The only thing I found out of the "fiscal cliff" was most every working person had their taxes raised and nothing else was done. So typical Washington and government..

This country is already over the cliff, people just don't realize it. As far as voters go, when you keep voting the same person in for 30 to 40 years, there's a problem. It becomes a very lucrative career, not serving the people. This state put Tierney back in office after his wife and her family were caught in an illegal gambling ring, she brought in plenty of money, and somehow he didn't notice, ya sure, the sad part, the people believed it.

The only cliff this country is over is a public knowledge cliff.  This "I believe what I hear my party tell me" mentality leads to an inability to see what is right before your eyes.  Simple math.  I hear the zealots on the "right" carry on about taxes and Spain, Greece and any other messed up country you can think of, but do they look at why they are messed up.  The Greeks collapsed because the Greek public wanted benefits but no one paid their taxes.  Sound familiar? 

Some pol gets on the tube rants on about "illegals" and the fools think that's what causes a budgetary problem.  No, it isn't spending on programs they like, SS, Medicare, and the Dept. of Defense, it' s the aliens.  It isn't the federeal govt. does not tax at a level that is in balance with expenditures.  It's the aliens.

Zealots from both sides refuse to deal with a reality.  Why?  Because it is easier to be a "true believer" than it is to be out their on your own and seeing things for what they are.  They vote the way they vote because it is, simple human behavior.  Just as the budgetary problem is simple math.  The pols know it.  They know the solution but are afraid to do it.  Why?  Because you'll vote them out of office if they do the right thing.

In the meantime, the Boston Globe is already busy trashing Scott Brown again - see today's Dan Wasserman cartoon on the editorial page. Is it any wonder that partisan voters follow along when the supposedly influential media is publishing such incendiary trash?

While our political system might benefit from a more informed, more thoughtful and more active electorate, I doubt that is ever going to happen.  It is just not in the nature of human populations, and structurally the ruling class has set up too many roadblocks like money = speech, the power of moneyed interests and their lobbies, and Gerrymandering.

Dana Milbank had an article in the Washington Post yesterday explaining why, thanks to Gerrymandering, the repubs are nearly assured control of the House of Representactives at least until after the next census.  The electorate would have to be awfully well informed and organized (and probably vote against their own interests in a lot of cases) to counter pols Gerrymandering their districts.  I can'T see that happening.  That woulda be the role of the Supreme Court, but I certainly can't see this court bringing it up much less declaring it unconstitutional.

Lastly, the media is part of the ruling class, owned by those monied interests, and benefits greatly by unlimited spending in political campaigns.

"Kitch" the point is people get off the subject because pols take them down paths that have little to do with the problem but enables the pol to avoid the real subject.  Whether it is a pol or a talking head matters very little.  How about each time a pol talks about "welfare" you think he's talking about a big portion of the budget.  Or you yourself stated illegals are 3-5% of the population.  Okay I'll buy your number the only thing is they cost the states not the feds.  Illegals do not get federal assistance.  You can't get anything from the feds without proof of birth and residency and anyone who says differently is full of it.  And if someone wants to jump to ER care that's Reagan's baby and still not a part of the fed. budget, it costs hospitals and the state. 

Each time any pol talks about anything except SS, Medicare, Dept. of Defense and taxes he is not talking about a budgetary problem.  The entire FDA budget which includes food stamps is only 175billion, chump change withn the budget.   You are obviously a smart guy and I will reiterate any conversations that relate to the budget that does not include SS, Medicare, Dept. of Defense and taxes is simply BS. 

"Kitch"  If you want to divert the argument to who said what I can do that.  If I do the research I can certainly find a direct quote from a pol regarding the cost of "illegal aliens" and the federal budget.  But I'm not really into wasting my time on stuff you and I both know.

If you want to go to the problem is the educational level of aliens and the actions of race activists then I'd have to pick on you and ask how does that effect the US budget deficit.  We are a large sum out of balance and none of these particular things are part of or a reason for the budget deficit.  It is not even our international competitiveness that effects the budget.  The fact remains we are one of the worlds biggest economies that remains unchanged.

No, the problem lies within the three major budget items.  Three items that pols refuse to discuss in specific terms.  R's say entitlements but they lack the nerve to say how much SS or Medicare they'll cut.  Dems. do the same with Taxes and Defense.  Until we get an honest conversaion on these items we will get nowhere.

My point is anything outside of the three major costs to govt. and revenues is simply a diversion by pols afraid to speak truth to the public.