B-Large

do you ever respond with substance, or present any ideas that would prompt interesting debate?

That works fine as long as the neighbor can still afford to/ desires to purchase your egg. Maybe food is a bad anolgy here because people have to purchase food... perhaps the anaolgy should be TV's, cars, or some other consumable that people in a recession would cut back on.... I am still buying food no matter what, but when I get a windfall of money in my pocket I made a conscious choice to purchase a TV, or maybe not.

I see what you did there.... you tricky son of a B word

Nor took into account the nation's housing issue. A highly illiquid mess like the housing bust was not going to be fixed with stimulus, and still lags today.

any these are our options in elected government.... LOL you don't recall the US Federal Police respondnig to the City of Aurora emergency matter?

some.... ahh.... what?

Deficit Spending makes sense in downturns. The difference is we never pay our deficit spending back in the good times, we simple add on additonal outlays and costs. That is exaclty why people do not want to pay more taxes until the Government proves it will not spend that next marginal dollar of revenue...

again, meh.....

Meh.....

Beautiful Hair, and as long as there is not full repeal of some kind of healthcare reform, I am not sure I care all that much... the can slash and dash whatever the need to if that is what the American people vote for...

Don't ever underestimate one's ability to be stupid OR pretend to be stupid....

I figured maybe I was wasting my breath. The Government can function, believe it or not without being a coersive, bloated, ineffiecient body.... are you just !@#$ing with me?

Not that everything would be Rosy, but let's simplfy our representative democracy as is was intended to be. There is just no reason the Federal Government cannot be run fiscally sound and meeting the needs for which it was intended- When we decide we need to go to war, raises taxes specifically to fund it instead of borrowing. When we decide to add a program or outlay, we pare back or kill one that no longer serves out needs. When we need a Stimulus, borrow accordingly and pay it back in the good times... **** We just can't continue to cut taxes while government grows and expands and funds itself on the Mastercard. We either need to reform the way government does its job, or raise taxes and start paying out bills. We are having it both ways right now, it will not go on in perpituity.

Why not limit total Federal outlays to 15% of GDP, institute a flat tax on everybody to acheive it, and collect another 5% that is legally manadated to go to long-term debt until it is paid down to acceptable levels, then just have the 15%. We don't need a 72,000 page tax code, Government was never intended to be this complicated.

Unrelated to the topic, I am not sure I care for your screen name.

One of my staff members is married to a Gun Enthusiast, and is Ex-Miltary. She said he mentioned that you can buy the protective gear that SWAT guys wear at this place not to far from where this happened, not questions asked. It has been reported that he had a protective helmet, neck shield, vest, groin sheild and protecting leggings when he walked into that theatre.... what reason would a person having in owning that kind of stuff? Collecting? !@#$ing A... I have been going over and over in my mind how easy it really is to reload the glock and continue to discharge... one the accounts form a witness who was being hit with shell casings remarked that the she was most scared when the shooting stopped and you could hear the gun reloading.... christ that is scary to think about.

thanks for the thoughtful response here, B. I tend to agree with what you said. Staying safe, B

Does tighter control on weapons in the US change the outcome of that situation? Could it have changed the scale in which this young man was able to shoot almost 70 people? I am not an advocate of gun control, but I think when these things happen, it is a time to revisit the types of weaponry we (as a scoiety) want accessible for people who might very well consider this kind of action. He walks in the back door with dynamite strapped to him perhaps he kills a hundred and nobody has a chance..... I in no way intend this thread to suggest that laws regarding guns eliminates crazy people..... Thoughts?

I can see the Shooters apartment building from my window, basically. As i arrived at work this AM, there were SWAT officers every 25 feet as they evacuated the building. They are also evecuating the two research towers here at campus, I assume they think this kid booby trapped something where we was doing his research. Sad day.

I'd bang her.... I'm serious, I would

LOL. I was just thinking about my posts in this thread, defending a request for tax returns in the belief that honesty and integrity are an essential good to being an elected official in DC... who the !@#$ am I kidding in the long-run.... LOL Oh idealist me

again, letter of the law yes. Court of Public Opinion, no. believe it or not, alot of Americans don't vote on issues and logic, they vote of likablity of the candidate. You didn't answer the question at the bottom of my post, I am interested in your answer.

I had no issue with the Conservatives asking for Obama's birth certificate. I mean, that is LAW that he must be a natural born citizen. Obama should not be excused from producing that document, just "because".... People are asking the Romney for tax returns. again, reasonable request based on precedent. He will either open up and settle it, or leave it out there for people to decide that that means... I have no issue with agressive vetting of our public officials, any of them.

I didn't say I was offended, I said it is a Reasonable Request of a candidate running for the highest office in the land- this is not without precedent, his father was one of the first to come forth with this standard. I would not care if the same standard was applied to Obama, Bush, McCain, Hillary, etc. Its not partisan issue, it is a question.... Mitt can either answers and put it to rest, or stand his ground and deal with it to November... his choice. How would you feel if he did release his returns and it was found he did something knowingly illegal? Would feel better a tax cheat wasn't in the office?

Yes, but it also a matter of trust, and honesty. As much as elections are about credentials, we have to keep in mind this is about Public Office. You can be the best CEO or economic genius in the world, but you lack values that we hold dear in the country, you will have a heck of time getting into the office. It is important to remember the Government is not a private business, you are held to different expectations of discloure.... you know that is true... What can be the motivation to not release your financials? Because I don't legally have to? Ok, then you don't have to. But in some voters minds, again, if there something going on? Is Mitt afraid the numbers are too big, and he will be painted as 1% elitist? Is he afraid he will be painted as nothing in common with the rest of America? Those items are all easy to deal with... if he skipping taxes, of being fraudulent? Criminal?