[Ruger2506]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I find it strange that in this thread, no one has even mentioned a need for more people in the medical field, and in health care in general. You want more Americans to be home health aids for seniors who aren't ready for nursing homes yet? Maybe - give more Americans more incentive to qualify as home health aids. Right now, most of them in Florida are immigrants, because they can't FIND Americans who want to do the work.

We have a nursing shortage in Florida. We also have a physician shortage. And an orthopedic surgery shortage. The people who can afford the education necessary to get degrees, don't seem to be interested in those degrees. So we have to seek these professionals from other places. A doctor from Pakistan will be just as qualified to diagnose your hernia as a doctor from Toledo Ohio. If Toledo doesn't want to come to the party, then you need to suck it up, and learn to love the guy from Pakistan. The first step is to stop this "mass deportation" stuff and denaturalizing and cancelling green cards stuff. If they're here LEGALLY and haven't broken any laws while here, then leave them the heck alone and let them continue contributing to society and paying their taxes (yes, immigrants pay taxes).

Don't forget also, medical professionals from other countries pay MUCH less for their medical education than we do here in the States. So they can afford to work for less, when they get here. They have lower payments to pay off any loans, and some of them earn their degrees for free, courtesy of their country of origin.

In Pakistan (using the same country as above for the example) a local student can easily pay less than $5,000 per year in tuition. They have to fund their own housing, living expenses, elective fees but if they live nearby at home, the additional cost is negligible.

Maybe FL should pay their nurses and EMS adequately. Pay here in FL is insulting. No unions. No raises. Pitiful benefits. It’s a joke to say the least.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Paper1

Although I hope you are wrong about the war part I do agree with your thinking about national debt. I don’t believe it can mathematically be repaid, we can’t even balance the budget for one year. We as a people are addicted to our grandchildren’s credit card and the US money printing machine. We are not screwed but surely have set up future generations to take our long over due bitter medicine for us. Americans have been led to believe there is such a thing as “something for nothing”, it is now the great American dream.

The Debt could EASILY be repaid merely by changing the tax brackets to make the top brackets pay more (their fair share). But, it may be too late. We may have lost our Democracy already.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Sunnyme

Disagree completely, many foreign auto manufacturers have found a way to be competitive building cars and trucks in the USA. Subaru in Lafeyette IN, Toyota has 10 automotive plants in the USA, Honda in Marysville OH and there are more.
Other foreign manufacturers that do not have a US manufacturing presence but want to sell here need to also build here.

The USA manufacturers that have moved plants and jobs to Mexico and SE Asia need to be reeled in.

And for the folks that say manufacturing today in all done by robots,, someone needs to design that manufacturing system, someone needs to design and build the robots, someone needs to service and maintain the manufacturing system and the robots, someone needs to design and build the facility that holds the manufacturing system and the robots, someone needs so plan and organize the production of the manufacturing system someone need to schedule the shipping and logistics for the product that is produced, and on and on. These are all jobs that should be here in the USA. Manufacturing sites also increase the local tax base providing money for infrastructure and schools.
Be American-Buy American.

Also, cars made by Toyota here in the US do not have the additional cost of shipping across the Pacific Ocean.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Whatnext

Why should Thailand, or any other country be penalized for making goods for American companies?
Corporate America are the ones who took industry away from the American workers in pursuit of higher profits. Let them pick up the tab for the import tariffs.

I agree.

[biker1]

Nonsense. The debt is $36T and the annual deficit is $2T. You can’t extract that much money from the higher tax brackets, which already pay the majority of taxes (which are about $5T per year). You have no concept of the numbers involved. BTW, we aren’t a democracy.

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

The Debt could EASILY be repaid merely by changing the tax brackets to make the top brackets pay more (their fair share). But, it may be too late. We may have lost our Democracy already.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

The effect of tariffs on tourism has largely been overlooked. 35 million foreigners visited the USA last year. Most of the World currently views the USA unfavorably so it will be interesting to see the drop in overseas tourist numbers. There are plenty of "friendly" countries to visit instead.

I agree.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Pugchief

How can you simultaneously be pro-union and pro-robot? They are diametrically opposed.

The maintenance workers repairing the robotics lines could be unionized.

[jimjamuser]

Pay and quality of life suffer where there are no UNIONS.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by biker1

Nonsense. The debt is $36T and the annual deficit is $2T. You can’t extract that much money from the higher tax brackets, which already pay the majority of taxes (which are about $5T per year). You have no concept of the numbers involved. BTW, we aren’t a democracy.

Exactly. You could wipe out every billionaire in the country and we still wouldn’t pay off the debt.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by biker1

Nonsense. The debt is $36T and the annual deficit is $2T. You can’t extract that much money from the higher tax brackets, which already pay the majority of taxes (which are about $5T per year). You have no concept of the numbers involved. BTW, we aren’t a democracy.

You can make a tax system do ANYTHING that you want or choose. You could make the top tax bracket pay 80% of their income (with no deductibles) if a country wanted to. Then the debt would be paid down quickly. In the 50s the upper tax bracket was around 80%. Then it steadily decreased due to pressure on elected Federal officials. Today the tax system helps the top 10 and 1 %. It hurts the middle and lower classes. But, I guess that is a super SECRET that they don't teach in high schools anymore ( maybe purposefully to keep them ignorant.)

[biker1]

More nonsense. You can’t collect $36T in tax “quickly”. Define “quickly”. The GDP of the entire country is $28T. When the marginal tax rate was high, nobody paid those marginal rates. The lower income classes pay little to no federal income tax. The majority of the federal income taxes are already paid by the upper 10%. Again, you have no concept of the numbers involved. You don’t have to believe what the clowns on The View tell you to believe.

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

You can make a tax system do ANYTHING that you want or choose. You could make the top tax bracket pay 80% of their income (with no deductibles) if a country wanted to. Then the debt would be paid down quickly. In the 50s the upper tax bracket was around 80%. Then it steadily decreased due to pressure on elected Federal officials. Today the tax system helps the top 10 and 1 %. It hurts the middle and lower classes. But, I guess that is a super SECRET that they don't teach in high schools anymore ( maybe purposefully to keep them ignorant.)

[daniel200]

Originally Posted by Normal

Many jobs will be high paying. Ask the automakers in Michigan, the steelworkers in Ohio and Pennsylvania or various other high middle class workers.

Autoworkers in Detroit pay.. ..
Most GM production workers make about $25 per hour. The TOP pay as negotiated in the last contract is about $40 per hour (for hourly supervisors and hourly people with special skills). $25 per hour (~$50,000 per year) is not what I would call “high middle class”.

Then there are hundreds of automotive USA tier 2 suppliers. Production workers in these facilities currently earn $16 or $17 per hour.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

The Debt could EASILY be repaid merely by changing the tax brackets to make the top brackets pay more (their fair share). But, it may be too late. We may have lost our Democracy already.

The national debt is a huge problem but needs to be approached from every angle. Roads, bridges, the military, public universities, rail lines, etc. are also part of the problem. These are needed though. Stupid expenditures is not a solution. We need a smart approach to spending money. And one that considers future generations and their needs, problems, etc. Get everyone aboard with finding a practical solution.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by biker1

Nonsense. The debt is $36T and the annual deficit is $2T. You can’t extract that much money from the higher tax brackets, which already pay the majority of taxes (which are about $5T per year). You have no concept of the numbers involved. BTW, we aren’t a democracy.

[FloridaGuy66]

Originally Posted by daniel200

Autoworkers in Detroit pay.. ..
Most GM production workers make about $25 per hour. The TOP pay as negotiated in the last contract is about $40 per hour (for hourly supervisors and hourly people with special skills). $25 per hour (~$50,000 per year) is not what I would call “high middle class”.

Then there are hundreds of automotive USA tier 2 suppliers. Production workers in these facilities currently earn $16 or $17 per hour.

This is completely accurate and I'm shocked that so many people seem to think these are the desirable jobs that we need more of here.

Most people doing these types of jobs for 20+ years have their bodies so beaten down from repetitive tasks that there's no golf or pickleball options in their retirement, even if they could somehow afford it. Their "retirement" is basically sitting in front of a TV for the reminder of their lives.