A Homework Assignment

Lots of us have felt pretty frustrated and are wondering if there’s something we can do. Here’s one suggestion : Call your House or senate representative and request that they filibuster the upcoming debt ceiling increase unless it comes with a way to generate revenue (I’m thinking closing a tax-loophole or something). The Republicans are hoping this thing squeaks through without much public attention. Don’t let it happen. If they want to plunge this country even further into a botomless pit of fiscal irresponsibility, the “conservative” party should at least be called on it.


posted by greg on November 5, 2004 @ 10:28 am

13 comments

  1. Agreed. The debt must be controlled. If anything, I’d like to see the ceiling reduced.

    As for paying for it, how about we abolish the Department of Education? Why should we send money to DC so that they can waste it on beauraucracy and then send the unwasted portion back to my state, who then wastes some on beauraucracy, and then sends what’s left to the school districts.

    Or do you guys not like that idea?

    -Troll

    Comment by Keith Hutchins — November 5, 2004 @ 10:48 am

  2. Done.

    Comment by Jen in LA — November 5, 2004 @ 11:47 am

  3. Let’s just put a ceiling on invading countries that pose no threat to us. Then perhaps we can move some of that 35 freaking billion dollar military budget back to where it would help the citizens of the U.S. instead of getting the ones who are 18 to 24 killed.

    Before you cry about being protected remember that 35 billion didn’t do squat for us on September 11. Sometimes you need to employ actual intelligence, (intelligence, as in brain function as opposed to the briefings Bush ignored,) to solve a problem.

    Comment by Stephen — November 5, 2004 @ 11:56 am

  4. I’d like to see either a Congressional yard sale or perhaps bake sale. Right on the mall. No staffers, just the duly elected representatives of this fine land.

    If not that, maybe a booster, door to door program. Inside D.C. At night.

    Comment by debraz — November 5, 2004 @ 12:57 pm

  5. debraz said: “I’d like to see either a Congressional yard sale or perhaps bake sale. Right on the mall. No staffers, just the duly elected representatives of this fine land.”

    Yeah…can’t you just see Bill Frist and Dick Gephardt trying get another $.25 for that tape dispenser that once sat on LBJ’s desk? LOL. GREAT IDEA! Very funny!
    -Keith

    Comment by Keith — November 5, 2004 @ 1:35 pm

  6. What with his ostensible unending committment to fiscal responsibility, this would be a fine one to write Coburn about. Too bad he won’t be in office when that vote comes around; to his credit, he might actually follow through on his promises and vote against it.

    Comment by Megalodon — November 5, 2004 @ 2:56 pm

  7. Clearly, Trollboy, you have no need for the Dept. of Education, since otherwise you’d know how to spell “bureaucracy”.

    Maybe Mr Frist could sell some of the surplus F-16s that sit in the desert, rotting, because we bought too fucking many of them. Or is that too much like the truth for you? LOL! Moron.

    Comment by jwer — November 5, 2004 @ 3:24 pm

  8. jwer said “Clearly, Trollboy, you have no need for the Dept. of Education, since otherwise you’d know how to spell “bureaucracy”.”

    I bow to your intellectual superiority. Bad spelling is part of my strategery. Incidentally, I actual bought a dictionary before I decided against buying one.

    Then he(she? no offense meant if I use the wrong pronoun) said: “Maybe Mr Frist could sell some of the surplus F-16s that sit in the desert, rotting, because we bought too fucking many of them. Or is that too much like the truth for you? LOL! Moron.”

    Wasteful spending is wasteful spending, and I won’t defend it.

    As for calling me a moron, I repeat my sentiment that name calling points out your inability to carry on a debate based upon ideas. It says more about you than it does me, I assure you.
    -Keith

    Comment by Keith Hutchins — November 5, 2004 @ 3:48 pm

  9. Called my representative today; will call my senators’ offices on Monday!

    Comment by Elle Wiz — November 5, 2004 @ 4:30 pm

  10. As for paying for it, how about we abolish the Department of Education? Why should we send money to DC so that they can waste it on beauraucracy…

    I’m not so sure I share your anarchic belief that the best way to fix something is to destroy it. Also, I apologize for not addressing your actual complaint more, but my eyes start to glaze over whenever conservatives start to throw around the word “bureaucracy”. If it makes you feel any better though, I feel the same way when people on my side abuse the word “corporation”.

    Comment by greg — November 5, 2004 @ 5:08 pm

  11. Greg said “I’m not so sure I share your anarchic belief that the best way to fix something is to destroy it.”

    In general, I agree with you. However, this is an example of something that I’ve never understood the need for in the first place. Without bringing up the “B” word (which someone was helpful enough to point out that I can’t spell), the fact is that money is wasted on an unnecessary process of shifting from place to place. Very little of the money goes to actually educating children.
    -Keith

    Comment by Keith Hutchins — November 5, 2004 @ 5:51 pm

  12. The first homework assignment I actually liked doing.

    Comment by Deven — November 5, 2004 @ 7:08 pm

  13. Well, perhaps it’s because you focus on the name-calling in lieu of addressing issues that you get the names. Let me spell it out for you, “actual”.

    The reason I bring up the F16s is not to serve an easy lob so you may agree that you hate “wasteful spending”; that wasteful spending is called the Defense Budget, and accounts for a far greater waste than any of your conservative sacred cows, like welfare, and the Dept. of Education, and the Dept. of Energy, and the NEA. When you, or Bush, talk about “giving taxpayers more control over their money”, perhaps you ought consider that at least 49% of us think that Iraq is a big giant waste of that very money.

    If you were sincere in your pretense of being a fiscal conservative, or if he even gave a damn what we think, you would begin with the largest money pits, not the smallest.

    Note also that I am not advocating the abolition of the DoD; I am merely observing that opportunities for belt-tightening and elimination of graft are much vaster there than anywhere else in the government.

    Comment by jwer — November 5, 2004 @ 8:16 pm

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