Cut Taxes or Cut the Deficit?

Congress' Conundrum: Cut taxes or cut the deficit? Is this an "either or" situation? Republicans want to cut the deficit. At least they say they do this time. They failed to stop the deficits from going up for the 20 years Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush served as president. But they say they do want to do it now. Is it because they don't control the White House this time or is it because they have come to terms with the fact that this skyrocketing national debt of ours threatens to completely screw over our children and grandchildren? Democrats have also started to say they want to cut the deficit. They did it the last time a Democrat ruled the White House (Bill Clinton). I do seem to remember Democrats railing on tax cuts on the campaign trail. But that apparently was just the campaign talk at the time. It seems now like the majority of Congress wants to extend tax cuts (Bush 43's) to some degree. The question is who keeps the cuts? People who make less than $200,000 a year (is that rich to you or just a nice living?)? People who make less than $1 million a year? Or should everyone get the tax cut?

Republicans say they can't raise taxes on higher-earners because some of those people (3% according to the Joint Committee on Taxation) are also small business-owners. And if they raise taxes on them, then those people can't hire workers. Here's what I would like to know: These people have enjoyed the tax cuts since 2001 and 2003 (when Congress passed Bush's tax cuts). So shouldn't our unemployment be a lot lower since they were getting those cuts all this time? Is there proof things would get worse if they saw their tax cuts end now? Let's see proof, not rhetoric, please.

Can't Congress do both? Isn't it possible to start working on that ridiculous deficit AND cut taxes, at least for some people? If you believe raising taxes during a recession (or in this case, right after a recession) isn't a good idea for the economy, then can't Congress cut out the political crap and compromise on something that will help people right now? Seriously. How hard is that?

Bush Tax Cuts,What Is Rich?, Ron Santo Dies

Cut the Cuts: CNN has a new poll out that shows people may be changing their minds about those "Bush tax cuts". More than half of the people polled say people making more than $250,000 should no longer get the tax cut. I think for some people this comes down to how much money do you have to make a year to be "rich". Is it $100,000? Is it $250,000? Is it $1 million? Is it $5 million? What's the magic number for you to consider yourself rich? Or does it depend if it's the other guy we're talking about?:) For me, I think my figure would be $500,000 Yeah, that's a lot of money. So, is $250,000. I guess I think you are "well-off", if you are under half a mill. But you are rich, if you make more than that. Ask me again, when I make that much money!

Ron Santo: I'm a life-long St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. But Ron Santo deserved to see his beloved Chicago Cubs win a World Series. He played for them. He announced their games forever. And, unfortunately, he battled health issues for decades. Through it all, you never failed to hear his passion for the team and the club he loved so much. I have no idea how he managed to get the strength to keep going all these years with all he battled. But he did. And he deserved some joy from that team, instead of all those years of heartache. I hope he gets to see a winner upstairs.

"Sports Illustrated" posted some rarely seen photos of him.