Trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, and hardly a voice of caution to be heard

[babylonsister]

Trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, and hardly a voice of caution to be heard
By Albert Hunt, opinion contributor — 12/01/19 11:30 AM EST


In the old days, a decade or so ago, Democrats would have assailed Donald Trump's failure on federal deficits; instead of eliminating it, as promised, the deficit has doubled to a trillion dollars as far as the eye can see.

Republicans would be in full fury over the spending schemes of Democratic presidential candidates; even the mainstream moderates propose huge increases for health care, education and the social safety net for the disadvantaged.

Yet deficits, as a political issue, are dead.

The political impact always was exaggerated, but out-of-control deficits were a staple of opposition rhetoric; there invariably was some budget-balancing blue ribbon group, the most famous, the Simpson-Bowles Commission.

For Democrats, the pressing urgency of unmet needs in health care, education, infrastructure and the social safety net far outweigh any rising debt. They favor tax hikes, mainly on the rich, to reverse the huge 2017 Republican tax cuts; but there's less premium on the green eye shade test of paying for all spending initiatives.

Most Republicans strongly want to keep those tax cuts — the only significant achievement of three years of party rule — and have little interest in tackling politically popular entitlements. In the years the Republican Party controlled both houses of Congress and the White House they only focused on gutting the Affordable Health Care Act.

This has become the Trump Party, which overshadows the old Republican battle lines between budget balancers and tax cutters. This Republican executive is a tax cutter and budget buster.

more...

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/472480-trillion-dollar-deficits-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see-and-not-a-voice-of?fbclid=IwAR0I9UgvrpAGsZkFut7wcgjIBb-hdehbNAU79VHWLR6Cdbisa0UojKQIdEE&fbclid=IwAR0wj2FThObfnp08UzuVqD2omqP_j6G3A7zeJodVCHVkCDXJu8MBx9i7dNI

[Moostache]

1. IF we pull together and win in 2020, this 'issue' will be rediscovered in a New York Minute.

It has ALWAYS been this way for the last 50 years...

Democrats in office? Won't SOMEONE think of the children?
Republicans in office? It makes Caligula blush in the afterlife at the excesses that abound and the lack of care...

Second verse? Same as the first...

[at140]

2. Nobody wants to be the party-pooper?

Americans are enjoying the party based on borrowing $1,000,000,000,000 every year.
Nobody wants to be the first to quit the party. The credit card is not maxed out yet, so keep the party going!

[mr_lebowski]

3. Trumps not that different from every other GOPotus since Reagan in this regard ...

Also, if you want to visit the article w/o Facebook getting referral credit for being 'where you came from' ... on principle or whatnot ...

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/472480-trillion-dollar-deficits-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see-and-not-a-voice-of

[Iliyah]

4. The Bush administration did not include the billions that was

allocated to the military regarding the "budget". First there was slow job loses concerning the public and the Bush administration claimed it was normal until the job lost dam broke. Meanwhile people were losing their homes.

Pres Obama brought the USA back from recession.

Shithole administration has cut aid to many humanitarian causes all over the world. Dropped out the Climate Change initiatives, threaten no monetary support for UN and back out of Nato. The middle class and poor through taxes give the USA billions where the rich skates and play very little taxes or non at all (Amazon). Trade and tariffs are on life support. The Republican majority in the senate refuses to even bring approx. 400 bills that the House passed to the floor or even for consideration.

But the rich got their dream tax package.

Concentration camps for Brown immigrants while racist Steven Miller projects to White Europe to send their people to the USA.

The stealing of the 2016 elections and possible of same for 2020.

Vote these MFers out of office.

[lettucebe]

5. Do not worry. The minute dems take power it'll all be their fault

Happens time and again. Repugs come in with a wrecking ball, then Democrats take over, fix it, but are blamed for the problem all the same. Never fails

[keithbvadu2]

6. When are you republicans going to do this mythical fiscal responsibility that you preach but refuse

When are you republicans going to do this mythical fiscal responsibility that you preach but refuse to practice?

[smirkymonkey]

9. Yeah, right? It is amazing that they are still able to retain that label after decades

of deficit spending. It's an absolute joke and we need to hammer this home before the next election.

[Doodley]

7. The Democrats need to educate America about this - run commercials of Trump/GOP

criticizing Obama and then highlight the failure of Trump's tax cut for the wealthy that was supposed to boost GDP to levels that would boost revenue to the treasury.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. Russiapublicans want an oligarchy, not a democracy

See 2nd link in 'sig'.

[scarytomcat]

10. we should not pay our bills with borrowed money

cut military spending and put a tax on wealth
also raise income tax rate for the wealthy

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. The deficit as a political issue is NOT dead.

Democrats know this is a serious problem but our hands are tied so long as Rethugs control the Senate.

Our public needs to be fully aware that Trump's tax package was a sham that's against their interests and it's ballooning the deficit, along with Trump's trade policies and worsening economic inequality.

We need to somehow blitz the public with in-your-face facts. Loud, short, nasty soundbites on MSM station every day until election day.

KY rant done.....

[UCmeNdc]

12. Wait, when we have the next Democratic Party president all of the GOP critters will start hollering

Budget Deficit!!!!! Watch, it will start as soon as the Democratic Party leader is in charge.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

14. Along with hollering "cut, cut spending".

Some have called it the Two Santa Clause process and it's been repeated over and over at least since Raygun....

We must somehow break this deadly cycle.

[kairos12]

13. Deficits only matter if Dems are in power. Starve the government with tax breaks and then

claim there is no money for any social programs.