UGLY

http://www.freep.com/article/2009101...250-to-seniors

Because there will not be a cost of living increase to social security recipients this years Obama wants the government to write 50million people a check for 250.00 dollars. Is there no end to what he will think of to spend money on. Where is this money coming from when we are running a deficit? I dont suppose he will claim that this will be deficit neutral like the health care bill. So just forget the rules and regulations that give increases to the recipients of Social Security, if it doesn't happen Obama will just write a check.

quinn14

I'll bet they are building a mansion for him in China, seems like he's selling off enough of America to deserve one.

arm-spin

Serious question from a person without much ecomonic knowledge: what are the likely long term effects for the USA (or any country, really) of building up a huge debt?

UGLY

One major concern is the rise of inflation and interest rates. Another will be the more debt we accumulate and our economy does not grow the less likely we are to pay that debt back and other countries will quit buying our debt.

BonnieJ2

Don't recall hearing you complain about that tax rebate check from Bush. He was spending left and right on two wars and instead of raising taxes to cover his war costs, he sent it back to us. Now we are paying the price in terms of the deficit. Doesn't seem fair to blame it all on Obama.

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"All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind." -- Abraham Lincoln

Zapp Brannigan

But I DO recall everyone on the left complaining about Bush's rebate...but nobody criticizing Obama now. It works both ways. Both sides are hypocrites. For what it's worth, I criticized it then and now, but it also didn't stop me from spending mine, so I guess I'm just as bad.

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Rest in Peace Adam Frey, you left us far too soon

Brands: Metcalf! What is good in life?

Metcalf: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

BonnieJ2

Yeah, I spent mine too. I needed it. I'm not going to criticize Obama for spending money on domestic stuff, but I sure wish he could find a way to stop spending on Afghanistan and Iraq. It's a black hole.

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"All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind." -- Abraham Lincoln

arm-spin

As long as people are interested in "our side" and "the other side" instead of just effective and reasonable governance, such hypocrisy is bound to occur. I am sure we are all guilty of it from time to time.

UGLY

I was absolutely against Bush's spending policies and have said so many, many times. I was not for the Iraq war but we have got to spend the money to protect our troops over their as long as they stay over seas.

I think that we will see as we have before that if Obama raises taxes the government will receive less tax income.

UGLY

Instead of getting out of Afghanistan why dont we just cut off aid to Africa and other third world countries and start spending that money on our own needy people?

The point is that SS has rules and gives increases when there is an increase in the cost of living based on a mathematical formula. SS recipients have received increases like this for years. What makes this worse is that Obama does not want to pay for this by using money that is already in SS.