If tax rates were 0%...

• gut

  Manhattan Buckeye;1160890 wrote:At some point the money funding this ends. We've reached that point.

  Unfortunately I think the new "conventional" wisdom in Washington is deficits don't matter. They are printing and borrowing money at record rates, yet inflation and demand for treasuries hasn't been significantly affected, which only emboldens Washington to spend more. But you are absolutely correct, when the inevitable sets in it will be too late as they scramble in vain to trim $1T+ deficits PLUS another $400B or so in debt service.
  
  The next big bubble is forming in USD/Treasuries.
• Sonofanump

  I Wear Pants;1160809 wrote:I enjoy roads, parks, libraries, defense, regulations that prevent people from fucking over our air and water for pennies, etc

  I dislike a welfare state that allows for free food for person's who somehow have enough money to purchase DVD players and three cartons of cigs a week. "Earmarks" for bridges and roads to nowhere amongst other waste of my money.
• WebFire

  I don't mind paying taxes if they go to the right place. But they don't. And that is the real problem.
• IggyPride00

  

  What I don't enjoy is cronyism and self-dealing and public entities acting as if they aren't subject to economic realities. It is hardly efficient when a strong percentage of our political class are circle jerking with the public entities that rely on them

  The only way to really clean up the political system is to get the money out of campaign funding. It would take a constitutional amendment, but legislators would be far freer to do things in the public interest if they weren't beholden to campaign donors to keep them in office. A move to publicly funded elections would have a drastic effect on the cloud that hangs over Washington.
  
  When the unions kick in $100 million, or the Koch brothers kick in $100 million, they expect something in return for their contributions. They aren't doing it for free, and legislators feel that pressure.
  
  Take the money out of politics and suddenly the lobbyists and other outside funding groups lose a tremendous amount of the pull they currently have.
  
  It is only a step to cleaning up Washington, but it is the most important one.
• WebFire

  IggyPride00;1160971 wrote:The only way to really clean up the political system is to get the money out of campaign funding. It would take a constitutional amendment, but legislators would be far freer to do things in the public interest if they weren't beholden to campaign donors to keep them in office. A move to publicly funded elections would have a drastic effect on the cloud that hangs over Washington.
  
  When the unions kick in $100 million, or the Koch brothers kick in $100 million, they expect something in return for their contributions. They aren't doing it for free, and legislators feel that pressure.
  
  Take the money out of politics and suddenly the lobbyists and other outside funding groups lose a tremendous amount of the pull they currently have.
  
  It is only a step to cleaning up Washington, but it is the most important one.

  This. Reps.
• sleeper

  

  IggyPride00;1160971 wrote:The only way to really clean up the political system is to get the money out of campaign funding. It would take a constitutional amendment, but legislators would be far freer to do things in the public interest if they weren't beholden to campaign donors to keep them in office. A move to publicly funded elections would have a drastic effect on the cloud that hangs over Washington.
  
  When the unions kick in $100 million, or the Koch brothers kick in $100 million, they expect something in return for their contributions. They aren't doing it for free, and legislators feel that pressure.
  
  Take the money out of politics and suddenly the lobbyists and other outside funding groups lose a tremendous amount of the pull they currently have.
  
  It is only a step to cleaning up Washington, but it is the most important one.

  You'd still be beholden to half the people in this country who don't want to work but yet want to take from those who do work.
  
  Kill the entitlements. Leave them for only people that literally cannot work and make all the lazy sloths out there accountable for their own actions.