editorials

" Unless there's a last-minute deal between congressional Republicans and Democrats, deep and abrupt spending cuts that threaten the feeble economic recovery are set to kick in automatically next month.

So let me get this straight, Strib Editorial board, 15%-25% Taxes increases in those making over $250K are good but a 3% cut in a $3.4T Federal spending spree is draconian How in the world did we manage in 2007 on a $2.7T budget? That was before the "Obama Spendng Increases" kicked in

We need to prepare for inflation. Nobody likes spending more for anything, but this country needs to deal with the reality that is facing us. With interest rates low we need to raise minimum and median wages. In my opinion it is the simplest way to pay down the debit. It will be painful for everyone as costs go up, but it's a logical solution knowing that our elected officials are so divided and incompetent.

The only way to fix the budget is to remove the current income tax and go to a fair tax. The leaders in congress can't fix anything as it is now because of to many special interest. The IRS says every year they lose about 300-400 billion in tax receipts. With the fair tax no one can get around paying(the liberals favorite saying) their fair share. This makes eveybody have skin in the game. Unless this is done what we see today will be business as usual.

I agree with income tax reform. Simply, it should be so simple that literally everybody can do their own, and be sent in on a postcard. I am tired of the loopholes and am aware of many who don't even bother to file. I resent the fact that I pay my taxes every year, and others don't. Don't get me started on corporations either..... I'm just a member of the lower middle class that would like to see a level playing field before I die.

I don't think there is a person in the USA that will not agree with the fact that we need to cut spending. The rub, is where we are going to cut. For me, let the sequester happen.

comment229: "I don't think there is a person in the USA that will not agree with the fact that we need to cut spending." ---- The shocking truth is that many still don't believe this. There are those who still believe that everything should be fixed by increased government revenue - of course they also believe that this new revenue should come from somebody other than themselves.

Your final point still stands - let the sequester happen. If legislators want to make some changes that the president will sign, that's fine so long as the total spending cuts do not decrease.

"""How in the world did we manage in 2007 on a $2.7T budget?""".............Here's how--->the GOP was writing the FY 2007 budget. A Dem Congress then took power in 1/2007 after a midterm win on an anti-war/GOP scandals message. They proceeded to fund two war surges (2007,2009). A recession started one year later, the housing collapse 20 months later, and nobody can deny the debt increased from 8.7T to 16.5 T during the last 6 years. Dems were the majority party in 5 of the last 6 chambers. Yes, bipartisan blame can be found, but there IS bipartisan blame, right libs?

Let the cuts kick in, Obama wont cut anything so let the automatic ones start, this is rediculous.

Wait a second, the country is borrowing 40% of what we spend, but the Strib Ed board thinks we can't stand a 5% cut in spending? I would like to see how they manage their personal finances at home. Government spending does not contribute to the economy, it reduces the size of GDP. If you think that tax/spend is the solution then why not confiscate all income and profits and have all spending controlled by the government? Let the sequester happen, this editorial seems to try to wallpaper over the fact that the sequester was Obama's idea, he injected into the budget deal, not the GOP. The sequester is the only hope this country has of reducing the 28% increase in spending that has become the new baseline of the Federal government. The budgeting for Obamacare was totally faked, and the true bloated costs of that will start showing in 2014, so we need to start getting some of the rest of the budget reduced to pay for giving health care away.

The country needs to self destruct before anything changes. An alcoholic doesn't change until he/she hits bottom and that is what it is going to take for this country to wake up. When all the bottom feeders are in the wagon and there is not anyone left to pull maybe they will figure it out.