newsobserver.com projects - debt - Comments

Re: N.C. debt, 2000-2008

ashleealisa22 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:54:21 -0400

Learn from another state. Why not try legalizing marijuana, because you know its never leaving. Then the government can tax it and pay off the DEBT that is increasing yearly. I will feel better knowing the government is selling it safetly by not selling to ages over 21 like alcohol. Also knowing the government is selling it stops from people being tricked into other drugs because their marijuana was laced. A excellent thing to think about look at other areas where it is legal and look and how much they don't owe.

Re: Who are the Blue Dog Democrats?

kttechwriter — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:21:36 -0400

Let's be honest here. These so-called "Blue Dogs" aren't really all that conservative. They are still in the party of Pelosi and still vote for her for Speaker of the House. They still vote, on most major issues, the way she tells them to. Sure, there are exceptions.

Shuler talks a good game, but instead of a blue dog whip, he's just a whipped lap dog.

It's too bad, because I enjoyed watching him throw touchdowns at the University of Tennessee. Too bad he is now throwing our money away in Congress.

If any of these folks were true conservatives, they would change parties. 'Nuff said.

Re: ASU economist: Too much in '10

scharrison — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:49:15 -0500

Okay, I agree with a lot of what Harry says, although forcing more than the 30% this year might not even be possible.

But I do have a couple of observations for Harry. If the TARP funds hadn't been stuck between the bankers' mattresses, we might not be having this conversation right now. We (the taxpayers) bought preferred stock, in order to inject capital into the financial system, so the banks would (in turn) inject that capital into the economy. We're not, uh, seeing a whole lot of "injecting" going on, so maybe Harry should get the Association together and explain to them that they can't make money if they don't spend said money.

And the second observation I have for Harry is: talk to Mike Walden about the Chinese/Japanese buying up the T-bills thing. See, he's worried that Wall Street is going to buy them up, and this will "crowd out" other investments that they're, um, not making right now.

Re: U.S. debt has increased $3.3t since '03

tangoz — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:00:47 -0400

Please keep the lies to a minimum Bat. At no time did Stevens mentor Palin. Again, stop with the smears unless you have factual proof backed up by multiple sources. I know it is hard for you but please try.

Palin gas gone against Murkowski and Murkowski's daughter, both protoges of Stevens not Palin.

Re: U.S. debt has increased $3.3t since '03

zoobatmania — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:41:01 -0400

My fault, it was only ~$5 Trillion.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE3DA163BF93AA15751C1A9669C8B63

As for the Obama/Biden "vote". Was it on a single piece of legislation or was it tied in with an entire transportation bill? Stuck in there by Palin's mentor Ted Stevens.

Re: U.S. debt has increased $3.3t since '03

tangoz — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:18:55 -0400

10 trillion surplus? Where did you get that from? I seriously want to know because i cannot stand pork barrel earmarks. And we need to pay down the total debt and not spend more than we take in.

BTW: Obama and Biden voted for the money "earmark" for that bridge to nowhere. Can Obama and Biden say hypocrite LOL.

Please mention the surplus.

zoobatmania — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:14:33 -0400

You can't talk about this without talking about how there was supposed to be a $10 Trillion surplus. So, Dole's support of Bush policies has actually caused a $15 Trillion negative downturn.

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

JohnHood — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:36:40 -0400

I understand what your task is here, Ryan. I was just observing that differentiating between the Southeast and the Deep South/Gulf Coast is hardly bizarre.

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:18:57 -0400

Word choice matters. If you want to say we have "one of the highest rates" in the Southeast, I've got no problem with that. If you want to define the Southeast in a way that most people would agree with, same deal. If you want to say we have the highest tax rate of our bordering states, or the Atlantic South Coast or whatever, again no problem.

The goal of the Claims Department is not to evaluate who has the best tax plan etc. etc. but to determine if the claims made in an ad are true.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

JohnHood — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:17:03 -0400

Ryan,

I know you explored many different definitions of the Southeast, and regional delineations are debatable, but JLF's use of the term "Southeast" to describe the Southern coast of the U.S. is hardly "bizarre." Plenty of folks distinguish between the Virginia-to-Florida region, called various things, and the Deep South. The two groups have distinguishable political and economic cultures (as I learned a couple of decades ago in a class taught by John Shelton Reed, as it happens). For example, check out how the election-projection site FiveThirtyEight.com groups the states:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

And you'll see that their "South Coast" grouping includes VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL and their "Gulf Coast" grouping includes the Deep South states of AL, MS, LA, and TX. They then chose to put Arkansas and Tennessee into a "Highlands" group that includes border states. I think it makes more sense to group the former into the Deep South and the latter into the Southeast, but neither choice should be seen as "bizarre."

I also don't think the issue matters all that much. If politicians said NC has "one of the highest tax burdens in the Southeast" or "South," they would be stating the truth.

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:33:20 -0400

Interesting point. Thanks for sharing.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

scharrison — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:30:37 -0400

"During those five years, the state's overall debt went from $3.5 billion to $6.9 billion"

I've never been a big fan of debt Ryan, but until the economy does a turnaround, you're going to see (most) individual states' debt burdens rising. As a matter of fact, it is (or should be) one of the components used to determine the total tax burden per state, because in the absence of an economic turnaround, those bonds will have to be covered by increasing revenue or cutting spending.

It's also how many states get away with keeping their tax burden (relatively) low compared to their neighbors. If you examine the per capita debt burden for Virginia ($2,049) and South Carolina ($2,661), you'll see they're higher than North Carolina ($1,653). These stats are from 2005 and may have changed some, but you get the picture. Some of our neighbors (have been) borrowing more than we have, and that burden rests on the shoulders of each states' citizens.

JLF knows this and chose to ignore it, which is just one more example of their partisan bent.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/state_local_govt_finances_employment/state_government_finances.html

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:01:58 -0400

It is bizarre. Get out a map and color in the states they're using for this analysis. What's the definition of Southeast: States that were part of the Confederacy and border the Atlantic but not the Gulf of Mexico exclusively and/or are a major capital for country music? Look, there are a number of combinations of states that they could have used that are defensible, but this one is not.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:57:15 -0400

Language, please.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

Indy1776 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:51:42 -0400

But your use of the word "bizarre" is more than semantics. It shows a slanted view.