The Highest Form Of Comedy

[Guest]

There appears to be a deal that's been agreed to. Not approved by the wingnut fringes of both parties yet, but negotiated by the "leaders" who have been hanging around the Congress for years.

The Congress kicked the can down the road once more, a part of the deal being that a committee of twelve members from the House and the Senate will spend the next few months trying to reach agreement on what federal spending will be cut, to be submitted to the two houses for up-or-down votes. Let's try to forget the fact that the Congress has spent months and couldn't reach any agreement or any compromise, which resulted in this "committee idea".

It does leave me with a question though--who will be appointed to this committee? How long will it take the 535 members of Congress to agree on which 12 of them will be on the committee? Does anyone think that Congress can agree on which twelve of their members will be so chosen?

I'd almost go so far as to say that they'll still be disagreeing on the committee membership in November, when the report from the committee is due for a vote by both houses of Congress.

After watching this kabuki dance by the members of Congress who will never agree on anything--who have no intention of compromising on anything--if there are countries out there who might be considering democracy as a form of government they should consider, my guess is they've moved on to some other plan. How'd you like to be the person who is trying to convince the Iraqis or Afghanistan that they really should choose this wonderful system that we have, the system where government is elected by the people and those elected officials govern in the best interests of the people? If it wasn't so tragic it would be the highest form of comedy.

[Guest]

Proof, once again, that once they hit DC their constituents are just a distant memory until the next re-election! :cool:
We work in our reality so they can play games in their land of make believe!

[Guest]

Because NO ONE feels this bill is a significant positive step.

But so much more so because after such arduous work, Congress will adjourn for five weeks before approving the funding of the FAA budget.

So until they feel like convening again, those self-centered idiots have laid off 70,000 construction workers, stopped 214 approved and ongoing airport renovation projects which were all previously approved and ongoing. And until the budget is approved, the government cannot legally collect hundreds of millions of dollars in airline taxes. All this tax money has been scooped up immediately and pocketed by the airlines. The airlines response to hiking prices by the amount of the uncollected taxes is that they have nothing to do with it. "Consumers and market competition set ticket prices". Another wonderful example of unregulated free enterprise bringing out the very best in our large corporations.

In my mind, there is no better definition of 'obscenity'.

[Guest]

..........Congress will adjourn for five weeks before approving the funding of the FAA budget.

So until they feel like convening again, those self-centered idiots have laid off 70,000 construction workers, stopped 214 approved and ongoing airport renovation projects which were all previously approved and ongoing. And until the budget is approved, the government cannot legally collect hundreds of millions of dollars in airline taxes. All this tax money has been scooped up immediately and pocketed by the airlines. The airlines response to hiking prices by the amount of the uncollected taxes is that they have nothing to do with it. "Consumers and market competition set ticket prices". Another wonderful example of unregulated free enterprise bringing out the very best in our large corporations.

In my mind, there is no better definition of 'obscenity'.

I think the mockery of us taxpayers lies more in the lack of a federal budget approval in over 800 days than in "unregulated free enterprise".

You said it best, with "those self-centered idiots".

BTW, 2009 profit/loss statements show 5 of 9 U.S. airlines running at significant loss. It doesn't look like they are doing all that great in that "unregulated" free market.

AirTran +$135 million (profit)
Alaska Air +$122 million (profit)
Southwest +$99 million (profit)
JetBlue +$58 million (profit)
USAirways -$205 million (loss)
Continental -$282 million (Loss)
United Airlines – $651 million (loss)
Delta -$1.2 billion (loss)
American -$1.5 billion (loss)

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/2009-u-s-airline-profitloss-results-—-airtran-earns-and-aa-loses-the-most/

And, not all the airlines raised their ticket prices because of the tax not being collected:

"Because of the partial shutdown, the FAA will not collect the roughly $200 million received each week from airline ticket taxes. For example, a passenger pays about $61 in total taxes for a $300 round-trip ticket. As a result of the partial shutdown, passengers have to pay only half the taxes, a savings of roughly $30.

Some airlines are allowing their customers to take advantage of the tax break, AAA Auto Club South notes. That group includes Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, Spirit, Hawaiian Airlines and Frontier, the organization says."

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2011/07/26/airlines-raise-ticket-prices-amid-faa.html