The Thread of Democrats

[pErvinalia]

The problem with both parties is they're judged by their extremists. Republicans are anti-everything and horrible racist cunts, Democrats are shiftless welfare cheats who want everything free and want to pee in the girl's restroom. The vast majority of people fall in the middle somewhere. I voted Republican this election because the economic, tax, and immigration policies espoused by the Democratic candidates were frankly insane. None of the Republican candidates advocated anything remotely like the strawman caricature you see here. I've often voted Democratic in the past, but that was before the odious stench of identity politics permeated everything they do.

Voting for lower taxes is insanity. Have you noticed your deficit and government debt?

[laklak]

Then they need to stop spending so much money on nonsense like $65.000.000 bike trails.

[laklak]

It's like dealing with little kids. You give them an allowance, and they spend it all on candy. Then they don't have any money to go to the movies. So do you give them more money so they don't miss going to the movies, or do you tell them "don't spend all your allowance on candy next time". I take the second approach.

The Amendment only applies to Florida, not to any other state or the Feds. They're free to tax and spend and spend and spend us into penury to their little heart's content. I only wish we had a balanced budget amendment on the ballot. Force some fiscal responsibility on them. But this is a good start.

[pErvinalia]

Then they need to stop spending so much money on nonsense like $65.000.000 bike trails.

Well I'd have to see the actual reality of the proposal, but I think it's safe to say you waste way more money on military spending than you do on tourism spending. If you aren't willing to cut your defence budget back to sane levels, then you are going to need higher taxes address your staggering deficit and debt. Two things which are going to eventually smash your economy far more than tax increases.

[Hermit]

Then they need to stop spending so much money on nonsense like $65.000.000 bike trails.

Well I'd have to see the actual reality of the proposal, but I think it's safe to say you waste way more money on military spending than you do on tourism spending. If you aren't willing to cut your defence budget back to sane levels, then you are going to need higher taxes address your staggering deficit and debt. Two things which are going to eventually smash your economy far more than tax increases.

Florida's military budget is probably quite miniscule. Billion bucks tops for the cops, I'd say.

[laklak]

It's not like we haven't asked them nicely. Every couple of years they come out from under their rocks and say "You know all those problems? If you give us another 5 mils on property tax and 1% on sales tax it will fix it ALL!" So we give it to them, and they blow the money on bullshit like giving massive developers huge tax breaks to come build another 10,000 McMansions on the wetlands and continue to rape and destroy MY home, or subsidize sugar growers so they can destroy the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. Then they come back two years later with their cap in their hand, saying "you know, we couldn't fix those problems with what we got, we need more". All we've done here is add another BIG step to their extortion racket process, one they'll only rarely be able to pass. Once enough people get pissed off at the potholes or red tide or green algae blooms maybe they'll fucking listen for once.

[Tero]

Get some Democrats in. They'll move everybody off the coast, cause you will be underwater. You can just keep some movable docks for the boats.

[laklak]

I don't know, we tried Democrats for like 100 years.

[pErvinalia]

Then they need to stop spending so much money on nonsense like $65.000.000 bike trails.

Well I'd have to see the actual reality of the proposal, but I think it's safe to say you waste way more money on military spending than you do on tourism spending. If you aren't willing to cut your defence budget back to sane levels, then you are going to need higher taxes address your staggering deficit and debt. Two things which are going to eventually smash your economy far more than tax increases.

Florida's military budget is probably quite miniscule. Billion bucks tops for the cops, I'd say.

I'm talking about as a nation, which Florida, like all states, will have to play their part.

[pErvinalia]

It's not like we haven't asked them nicely. Every couple of years they come out from under their rocks and say "You know all those problems? If you give us another 5 mils on property tax and 1% on sales tax it will fix it ALL!" So we give it to them, and they blow the money on bullshit like giving massive developers huge tax breaks to come build another 10,000 McMansions on the wetlands and continue to rape and destroy MY home, or subsidize sugar growers so they can destroy the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. Then they come back two years later with their cap in their hand, saying "you know, we couldn't fix those problems with what we got, we need more". All we've done here is add another BIG step to their extortion racket process, one they'll only rarely be able to pass. Once enough people get pissed off at the potholes or red tide or green algae blooms maybe they'll fucking listen for once.

Get out there and protest, then. Nothing will happen while you sit on your arses.

[Hermit]

Then they need to stop spending so much money on nonsense like $65.000.000 bike trails.

Well I'd have to see the actual reality of the proposal, but I think it's safe to say you waste way more money on military spending than you do on tourism spending. If you aren't willing to cut your defence budget back to sane levels, then you are going to need higher taxes address your staggering deficit and debt. Two things which are going to eventually smash your economy far more than tax increases.

Florida's military budget is probably quite miniscule. Billion bucks tops for the cops, I'd say.

I'm talking about as a nation, which Florida, like all states, will have to play their part.

Laklak wasn't.

[laklak]

They're funded separately. Federal taxes pay for Federal shit, state taxes for state shit, county for county. Cities each have their own tax base, and some up north like New York City have their own income tax. Military budget comes out of the Fed's bucket, though states pay a portion of their National Guard costs. Not much I can do about Federal spending, but I can vote to limit Florida's.

[Tero]

Yeah why pay tax when you can tax tourists?

[laklak]

Oh, we do. We tax damn near anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies. 14% tourist tax on hotel rooms, we have to pay it if we rent anything out for under 6 months and 1 day. Therefore all leases are for 6 months and 1 day, even if they're staying for a week. Then they break the "lease".

[pErvinalia]

Then they need to stop spending so much money on nonsense like $65.000.000 bike trails.

Well I'd have to see the actual reality of the proposal, but I think it's safe to say you waste way more money on military spending than you do on tourism spending. If you aren't willing to cut your defence budget back to sane levels, then you are going to need higher taxes address your staggering deficit and debt. Two things which are going to eventually smash your economy far more than tax increases.

Florida's military budget is probably quite miniscule. Billion bucks tops for the cops, I'd say.

I'm talking about as a nation, which Florida, like all states, will have to play their part.

Laklak wasn't.

It doesn't matter. The principle is still the same. If you want balanced budgets and the services people expect, then you'll have to raise taxes. Continually cutting taxes in a race to the bottom is suicide.