[KenOC]

Pres. Trump's 2019 budget proposal put forth today includes eliminating federal funding for 22 agencies, grant programs, and institutes. There's a full list in the referenced article. Of likely interest around here:

- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public television and radio stations including PBS and NPR.

- The National Endowment for the Arts, which funds American artists and projects with grants.

Thoughts?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...rams-trumps-budget-would-eliminate/ar-BBJ2Odf

 

[Bulldog]

To add to the pain, Trump favors a lot more toll roads.

 

[eugeneonagain]

His supporters get what they voted for. However I will not be premature; let's revisit it in 5-10 years to see if it affects culture.

 

[Larkenfield]

There have been attempts for years to eliminate funding for "Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public television and radio stations including PBS and NPR." I'd like to see them continued as before. I consider the content of PBS and NPR highly worthwhile.

 

[Becca]

Pres. Trump's 2019 budget proposal put forth today includes eliminating federal funding for 22 agencies, grant programs, and institutes. There's a full list in the referenced article. Of likely interest around here:

- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public television and radio stations including PBS and NPR.

- The National Endowment for the Arts, which funds American artists and projects with grants.

Thoughts?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...rams-trumps-budget-would-eliminate/ar-BBJ2Odf

He has to recoup the revenue losses incurred by allowing the ultra-rich to get a significant tax write-off for their private jets so where better to start than with the arts?

 

[KenOC]

He has to recoup the revenue losses incurred by allowing the ultra-rich to get a significant tax write-off for their private jets so where better to start than with the arts?

:lol::lol::lol: I was waiting for that one! Seriously though, Trump proposes and Congress disposes when it comes to the budget. Early days yet.

 

[Becca]

I have no doubt that you were and I'm glad to oblige

 

[Becca]

I expect that it wasn't something that would normally be on his personal radar but that the GOP pressed for it, as they usually do.

 

[Johnnie Burgess]

I expect that it wasn't something that would normally be on his personal radar but that the GOP pressed for it, as they usually do.

I would totally cut the funding it is not mentioned in the US constitution and is not needed. If you want the arts funded ask the tech billionaires to do it like the robber barron's of the past.

 

[eugeneonagain]

I would totally cut the funding it is not mentioned in the US constitution and is not needed. If you want the arts funded ask the tech billionaires to do it like the robber barron's of the past.

The tech billionaires are also able to just refuse to fund them, or worse still dictate what they will or won't fund according to whim or interest.

That's the reason they can't and shouldn't be relied upon to be the source for infrastructure or culture.

 

[Johnnie Burgess]

The tech billionaires are also able to just refuse to fund them, or worse still dictate what they will or won't fund according to whim or interest.

That's the reason they can't and shouldn't be relied upon to be the source for infrastructure or culture.

It's not the goverment's job unless you would like for it to have more control over what music or art the people produce to be able to get money for the government?

 

[Becca]

I would totally cut the funding it is not mentioned in the US constitution and is not needed. If you want the arts funded ask the tech billionaires to do it like the robber barron's of the past.

You are kidding? Broadcasting is not mentioned in the constitution? Next you will be telling me that production of nuclear weapons are not mentioned there either, so we can cut the funding for them also.

 

[PeterFromLA]

Grants are a form of stimulus. There's a long tradition of government (both here and abroad) providing such support to artists and writers. I see nothing wrong with it and much right with it.

Meanwhile, how did Ligeti crawl into your photo, Ken?

 

[Johnnie Burgess]

You are kidding? Broadcasting is not mentioned in the constitution? Next you will be telling me that production of nuclear weapons are not mentioned there either, so we can cut the funding for them also.

Article 2 section 8: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.

As long as our enemy has them we have to have them. And our military should not have to resort to taking parts out of equipment in museum's like the last president allowed our military to resort to.

 

[DaveM]

I would totally cut the funding it is not mentioned in the US constitution and is not needed. If you want the arts funded ask the tech billionaires to do it like the robber barron's of the past.

Have you read the entire Constitution? It's not a document that addresses the specifics of funding beyond the generalities that you mention above. Still if you feel strongly about the fact that any funding not mentioned in the Constitution is inappropriate then you can start now to save up for your healthcare in your old age because you won't want to take advantage of the extravagance of Medicare or beyond that, Social Security in retirement.

 

[KenOC]

You are kidding? Broadcasting is not mentioned in the constitution? Next you will be telling me that production of nuclear weapons are not mentioned there either, so we can cut the funding for them also.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence..."

Might also mention the 10th Amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

 

[SixFootScowl]

Have you read the entire Constitution? It's not a document that addresses the specifics of funding beyond the generalities that you mention above.. Still if you feel strongly about the fact that any funding not mentioned in the Constitution is inappropriate then you can start now to save up for your healthcare in your old age because you won't want to take advantage of the extravagance of Medicare or beyond that, Social Security in retirement.

Not that simple, since Medicare is funded like Social Security, by extracting the money from your pay check. So part of saving for old age healthcare should be having all the past Medicare deductions refunded with interest.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax is comprised of the Social Security and Medicare taxes that are withheld by federal law.

 

[KenOC]

Not that simple, since Medicare is funded like Social Security, by extracting the money from your pay check. So part of saving for old age healthcare should be having all the past Medicare deductions refunded with interest.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax is comprised of the Social Security and Medicare taxes that are withheld by federal law.

Might point out that you get Medicare reimbursements at the statutory level whether you've paid in or not. Social Security payments are based on your pay-in over the years. That's a very fundamental difference, one being mainly a socialist program and the other not. Not complaining (I get both), but they represent fundamentally different philosophies.

 

[SixFootScowl]

Might point out that you get Medicare reimbursements at the statutory level whether you've paid in or not. Social Security payments are based on your pay-in over the years. That's a very fundamental difference, one being mainly a socialist program and the other not. Not complaining (I get both), but they represent fundamentally different philosophies.

Still paying in though.

 

[DaveM]

Not that simple, since Medicare is funded like Social Security, by extracting the money from your pay check. So part of saving for old age healthcare should be having all the past Medicare deductions refunded with interest.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax is comprised of the Social Security and Medicare taxes that are withheld by federal law.

But it's not that simple. Having written my own payroll computer program for my corporation that pays me, I'm only too familiar with FICA. Although, payroll taxes pay most of the costs of Social Security and Medicare (at least at the present time), the government has had to chip into Medicare from a Secondary fund. And when payroll taxes were reduced in 2012, the General Fund had to kick in to make up the shortfall in Medicare in that year.

Not to mention the fact that most seniors take out of SSN and MC more than they pay in so the funds are in danger of running out of funds at some point in the future. A number of Republicans want these so-called 'entitlements' reduced so that payroll taxes don't have to be increased or since heaven-forbid they have to increase taxes(!), the government won't have to increasingly fund them.