Anonymous wrote:Obama hasn't "caved" on anything. He has demanded hid own way fom day one with no compromise or desire to work with the other side. He is not a leader.

Clearly you have been asleep. The WH offered 400K so its doubtful at this point that Obama will get the 250K that he originally wanted. I'm hoping he doesn't go higher than 400K. My guess is the final bill will be between 350-450K, which also provides some cover for even some Dems in high COL districts.

The farm bill concerns me too because it disproportionately effects the working poor and middle class at a time when many are already feeling the crunch.

Anonymous wrote:
I have to get annoyed that people who make over $250K in Nebraska get the same cut as those in this area. $250K is a lot of income, but it barely puts you in the "top earners" category in large metropolitan areas. Of course, if they put the limit too high, they won't get enough revenue. So, I get why it's happening, but I don't agree with it. I work part-time, so we're under that limit, but if I went back full-time we'd be over. My husband says that maybe this works for me and I'll never have to work full-time again!

Oh stop it. The people making $250K in Nebraska are not doing equivalent jobs as those making $250K in Washington DC. The point is that for 80-90% of the work force, the same jobs in metropolitan areas pay a premium and you earn more doing the same job. Jobs in metropolitan areas earn on average 25% more than the same job in rural areas (except those at the minimum wage level) and can be even a bigger premium for certain industries. For example, computer programming jobs that pay $80-100K annually in metropolitan areas often pay about $60-65k in smaller cities and lower COL areas. Back to your Nebraska example, a person making $250K in Nebraska is likely to be doing the same type of work that someone in this area is doing for like $300-350K.

Additionally, you are making a choice to live in a more desirable metropolitan area and hence you are paying for that life-style with higher costs. If you want lower costs, move to the more rural areas. Would you rather live in Kansas or Washington DC? There's a premium for living in Washington DC. You make that choice and the government should not be subsidizing those who choose to live in metropolitan areas over those who choose to live in more rural areas. You can move out to Nebraska anytime you want and have that lower COL. Arguing that there should be a tax incentive to live in a metropolitan area is the the most prima donna entitled attitude you can get.

Obama hasn't "caved" on anything. He has demanded hid own way fom day one with no compromise or desire to work with the other side. He is not a leader.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i'm more concerned about the farm bill.

Milk/dairy products doubling in price come the new year would devastate the country more than fiscal cliff.

Why? I would gladly pay $8.00 for a gallon of milk if it would cut the tax farm subsidies to the welfare-cheat dairy farmers (and corn farmers, and wheat farmers, etc. etc.) who suck the government dry on this...

It doesn't work that way. The $8.00 milk would be created by old school government buying of dairy. Not market forces. The reason is that when the laws expire, we don't go back to no subsidy. We go to the regulatory scheme of the 1940's.