Obama Calls Tax-Cuts Deal the 'Right Thing to Do'; Many Democrats Disagree

I am an independent, retired senior citizen, and very distressed over the deal with the republicans. Unfortunately, our presdident sees fit to allow the Republicans to dictate fiscal policy at the expense of the nation. The provisons of the deal (extending the tax cuts, reducing payroll taxes and the extension of unemployment) add substantially to an already out of control deficit. Exactly, the wrong thing to do!!! My wife and I have a total retirement of $65,000; we do have some qualifying capital gains for the lower rates. However, we would be willing to forgo the extension of the tax breaks for the good of the country and to reduce the deficit. The republicans' main goal is to keep the tax break for multi-millionaires in which category many of them fall. Our Presdident seems to be going along he says to maintain the tax breaaks for the middle class but at a major increase in the deficit. The suggestion that the extension is only a two year extension is intellectually dishonest. We all know that in two years, the Republicans will find a way to permanently extend the tax breaks. regretfully, my support for President Obama is at an end. I want to make clear, I am not a liberal by any stretch. Considering the politicians now in power, I say God help our nation and our children. For short-term political gains our president and the republicans are sacrificing the future of our nation and our children. I can only hope that those democrats and republicans with the interest of the nation in mind find a way to kill this crazy deal.

I want fairness p that's all I want. All these "agreements" and deals always benefit some more than others. That's what really ticks me off. We should all pay the same rate. It's fair.

If they are so desperate for work, why are so many of the unemployment offices and employment agencies supplying data that confirms that people are not taking jobs until they are at the end of their unemployment check cycle and then magically, finding positions?

Tax cuts help pay the mortgage brother!

Both Democrats and Republican share the blame. I support keeping tax cuts for below 250K. I did not compeltely understand everything that was discussed regarding small business and taxes;I am for encouraging small business. I am also for taxing the really rich. People don't have to make millions and billions to have a comfortable living standard. The problem is greed!!!!! I live in an area where jobs are not to be had unless you know someone who CAN hire you. I am disqualified for unemployment benefits because I have an injury; one has to be physically able to accept a fulltime job offer. I tried to get into a retraining problem. I have two college degrees already. My efforts were a failure; people I contacted were ignorant of a state retraining initiative, etc. My husband has three college degrees and works partime jobs. He has been doing this for ten years+/-.So some of you should not assume what you think is the answer is feasible.

what about the other 300 million americans that are getting screwed Think before you vote next time

This will be where the rubber meets the road as far as the tea party is concerned. According to them they sent repubs to DC to bring spending and the deficit under control. Well about 700 billion was just added to it with the blessings of the republicans. This is democracy in action, folks! From now on we need to work together to get things done. Too long it has been republicans v. democrats in gridlock while Rome burns and rest of the world passes us by.

So essentially what the government is going to do is keep spending, keep printing money, keep government entitlements going and keep those people who actually pay income taxes from getting even more aggrevated. Wow! What a bold new approach to leadership.

Its for reasons like this that I plan to retire outside of this country with in the next 5 to 8 years. I think that most if not all of these problems are a result of the USA being in recline. If we are still a world leading country, and I'm not too sure we still are, we won't be within the next 10 to 15 years. Through out history, no empire has ever lasted much more than 200 years. We as a nation have had our run. Evidence of this is all around us. Just one example is the disappearing middle class. In third world countries, typically about 90% of the population are poor, about 8% are middle class, and about 2% are wealthy. We'll be there before you know it. I think the beginning of the eny started sometime inbetween the events of 9/11/01 and the governments condoning of torture of POWs. With a Republican party that is only for big business and nothing else, and a Democratic party that has no backbone, I don't see a change in course anytime within our lifetimes.

It has been pointed out that many of those who are now getting years of unemployment could use that time to further their educations, increasing the likelihood of qualifying for a job. There are a multitude of educational opportunities out there - colleges and universitites, technical schools, training programs, etc. What is apparent to me is that few are taking advantage of these resources, and are just content to sit with their hands out, quite happy to have a free ride on the taxpayers' backs. If necessary, one takes a lower paying job, perhaps even more than one, and then looks to improve and advance, either through education and/or industriousness. I see many lower paying jobs going wanting because many find it easier to just collect unemployment checks and vociferously complain about the many injustices they have had to endure.