White House Debt Ceiling Summit Aims for Grand Deficit Bargain

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Historically the rich paid more taxes and have gotten more and more tax cuts and reductions..Now the rich(republicans want to cut ssi) if they are not allowed to raise how much debt they can put us in ????? and they want to continue to cut their taxes. I say its time to get guns and help collect those taxes..shoot a rich dude today and the government will have more than enough taxes to collect on inheritance taxes.

joe blow of NY 12:11AM July 15, 2011

I FEEL THAT THE COUNTRY HAS CHANGED THE THE CLASS OF PEOPLE UNTIL IT IS NOW THE RICH AND THE POOR, NOLONGER A MIDDLE CLASS. THE BUSH TAX HAS BEEN A BURDEN TO THIS COUNTRY TOO LONG. WE THE PEOPLE VOTED THE PEOPLE IN AND NOW IF THEY FAIL TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY IN GOOD STANDING, WE MUST VOTE THE PEOPLE OUT AND START OVER, SOME FEEL THAT THIS IS THEIR LIFES CALLING, NOT SO IF FORMER PRES. NIXION WAS HERE HE COULD TELL YOU BETTER. WHY WOULD SOCIAL SECURITY BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST TO CUT? THE RICH IS ONLY GETTING RICHER, LET THE LITTLE MAN HAVE SOME OF THE DREAM WE TALK ABOUT. THE DEBT CEILING HAS BEEN INCREASED MANY TIMES BEFORE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM NOW? JUST LOOK BACK THREE YEARS AND SEE WHERE WE WERE THEN WITH THE ECONOMY. FORMER PRES. CLINTON BROUGHT THE BUDGET UP AND IN 8YRS. IF WAS GONE.

Maybelline Harris of IL 7:25PM July 12, 2011

earl hickey of IL
you're wrong, there would be no deficit if we eliminated the Bush tax cuts for Rich
there are real simple solutions - return to tax rates of Bill Clinton or even Ronald Reagan and we would be able to balance the budget immediately. sorry earl, you must be listing to too much Fox if you so pessimistic you can't see beyond this Republican depression and the current Republican effort to sabotage the economy
If we get out of some of these arbitrary optional wars, we would be able to restart nation building here, lord knows we need it, instead for some Mid East desert tribes.
We need to get past these obstructionists who don't want to invest in the US

Sally of 7:50PM July 10, 2011

the debt / deficit problem is unsolvable. there is not enough money in the world to pay for all the promises we have made . Unless the US is will to go back on its word and break a lot of promises there is no way to cut spending enough to avoid a default. because our politicians cannot the heat of breaking these promises, the only way out will be a massive devaluation of our currency and paying off our debts in cheaper dollars.

earl hickey of IL 12:52PM July 09, 2011

Nothing more unpatriotic that pathetic tax dodgers
Companies that don't pay taxes shouldn't be able to lobby, contribute to campaigns or do business with the US government

Terry of AR 12:56AM July 09, 2011

Ok, lets deal. In exchange for a hard cap on spending (NO fuzzy accounting!) at say 19% of GDP, I would agree to an increase in my federal tax rate of say 3% for deficit reduction only. When the deficit is gone, so is my 3% surcharge. This tax surcharge is on income greater than $250,000, and must go only to principal reduction. Get it done, and move on!

Steve Marsh of VT 1:19PM July 08, 2011

http://crfb.org/stabilizethedebt/
The path that looks politically viable:
1) let the bush tax cuts expire
2) slash military spending
3) raise the age of eligibility for SS and Medicare benefits
4) curtail the mortgage interest and tax deductions, and life insurance tax benefit
5) eliminate biofuels subsidies
There's plenty of blood on both sides of the aisle with this plan.

Bob of CA 2:32AM July 08, 2011