I Am So Sick of All the Fear Tactics Surrounding the Stupid Sequester...
By Adoniah
@Adoniah (7513)
United States
March 1, 2013 5:44pm CST
Maybe I can put it into perspective in just a few words...
The Sequester is going to cut Gov. Spending by 2.4%...Right? Everyone in the US that works for a living just got a tax hit of a minimum of 2%...Right? Are we all going to drop dead with fear over our 2%?
Yeah, I didn't think so. The Sequester is just another controlling fear tactic. If we can do it the Government can do it...
2 people like this
8 responses
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
2 Mar 13
It'll worry me more when they're actually honest.
An old friend of mine, Joey, is one of those "man, don't mess with him!" kinda guys. The type to get drunk at 10am and randomly punch you or some passerby on a whim. The guy you don't look at or talk to if you don't know him. Or maybe even if you do. He's always like that. It's when he's sober and happy that you wonder if something's wrong.
If the government weren't trying to scare people, I'd have to wonder what they really had planned.
I don't buy into this one-world conspiracy or the stuff about not allowing a Bible in a science classroom means that the Illuminati want to steal religion from the masses. Or whatever people go on about these days. The theories blend and hurt my eyes. But what is obvious and has been obvious for a long damn time is that our government wishes to grow. Politicians wish to keep their jobs and to keep living by separate standards.
While the President brags about toking pot (I couldn't write sm0king we3d!) and doing coke, laughing it off like it's okay for him, he's more than willing to have others locked up for it. And while he preaches to everyone about watching their wallets or pitching in their fair share, he's living more like an emperor than most emperors.
This is what politics have become. It's never okay, but that's what it is.
When they stop being the wolves that they are, I'll begin sweating. For right now, it's just more nonsense that I hope others sniff out sooner rather than later.
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
2 Mar 13
I'd be happy if they got a degree in basic math and how not to say stupid stuff. I mean I realize they are human and we all make mistakes but some things are ridiculously stupid. They could also learn to speak with integrity and stop playing the blame game and lying all together but I won't hold my breath on that one.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
2 Mar 13
Yep, they can do it. The question is, will they do it? Obama's panic attack was a threat more than anything and if he can do anything about it, he will see to it that the most important things will be cut. He's out to prove a point. I'm not sure what the point is, but something about how the Republicans are to blame for the whole mess.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
4 Mar 13
It was Obama's idea in that he knew it was going to happen and was more than willing to let it. If he would have compromised and worked with Congress, it wouldn't have had to happen.
Blaming the Republicans was all part of a plan to discredit them and make the public think it was their fault, along with frightening everyone.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
6 Mar 13
"Actually it wasn't his idea."
Yes it was.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/obamas-fanciful-claim-that-congress-proposed-the-sequester/2012/10/25/8651dc6a-1eed-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_blog.html
http://factcheck.org/2013/02/the-obamaquester/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/24/barack-obama/obama-says-congress-owns-sequestration-cuts/
As all those factchecking sources confirm, the idea came from the White House.
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
3 Mar 13
Actually it wasn't his idea. This idea has been thought up and passed before but our congress and senate weren't a bunch of whiny babies and managed to work together. I believe it happened in which they introduce a sequester idea in order to try and make congress work. Back then, it did work, now... not so much.
Now he may have re-introduced it, but he couldn't have voted it in. This wasn't an executive ordered sequester. Based on votes it was largely one party's support behind it and since they voted it in and knew what it would do, they are largely to blame as well. Both parties and the WH are to blame for this.
I have also come to realize that some programs need reformed by not cut. I think if they are completely cut or even cut down to a larger amount, that we will see an even higher increase in crime rates. Not national sensationalized crimes, but robberies and the like.
It truly wasn't his call minus signing it. I am fully happy to blame a president who does something. I don't even blame Bush for all the mess he caused during his terms. Neither of them have really worked in my opinion.... so.... yeah.
I do, however, blame our congress and senate. They knew about the sequester. They voted in the sequester and Obama had to sign it as it was considered a budget plan and I think those can't be as easily vetoed since the country needs a budget. So they are to blame for this B.S.
Maybe if our congress and senate would pull their heads out of their behinds, we could get real change but until then... no.
@laglen (19759)
• United States
2 Mar 13
Actually that cut is in more spending. They will have their previous budgets, they can only grow it 2% less. The rhetoric is ridiculous and I am glad the Republicans called his bluff. Now maybe more people will see the flat out lies he spews.
@stealthy (8181)
• United States
2 Mar 13
I agree. Also, Obama was traveling all over the place at a cost of many millions of dollars spreading this message of fear. He was harping on people losing jobs, etc. I have to wonder just how many of those people could keep their jobs if he wasn't using all that money for his on political agenda and fear tactics.
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
2 Mar 13
The average wage earner in the public sector makes about 15% less than someone working in a similar government job. If you delete bureaucracy, you always come out ahead financially and the job will still get done.
There is a reason for the obamderthal's continual campaigning...he is planning on doing it again...just watch...
@stary1 (6612)
• United States
2 Mar 13
Adoniah
I agree with you..all this fear mongering over the sequestration is getting out of hand. I find it annoying that Obama was out there talking doom and gloom when it was his idea in the first place....not that it is all his fault alone..nor did he really expect it to happen. Seems to me they all need to think twice before setting something like this up if they are going to be upset about it later..
It's hard to know who to believe..some are saying it's a good thing and didn't go far enough..who knows...
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
3 Mar 13
If these agencies knew how to budget better, then this sequester would mean nothing. I don't care if they cut one of them by 10%, a good budget would make it so they had excess but no one wants to budget. Everyone, especially our government officials, just expect it to be there. So now that this sequester hit, everyone is like "oh no. what on earth are we going to do?" The answer: Learn how to properly budget with what you have. That is what mostly everyone else in America does.
It isn't all his fault. It isn't even his idea just like the whole Obamacare thing wasn't his idea. The sequester idea was mentioned before in the 90s and probably at other points before that because our congress wouldn't work together and pass a budget.
At least credit Obama when it's his own idea, don't give him credit for other people's ideas. Personally, I think you have to come up with your own ideas to get credit.
The congress and senate voted on it. They should be the ones you target for their stupidity.
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
2 Mar 13
I am inclined to agree with you. It isn't that bad overall.
They might have to actually budget their departments now and put things on schedule to make it all work so nothing will really suffer. After all, they needed to learn how to budget anyway. Now these departments just have to work at it.
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
2 Mar 13
The Sequester is supposed to be across the board cuts...That usually means everything...However, the obamderthal will not cut the entitlements, just the stuff we kind of need. If he cut out the dole for folks who are not citizens, stopped creating new gov. agencies, stopped taking vacations on our nickle, fired a few of the "families" hair dressers and secretaries etc, stopped putting the kids on the parole so that they could get extra vacations, there would be no need for budget cuts or tax increases...
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
2 Mar 13
I HAVE NEVER CALLED SOCIAL SECURITY AN ENTITLEMENT AND NEVER WILL...Social Security and Medicare are part of our retirement program that we paid for and everyone except us is getting. There used to be places called poor houses and debtors prisons that creatures were sent to when they did not want to work...I see nothing wrong with bringing those back for the able bodied that do not want to work...
I also never mentioned a political party at fault...My motto is that all politicians are criminals and should never be allowed more than two terms in office.
I was Vice-chair of my county's HUD Public Housing Authority. It was a volunteer position, no pay, no perks. During that time, My eyes were opened...I would say that 70% of the under 65 crowd were scamming the system. 30% were disabled or needed mental health care badly. This is not a poor county and we do not have slums or ghettos...These people lived in style except for one complex and this is where they housed the elderly and the mental patients...They had it bad.
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
3 Mar 13
Fair enough. However, what are you referring to as entitlements?
Well as for social security (and I apologize I have seen many call it an entitlement), I know they made part of it available to people with disabilities or who have severe mental disorders that need time to be treated before they can safely work with other people.
I know some people who would call where they live the "ghetto" and there are some exceptionally bad areas but I don't think those are the majority.
With HUD housing, I could see helping out with rent (or helping to find low cost housing) for maybe a small family who ran into bad times with jobs and such, everyone has bad times. I could see elderly. I personally think we need better hospitals for some of our mental health and disabled patients though.
Also some seniors and working class society members need supplemental help. My own 85 year old grandfather was on foodstamps because social security wasn't paying enough for him to be able to afford his food and he had medicare copays and more but he worked all his life up until his health got worse. I know families that lost their jobs or only one has found work since the recession and can't make it. I support those people getting foodstamps and medical. He had qualified for some sort of elderly meals on wheels program but I think that was stated as something that the cuts were going to hit. Go figure.
I DO NOT SUPPORT... college students claiming homeless to get $400 in food, full medical, and a bunch of other B.S. I don't support perfectly able bodied people with no obligations (no elderly, disabled, or children) on any kind of assistance. I don't support anyone without proper paperwork getting anything and I don't support criminals being able to have better accommodations than poor people considering these criminals are in jail. I am still so mad about taking a tour of a jail and seeing a lounge like area, state of the art fitness centers and flat screen TVs. They are in jail and it should be jail not like a got d--n stay at a 3 or 4 star hotel minus the rooms and showers of course. Sorry... the jail thing is a touchy subject for me. I also don't agree with "too big too fail" businesses not taking much of a hit because they will still somehow manage to get government subsidies.
On the last note of you not mentioning a political party, I had only mentioned them because you had talked about the president taking all his vacations on the people's dime which I say needs to be proven and accused all of our politicians of more than likely doing the same if he is - regardless of their political affiliation. They are all criminals with how they seem to only work 100 days a year but get large salaries from being in the House and Senate. I've heard, not sure, that some even get some pay from their state in addition to the federal. Talk about knowing how to cheat or abuse the system.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
3 Mar 13
I wish I knew where the numbers came from. I have read in a few places how the American people on average lost 2% and the government can do the same. I have to tell you in our home we lost just under 25% of my husbands bring home pay due to taxes and increased health care costs. We are making it work by making and selling items and my Avon but one misstep and that's it, we're screwed. If we can cut 10x the percent the government has to I think the Feds can figure it out.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
2 Mar 13
it just like politicians to get everyone scared over these things. Let hope it all works out there for everyone.