Ivan,

The budget discussion has kind of died down, but I am sort of behind out where I am deployed to. I am not really convinced that Paul Ryan has any answers for us. His budget proposal doesn't even bring the deficit to zero, much less talking about a surplus to start paying down the debt. So, I am leaning toward an agenda proposal. But, at least an agenda proposal allows for some discussion instead of just ignoring the issue.

I can tell you where the majority of our debt and the burdens that this country is going to have to deal with are (at least financially, anyway). Medicare, Medicaid, and SS are what we really have to deal with to get back on track. We have $15 trillion in promises to SS. We have $20 trillion in promises to prescription drug benefit. We have another $79 trillion in promises to Medicare. That is where the real problems lay. And as we keep racking that up, China sits in a corner ready to lend us more and more money. How will we ever cover those promises? Something has to change, and it has to change now. If it doesn't, my son won't have a USA to call home.

Class strife? There won't be one soon, because everyone will be broke. The government's out of money, the banks are using the government to keep them afloat, and all the while we are trying to save the poor we have right now. How do we balance all of this? How do we revitalize, save SS, Medicare, and at the same time keep the country from going under? I don't care for planned parenthood, EPA, etc. Not when we are trying to save the elderly from being able to pay for health care. Not when I see a bunch of youngsters running around with no jobs, demanding that the government take care of them. Not when I see a bunch of politicians trying to destroy everything this country was founded on just to save a few votes. I understand that there are people starving right now and need help. I am just trying to get a discussion that allows us to figure out how to help them responsibly. I have been down the road of debt, and it leads to nowhere. So, how do we make a budget that gets us and keeps us out of debt? I know that in my house, we have to pay all of our bills first, then figure out what to do with what's left over. That is all I am asking of our government. If there isn't enough to pay the bills, then we need to figure out what bills we don't need. I turned off cable in my house, maybe the government needs to do the same. I think that the politicians should work there for free for a year, just to pay us back for what they have done to us. But what do I know, anyway?

I am not trying to say that everyone on SS or Medicaid, or other social programs are all evil. I have sister-in-law that could not work if her life depended on it. I am just saying that all of those that can and are "holding out" for x job, or are just plain avoiding work, those are the people I am angry at! Or those that have jobs but don't appreciate the job enough to actually do it. That is sickening, and I am tired of seeing it.

Bottom line is, we are going to have to give some things up now, or we will find ourselves giving everything up later (and later is becoming sooner quick!). Which one are we going to choose? As to the question of how to minimize impact, and how to keep helping people - well, I don't have those answers. But if people don't start talking about it, and doing it now, then we won't ever find them. And yes, everyone will have to pay. I am definitely not sitting on any party lines here...

Who said that we needed to keep SS? I posted here that if you aren't close to retirement that you shouldn't plan on receiving SS. I think safety nets are great, but not when they cost the country $15 trillion. I am not wanting to keep SS. I might be labelled as "cruel" for saying that, but I really think that 9 times out of 10 (current financial crisis aside - this is when the government should be helping fund people's retirements), it was poor planning and financial management that caused you to not have enough money to retire. If it is something legitimate, then maybe we can come up with something tailored to help your specific situation. However, there should be some kind of repayment program for that sort of thing. I hate the idea of handing out free money w/o expecting anything in return (although there are situations where it is unavoidable). And I say maybe above because everyone continuously turns to the government for everything when I honestly think that a non-profit could fit the bill very well for helping retirees that have had their finances wiped out. Let's pour our tax dollars somewhere else (like education or national defense).

That being said, we (as individuals) need to do better at managing our personal finances and need to donate more (this is one area that I could definitely improve on in my own life). We need to donate our time, our money, and our knowledge to help others in need; instead of asking the government to do it. Will it happen? I don't know. I really hope that fixing education and getting a population who are well-read and understand the world a bit better might also be more willing to donate of themselves. Those are usually the ones I see doing that more right now. We are going to have some rough times if we are going to get things fixed, and people will have to sacrifice. But, if we can get through it, we will come out a stronger country with stronger individuals.

You may have misunderstood what I was saying about being in a teaching role. When I worked maintenance, there was an old guy there that did much less work than the rest of us. But, he spent most of his time at work teaching us young guys the things he learned over the years. He was a master at a lot of things, and we all learned so much from him. He did do work, and he did go with us whenever we had trouble tickets, but he spent a lot of time teaching us things. That is what I meant by a more teacher role. Maybe more of a manager or supervisor type thing might be a better term for it. I just know that the guys I worked with don't have a clue what to do with a week off and go stir crazy (not that they want to break their backs everyday either), they are just looking for something to do.

So, anyway. You do make some great points and bring up some questions that will be difficult to find a good answer to. But, if we don't ask the questions and discuss them, then we won't ever find the answer to them and we will be failing all future generations.

I am totally ok with workers retiring at 62, if they want. I don't think I could do that and my first retirement will be able to come around when I am 43. I think that, especially for those skill workers (those that work with their hands and took years to learn their craft), they should definitely have transitioned to a teacher-type at the very least by then. Most people I know that break their back everyday working can't hardly stand having a week off, much less the rest of their lives. But I don't think many people would argue with you on that point.

The problem comes when we try to figure out how to pay for it. Do we force corporations to pay for their workers' retirement (how many have taken their jobs elsewhere already)? Do we make the government pay for their retirement (1. Because that has been working so well already... 2. Then we basically saddle the younger generation with the older generation's retirement)? I personally think that people who can take care of themselves, should. So, you teach them how to take care of retirement, and then you let them take care of it. Is that the best way? I really can't say 100% that it is, but I like the idea.

I think the death commission was a lot of media hoopla and political jockeying. I know I am tired of hearing about it. I do think that your mother should get a new hip, but everything costs money. I think getting off oil should be this country's 3rd priority. Right behind education and fixing the budget issues and the debt. Cell coverage and broad band would be nice, but I would like us to fix education and social programs first. And I know the Australian tax rate pretty well, actually. My daughter and my parents just spent a couple weeks down there last year (something that my father worked and saved for years to be able to give to my mother - two things that more people could learn the value of, work and savings).

None of these problems are simple problems. Each one of them have many solutions. It's finding the right ones for this country that is going to be the most difficult. We have spent so much time in this country trying to divide on party lines, attack each other, and jockey for elections. I think it has caused us to lose sight of the issues. I know that none of this will change overnight, but a step in the right direction would be nice. I don't know for sure that's what the budget holdup/government shutdown thing was, but at least I heard people talking about spending, and saw people standing up for something (whether it was what they actually believed or if it was just another party line, I don't know). It has been a while since I saw people willing to jeopardize their political careers over a policy. But of course, the country's reaction to that was negative, so I don't know if we will see it again. I want to support those that are willing to stand their ground when they know they are right, and compromise when it makes sense to do so (like if they find out they aren't right on a position). I love how the news media makes it out to be a bad thing if you change your position. I mean, yes, if you change because someone paid you to, or if you are constantly changing all of your positions, then there is a problem. But getting new information, and then changing what you think based on that information; well - I just call that intelligence. So, this comment got a little off track, but we essentially just need debates with people willing to say what is in their hearts.

And I believe that is what you did, Ivan. And I thank you for it. We need more people like you lending your voice to this debate. And we need more forums for debate. I don't necessarily agree with everything you are saying, but I know that you are saying it because that is truly how you think. And I have all the respect in the world for that.

Ivan,

First let me take the opportunity to say great comments. I started this blog just to spark these types of discussions. Please continue to comment, as I think the more we do, the more of a chance we have at coming up with something that works and possibly change our great nation for the better. So, thank you!

Unfortunately, blaming Republicans for this mess isn't going to solve this mess, I don't think. I don't think that they just want to dismantle all social programs (bad for politics and bad for country). My question to you is, however, what kind of tax hike would be OK to pay for all these programs? Who should saddle that bill? Should we put it on the rich? Make them pay for being successful? Should we put more taxes to the middle class?

On the other side of things, I understand you want all of those things, and I want most of them; does the rest of the country want them. Personally, I don't think I want 3 wars. I could care less about a hi-speed train (interstate system works fine for me). I definitely want to spend some money on police, education, alternative energy, and social programs that make sense for the poor (I am working on a health care post that will explain some of why I don't think what we have out there makes sense). I am talking about something that encourages the poor to work on becoming not poor and get off of the social programs (which I think should be a stop-gap as opposed to a way of life for most people - there are certain disabled people that just cannot work and we cannot ignore them).

My suggestions are to government in general. I don't think the differences between Democrat and Republican are too stark anymore. I see both as saying a lot of things, but when they hold power, they show what their true colors are. I think that Democrat vs Republican system is tired and worn out. It encourages people to walk party lines instead of focusing on what is really going on. I say may the best man/woman for the job win the job and then do what they said they would. I don't care where they come from, what party affiliation they have, what their gender, race, or religious preference is. If they can do the job best, then let's hire them. After all, isn't that what that American dream is all about?

I don't want to be fearful of our future. I think if we got some smart people doing some real thinking on these, most of these issues would be easy to solve. And then solving these would solve other less serious problems, etc. You are also right about everyone waiting for the government to fix things that we could fix ourselves. I talk a little about that here. I just think that these are problems that if we, as a people, decided we wanted fixed, we could fix them.

You have great points on the oil, boycotting, and education fronts. What does everyone else think?