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The “Republican” Counteroffer

GOP OFFERS ITS OWN “REVENUE ENHANCEMENT” PLAN In the debate over America’s looming “fiscal cliff,” U.S. President Barack Obama has asked for $1.6 trillion in tax hikes, billions in additional government “stimulus” and unilateral authority to raise the federal debt ceiling. This week, “Republicans” in Washington, D.C. submitted their counteroffer…

GOP OFFERS ITS OWN “REVENUE ENHANCEMENT” PLAN

In the debate over America’s looming “fiscal cliff,” U.S. President Barack Obama has asked for $1.6 trillion in tax hikes, billions in additional government “stimulus” and unilateral authority to raise the federal debt ceiling.

This week, “Republicans” in Washington, D.C. submitted their counteroffer – $800 billion in tax hikes, $600 billion in “health savings,” $600 billion in spending cuts and $200 billion in revisions to the way inflation is calculated for federal pensions and entitlements.

The GOP plan averts a tax hike on individuals earning more than $250,000 a year – which is the centerpiece of Obama’s proposal and a point on which the White House says it is not negotiating.

“What we’re putting forth is a credible plan that deserves serious consideration by the White House and I would hope that they would respond in a timely and responsible way,” U.S. Speaker John Boehner said in unveiling his party’s proposal.

Astounding …

While the GOP plan is obviously preferable to Obama’s offering, the fact remains that it will suck $800 billion out of the private sector via various tax hikes – which the GOP cleverly refers to as “tax reforms.”  Such tax increases are totally unacceptable – and are the latest example of “Republicans” completely abandoning their principles in exchange for the same tax-and-spend ideology championed for years by Democrats.

GOP leaders says their deal will produce $4.6 trillion in deficit reduction over the coming decade – or less than half the amount proposed last year by the Republican Study Committee, a group of fiscally conservative lawmakers.

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35 comments

BOZBORING December 3, 2012 at 4:27 pm

This song needs to be playing in the background– –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dSzaScsWh4

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Smirks December 3, 2012 at 4:51 pm

Fuck ’em. Let the breaks expire for those making over $250k. I hope Obama tosses out any plan that doesn’t.

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Smirks December 3, 2012 at 4:56 pm

Oh, and here’s where the really hilarious shit begins. Republicans want to cut Medicare after they attacked Obama for cutting Medicare? Wasn’t Romney/Ryan campaigning on eliminating those cuts? But now the GOP wants to ADD to those cuts?

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Twinkie Ho-Ho December 4, 2012 at 8:28 am

And the $700 billion cut was a cut in payments to health providers…not to recipients. The only way to save the US health system is to cut health provider charges.

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mizsassy December 4, 2012 at 4:33 pm

I believe he will too!

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Cicero December 3, 2012 at 4:59 pm

And what in God’s name SHOULD they do? Last time I checked, the Senate and WH were controlled by Democrats. I’d love to never raise a single tax on anything in any manner, but we don’t control 2/3 of the government. “Politics is the art of the possible.” Mastubatory bloggers can stomp their feet all day, but the grownups are at least in charge of the actual GOP in the actual House. We can compromise and get something, or sling our country back into a recession and hope America blames the Dems. Simple as that.

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mph December 3, 2012 at 5:02 pm

We have to pay our bills. That means we raise taxes, and cut entitlements, discretionary spending and military expenditures.

This shit ain’t rock science.

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Fiscal (not fickle) conservative December 3, 2012 at 7:29 pm

Amen. I love how in FITS’ mind a tax increase sucks money out of the economy but spending cuts don’t. The truth is you’re going to have to do both to maintain fiscal solvency. Unfortunately, even the folks that realize this seem to lose their nerve when it comes to the fuzzy math of combatting unemployment. These deficits we’ve been running simply won’t pay themselves back in growth. Borrowing, to some degree, is okay if you have growth to pay for it, but our economy is mature and has shedding jobs for some time now.

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johnb December 4, 2012 at 8:34 am

Which is the misnamed “fiscal cliff”
It isn’t a cliff it is a step in the right direction.

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mph December 3, 2012 at 5:04 pm

And by the way, Cicero, if you think that the country will blame the blame the dems, you suffer from the sort of willful blindness that we saw on this board before the second Tuesday of November.

We have a way of looking at who the country will blame – it’s called polling. Go look at the numbers. Ain’t pretty.

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Cicero December 3, 2012 at 5:15 pm

Mph: I have no idea and don’t care whom America would blame. Such shortsighted politicking is outrageous either way.

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Robert December 3, 2012 at 5:17 pm

Need to add the 2% back to SS/Medicare that we’ve all been stealing the last two years.

Up the rate on earners $500K + by 3%.

Close the loop holes on dividend earnings.

Cut 25% from all budget that is not SS/Medicare.

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Robert December 3, 2012 at 5:23 pm

Does the GOP really think the yearly inflation adjustments to SS are too much????? holy shit!

Now, I can see adjusting the Medicare age to match whatever age you are qualified for SS (not early age). Mine is 67 1/2, so I’d be 67 1/2 before I could get Medicare.

But means testing, while interesting to talk about, is simply not just. If you are required to contribute to something, you can’t pull the carrot away simply because you don’t need it.

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jimlewis,owb December 3, 2012 at 5:25 pm

I think I am going over to Lexington Medical Center tomorrow and see if they can cut my ass off so I can UPS it to the President.

Dear Mr. President

Please find enclosed my ass.

Up until now I have been able to accommodate the level of butt fucking you and the Republicans have been doling out but my hips and knees are beginning to wear out and there are blisters on my ankles from grabbing them so often.

I will miss my ass. After scratching my balls in the morning I really don’t know what I will scratch next. Maybe my dog Goober will let me use his ass after he gets through licking it.

Regardless, my ass is now your ass. It is going on 70 years of age but I am sure as a Professional Politician you can find a few more ways to fuck it up.

Oh, if you get tired of my ass just send it over to that Boneher fella with a note telling him to kiss it.

Bless your heart and have a great day,
jimlewis, owb

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BigT December 3, 2012 at 5:42 pm

The GOP will be blamed NO MATTER how big a FAILURE Obama is…

So why the F&*k does FITS go through this Dog and Pony Act???

Obama: You’re the G.D. PRESIDENT..lead, you Stupid Sone of a B!*ch…

Obama TORE this Economy down with the democrats..

If you are Not DEMANDING that THEY clean up their mess…you need to STFU…and that goes Double if you were Ignorant enough to Vote for Obama…

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Thebeachisback December 3, 2012 at 8:39 pm

We’re you a citizen of this country during W’s reign????????

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Ben Dover December 3, 2012 at 5:45 pm

The media and big government freak out over the “fiscal cliff” is a huge fraud on the public. One of Menken’s famous “bugaboos” – the spending “cuts” are not cuts at all, but limits on increases, and the prospect over the prospect of some government leach not getting fat on unnecessary defense spending doesn’t bother me one damn bit. That money will find a more efficient and productive use in non-defense spending and investment, which will actually add to GDP, which defense spending doesn’t do very effectively.

The only way to reduce the size of government is to starve it of funds.

No tax increases on anyone. Let sequestration happen as planned. No increase in the debt ceiling – America will not “default” on debt obligations. It can’t – those get paid first by law – so that’s another bugaboo. If these things happen, you will see real reductions in government spending – and growth in the private sector. Add to that repeal of Obamacare, suspension of government regulation, and strong monetary policy tied to the gold standard, and you will see real economic growth, lower unemployment, and a broader tax base.

Will this happen? Fuck no.

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davis December 3, 2012 at 9:18 pm

I totally agree that the only way to fiscal accountability is to strangle the government with reduced revenues.

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okay December 3, 2012 at 6:04 pm

Let’s just remember that the Bush Tax Cuts brought the highest revenue in the nation’s history and the longest stretch of uninterupted job growth in the nation’s history.

The problem was that spending also increased considerably. The tax cuts worked, the GOP and Dems just messed up by increasing spending as well.

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sweepin December 3, 2012 at 8:27 pm

Say what?!!

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sweepin December 3, 2012 at 8:29 pm

Yo, can you turn me on to yo’ main man. That must be some good shit he’s peddling.

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The Fonz December 3, 2012 at 8:33 pm

Yeah the economy grew under W and so did revenue…..until they didn’t.
That growth in the economy and the revenue gains were from a bubble…..and the bubble burst.

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Smirks December 3, 2012 at 6:38 pm

Let’s just remember that the Bush Tax Cuts brought the highest revenue in the nation’s history and the longest stretch of uninterupted job growth in the nation’s history.

Hahaha, oh wow!

The Bush tax cuts caused our receipts to drop from 2000 and it took until 2005 for them to go above the dollar amount. In constant 2005 dollars, it took until 2006 to have revenue just barely above 2000. Also in constant 2005 dollars:

2000: $2.310 trillion in tax receipts
2007: $2.414 trillion in tax receipts (all-time high)

Wow, highest in history by $100 billion dollars from 7 years before. What a crock of shit.

taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=200

As for employment?

Employment under Bush grew by 4.5 percent using CES and 7 percent using CPS, whereas employment grew by double digits under presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, and also under the combined eight-year administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, who finished Nixon’s term after he resigned, and John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Only under Eisenhower was job growth more sluggish than it was under George W. Bush, and even then, it was only the case using one of the two BLS statistics.

politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/may/11/john-boehner/john-boehner-says-bush-tax-cuts-created-8-million-/

But yes, you’re absolutely correct, Republicans spent a shitload of money despite fucking up our revenue.

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Sailor December 3, 2012 at 7:09 pm

You’re right Smirks and that shitload of money included the Bush Tax cuts and two unfunded wars! The only time the U.S. has gone to war and reduced taxes. To avoid this in future, any legislation should include a clause that whenever a force of 10,000 or more troops are deployed there will be an automatic 5% tax increase to pay for it.

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Howie Rich's Neighbor December 3, 2012 at 8:12 pm

Takes a “sailor” to make the point!

And why not add a mandatory draft with no exemptions?

That’ll stop these Republican “hawks” in their tracks

I mean they might not mind all this lip service to the millionaires getting their tax cuts

But sending their own kids in harms way?

Well even dogma has its limits!

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Thebeachisback December 3, 2012 at 8:40 pm

He’ll, yes!

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Thebeachisback December 3, 2012 at 8:41 pm

Make that “he’ll yes!”

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Jan December 4, 2012 at 1:46 pm

Smirks, you should take a lesson from Republicans like Okay and Big T. No need to wasit your time look up facts, just say what you want to say like its true. Republicans refused to be dictated to by fact checkers!

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admiral December 3, 2012 at 8:16 pm

The purpose of the fiscal cliff was to make sure something happened if politicians didn’t have the balls to raise taxes and cut spending……screw it …bring on the fiscal cliff ….then let’s get every one of the dipshits out of Washington over next 4-6 years

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marty December 3, 2012 at 8:21 pm

Let’s all hold hands and go over ye ole cliff. Sheeezam.

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hawk December 5, 2012 at 8:36 am

Except for those who dont remember the debates – wasnt it Pres Obama who vowed that the “sequestration cuts will not happen”. So let see how fixes this – or does he break a promise???

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Jan December 5, 2012 at 12:52 pm

I agree. Knowing who he would be negotiating with he should never have said that. I believe he thought if he won the other side would become more reasonable. That was a naive.

That said sequestration and tax increases on those making 250k or less are on the Republicans; not Obama.

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Edmund Burke December 5, 2012 at 11:08 am

Its the spending, stupid – cut spending first. The House can pass more spending cuts today – and let Harry and the boys in the Senate kill them – and blame Obama – Don’t bend on new taxes – pass a bill extending the Bush tax rates for another ten years – let the Dems in the Senate kill it. Don’t lift the debt ceiling.

Suck on that, Barak…

Read the Constitution, Goddammit – it is short – the House originates all spending — all — The House Repubs have the power – use it.

If the Senate Dems thwart it, and we go “over the cliff,” so be it – real spending cuts and automatioc revenue increases will not kill the economy over the long term – quite the opposite – it will help it – and will show the world that the United States has regained its financial discipline and has stopped spending money it doesn’t have.

BRING IT ON…

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Common Sense December 5, 2012 at 11:15 am

Well Edmund I believe you just demonstrated the kind of “no compromise my way or the highway” GOP thinking that worked so well for the GOP in November. If this does go over the cliff…guess who is going to get the blame..

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Jan December 5, 2012 at 1:03 pm

Its the spending, stupid

Actually its both.

Pass a bill extending the Bush tax rates for another ten years – let the Dems in the Senate kill it.

That bill has already been passed an the Senate has already killed it. The Senate has passed a bill extending the cuts for those making under 250k a year. The house will have to kill that. Obama has taken ownership of tax increases on those making over 250k a year and Republicans will have to take ownership of increasing taxes on those making less than 250k a year.

Don’t lift the debt ceiling.

The house of Representative has to approve all spending. Obama cannot approve spending. If the house approves spending and then refuses to pay for it, that is call defaulting on a debt. If the house does not want to spend money they can refuse to do so by cutting programs. But to approve spending and then refuse to pay the bill is like putting Christmas on a credit card and the refusing to pay the bill.

The house is holding everyone making 250k a year or less hostage to leverage tax cuts for those making more than 250k a year. So you propose they welsh on debt and take the country down with them in order to leverage more benefits for the wealthiest Americans. So be it. Now they are holding the entire country hostage, and as before they will own the consequences.

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