Is a balanced budget amendment to the constitution a good idea?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The warnings continue that if the debt ceiling isn't raised by August 2, the U.S. could default on its debt obligations. That's less than a month away. If it happens, this already weak economy could get its legs knocked out from under it.
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On Thursday, the top two leaders from each party in the House and Senate will meet with President Barack Obama in the White House to talk about reaching a final agreement. Good luck.
Nothing much has changed - Republicans want spending cuts and no tax increases. Democrats want to avoid steep cuts to social services and get rid of tax breaks for wealthier Americans. No reason to expect one side or the other is suddenly going to say, "You're right. Let's do it your way."
And to complicate matters further, there is a growing group of Senate and House Republicans who say their vote to increase the debt ceiling would be contingent on caps on federal spending as well as the passage of a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget every year.
It might sound good, but it would be an uphill battle. Amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate. In other words, if all 47 Republican senators support the measure, 20 more Democrats would have to join them. And even if it passed the House and Senate, the measure then would have to be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures, which could take years.
Critics of a balanced budget amendment say the results could be disastrous as the population of this country ages and relies more heavily on social services. The Senate and House versions of the legislation require a balanced budget starting in 2018, but both also mandate how it must be done. Federal spending would be capped at 18% of the gross domestic product - that spells major cuts. And two-thirds of Congress would have to vote to approve any tax increase.
That may be difficult math to do down the road. And as usual, they are talking about "down the road."
Here’s my question to you: Is a balanced budget amendment to the constitution a good idea?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Why is America becoming nastier?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
When former Utah governor and U.S. ambassador to China Jon Huntsman announced he is running for president earlier today, he promised a campaign of civility. Huntsman told the crowd, "I don't think you need to run down anyone's reputation to run for president."
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We'll see how long that lasts.
According to a new survey on civility and behavior in America released exclusively to Politico,com, 85% of Americans think politics in this country has become increasingly uncivil. And nearly three-quarters think things will get nastier as we get deeper into the 2012 presidential race. That's probably a pretty good bet.
But it's not just politics where America's gotten nastier. Eight-six percent of Americans say they have been treated uncivilly recently - most commonly while driving or shopping. Sixty percent say they themselves have been rude to someone else.
Also in the survey, Americans were asked to rank 25 U.S. institutions from least civil to most civil. Political campaigns were the least civil, followed by pop culture, then the media, government and at No. 5, the music industry. But the sixth least civil institution? The American public. Seventy percent of those surveyed said the public wasn't civil.
And that says a lot about our society. If we can't treat each other nicely, how can we ever expect to get this country back on its feet?
Here’s my question to you: Why is America becoming nastier?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Why are there more U.S. troops on South Korea's border than on our own border?
(PHOTO CREDIT: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The 1,200 National Guard troops deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico will stay in place until September, a Homeland Security spokesman said late last week. The troops were scheduled to leave June 30th. But a sheriff in southern Arizona calls the move "pandering" on the part of the Obama Administration. That number, he says, falls far short of what's needed to keep the country safe.
Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County in southern Arizona went on to compare the number of troops we have along the U.S. border with Mexico to the more than 28-thousand U.S. troops stationed along the South Korean border with North Korea. The 1,200 guardsmen aid a little more than 20-thousand border agents along the Mexico border, and it's just not enough. For Babeu, who has been named Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriffs Association, illegal immigrants, drug smuggling, and human trafficking are commonplace in his county. He knows what's needed to protect the border and it's far more than the federal government has been willing to do.
The sheriff's statement comes at a time when Senator John McCain is under fire for some comments he made about immigration over the weekend. After touring the scene of the devastating wildfires in his state, McCain told reporters that there was "substantial evidence" that some of the fires were caused by illegal immigrants. McCain went on to say, "The answer to that part of the problem is to get a secure border."
Senator Jon Kyl and Congressmen Jeff Flake and Paul Gosar, also Republicans from Arizona, released a joint statement backing up what McCain said. But immigrants' rights groups have jumped all over McCain, accusing him of using illegal immigrants as scapegoats.
Here’s my question to you: Why are there more U.S. troops on South Korea's border than on our own border?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
As Memorial Day approaches, how do you feel about your country?
An Army colonel places a flag at the foot of a military member's gravestone in Arlington National Cemetery. Placing of flags is part of the traditions celebrated for the Memorial Day national holiday. (PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, I got to wondering what those who gave their life for this country would think if they could see us now.
We don't remember those folks like we probably should. There will be parades here and there… but many of us will head for the malls, the beaches, and the barbecues. Little more than a passing thought will be given to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can continue to do those things.
As we head into another summer, the nation is broke and fighting three wars.
The federal government is broken, maybe beyond repair.
We passed the debt ceiling and nothing has been done. When we approach default in August, will anything be done then?
Another election campaign is starting. More empty promises and mud slinging designed to suck us in one more time to the belief that this time, somehow, it's going to be better.
It isn't and it probably won't be, but when you look around, it's still the last, best chance on earth.
At least for awhile longer.
Here’s my question to you: As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, how do you feel about your country?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What does it mean that 25 percent of retirees in the U.S. say their savings are all gone?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If you think talk on Capitol Hill over reducing our deficit and raising the debt ceiling has been ugly - just wait until the focus shifts to making cuts to Medicare or raising the retirement age for Social Security.
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Long-term deficit reduction can't be achieved without reforms to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and the politicians know that. But millions of Americans depend on these programs and, as the Baby Boomer population ages, tens of millions more will, too.
A new survey out from the AARP finds many Americans in retirement or close to retirement age won't ever recover financially from the so-called Great Recession. Record job losses, declining home prices, skyrocketing health care costs and investment portfolios rocked by stock market volatility have all played a role.
One in four Americans over the age of 50 says they have burned through all of their savings. More than half, or about 53 percent, say they are not confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement.
And about half of those surveyed who are having problems taking care of their finances say they have delayed getting medical or dental care or even stopped taking medications because they simply can't afford to.
Of those surveyed who started to collect Social Security retirement benefits, more than two-thirds say they did so earlier than previously planned.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean that 25 percent of retirees in the U.S. say their savings are all gone?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Does the next generation have a shot at the American Dream?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
We've got huge problems with money and debt in this country right now.
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Unemployment is still relatively high with good paying jobs continuing to be scarce.
The housing market is still terrible. Home values are down on the year and a record number of properties are in foreclosure.
Banks now own 872,000 homes, according to the New York Times. That’s twice as many as in 2007. And they are in the process of foreclosing on about a million more. Scary stuff.
But despite all of this, most Americans believe the American Dream is alive and well, according to the Pew Economic Mobility Project.
Sixty-eight percent of Americans say they have achieved or will achieve the American Dream.
But the poll also found that less than one-third of Americans think their personal finances are excellent or good.
That number has dropped steadily since the start of the recession and it doesn't bode well for their kids and their kids' kids.
When asked if they thought their children will have a higher standard of living than they currently enjoy, fewer than half of Americans - only 47 percent - said yes.
Just two years ago, 62 percent said their kids will be better off than they are.
And these kids probably don't know what's in store for them.
In a separate poll of kids aged 12 to 17 conducted by Junior Achievement and the Allstate Foundation, only 7 percent think they will be worse off financially than their parents.... 89 percent think they will be the same or better off.
The eternal optimism of youth.
Here’s my question to you: Does the next generation have a shot at the American Dream?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Would terror attack on U.S. make you more or less likely to vote for Pres. Obama?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was in Pakistan today meeting with government and military leaders there in an effort to mend relations between the two nations.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/05/16/art.kerry.pakistan.jpg caption="John Kerry listens to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik prior to a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad."]
Tensions remain high three weeks after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. But Kerry says the U.S. and Pakistan have agreed to cooperate on future terror targets, and Pakistani officials have committed to finding new ways fight terror within that nation's borders.
We'll see about that.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also travel to Pakistan in the coming weeks.
It is part of the Obama Administration's careful balancing act - keep up foreign relations while staying tough on terror; especially as the president's campaign for re-election in 2012 kicks into a higher gear.
President Obama enjoyed a much-needed boost in his approval ratings after the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 1, but according to the latest Gallup poll, his approval ratings have dropped back down to 46 percent - which is where they were prior to the bin Laden raid, and right around the lowest levels of his presidency.
Being tough on terror might be a good strategy for winning over American voters. But it took us ten years to find bin Laden. And what if there is another attack between now and the 2012 election?
Here’s my question to you: Would a terror attack on the U.S. make you more or less likely to vote to re-elect President Obama?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What does it mean that China's economy could surpass U.S.'s in 5 years?
(PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE CLARKE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The year 2016… Mark your calendars.
It's the year the International Monetary Fund projects China's economy will overtake the U.S. economy. Or as Brett Arends, a columnist for MarketWatch writes, "The moment when the 'Age of America' will end." He says if the IMF is right, whoever wins the presidency in 2012 will be the last U.S. president to preside over the world's largest economy.
Kind of sad... and kind of scary.
Other forecasters have set the date the U.S. falls to second place a decade later. The IMF projections are based on something called "purchasing power parities," what people in both countries earn and spend domestically. Either way, China will pass us by in a matter of years.
It's just another kick in the stomach to this country's already-battered economy. The job market is still beaten down, the housing market remains horrible, and the federal government still can't agree on how to rein in spending or what to do about a debt ceiling that expires in weeks. Last week, Standard & Poor's announced that it was downgrading the U.S. debt outlook from stable to negative over concerns that the White House and Congress will not be able to agree on a deficit reduction plan for 2012.
Congress is still on Spring Break - perfect.
The Obama administration downplayed the S&P announcement, saying it was political and should not be taken too seriously. They're wrong. The markets took it seriously though. The stock market suffered its biggest one day loss since the threat of a nuclear meltdown in Japan last month. And what'll you bet the White House won't have much to say about this new IMF projection either. It's called whistling past the graveyard.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean that China's economy could surpass the U.S. economy in five years?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Should U.S. be funding Mideast rebel groups?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
In the abstract, it's a noble calling: Support oppressed people's yearning to breath free. Over the years, the United States has made a general practice of coming down on the side of people who are fighting for their freedom. But now that there are a dozen uprisings in the Middle East, it's probably worth taking a closer look to see if it's really that good of an idea.
Syria, for example, has been the scene of unrest since mid-March. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. State Department has secretly financed several Syrian political opposition groups since 2005. The Post reporting was based on diplomatic cables the folks at Wiki-leaks got a hold of. The State Department refused comment on the authenticity of the cables, but a deputy assistant secretary of state said the State Department does not endorse political parties or movements. Baloney.
If you provide aid - military, financial, humanitarian - you do.
In Libya, nobody knows who we are supporting but by participating in NATO-led air strikes, we're supporting someone. And as tensions continue to rise in Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, and elsewhere, we may want to exercise caution about who we are getting into bed with...
Oh, and the other part is we don't have any money. We really don't have any money. And for people in this country who have been unemployed for years, can't find a job and are faced with the thought of their unemployment benefits running out, telling them we're giving cash to a shadowy poorly organized dysfunctional group of malcontents in some faraway middle eastern country ain't going to go down so well.
Here’s my question to you: Should the U.S. be funding rebel groups in the Middle East?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Should states require drug tests for public assistance?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Twenty-seven U.S. states, as red as Arizona and Georgia and as blue as New York and California, may soon be adding another requirement for those applying for aid such as unemployment or welfare: Being clean.
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More than half the states in this country are considering legislation that would require recipients of public assistance to pass a drug test before getting their handout from the government.
The details vary from state to state, of course.
A bill in the South Carolina state senate, for example, would suspend unemployment checks to any person who didn't get a job because of a failed drug test. A measure in Arizona would call for random drug testing for all people who receive welfare. In Massachusetts, a bill has been introduced requiring random drug tests for recipients of public assistance who have prior drug convictions. If you fail the drug test, you would be placed by the state into a rehab program because of the state's mandatory health care program.
Of course, if these measures pass, they will likely be opposed by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches. In 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that "suspicionless searches," like many drug tests, violate Fourth Amendment rights, unless those tests are conducted for specific reasons like public safety.
On the other hand, I don't want my tax money being used to buy illegal drugs. And that seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Here’s my question to you: Should states require drug tests in exchange for public assistance?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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