WASHINGTON — The White House and congressional Republicans intensified their differences Sunday over how to deal with automatic spending cuts slated to take effect Friday, raising the possibility that the political standoff could curtail many government services and result in the loss of thousands of jobs in Massachusetts.
GOP leaders insisted in appearances on Sunday talk shows that they were willing to let the budget reductions go into effect, while Democrats sharpened their call for increased revenue.
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Notice the word "COULD" lose thousands of jobs. But if unnecessary spending is instead cut, then there would be NO jobs cut.
What specifically is unnecessary? Meals for seniors maybe?
Giermund, are meals for seniors the responsibility of the federal or state government? From my vantage point, I see greater efficiencies if you remove a layer of government (federal), not to mention there are no interstate commerce ramifications of a program like that placing it squarely in the domain of states.
"The president’s proposal would include more modest spending cuts along with entitlement reform and about $600 billion in new revenue, totaling $1.8 trillion in long-term savings. "..The Globe just ACCEPTS these numbers as fact without any proof whatsoever.
It's called reporting....specifically, reporting what the President said. That is what newspapers do. They also take editorial positions on what the President says - for or against; that is a different part of the paper.
The conservatives will get what they want: smaller everything. The liberals will get what they want: a smaller military with reduced focus on defense. Its a win-win...except for the working man. Z
We survived the loss of "Twinkies"! We will survive this Socialist contrived crisis and in fact, be better off! They will be exposed as the liars they are!
Obama! A legacy of deceit!
Jibberish.
It is indeed a contrived crises.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of many by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away mans initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
Attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but actually penned by William J. H. Boetcker.
And you cannot use trite, meaningless fluff to justify this current situation.
You must love Andrew Carnegie! According to you, it was fine that he was that rich, even though others didn't even have enough to eat. After all, according to you, we can't "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.".
Will someone please tell Governor Patrick that the basis of 'economic recovery' is not spending money that you do not have.
Now, cue President Obama speaking from the White House with children and military personnel on either shoulder (told to look sad, of course), placing the blame, once again, on someone else. It's all about grandstanding and theatrics, two sad and inappropriate tools to use when addressing real problems that face our country.
Unfortunately, he has shown the ability to do little else the last four years. And we wonder why things are not getting better. The ol' razzed dazzle may have worked in Chicago, but not on the big stage.
America, brace yourselves for another four years of blame, shame, and little substance. You voted for it, now take your medicine like adults (and apologize to your children - don't use them for theatrics).
You're correct. America did elect some real simpletons to Congress.
I really hope that you mean that and that you therefore opposed the war in Iraq from the very beginning, like I did, and other Democrats.
And that instead of cheering on U.S. troops, you used that same energy to get them home from Afghanistan.
After all, you feel that Deval Patrick is spending money we don't have.....
Let's be consistent, now.
Watching our dear leaders reminds me of jr high, you're to blame no you're to blame, I win, no I win, you lose, no you lose. That's all we hear about, it's disgusting. It's the people and our country that are the losers here, of course they can't see beyond themselves to see that. the media has been more than willing to help, who's going to get the blame...................
I disagree. There IS blame to be handed out, and it is to the right wingers.
I call BS on this one Martha1. Can you really be sitting there believing that this is solely the responsibility of those on the "Right"?
Rebublicans want action. lets fire the teachers, policeman,and fireman. Let people have to play by credit card to put a fire out!! Most of all lets stop the food to the elderly. That will teach them to mess with us.
Dewitt, this story is focus on Washington. Education, police and fire are all state issues.
Sadly the Congress begins to sound more and more like the "comments" section. Political posturing, name calling, a paucity of facts and a complete disconnect from reality. The funny thing is both sides know that this particular "cutting" does almost nothing to address the "long term" problem which is real but merely worsens a "short term" problem that didn't exist before they acted. Man, what a bunch. The Congress is beginning to look like the public, clueless.
I would agree with you but. . . .
Congress is far from clueless, the only thing they ever watch is their cheese. I tell ya, it is Kabuki without the interesting makeup.
It's Bush's fault. Oh, I forgot, he hasn't been President fo over four years going on five. Obama stays true to his mantra scare the hell out of everyone. Do not lead but rather divide and conquer. Shameful.
We're still paying for the fraudulent Iraq war and 2008 meltdown. History will have a special place for W.
Well darn PV, if this continues, and Hilly gets elected, just how long will it be W's fault?
I mean c'mon, the horse is not only long dead, the buzzards have picked the bones clean and now the tourists have started to cart off the bones.
Republicans are all for cuts in domestic spending, which will result in more Americans loosing their jobs.Then, down the road,they will criticize the President for his lack of job creation.
But, Obammer was for spending cuts before he was against them. What is with that?
mba 71 just doesnt get it its all connected there will be teachers losing their jobs, policeman and fireman getting laid off and old people will go hungry.
Dewitt clinton - you need to educate yourself better. It doesn't have to be this way! You are buying into the crap the white house is feeding low information voters, and you gobble it up. Sad, really.
You only get as good as you give, USA.
I say - "Let the cuts begin!"
$85b out of how much?
When is Harry Reid even going to propose his budget?
There is such a thing as pound foolish. If we cut the federally supported, and largely financed programs for children in need, which we will be doing now, the ramifications will be far more costly than what we would have spent.
Head Start is going to be cut. The research has shown, strongly, too, that Head Start has lasting positive impacts on the health and future lives of poor children.
No it doesn't Martha, you are either misinformed, or disseminating minsinformation. Take your pick. A recent study by the US Govt showed that by 3rd grade, those Head Start kids were behind their peers. So much for your positive impact, there is none.
Cut it, and cut it now.
Martha is doing the classic "its for the childrrrrren" routine. I am so fed up with the "kid card" being played. How's about the parents of those kids taking care of them? What a concept! I do not recall signing up to support everyone and anyone's kids just cause I was born in this country.
Better yet, all you liberals who think that is a great idea, SEND IN YOUR MONEY, but what makes you think you have the right to take other people's money from them?
The truth is somewhere in the middle. There's a lot of waste in the govt. particularly the fed. and state. The most streamlined govt. is the local because it's much more close and transparent to the public. Without govt. the rich could not get richer (infrastucture for example paid by all of us to get their goods to market.) Without the govt. more people would be harmed (compounding companies for example}. How many cheats are there in the welfare system and how many cheats are there at Wall Street? Too many to count. This is getting too depressing. Health is wealth and we just have to keep doing our best to keep the number of well dressed or poorly dressed lowlifes to the minimum.We just have to hope that our elected "leaders" in Congress can be honest and that is really a stretch.
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Couple of thngs. . . The federal employees in Massachusetts face furlough time off, meaning no pay for days they don't work. But the days off are within a week... i.e. one day a week, not full separation or layoffs. Secondly, why isn't this principle being applied to other public sector workers who supposedly are threatened? Money for private companies handling federal contrcts is another matter - their workers may truly face full layoffs if Uncle Hysen doesn't live up to the contracts that are in force. Lastly, most of these difficulties are at least a month off, and Obama could offer a heroic solution if he backed away from his persistent demand for more and higher taxes, at least in the short term.
I see you are down with working people taking a cut (no pay for days they don't work) what a way to put it. People like the ex-mayor of San Diego found a billion dollars to put in the slot machines. Where are people like this gonna find the money to operate if the guv'mint starts taking more?
So phony.
Since day one Obama, Republicans in Congress has only been unified on only one issue. Not jobs, security, education, or economy..its been doing anything and everything against Obama, to bring him down.
Despite their best efforts, the country has continued to crawl ahead. Chapter 27 of the sad twisted Ideologal Nightmare continues on March 1rst...can't wait.
blah blah blah
Oh the poor, poor victimized man! :sniff:::sniff:::
How about: Obammer, in his efforts to break the back of the Reps is willing to run the country off any cliff, let the people pay any price, while he jets off to Hawaii and plays a few more rounds of golf with Tigger.
Oh please, someone hand me a spoon so I can gag myself.
We are talking 85B in cuts. That is 9 days of operating costs. It is LESS than 3% of the overall budget.
After the cuts, the budge is $15B MORE than it was last year, WHAT CUTS? Too funny, if you believe all this horse manure, boy, do I have a niece piece of ocean front property for you in Iowa.
And all these drastic things are going to happen?
I expect Obummer to come out and start yelling "The sky is falling, the sky is falling" any day now.
Puhleeeeze.
Before hurting the people, slay first the dragon of waste, corruption and misdirected spending of taxpayers' dollars.
Massachusetts could lose thousands of jobs, but look on the bright side. None of them will be mine.