Comments for Dem0crat

Comment on The Constitution Hangs by a Thread by Elizabeth E.

Elizabeth E. — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:50:12 +0000

Excellent post, Matthew. Well said.

Comment on Why I am a Democrat by Ruben

Ruben — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:44:18 +0000

Hi. Why should high income earners like millionaires and billionaire have to pay so much more Taxes than the average American? Percentage-wise and actual payment? or is it just a. Ethics issue? Or am I wrong? Thanks!

Comment on Did President Obama Double Our National Debt? by Matthew Anselmo

Matthew Anselmo — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:33:22 +0000

Unfortunately Calvin, the government is not run like a business. The President does not have absolute power like a CEO has, so its a tricky comparison. The US government has five hundred plus voting members and each has significant power (especially senators). We are paying for the choices of several generations of government and Presidents are not dictators so changing mandatory spending is impossible without cooperation from both chambers of the legislative body.

Obamacare is deficit neutral and continues to be deficit neutral. Sure costs are rising, but that has more to do with the costs of care rising and little to do with the legislation. Premiums have been steadily rising almost 10% a year for the past decade.

Comment on Did President Obama Double Our National Debt? by Calvin

Calvin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:37:21 +0000

At what point do we stop blaming our predecessors and take responsibility? Any CEO that starts blaming the predecessor quickly looses credibility. Especially after four years. At what point do we expect results?

The paragraph on Obamacare needs to be updated. That legislation is definitely not budget neutral. Add to it costing way more than what we were told it would cost from the government side, we as premium payers are going to take an additional 20% hike.

Comment on The Primary Concern by Matthew Anselmo

Matthew Anselmo — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:26:12 +0000

Thanks for the reply Jary. As far as the states that take more then they pay — here is a good article from The Economist and this can all be verified by government records.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-fiscal-union

Comment on The Primary Concern by Jary

Jary — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:41:44 +0000

Matthew, I always enjoy your blog even if I can find absolutely no basis for agreement. But how strange to try to compare any so called “red” states earlier financial struggles to California’s complete lack of financial responsibility. That is a whole other discussion and we can look to any number of those same “red” states now and how financially strong they are which has nothing to do with any stimulus. It is called political will to be responsible. Also, I am not throwing anything out with the bath water at all but simply stating that not only is your suggested change to the general election process at the federal level a bad idea (in my opinion) but a bad idea from a state that has not proven it can manage its politics or its finances. Not only is the state in horrible shape but a number of its communities as well. I would also like to know the source of you claim about the so called “majority of red states” take more than they give. Again, not really relevant to the discussion of your suggested changes to the current election process.

I still claim that the political reform that will make the greatest difference is around money and it is not in limiting money but in immediate and complete disclosure of its source. I do find one place for complete agreement with you and that is in the need to be engaged. It frightens me to see an increasing number of citizens who are completely uninformed (on the right or left) making a increasingly dominant mark on the outcome. That is the soil from which political demagogues flourish.

Comment on The Primary Concern by Matthew Anselmo

Matthew Anselmo — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:34:35 +0000

Jary — I appreciate the time you took to read the article and for your interest in our blog….thank you.

I agree that the media absolutely plays a part in how voters think about candidates, and I am always the first to say turn off the death spiral of propaganda! There are plenty of good resources where we can be informed about candidates and elections — but the real issue is voters (as a whole) show little interest in understanding how our government works and how each candidate will play in the political process. For this I hold each of us responsible and the real message of this article is be engaged!

I get that California is not the poster child for all things political, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. The beauty of the two highest vote getting primary candidates running against each other — is that if they are of the same party — the moderate will always win. I find it borderline laughable when people call President Obama an ideologue — but that is the way we have been conditioned. Yes California is bankrupt, but so would be many others if it wasn’t for the 2009 stimulus package, the vast majority being red states. Also — the majority of red states take more in federal revenue than they provide through corporate and income tax — level those out and several more states would be bankrupt. The point is we should not be so quick to dismiss good ideas due to our biases.

I agree with you on your ideas around political money and PACs. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Comment on The Primary Concern by Jary

Jary — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:36:19 +0000

Matthew, when I read posts or blogs such as yours from time to time and I can’t help but chuckle. Yes, this is a rancorous process that we go through in our elections but it is not the first time in our nations history where such was the case. A review of many of 19th Century political cartoons will show that to be true. What has heightened the debate and sometimes cheapened the process is the new media – the 24 hour constant drum beat as well as blogs and social media where anyone and everyone can have a say and often does – whether they are truly informed or not. Sadly, political name calling is now an art form where too many enlist to play. I am not suggesting controls of speech but simply recognizing the problem at its most significant source. What I would not call the constitutional process we call our elections is cancerous. While the right has issues, it is not the only side of the process with problems. No question the Republicans have lost some opportunities in the recent past but what is more interesting to me is that for many Democrats to win in conservative states they almost have to out Republican the
Republican. The last place that we should look , with a state approaching bankruptcy, for political comity is California. If a state wishes to try that approach then they can do so but to open the national elections to that process, I believe, would be a mistake. To be a so called “independent” is almost silly anyway since once they are elected they almost always caucus with one side anyway thus defining them as either a R or a D. Who would really call Bernie Sanders an independent anyway since who can ever recall when he has voted for anything but the far left of the left. One other factor that has lead to this craziness was the McCain-Feingold of a few years ago and the subsequent creation of all of the so called independent PACs. Let a candidate raise all that she or he can BUT fully and immediately disclose the source and get rid of the PACs. I think that would do more to soften the tone that any one other thing.

Comment on Did President Obama Double Our National Debt? by jay F.

jay F. — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:08:07 +0000

And then there is the alternative narrative from the memes on the right wing: maybe the debt really doesn’t matter much — as a % of GDP it is higher than normal due to the worst recession since 1930 — but not catastrophic. The high interest rates — that the Ryans and the Fox news fear mongers – related to the debt have never materialized. In fact – the interest rate has halved on the debt. On the other hand what government needs to do is spend more – to create demand and get people back to work…then reduce debt in good times (exactly what Bush should have done — when he had the chance: he did the opposite). Medicare is a long term problem however as your graph indicates. You might also appreciate, reader and fan of your Mormon blog — that I am a non-believer.

Comment on Don’t Call Me a Republican by Jack Kazim

Jack Kazim — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:05:03 +0000

I find that being a centrist is about finding the practical solution that works and using independent thought. I thought that the Republicans had the same idea. I have never been so wrong. Their closed-minded extremism has lead me to endorse the No Labels Movement and the Modern Whig Party.