worried about unemployment, you shouldn't be cheering cuts in the public sector.

[Anonymous]

I'd love to know what the real U.S. unemployment figure is. There are so many people who lost their jobs four, three, two years ago. They are dipping into savings, scratching a living with part-time gigs, etc. I wonder if the true unemployment rate is around 15%. To me (I live outside D.C. area) it feels like we're living in a Depression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You really think that unemployment is "way down"? 7.7? That doesn't count the people who have given up and quit looking....13.8% among African Americans and over 25% for teenagers?

Who gives a shit about the unemployment rate for teenagers?

Yes, unemployment is way down from 2009 and the trajectory is positive. Jobs are coming back to this country. If you're worried about unemployment, you shouldn't be cheering cuts in the public sector.

Uh they aren't counting your daughter who wants a job to earn mad money to blow at the mall. Many families count on teens to bring in money and many teens are heads of households.

[Anonymous]

There are 8.5 million fewer jobs than when President Obama took office.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:There are 8.5 million fewer jobs than when President Obama took office.

Pants on fire! There are hundreds of thousands of new jobs since Obama took office. Had it not been for the job losses during his first year when he was trying to dig us out of the hole Bush left, there would be millions of new jobs.