Here we are "down to the wire".

[Solus]

I'd allow a debt ceiling increase for a good Balanced Budget Amendment.

With that Amendment, the debt would go away..maybe slowly, but go away.

The government could only spend what it is taking in and included in the spending would be debt payments and other contractual expenses first and everything else after that (and I'd put payroll of Congress at the bottom of the list).  

There would never be justification for another loan since that is spending beyond what is in the budget.

Expenditures would need to be cut to match income.

The only way for government to raise more income would be in taxes (in all it's forms) or tariffs (which was once thought  the only means for income), and we have better success at fighting tax increases that all this other stuff.

[Badgersmilk]

I've tried to think of ways an increase might be beneficial, but they keep coming back to the fact that it's got to be stopped somewhere.  Tomorrow won't be any better a time than today.  They won't use any additional money in a way to improve anything, they'll just dig the hole deeper.  Unfortunate, undeniable truth.  

twyacht, and Peg are 100% right imo.  BUT!  What the heck is in the right hand???  What is it the dirty snakes doing behind their backs?  We, or certainly I can't figure it out because it's just to well hidden at this point.  We could easily speculate, cough, cough, One World Economy / Government!

A brave sheep is a pain in the a$$ to control.  It resists commands, won't stay in the corral, encourages other brave sheep.  A scared sheep (read: American Public at large), is EASY to control!  To scared to go outside the corral (no telling what could happen without someone to protect me!), happily listens to commands from the bama shepherd (he's protecting me!).  And a scared, lazy, happy sheep probably won't resist so much when the shepherd sneaks up behind him one lonely night.  

So yeah, I think they'll raise the limit and "make the problems all just go away" now that we're all sufficiently scared.  But am still scared of whats in that right hand!

[tombogan03884]

I've tried to think of ways an increase might be beneficial, but they keep coming back to the fact that it's got to be stopped somewhere.  Tomorrow won't be any better a time than today.  They won't use any additional money in a way to improve anything, they'll just dig the hole deeper.  Unfortunate, undeniable truth. 

twyacht, and Peg are 100% right imo.  BUT!  What the heck is in the right hand???  What is it the dirty snakes doing behind their backs?  We, or certainly I can't figure it out because it's just to well hidden at this point.  We could easily speculate, cough, cough, One World Economy / Government!

A brave sheep is a pain in the a$$ to control.  It resists commands, won't stay in the corral, encourages other brave sheep.  A scared sheep (read: American Public at large), is EASY to control!  To scared to go outside the corral (no telling what could happen without someone to protect me!), happily listens to commands from the bama shepherd (he's protecting me!).  And a scared, lazy, happy sheep probably won't resist so much when the shepherd sneaks up behind him one lonely night. 

So yeah, I think they'll raise the limit and "make the problems all just go away" now that we're all sufficiently scared. But am still scared of whats in that right hand!

For one thing, it pushed "Fast and Furious" off the front page. No news about regulatory policy changes, everything has been about the "Debt Ceiling" rip off.

[Rastus]

This is a made up crises. The revenue to the Gov. is +/- $200 BILLION a month. Interest on the debt is +/- 29 BILLION.
<SNIP>
This is all a big game, and WE THE PEOPLE, are the chumps.

EXACTLY    To add to that the 29 billion is what is needed August through Jan. 1 for 5 months.  One trillion in, one trillion out and they can't cut 29 billion?  They don't want to...WE ARE CHUMPS.  They want to raise the debt 2.7 trillion...DON'T BE A CHUMP, this is the end of us sort of like what happened to fold the USSR but only with the hands of fellow citizens who have either turned into party loving socialists/communists or who are selfish enough to be traitors and sell out the what was once the greatest nation on earth to improve their position in life.

I'd allow a debt ceiling increase for a good Balanced Budget Amendment.
<SNIP>

We all want to do the "right" thing, but faith in doing the "right" thing implicitly means you can trust those you are trying to control with laws or regulations to do the "right" thing which is the fallacy in such thinking as well wishing as it is.  All that the Balanced Budget Ammendment will do is take Congress out of the loop of their Constitutional responsibility and put the President in control their business.  He, the president, can then decide to shut down military bases, mothball or sell aircraft carriers and support ships, despite what the congress says or puts in their bill.  Earmarks are not the evil, it's the character of the people who use them that is evil and removing earmarks will concentrate the decision to a single person, the president which is not smart...especially with this guy in control.  Not much character in the president, he can say he is doing anything in the name of the Balanced Budget Ammendment to stay lawful by creating a crisis, real or imagined, in some other part of the budget.  Earmarks have supported the nation in the past when the President (others not this one) would not by protecting essential services and defense needs....Congress will no longer be able to do that with the ammendment as proposed...the Prez can do what he wants with the money to stay balanced so what will this guy cut...time for us all to wise up to this "chumpy" smoke and mirror.  John McCain is not right in the head for supporting this but for full disclosure, I think he needs a good old fashioned ass whipping anyway.

I've tried to think of ways an increase might be beneficial, but they keep coming back to the fact that it's got to be stopped somewhere.  Tomorrow won't be any better a time than today.  They won't use any additional money in a way to improve anything, they'll just dig the hole deeper.  Unfortunate, undeniable truth. 
.<SNIP>............ 

EXACTLY    Well wishing on our part to do the right thing will fail because we will be used and believing that the additional money will help only serves to confirm that such a person who believes that is but a CHUMP.

[fullautovalmet76]

I have been watching the debates in the house and senate today and my blood is boiling...I have to walk away......Watching people who voted in the past to put us in this predicament now want to talk about getting serious about deficit reduction WHILE PUTTING US FURTHER IN DEBT......

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

Why the HELL would we increase the debt ceiling?!?

Let's look at this another way:

You and your spouse like the finer things in life.  New vehicles, nice house, everything that money can buy.  But you control yourself enough that you can BARELY make the minimum payments on your 12 or 13 credit cards.  Then something happens and your wife goes apeshit nuts buying high-end things that you DON'T need.  Suddenly, your cards are maxed out, your bank balance is $0, and the payments necessary to maintain your lifestyle exceed your income.

Do you:
A)  Call the credit card company and demand an increase in your credit limit, and demand that your boss increase your salary to a level that WILL allow you to maintain your lifestyle?

OR

B)  Cut up the damn credit cards, sell off the luxuries you've acquired, and alter your lifestyle so that you can support it on what you make?



To me, this is a no-brainer.  Perhaps that's why the no-brain crowd in Washington, and the voters they buy with OUR money, can't get a grasp of the concept.

several times in my life i've done A, other then going to the boss and ask for more money( I'm the boss)

What I owe would shock the hell out of you. between me and my biz partner we are right at about 3 mill floating now.  broke 1 mill in gross sales last month,  it took a little over 6 months.  We currently have 14 employees and are seeing about 200k come in the door every month.

[tombogan03884]

several times in my life i've done A, other then going to the boss and ask for more money( I'm the boss)

What I owe would shock the hell out of you. between me and my biz partner we are right at about 3 mill floating now. broke 1 mill in gross sales last month,  it took a little over 6 months.  We currently have 14 employees and are seeing about 200k come in the door every month.[/color]

That's a big difference, you borrowed "investment Capital to finance starting a business which is generating income for you, your partners, and your employees as well as making the payments on the loan.
The Govt. on the other hand extorts money from the rest of us so they can piss it away bribing, bums, whores, and illegal aliens to vote for them.
These assholes could not show a profit running a whore house and they expect us to give them more money to piss away ?
Are they stupid for continuing to try to shake us down ?
Or are we stupid for allowing it?

[Pathfinder]

What I personally think should happen is that bho, his advisers and "czars", and most of the Congress should be declared Enemies of the United States ala the old Roman custom.

I have had it with being sold out, I have had it with being played, I have had it with the whole play being produced in DC these days - and that which has been allowed to be played at our expense - and to our detriment - over the past 60 years.

These people are power-mad statists, not Americans. They take that name only by accident of birth.

[twyacht]

Democrat/Liberal/Socialist,......Balanced Budget Amendment.... ...... to actually be sent to the states for ratification???\

Where's that emoticon rolling on the floor.....?

The Dems will NEVER vote for a BBA....They do not have it within their DNA. and remember those evil corporate jet owners, and oil companies just pass the cost increases to US the consumer.....

Tax the oil companies more, or take away "breaks"??

You'll see $5.00 + gas by Christmas. Let alone heating oil, kerosene, jet fuel,....(air fare prices soar).....and the trickle down effect will be even worse.

We're f*****.

[TAB]

That's a big difference, you borrowed "investment Capital to finance starting a business which is generating income for you, your partners, and your employees as well as making the payments on the loan.
The Govt. on the other hand extorts money from the rest of us so they can piss it away bribing, bums, whores, and illegal aliens to vote for them.
These assholes could not show a profit running a whore house and they expect us to give them more money to piss away ?
Are they stupid for continuing to try to shake us down ?
Or are we stupid for allowing it?

My point was if you barrow for a purpose you can make it work for you...  congress has zero plans to get back to the black.