legalize pot

[DSouthr]

You, sir, deserve a medal! WOW! Perfectly stated! I agree completely. Maybe you should run for office! You have definitely hit the nail on the head. We do blame too much and then with the "sides" we tend to take to see which one screws up the most, it just allows more and more of the BS to happen. I love everything you said! Thumbs up x1000000

Thank you, very kind words but I am just talking common sense and business. I confess, I really wish I could run for office but that takes money that i do not have. But what I have stated is nothing that any business person not influenced by agendas of special interests could easily come up with. We need a common sense approach and we need our government run like what it is, a huge business that makes solid business decisions. Not this insanity of feel good politicians that pander to you and then work their own agendas driven by those special interests that donate millions to the politicians.

 

[chick_bleeds_carolina_blue]

May be but this is not some other 3rd world country, at least it isn't yet. Our standard should be much higher and in truth the results should be much higher than they are. Our government gets in the way much more than it fixes anything and that should work just the opposite way, it can work just the opposite way when our tax dollars are properly spent.

For example, the feds should make sure the inner city and rural area schools are safe places to learn and outfitted with the technology available in areas where higher income parents send their kids. The feds should stop allowing unions to force bad teachers to be able to keep their jobs. And then the feds should get out of the K-12 educational system and allow the states to run their schools systems day to day.

Here is just 2 examples of huge wastes of your tax dollars.

1) A tax system that has no way to tax the under ground economy so it over taxes those honest citizens working honest jobs every day. You can NEVER have a fair tax system if it is based on you reporting 100% of what you earn. So the ONLY fair way to tax is based on what you buy, not what you earn. Imagine if everyone were taxed on what they bought as opposed to what they say they earn, our revenues would explode, we could strongly reduce the tax rates and knock down the national debt (which has to be a HUGE goal) in a few short years, rebuild our infrastructure, rebuild our military that we have seen destroyed by the current POTUS. and solve the education problem we have.

2) By the time this election is over, how much of our tax money will go toward the election of politicians? In both federal matching funds as well as tax deductions for those donating to politician campaigns? Why do we spend our tax dollars for a politician to get a job? Your tax money, not one dime of it should be used for politicians to get a job, I mean think about it, total waste to pay for people to get a job that turn around and lie tpo us anyway and do a piss poor job at that job? STOP IT !

Ya see, we do things backwards in this country and when you do that you are always going to get the opposite result from what you want. example, we put in place Obamacare and forced everyone to buy health insurance no matter if they could afford it or not. What should have happened is the cost of medical treatment and drugs should have been worked on first, take down the cost side first. Then we should have worked with the insurance companies to drive down the cost of health insurance because the cost of medical services and drugs would have been reduced strongly. But the government, rather than do this the smart and cost effective way forced on us a program that we can not afford, not as a country and certainly not as individual house holds. So rather than helping us all they did was give us yet another burden, the opposite of what should have happened.

I do not see how anyone could argue with any of that. Seriously, you should run for office!

 

[DSouthr]

You misunderstood my point entirely. My point is, if I get to where my tax burden is too high, and welfare monies is part of that reason, then I will no longer be able to give to the charities I currently do at the same rate or at all. And this is because I am not left with a choice to opt out of one of them on my own. My donations to food drives and churches has zero to do with blaming those who scam the system, however they do burden the system and make it worse for everyone else. And to that end they aren't exactly blameless for the higher tax burdens, they do share some responsibility as I believe they know the difference between right and wrong. However I would agree with you that the govt is the biggest single factor in where we are with this mess and the money wasted on it.

I not only understand but I agree, yes, those scamming the system do burden it. My point is fix the underneath it all problem and the symptoms of that problem goes away, the many scamming the system is a symptom, not the base problem that needs fixing. You can lock up 1,000 people today for scamming the system and you will have a thousand more take their place. All that does is burden an already over burdened prison system with more people that really should not be in prisons. We can't afford to waste money fixing symptoms, we have to spend our money fixing the base problems and the symptoms will go away on their own.

 

[strummingram]

I really wish I could run for office but that takes money that i do not have.

And, therein lies the truth. That is why we aren't, and never were, a truly "Free Society." Money, and it's power and influence, offer some freedom. It offers enough freedom to keep people placated. Maybe that's the best we get.

 

[heelmanwilm]

And, therein lies the truth. That is why we aren't, and never were, a truly "Free Society." Money, and it's power and influence, offer some freedom. It offers enough freedom to keep people placated. Maybe that's the best we get.

I actually think the stage is set for a "virtual candidate" to make sme noise in an election. Just think, the way things can go viral and spread for free like wild fire. Imagine a candidate who captures a grass roots type of appeal and campaigns on social media with little money. Its gonna happen.

 

[DSouthr]

And, therein lies the truth. That is why we aren't, and never were, a truly "Free Society." Money, and it's power and influence, offer some freedom. It offers enough freedom to keep people placated. Maybe that's the best we get.

Yeah, that is part of the problem but to me I have to question, here we are yet again in a presidential election year. We have multiple news outlets 24/7 and yet we have little to no national dialog on the more common sense aspects of what is broken that really
has to be fixed.

We are to worried about who Donald Trump just insulted or what brand of hot sauce Hillary carries in her purse? Who the hell cares? We have pollsters out there that drive their own agendas by selecting who they ask questions to and how they ask those questions and then they point to the results of their latest poll to say this is how the citizens really feel?

I think the national media verges on the definition of treason in my mind. If they truely wanted to help this become a better nation we would have a national dialog with every day citizens discussing what people see and feel about this country and every day discussions of what we can do to fix it. A forum like this is great but it reaches what, maybe 5 people willing to read thru it and engage in reasonable discussion? The vast majority don't seem to care, they all about bitchin about things but rather thank think they want someone to do it for them.

Ya know, I find it funny and a bit sad that young people seem to worship Bernie, when the dude for the most part is total kook? He wants free this and free that and his only way of paying for it is to raise the taxes on the rich and he justifies that by saying they have more than they deserve? Who the heck is he to say you or anyone else has more than they deserve? He is a frickin socialist and he is running against a frinkin communist (Hillary, wants the government to run everything). It amazes me either are candidates to be our next president. At least Trump has run a successful business and is talking about issues we have to address.

 

[strummingram]

I actually think the stage is set for a "virtual candidate" to make sme noise in an election. Just think, the way things can go viral and spread for free like wild fire. Imagine a candidate who captures a grass roots type of appeal and campaigns on social media with little money. Its gonna happen.

Anything is possible. People are innovative.

Politicians are professionals, however. They have it way too good to get off that gravy train.

 

[UNC '92]

I not only understand but I agree, yes, those scamming the system do burden it...

Pardon me, but that was never my point I was trying to make.

I said:

Is that a fact? I am pissed about my money being used for food stamps under their past and current processes. However I still give through food drives and through the church. I wouldn't think of not doing it unless there comes a time that I am financially unable to do so. And by doing all of this I run into people just like me, unhappy about their tax burdens.

You replied:

This line of thinking is very strong today in this country but I think it is misplaced. We focus on those that do abuse the system but that isn't really the problem...

To which I replied:

...My point is, if I get to where my tax burden is too high, and welfare monies is part of that reason, then I will no longer be able to give to the charities I currently do at the same rate or at all.

So nowhere in my original poast am I taking sides over whose fault it is nor do I blame any party. I am just saying I don't like the way it works and if my burden gets higher, I may no longer contribute the way I do. I agree with most of what you are saying, you just used the wrong poast as an example for your point.

 

[DSouthr]

I actually think the stage is set for a "virtual candidate" to make sme noise in an election. Just think, the way things can go viral and spread for free like wild fire. Imagine a candidate who captures a grass roots type of appeal and campaigns on social media with little money. Its gonna happen.

Actually, isn't that kinda what Trump is? He has spent far less on his campaign, using mostly free media ops and social media. And he has kind of tapped in to the every day persons frustrations at the way things have been run for to long. I actually think part of his appeal is that he is not seen as a refined politician but more one that listens and understands what every day joe & Joans see and feel.

 

[heelmanwilm]

I actually think the stage is set for a "virtual candidate" to make sme noise in an election. Just think, the way things can go viral and spread for free like wild fire. Imagine a candidate who captures a grass roots type of appeal and campaigns on social media with little money. Its gonna happen.

Actually what a great movie idea! Guy goes on a fb rant, goes viral, people want more, he posts more on twitter. News picks it up and he appears on tv, his message continues spreading and he winds up a legit 3rd party candidate. Of course for intrigue hollywood woukd have the evil right wing candidate (played by an actor who allows plays the evil villain) try to knock off the guy while the dem candidate (played by danny glover) realizes the error of his big political ways and comes to his rescue.

 

[DSouthr]

Pardon me, but that was never my point I was trying to make.

I said:


You replied:


To which I replied:


So nowhere in my original poast am I taking sides over whose fault it is nor do I blame any party. I am just saying I don't like the way it works and if my burden gets higher, I may no longer contribute the way I do. I agree with most of what you are saying, you just used the wrong poast as an example for your point.

I kinda felt like I was agreed with you and simply expanding the discussion. I did not say this as a counter in any way of what you stated but rather agreement and some add on? I get it, if your tax burden increases it will effect how much you can donate by choice. That was easy to understand, I was just wanting to see your tax burden decreased so your ability to donate is not decreased.

But the fact is there is a growing sentiment in this country by those already feeling over burdened by their tax rate to look at those scamming the system negatively and not so much looking at the underlying problem. Ah, that person in line in front of me at the grocery store buys all those prime cuts of meat and all I can afford is that cheap sirloin and pays for them with food stamps and then has a bunch of stuff they paid cash for because food stamps don't pay for some things. They actually went to a debit card system for food stamps in part due to people getting very upset at what they saw when folks brought out food stamp books? here were fights that broke out at grocery store check outs over this.

 

[UNC '92]

I kinda felt like I was agreed with you and simply expanding the discussion. I did not say this as a counter in any way of what you stated but rather agreement and some add on? I get it, if your tax burden increases it will effect how much you can donate by choice. That was easy to understand, I was just wanting to see your tax burden decreased so your ability to donate is not decreased.

But the fact is there is a growing sentiment in this country by those already feeling over burdened by their tax rate to look at those scamming the system negatively and not so much looking at the underlying problem. Ah, that person in line in front of me at the grocery store buys all those prime cuts of meat and all I can afford is that cheap sirloin and pays for them with food stamps and then has a bunch of stuff they paid cash for because food stamps don't pay for some things. They actually went to a debit card system for food stamps in part due to people getting very upset at what they saw when folks brought out food stamp books? here were fights that broke out at grocery store check outs over this.

I see what you are saying now. I understand why someone gets upset when they see a person misusing their tax dollars, folks are like that. But you are right, that's small potatoes as opposed to where the real anger should be directed.

 

[DSouthr]

I see what you are saying now. I understand why someone gets upset when they see a person misusing their tax dollars, folks are like that. But you are right, that's small potatoes as opposed to where the real anger should be directed.

EXACTLY the point I was trying to make !

 

[HeelFan58]

Ok. So they struggle. Life is not meant to be without struggle. Some have it worse than others. That's life. It's character building. But I see why there is less character now than in previous times - because people are so afraid of "struggle".

liberalism means nobody should struggle and nobody should ever be offended , well no liberal should ever be offended.

 

[HeelFan58]

Or hookers and blow.

you are obviously into cheap hookers and low grade blow.

 

[JuleZ '02 HEEL]

you are obviously into cheap hookers and low grade blow.

Who isn't these days what with obummercare and all this lib'rul taxes?

 

[tarheel0910]

you are obviously into cheap hookers and low grade blow.

And that's a bad thing?

 

[JuleZ '02 HEEL]

Scumbags!

 

[HeelFan58]

And that's a bad thing?

never said that. a man after my own heart and change that to cheap blow and hookers and high quality condoms.

 

[HeelFan58]

All this talk about legalizing pot but is there a single rep or senator championing this? There maybe I'm just asking cause if there is then his voice is soft.