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Should Congress cut entitlement spending to reduce the federal deficit?

 

 

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The term "Entitlement" is tossed around too broadly. There is a huge difference between earned and unearned entitlements that needs to be kept in any discussion about expenditures.

Submitted by Richard R Collins : Feb 10, 2011 5:53pm

What kind of government would force it citizens to participate in a program such as Social Security, have hard earned money deducted from their pay checks, for a program that they did not want the citizens to benefit from as the Government stated they would? Why not raise the age to 150, that should ensure no more than one person will ever collect from it, and I would bet that person would be a member of Congress or someone in his/her staff. Oh the answer to the question in my opinion is a Bernie Madoff Government. What say you??

Submitted by TheDeSotoKid : Feb 10, 2011 7:34pm

Yes, I believe Congress should cut entitlements to help reduce the federal deficit....THEIRS!!! Every year you hear about Congress and Senate voting to give themselves raises and bonuses. When are THEY going to sacrifice something? Why can't they give up a few zero's on the end of their paychecks? I'd like to see how they would like trying to feed their families and mistresses and/or boyfriends and whatever else with less money in their paychecks? I'll bet you'd hear much more crying and whining from them than you do from us veteran's and other low to middle income people.

Submitted by jtunez : Feb 10, 2011 7:43pm

What kind of Government would force it Citizens to participate in an Entitlement such as Social Security, and deduct hard earned money from their paychecks, for a program that the Government did not want the Citizen to benefit from? Why not raise the age limit to 150 to ensure no one ever receives any benefits and take the money and pay down the Obama/Democrat debt. Oh the answer to that question in my opinion is the Bernie Madoff Government, that exempts all the Feds and those hard working Unions and their America Loving, Patriotic, Leaders.

Submitted by TheDeSotoKid : Feb 10, 2011 7:49pm

You silly Republiturds, always yammering about the Democrat's deficit spending...

"take the money and pay down the Obama/Democrat debt"

WHO DO YOU PROPOSE SHOULD PAY DOWN THE BUSH/CHENEY UNNECESSARY IRAQ WAR DEBT???

You know, the one where we spent over 2 trillion dollars to find those imaginary WMDs. Or was it to get rid of Saddam? Or was it to bring democracy to the Iraqi People (those we didn't kill)? Or was it to get those pesky Al Qaeda that weren't in Iraq? Or was it to punish Iraq for causing 9/11 when they didn't have anything to do with it? WHICH OF THOSE LIES ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE?

YOU wanted that goddamned war so bad - YOU PAY FOR IT. I'll gladly pay my taxes so that every American can have health care. Will you pay yours (without whining) to cover the cost of the war?

Submitted by art_in_SF : Feb 11, 2011 2:24am

illegals who are here sucking our country's life blood. Starting with the Idiot in Chief's Aunt who is an illegal alien, living in public housing and getting public assistance. How about starting with that?

Submitted by tpaggi : Feb 12, 2011 8:06am

It is always very interesting when Congress decides, in order to curb the Federal Spending problem, they should always include the DoD/VA Entitlements. Pay increases and benefits for DoD (civilian and military) have always been associated with either the prime rate or various circumstances affecting the current operations. Congress takes it seriously to cut what they consider fat; so, the military and other federal agencies that the public say are needed have to rely on basics; including substandard or no living conditions.Now, lets consider Congress or any public figure like them (e.g., Senate). Congress has to vote "NO" to deny pay increases to themselves. The first time they voted, guess what, a 35% pay increase; of course, this was justified to them because of the fact they had at least one residence in their home state and one in Washington, DC. Also, if a Congressman/woman finishes their time in office, they can leave with a pension.They get free medical care from DoD.Hello?

Submitted by 0da973 : Feb 10, 2011 7:52pm

It was earned and it's treated like welfare. They should make it as hard for welfare as they do for VA benefits. That's only way some Vets make it and how do you compare Vets to politicians big difference?

Submitted by Sooners61 : Feb 10, 2011 11:18pm

Sometimes you have to wade through a bunch of bull to get any information from AL forums and feeds. This time, though, Mr. Collins above sends it right through the bullseye.

The country is suffering from the idea that words can mean whatever you want them to mean, and that using the right words in the right context isn't really necessary.

The fact is that if two people, much less a country, need to communicate they define words to mean certan concrete things. Vague definitions are the tools of people who want to manipulate, and people who don't insist on using definitions from the dictionary want to be manipulated.

The word "entitlement" has been confused with the phrase "a sense of entitlement". There is a huge difference. EVERY honorably discharged veteran has EARNED their benefits. That is entitlement.

EVERY person, NO MATTER WHAT, that beleives they are worth a million dollar or higher bonus and kept it without dying of shame has a "sense of entitlement".

Submitted by boucains : Feb 10, 2011 11:27pm

If a nail got hit, you hit it stronger.

Submitted by art_in_SF : Feb 11, 2011 2:27am

The yahoos in Washington have the best health care,and the rest of the country is left at the mercy of the insurance companies.None of them said let`s not have a pay raise in these very serious economic times,they raised their pay straight away.PUBLIC SERVICE is what it means, they were elected on fear based idiocy and have run the country in the ground,yahoo Bush they gave him the power to declare war on a lie and he leaves office and a jumbo debt.Then they have the audacity to proclaim it`s some one else`s fault for this mess.There`s no doubt most of the yahoos in Washington should be physco analyzed for they are pathological liars,unfortunately a vast majority of the American public believe the fear based lies.Is it me or is the American public like sheep being led to slaughter.If you don`t stand up for you rights,you will lay down for any lie. JAMES TURNER JR. USMC VIETNAM COMBAT VETERAN

Submitted by devildog47 : Feb 11, 2011 4:26am

Mr. Turner paraphrases the warning "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything".

He also names the biggest problem in America today - fear. Now that so-called "commentators" are given free reign to say anything that will increase ratings, TV programmers have turned the airwaves into a pool of lies that even the National Enquirer wouldn't swim in.

It is easy to scare someone who doesn't know that the boogeyman isn't in the White House, he's in the clubhouse. On May 3, 2010 in the Harvard Political Review, Max Novendstern writes: "My case is that final clubs are bad because they don’t do good – because they exist in this community and yet never give back to it; because they have resources and yet work only for themselves; because they don’t try to make this school (or this world) a better place."

Throughout history, power has been maintained by creating fear to distract the citizens so they don't see the man behind the curtain.

Whom do YOU fear?

Submitted by boucains : Feb 11, 2011 12:47pm

Does this issue or topic convince you that We have a Federal Government that has the least interest of it's Legal Citizens, at hand ? Do you feel it is of a Gangster related notion or Tyrannical in nature ? Do You feel that it would rather exclude itself with an Above the Law Concept ? Do you feel You're being Swept under the Carpet, once again ? Then just WHY, did You Vote for this Administration in 2008 ? 51% of America did ! Why did You elect a Candidate into Office, when he Promised to put $5 in Your Pocket, yet stood on a Platform of Taking Back up to 3 or 4 times in return. That means $15-20. FREE Loaders, that's WHY. A Generation of Welfare Dependent Recipients, simply. In a Farmer's analogy: You Reap, What You Sow ! YOU Helped Plant the Seeds of Deceit & Discontent. NOW You Complain that the other 49% is merely & plainly Resentful and even Hateful. Primarily because WE have & stand to lose EVERYTHING WE have EARNED, Legally from & in the Past years.

Submitted by Tim Foor : Feb 11, 2011 11:39am

IMHO, Mr. Foor's response, with the capital letters and hyperbole, is reaping what has been sown. I see people who would normally be fairly objective reasoning citizens poisoned by a few years of worshiping the word of right-wing television personalities.

Many dismiss the rants like those of Mr. Foor as unimportant angry ramblings of someone who appears to be - so to speak - frothing at the fingers. That dismissal, however, turns the candle into a bonfire by making the writer feel they must escalate higher and higher to be heard. The same action turns shunned teens into school killers. So ignore Mr. Foor at your peril, for it is the foolish lion that ignores the ever-increasing maniacal laughter of the gathering hyenas.

Submitted by boucains : Feb 11, 2011 12:11pm

The Question is a Viable Topic.
Yet the Answer Options are NOT Presenting an Efficient Solution to the Problem.
3 of the 5 could be Applicable.

Submitted by Tim Foor : Feb 11, 2011 11:43am

They lie and bleed us dry
- until we die.
Then the flag that draped us
- unseen by those who raped us -
is held by those who gave us life;
who bore life’s strife
and slaved to build the knife
used to stab us in the back.

© 2011 by John Cain All Rights Reserved

Submitted by boucains : Feb 11, 2011 12:52pm

Veterans and military benefits are NOT an entitlement but EARNED benefits. Entitlements are those that are given by our politicians in exchange for nothing but breathing and a vote (maybe). As in "vote for me look what I did for you"

Submitted by chuckstew : Feb 11, 2011 3:44pm

If the federal government would "man up" and vigorously prosecute the lowlife scum who steal and cheat the system there would be plenty enough to go around. By the way, the government workforce itself, from the President on down, is included. The "elephant in the livingroom" that nobody wants to address is the fact that the Congress makes deals with the thieves to feather their owns nests. Giving away taxpayer monies to the undeserving is buying votes, plain and simple. They do it all the time, they know they do it, we know they do it and they will get away with it until we, the people stop them.

Submitted by kajun51 : Feb 15, 2011 1:10pm