As Shutdown Looms, Both Parties Are Still Ignoring the BIG Issues

If Congress would forget about the special interest groups that own them for 5 minutes they could solve these problems. It is hard to take care of our sugar daddies and do the right thing.

They are bickering about 0.8%. That's less than 1% of the total budget. Of course it is a sham!! American people better wake up soon or it's lights out America.

14 years ago, the Federal Government's size was 1.7 trillion.

The deficit for FYE ending 9/30/11 will be (1.7) Trillion.

What a disgrace, complete and utter disgrace.

Americans don't know or are in denial.

Here' s an angle...make a rule that the house and senate members pay for their own health insurance and reduce their retirement the same as most retired teachers must live on, and recieve a 1 percent raise each year based on their original award. They could also contribute to their own retirement fund out of their salery. Let them
invest and buy IRA'S or mutual funds OUT OF THEIR SALERY..Maybe if they had to plan like the rest of the work force, they would feel like it was a job that they were selected to do, rather than an extended vacation to God knows where on the tax payers. They may become curious when they see that their health insurance co's stock sells for $45 a share . I know.. If I was so smart, why did I not become a politician? 1931 was a slim year to be born. " Thirty years too soon "

Someone please correct me if I am wrong. In 2010 the Govenment recieved 2.2 trillion in tax and spent 3.5 trillion. A shortfall of 1.3 trillion. The governmnet wants to spend 3.7 trillion this year which will have a shortfall of 1.5 trillion (it is possible that since the economy is a little better tax reciepts could be 2.3 trillion). WHAT I AM GETTING AT IS THAT THEY ARE FIGHTING OVER CUTTING WHETHER TO CUT 30 BILLION OR 60 BILLION WHEN THE SHORTFALL IS 1500 BILLION (OR 1.5 TRILLION). It's like thinking you can pay your 15 hundred dollar rent with 60 bucks.

Who in the world do those "representatives" think they are? I am so sick and tired of excuses for why they cannot cut the budget! When Joe Q. Public has less money coming into the household, he MUST tighten his belt - eat peanut butter and jelly instead of steak.

It's time to grow up and quit printing money. Sure I would like to live like I make $100K, but I don't because I can't afford the debt. Why do our "representatives" ignore the people who elect them?? Because they think they can. Wake up America!

It is going to get worse before it gets better. Every American is going to have to be willing to sacrifice - very few are willing. In general, as a whole, the entire mentality of the country will have to change and get away from the consumeristic "I want it all, and I want it now" state of mind. Politicians are just a magnified relfection of the average American attitude. If you disagree, you're likely part of the problem.

How about once a budget approval is late,no salary for congressmen and senators until a budget is approved. NO retroactive payments either.

If you don't think the deficit and debt is a big issue then you are an idiot

end these dam $ wars

Our country has not had a budget for 18 months and Congress and the Executive branches can not work together to formulate one. Perhaps if these two groups were not being paid and were told they would not get paid again until they got together on a budget something would shortly get resolved.

republicans wont budge on defense.
democrats wont budge on medicare/medicaid.
neither party is talking about social security reform.
all of us have to pay interest on the debt.
those FIVE things account for 95% of the debt.

Everything is getting better here folks, don't worry - no need to panic! We are merely experiencing the effects of a jobless recovery. All is good! Please continue shopping and paying taxes.

This is a test. For the next one hundred and twenty months, the United States Federal government will be conducting a test of the Emergency Economic Response System.

This is only a test.

If this had been an actual economic emergency you would have been instructed what to do and what to buy.

Furthermore, if this had been an actual economic emergency you would have not been able to find immediate re-employment, denied any unemployment benefit extensions, been asphyxiated by taxes and inflation, and would be losing your homes and other/all personal properties to foreclosure, repossession and other legal proceeding brought against you by your friendly neighborhood banking institutions.

Again, do not panic! This is only a test���

Just the fact that since the 70's we knew we very going to be held hostage by the Middle East countries because of oil and CONGRESS DID NOTHING ABOUT IT is enough proof that our congress does not guts to do what is best for the country, even on major issues. I hope you are not surprised they have not changed. I will NEVER vote of a congress person who has had two terms in office until laws have been enacted to insure that the US attains energy independence and major deficit reduction. NEVER.

Raise taxes and crash the economy so we can afford a few extra foreign wars. Three wars just isn't enough...Most falling empires are fighting at least half a dozen wars by the time they go bankrupt.

Trillions of dollars short and the Republicans want to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood and NPR radio? Please....that's polical peanuts!

Stop with the crap and stop spending on those things that will actually save money:

To whomever thinks Donald Trump would make a good president is an idiot. By no means is he a good business man. Is he good at promoting himself... yes. Good with business... no. He started on daddy's money and has been in the right place at the right time since. Money makes money, even if you are a @#$%. I could not take listening to that arrogant @#$% toot his own horn. Could you imagine how big his ego would swell?

You want a true civil servant, then research Ron Paul. He is the only REAL rep that I know of. Today's dem's spend too much on garbage in house and rep's spend too much overseas. Either way they both spend too much! Aside from the current idiots in office, the uninformed/ignorant voting public is the biggest threat to this country; period.

The problem is not government. The problem is the people in government.
This problem is created by the voters.

Or we could bring our troops home --- from Germany!

Is there anyway to throw out all members of Congress for non performance? A mass special election and throw all these bums out. Then pass term limits, no lobbyist, and public campaign financing.