Has anyone any common sense left?

I am with you brother, government over spending, isn't going to fix government over spending. Look at what they did in the depression of 1920, they cut spending, and NO STIMULUS, and the economy started to turn around in less than a year. I don't see how people can think that this is a good thing. FDR tinkered with the economy through out the Great Depression and it lasted 10 years longer here than anywhere else on earth. Buckle up it's about to get ugly

No, it doesn't defy common business sense. They are trying to inject "capital" into the market. Its what businesses need to run on. If I realistically project that I will earn 2 million in profits this year, but I don't have the liquid funds on hand to make payroll in a month then I would 'borrow against my debt' and pay it off later. This happens more than you know and its acceptable. Do you realize how much money it costs to run large organizations? Do you realize just about EVERY major company in America has considerable debt?

Don't claim any tax witholdings and you'll get your "raise"

Use that extra money to invest and then you can pay you're taxes off at the end of the year and have a little extra from interest earned.

The stimulus DOES cut your payroll taxes... so thats already taken care of man.

The problem is cutting governemnt expenditures will HURT the economy. Thats less spending, less demand and we slide further into a tailspin.

I know what you mean about debt to replace debt..but really its the only way out at this point.

think of it this way...

Lets just say we have a current trillion dollar debt. If we dont stimulate demand (which is the root of our economic woes right now along with frozen credit) then this original trillion dollar debt just grows and grows as our economy crumbles and revenues decrease.

So we go ahead and add another trillion to the debt. This stimulates the economy, creates demand and creates revenue. This allows us to pay back the original trillion dollars and replace it with the new trillion dollars. The difference being we now have the ability because of a stronger economy to pay down the "new debt".

It's a two-pronged process that will take years, but realistically its the only way out of our situation. if we dont do something to stimulate demand, we're toast. Supply side (cut spending, lower wealthy/corporate taxes) does nothing to stimulate our economy right now. Companies wont hire anybody even with lower taxes because they're still not selling their products.

We have to stimulate demand from the bottom. I hate massive debts too, but its the only way forward in the tough situation we're in.

This is according to economists, not my opinion.

No! There is rarely common sense in D.C.

You want to hear a "stimulus plan" that will work?

1.) Defense cuts by at least 50%.

2.) Raise taxes don't cut them! But in a fair way based on income level.

3.) Write a check for every man, woman, and child in the country for the $8,000+ they say this stimulus will drain from us. THAT creates "spending power".

4.) Abolish lending and credit companies TOTALLY! And when the dust settles there will be a more level playing field for ALL Americans.

CASH-AND-CARRY or DO WITHOUT!

5.) Return to the gold standard so there is no longer FAKE cyber money floating around as paper or plastic with NOTHING REAL OF VALUE behind it. GOLD is REAL!!!

If sense were common everyone would have it. Now that we are on the same page, I wonder where all your concern was about the borrowing of trillions from a communist country to pay 11 trillion dollars for a war, while giving taxbreaks that was borrowed as well to the top 5% of wealthy people,

I suggest you check the local library and have a look at what went on for 8yrs of Bush regime and then ask yourself and others what everyone else has been asking!

Yeah, but what about the people who have lost their jobs over the last 5 years that cannot find adequate replacements? What are they supposed to do? And should the rest of the country (the minority by now) that does have a job just sit by and let the rest go homeless and without health care for their families?

You are on the right track but not in washington. Just like when work made all the maintenance the same pay level. why should i do more than anyone else for the same pay as me. Making things equal on gets things half way done.

rd

You make a solid point about increasing debt at this time, however you ignore the imperative of immediate and looming disaster. I don't want to borrow more money, you don't, heck Obama doesn't, but what solution would you offer for the short term? Do we just let people keep getting laid off and do nothing?

Again, I don't like it either, but unless you have an alternative plan....

I was in debt when I borrowed what seemed a HUGE sum to enable me to attend college and get a degree. Then, with my higher income, I was able to pay off my original debt, repay the loan, and enjoy higher income for the rest of my life. So it all depends on how you use the borrowed money. If you just SPEND it and then it's gone, you are digging yourself deeper into the hole. If you wisely INVEST it in things that are going to give you a return on your investment, then you are working your way out of that hole.

The common sense should have begun far sooner but went ignored while the Republicans were robbing the treasury and cheering that we had not been attacked by yet another group knife wielding gangsters from Saudi Arabia- the guys we buy oil from. 20/20 common sense in hindsight doesn't count, particularly if you don't even have it in the first place.