Romney wants to cut Arts and Amtrak

[All Along The Watchtower]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Because it ain't profitable for the private sector.

Anyway, Romney wanting this doesn't surprise me. He's got to endear himself to the Tea Party, and the Tea Party hates anything 'public" that doesn't directly benefit Tea Partiers.

Let me know when he wants to cut defense spending or raise taxes on the super-rich.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Romney might have very well lost my vote here. Arts and Amtrak? What about the DoD and entitlements. Amtrak might bloody well be profitable if it's business model wasn't so messed up. I can take a train from Chicago to Osceola, Iowa to meet it's 4,000 people, but I can't take one to Des Moines? Amtrak needs to stop serving these ridiculous small towns- if they're going to be served, they ought to be under a state regional rail authority.

"SIMFAN CALLS FOR DEEP CUTS TO AMTRAK!!!!"

That is what the headline would say if you were running. Call it a hunch.

More like:

SIMFAN CALLS FOR CUTS TO AMTRAK SERVICES TO SMALL TOWNS, BILLIONS FOR BULLET TRAINS

You really think the media would be that accomadating? You will be lucky if they don't make it sound like you want to shut the whole thing down on sell the trains to China.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Oh boy... Good luck campaigning on that in Michigan and Ohio

How is that? I would think that people in Michigan for example would hate Amtrak because it detracts from vehicle purchasing.

Perhaps so but a lot of the public jobs in that state are on Amtrak, not to mention PA too. Romney will get it from the auto industry too though, as we all know the "let Detroit go bankrupt" thing will likely go back to haunt him.

How will it haunt him when he will be running against the man who actually "let Detroit go bankrupt"?

Ask GM and Chrysler. They will tell you.

I know what they will tell me, and what both Romney and Obama actually did and said regarding this issue. So I will know whether they are factually innaccurate regarding anything on this as well. What do you think they will tell me?

You plan to run a campaign on "My opponent wanted to let Detroit go bankrupt", something which has already happened under the incumbent. It won't work. You have to claim Romney wanted to "shut down or liquidate Detroit" to have something that would work, which is factually innaccurate. The only reason it will work is the propensity for lies to be used successfully as part of campaigns and Obama's people are already doing this regarding a statement about Romneycare being a model for the nation.

If Romney has an excellent spin team (and I wouldn't put it past him especially if he picks up 95% of the Bush people) then that may backfire. However if Obama gets some autoworkers and the car companies to testify on where they would be if they weren't saved and agree to give Romney a hard time then that's where the cookie crumbles. But then again that is what most campaigns work.

The only reason Romney would "need an excellent spin team" is because Obama is so adept at spreading lies and naked misrepresentations. But yes, it all depends on the strength of the campaign if he is nominated.

The simple response to Obama hauling out the layed off employees would be constantly point out that Obama used the same general blueprint that Romney put forth in 2008 to save them, pre-packaged bankruptcy restructuring. Then shift the focus to how Obama waisted precious time and money before using that strategy and very likely thousands of jobs by continuing the pain that much longer.

[Wonkish1]

Truly one of the most amazing things I've read on this forum.  Amazing but not surprising.  Hey Wonkish what financial services company do you work at?  I just want to make sure I don't read any of their research on innovative products coming to market.

Don't worry Link we all know you don't have a dollar to invest anyway!

[Simfan34]

Romney might have very well lost my vote here. Arts and Amtrak? What about the DoD and entitlements. Amtrak might bloody well be profitable if it's business model wasn't so messed up. I can take a train from Chicago to Osceola, Iowa to meet it's 4,000 people, but I can't take one to Des Moines? Amtrak needs to stop serving these ridiculous small towns- if they're going to be served, they ought to be under a state regional rail authority.

"SIMFAN CALLS FOR DEEP CUTS TO AMTRAK!!!!"

That is what the headline would say if you were running. Call it a hunch.

More like:

SIMFAN CALLS FOR CUTS TO AMTRAK SERVICES TO SMALL TOWNS, BILLIONS FOR BULLET TRAINS

You really think the media would be that accomadating? You will be lucky if they don't make it sound like you want to shut the whole thing down on sell the trains to China.

Oh but that's supposed to be bad. The subtext is:
BULLET TRAINS CONNECT CITIES, AND ONLY LIBERAL UNAMERICANS LIVE IN CITIES.

[Link]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Why do Republicans think everyone will stop using oil and Exxon will suddenly go bankrupt if its industry isn't subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of billions a year?

I dunno.  It's just one of those great American mysteries that will never be solved.

[Ⓐnarchy in the ☭☭☭P!]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Why do Republicans think everyone will stop using oil and Exxon will suddenly go bankrupt if its industry isn't subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of billions a year?

I dunno.  It's just one of those great American mysteries that will never be solved.

Exxon should stop receiving subsidies.

Do you concede yet?

[Wonkish1]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Why do Republicans think everyone will stop using oil and Exxon will suddenly go bankrupt if its industry isn't subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of billions a year?

I dunno.  It's just one of those great American mysteries that will never be solved.

Exxon should stop receiving subsidies.

Do you concede yet?

Exxon doesn't even receive subsidies. Oil and gas partnerships get a special deduction against personal(not business) income. That is a small investor benefit not a large company one.

[Link]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Why do Republicans think everyone will stop using oil and Exxon will suddenly go bankrupt if its industry isn't subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of billions a year?

I dunno.  It's just one of those great American mysteries that will never be solved.

Exxon should stop receiving subsidies.

Do you concede yet?

Exxon doesn't even receive subsidies. Oil and gas partnerships get a special deduction against personal(not business) income. That is a small investor benefit not a large company one.

Fox News didn't get the memo.  Better fax them the party talking points.

[Link]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Why do Republicans think everyone will stop using oil and Exxon will suddenly go bankrupt if its industry isn't subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of billions a year?

I dunno.  It's just one of those great American mysteries that will never be solved.

Exxon should stop receiving subsidies.

Do you concede yet?

Dunno.  What I do know is anyone that can defend Exxon having it's business subsidized to the tune of billions by the average American taxpayer while simultaneously railing against the arts is a hypocrite.

[Wonkish1]

Why is everyone convinced art will somehow die if the government doesn't fund it?

Why do Republicans think everyone will stop using oil and Exxon will suddenly go bankrupt if its industry isn't subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of billions a year?

I dunno.  It's just one of those great American mysteries that will never be solved.

Exxon should stop receiving subsidies.

Do you concede yet?

Exxon doesn't even receive subsidies. Oil and gas partnerships get a special deduction against personal(not business) income. That is a small investor benefit not a large company one.

Fox News didn't get the memo.  Better fax them the party talking points.

Just because Exxon payed no non royalty taxes to the Federal government in a given year doesn't mean that they were getting subsidies. The same has been true of other companies like Google, GE(well maybe not), etc.

Now as far as I'm aware Exxon, Chevron, RDS, BP, etc. don't get any subsidies. The Dems do rail against the personal income deduction of oil and gas drilling operations. And then they lie and say that is something that is benefiting the big oil companies. No it has nothing to do with big oil companies.

Unless they are referring to the notion that its expensed all at once instead of depreciated over numerous years. But really who cares? Same year expensing vs. 7 year depreciation is really not that much of a factor anyway because you can't take any deductions from that equipment in years 2-7 if you expense in the first year.

[Wonkish1]

Dunno.  What I do know is anyone that can defend Exxon having it's business subsidized to the tune of billions by the average American taxpayer while simultaneously railing against the arts is a hypocrite.
[/quote

Link I doubt you even know what a subsidy means.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Romney might have very well lost my vote here. Arts and Amtrak? What about the DoD and entitlements. Amtrak might bloody well be profitable if it's business model wasn't so messed up. I can take a train from Chicago to Osceola, Iowa to meet it's 4,000 people, but I can't take one to Des Moines? Amtrak needs to stop serving these ridiculous small towns- if they're going to be served, they ought to be under a state regional rail authority.

"SIMFAN CALLS FOR DEEP CUTS TO AMTRAK!!!!"

That is what the headline would say if you were running. Call it a hunch.

More like:

SIMFAN CALLS FOR CUTS TO AMTRAK SERVICES TO SMALL TOWNS, BILLIONS FOR BULLET TRAINS

You really think the media would be that accomadating? You will be lucky if they don't make it sound like you want to shut the whole thing down on sell the trains to China.

Oh but that's supposed to be bad. The subtext is:
BULLET TRAINS CONNECT CITIES, AND ONLY LIBERAL UNAMERICANS LIVE IN CITIES.

American politics doesn't work like that. At the end of the day, you are cutting Amtrak and it will be reported in such simplistic terms. People like yourself who love Amtrak will have same reaction you just did with Romney and refuse to vote for you in the election. This scenario is going to bite Romney in the ass a million times over, if he ain't ready for it. Most people aren't going to follow politics enough to know who is getting cut an who ain't. They just know someone is getting cut and the best way to prevent themselves from being the ones to make the sacrifice, is to join other people woried about other cuts in order to ensure no cuts occur at all.

[Link]

Dunno.  What I do know is anyone that can defend Exxon having it's business subsidized to the tune of billions by the average American taxpayer while simultaneously railing against the arts is a hypocrite.
[/quote

Link I doubt you even know what a subsidy means.

Quote from the left wing mouth piece Forbes...

[Wonkish1]

Dunno.  What I do know is anyone that can defend Exxon having it's business subsidized to the tune of billions by the average American taxpayer while simultaneously railing against the arts is a hypocrite.
[/quote

Link I doubt you even know what a subsidy means.

Quote from the left wing mouth piece Forbes...

Alright then find those subsidies then! Specifically! Lets go "Googler" hurry up! We know that's all your good for on here.

[Simfan34]

Romney might have very well lost my vote here. Arts and Amtrak? What about the DoD and entitlements. Amtrak might bloody well be profitable if it's business model wasn't so messed up. I can take a train from Chicago to Osceola, Iowa to meet it's 4,000 people, but I can't take one to Des Moines? Amtrak needs to stop serving these ridiculous small towns- if they're going to be served, they ought to be under a state regional rail authority.

"SIMFAN CALLS FOR DEEP CUTS TO AMTRAK!!!!"

That is what the headline would say if you were running. Call it a hunch.

More like:

SIMFAN CALLS FOR CUTS TO AMTRAK SERVICES TO SMALL TOWNS, BILLIONS FOR BULLET TRAINS

You really think the media would be that accomadating? You will be lucky if they don't make it sound like you want to shut the whole thing down on sell the trains to China.

Oh but that's supposed to be bad. The subtext is:
BULLET TRAINS CONNECT CITIES, AND ONLY LIBERAL UNAMERICANS LIVE IN CITIES.

American politics doesn't work like that. At the end of the day, you are cutting Amtrak and it will be reported in such simplistic terms. People like yourself who love Amtrak will have same reaction you just did with Romney and refuse to vote for you in the election. This scenario is going to bite Romney in the ass a million times over, if he ain't ready for it. Most people aren't going to follow politics enough to know who is getting cut an who ain't. They just know someone is getting cut and the best way to prevent themselves from being the ones to make the sacrifice, is to join other people woried about other cuts in order to ensure no cuts occur at all.

All they'll know is that I'm an evil liberal who hates god-fearing, gun-toting, average Americans who live in the middle of nowhere.