Name:	lucky67 -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/14/2015 5:06:13 PM

If this is it, please let me know.
If this ain't love, you gotta let me go.
- Huey Lewis & The News

The U.S. economy hit the brakes at the start of 2015 by almost every measure. On Tuesday, the Commerce Departerment reported retail sales rose 0.9% in March, the first gain in fourth months but less than the consenus estimate for a gain of 1.1%. Retail sales excluding autos were also weaker-than-expected.

In the face of all the dismal data, estimates for first-quarter GDP growth have fallen precipitously: the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model is now forecasting zero growth in Q1, down from 2.3% in mid-February.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/14/2015 6:47:45 PM

So, what do you think should be done?

Name:	roswellric -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/14/2015 8:57:41 PM

Something very different. It's been over 7 years.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/15/2015 8:45:56 AM

Here's my list:

• Repeal and replace Obamacare with sensible reforms that are market driven with a safety net for those that truly need it
• Greatly simplify the tax code and reduce the size of the IRS (flat tax, etc.)
• Eliminate corporate welfare, fund R&D only and no more tax money given directly to corporations for extraneous nonsense like green energy
• Eliminate extraneous federal agencies and replace with block grants to states
• Reduce the corporate tax rate to at least be competitive with the rest of the industrialized world which will encourage them to keep their operations and profits in the US
• Make unions illegal for federal, state and local government employees
• Reign in out of control agencies like EPA, DOL, IRS, OSHA, etc.
• Reduce the tax rate for individuals across the board with a flat tax or a more simplified one
• Begin to phase in increasing the retirement age for SS and allow partial privatization for younger people
• Get the federal government out of the student loan business altogether.  OK to have a needs based scholarship program for low income students that have the aptitude.
• Repeal Sarbanes Oxley
• Repeal Frank Dodd

As you can see, the common theme here is that I see government not as the solution to our problems, but as the problem (creds to Ronald Reagan).  I see it every single day as a small business owner and it is sickening.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/15/2015 5:05:33 PM

I don't disagree with many of the thing you said, but I'm not sure turning things over to the state is a good idea. There seems to always be a lot of corruption and graft at the state and local levels. 

One thing I would like to see is reform of SS disability.  I have a lawyer friend who just retired from SS.  She used to review cases for them and she said that those who keep filing will eventually get approved.  Her solution was to just approve everyone over 65, and disapprove those younger, unless the person was critically disabled to work at anything. 

As far as getting rid of government agensies and departments.  I think it would be a good idea to examine why a departement was created in the first place, what missions and issues are they currently addressing and give a hard look to see if those things are still a problem or being adressed in any meaningful way.  Also to look at duplication of effort withing and between government agencies and departments.  Part of the problem is often "creep" or duplication so something already being done someplace else.  There are instances where Congress demands "oversight" on this problem or that problem or issue, as a knee jerk reaction to something that is brought to their attention.  Look at the amount of time Justic and FBI have spent on Fergeson this year - and in reality, it was a local sitution and was handled by local courts.  Civil Rights weren't violated.   In my little corner of the govenrment, I used to see "oversight" mandated as a fix to an issue, often brought to the attention of Congress by a constituate.  Before long, it it takes on additional staff, reporting, and other time and effort wasters, for something that may or maynot have been a problem to start with.... But, Congress was able to satisfy the constituate.   I hate to think of the number of reports to Congress that are generated, analyzed and prepared by mandate of Congress which will never even get read. 

And I really don't know why everyone has to go under Medicare.  I was able to carry my health insurance into retirement.  So why should I be required to have Medicare? 

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/15/2015 5:40:36 PM

I guess my preference for grants to states is that at least if you live in a corrupt, incompetent state you can move to another one.  Not so with the federal government. The only escape is to another country and renouncing your citizenship, something that is happening in record numbers these days. 

I just cannot see how we can avoid some dramatic and not so dramatic changes to SS.  It is not sustainable as it is currently structured and if it were run by a private entity they would all be in prison.  For sure the retirement age needs to be gradually increased to reflect the greater longevity of Americans.  Nothing we can do about those retired and approaching retirement but for younger people the best thing we could do is move them out of the system altogether by allowing them to invest a portion of their FICA in other plans and forfeit the other portion.  f I were 25 I would do so in a heartbeat.  We will also have to means test SS payments which sucks for those of us that have contributed over our lifetimes and also were disciplined in saving for retirement but that's better than SS going away altogether or the taxes being raised significantly to cover the payouts.

As for federal agencies and their elimination, looking at why they were created is a good first step but the problem is that most of them, with some notable exceptions, have failed miserably and in many cases have made things worse.  The Dept of Education may be the poster child for this although they are not the only one.  But the chances of any politician of any stripe having the fortitude to make these hard choices is somewhere close to nil.  We are already approaching the status of Europe where a govt job is like winning the lottery.  It is much different than when you entered that arena where the trade off was lower wages in exchange for good benefits and a decent retirement.  Its now upside down and I blame the cabal between the govt unions and politicians and their money laundering scheme.

I do believe that if all these changes were actually made our economy would come roaring back.  I also believe the chances of them happening are somwhere between slim and none.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/16/2015 11:17:41 AM

I'm not sure that I think working for the government these days is the equivalent of winning the lottery.  The retirement system was completely changed in the 1980s to something much less (it's now dependent on TSP contributions, SS and a very small piece of goverment retirement), the contributions to the retirement system has gone up.  It is far less "secure" than it used to be, with shutdowns, Reduction in Force, and threats of relocation due to the BRAC.  I never felt I was working for lower wages, except maybe in the very beginning - but of course, with the budget cuts, promotions are harder to come by. I know the Army is in the process of reducing the grade structure, and with the budget cuts, the liklihood are RIFs has increased.  If I was just out of school today, I would consider working for the government, i.e., a chance to serve one's government, as a temporary thing that I did for a few years rather than a career path. 

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	economy--again & again !!!
Date:	4/16/2015 1:17:31 PM

Hound, keep in mind you are only thinking about the federal govt.  The vast majority of govt workers are at the state and local level and by far the biggest liability for both those entities is unfunded pensions and medical benefits.  And there are tons of those govt employees double dipping on pensions.  Its not so much being underpaid for a particular job as it is forgoing the bigger compensation opportunities in the private sector.  I do agree that the security of a govt job isnt what it used to be but that's also true in the private sector as well.  Just a different world all the way around.  Not so in Europe where getting a govt job is like winning the lottery from a compensation, security and retirement standpoint, absent of course a crisis like we have in Greece.  But even there they don't have the willingness to reduce govt payroll.