Grading the Bugle Boys (and girls)

[BRASSO]

47 minutes ago, Stu said:

Parents taking kids to Disney World is also likely a net 'force' for good. But it would be a complete financial disaster and grossly irresponsible if they went even more in debt to take the trip while already being in massive debt prior to going.

 How about the cities that promise their retirees their pensions are protected, and the money will be there throughout their retirement lives... how irresponsible is that to tell their workers this ?. For example, a few years ago, a women Assistent Fire Chief in San Francisco retired at age 45 after 20 years as a firefighter, and up the ranks to an Administrator. She was single, no children, was a workaholic, working long hours, including weekends. She made close to $220 ,000, and went out at 80% of her last 3 years of pay... approx. 175,000 a year. Now heres the kicker. Shes Asian, and her parents were both alive when she retired. Father was 96, mother 92.  Great life genes. Assume the retiree has the same health genes, and lives to be 92. That means she will receive $175,000, plus cost of living increases,  per year,for more than half her adult life from the California Pension System..... the next 45 years. But lets all be real.. its a bad joke on everybody, ok ?. She's not going to get this money. The fact she was PROMISED this money doesn't mean anything, as the people who cut this deal for her along with the city/ state officials will all be dead and gone... and the State is broke as it is, let alone being able to give this former Gov't employee $175,,000 +  a year for the next 40-50 years that was promised her. Eventually, the fraud gig is up, imo. Retirees pensions are not guaranteed, no matter what anybody tells us.... lol!. Many of them are currently unfunded, and with more and more Government workers retiring every hour, of every day... and living longer... its a veritable powder keg about to blow, imo

Edited September 7, 2017 by BRASSO

[N.E. Brigand]

43 minutes ago, Stu said:

Parents taking kids to Disney World is also likely a net 'force' for good. But it would be a complete financial disaster and grossly irresponsible if they went even more in debt to take the trip while already being in massive debt prior to going. And yes, it is that simple.

The federal government is neither a family nor a business.

"And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

[N.E. Brigand]

54 minutes ago, BRASSO said:

Oh that's easy, of course. Put 10 economists in a room, and the majority there couldn't agree even among themselves if the commodity prices of sugar is going up or down the next 6 months, or even if the heat in the room was too high or two low... lol!

All that means is that your favorite economic theory could just as easily be wrong as mine.

And you really ought to drop the "19 trillion dollars" shibboleth. It really is a meaningless number by itself. Or at least cite a number that you think would be more reasonable. Again, people were saying the same thing about 1 trillion dollars in the early 1980s. I remember news stories about how long it would take to print that much money. Were they wrong or were they right? It's complicated.

In the meantime, let's keep the bands.

 

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

The federal government is neither a family nor a business.

"And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

Um..... the government sure is a business. It generates revenue and creats expeddatures. That is by definition a business. And as a business it grossly overspends revenue, and continues to overspend even as revune increases. But by treating you 'good' it has also placed the paying back the huge debt burden on the future generations. So. I am glad that you enjoy what our grandkids will be burdened with in paying back; oh, and I am positive God does not place blessings on gross irresponsibility. Just sayin'.

[Stu]

11 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

All that means is that your favorite economic theory could just as easily be wrong as mine.

And you really ought to drop the "19 trillion dollars" shibboleth. It really is a meaningless number by itself. Or at least cite a number that you think would be more reasonable. Again, people were saying the same thing about 1 trillion dollars in the early 1980s. I remember news stories about how long it would take to print that much money. Were they wrong or were they right? It's complicated.

In the meantime, let's keep the bands.

 

And the band plays on while the ship sinks into Oblivion: due to the enjoy it now irresponsible 'expert' economists saying debt is great, debt is prosperous, debt is wonderful, spend what you don't have, borrow from others with no way to pay it back, trillions, meh, trillions is meaningless hogwash, don't look behind the curtain, the illusion is real, ..... And the band goes down into Oblivion with the ship.

[BRASSO]

35 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

All that means is that your favorite economic theory could just as easily be wrong as mine.

And you really ought to drop the "19 trillion dollars" shibboleth. It really is a meaningless number by itself. Or at least cite a number that you think would be more reasonable. 

 

 

 A Balanced Budget Amendment... you want a number ? ok... the 28th..  Make the Government have to operate within their means... the same way its taxpayors have to do daily over their budgets set at their kitchen tables. President Dwight Eisenhower left office with a true Fed. Gov't Surplus. It was unthinksable at one time to spend money one did not have. I know, I know..." things change ". But guess what, a 19-20 trillion dollar debt ( and very low GDP, and Fed artificially doctoring the interest rates, etc) this unprecedented  19-20 trillion dollar debt does not go away because politicians can be glib, and they can keep printing money backed up by virtually nothing but " the Good Faith & Credit,  " of the same people making the money printing presses hum non stop... lol!.. The LAST thing we all should be concerned about here is the possibility in the future that some military bands somewhere " won't be funded ". Wait'll these Military Bands run up against whether to fund  Military Marching Bands or Social Security/ Medicare pmts, VA Hospitals. Pell Grants,  Roads/ Bridges repair,  Disaster Relief, etc and 5,000 other things in the not too distant future.

Edited September 7, 2017 by BRASSO

[N.E. Brigand]

"Let the drums roll out
Let the trumpet call
While the people shout 'Strike up the band!'"

[Stu]

10 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

"Let the drums roll out
Let the trumpet call
While the people shout 'Strike up the band!'"

Eat, drink, be merry for tomorrow we die; and that is ok because the burden to pay the bill will be sent to our grandkids. That flippent attitude has been the demise of quite a few cultures throughout history, and we are on the same path. So strike up that band and let the next generation worry about paying for the excess. Nice.

[N.E. Brigand]

"There is something amiss
I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this
Still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer
To familiar heroes from long ago".

[Stu]

1 hour ago, BRASSO said:

 How about the cities that promise their retirees their pensions are protected, and the money will be there throughout their retirement lives... how irresponsible is that to tell their workers this ?. For example, a few years ago, a women Assistent Fire Chief in San Francisco retired at age 45 after 20 years as a firefighter, and up the ranks to an Administrator. She was single, no children, was a workaholic, working long hours, including weekends. She made close to $220 ,000, and went out at 80% of her last 3 years of pay... approx. 175,000 a year. Now heres the kicker. Shes Asian, and her parents were both alive when she retired. Father was 96, mother 92.  Great life genes. Assume the retiree has the same health genes, and lives to be 92. That means she will receive $175,000, plus cost of living increases,  per year,for more than half her adult life from the California Pension System..... the next 45 years. But lets all be real.. its a bad joke on everybody, ok ?. She's not going to get this money. The fact she was PROMISED this money doesn't mean anything, as the people who cut this deal for her along with the city/ state officials will all be dead and gone... and the State is broke as it is, let alone being able to give this former Gov't employee $175,,000 +  a year for the next 40-50 years that was promised her. Eventually, the fraud gig is up, imo. Retirees pensions are not guaranteed, no matter what anybody tells us.... lol!. Many of them are currently unfunded, and with more and more Government workers retiring every hour, of every day... and living longer... its a veritable powder keg about to blow, imo

We are agreeing on somthing; oh my!