In her article "Government has to make choices families, businesses don't" from TheState.com, Cindi Ross argues that making analogies between family budget choices and government budget choices is a mistake, and the choices the government must make are far more difficult than the average family choices. This article was directed specifically at the readers of TheState.com that continue to try to answer complex economic problems with simple analogies about family spending, but I believe it highlights a common problem among Americans and our understanding of how government spending works.
Most people don't know that the budget, at least at the Federal level and I'm making an assumption about the State level here, is about 80% fixed in place by law. That leaves 20% flexibility in the budget and ends up covering things such as state paid salaries and educational programs. While analogies can be drawn in some instances, Ross makes it very clear that these situations are limited when dealing with government spending. The state can't just "cut back" and decide to get rid of either cable TV or going to the movies on Friday nights. A better analogy between a family and the government in this current situation would be a family having to decide which child doesn't get to eat anymore because they can't afford food for all of them.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Assignment #2 scastaldo
Cindi Ross Scoppe is writting out to people in the State.com to argue government spending. What Scoppe is saying is that people want to compare governmen spending to families or businesses, but you can't because budget problems are not the same. Its not like a family who goes threw hard times so they limit their spending. The government can not do this, their purpose is to look out for society, not themselfs.
Making analogies about government spending can be a usefull tool, to help people understand what is going on in a way we can comprehend. Scoppe even claims to do this often. However we can not directly compare government spending to our own spending and/or businesses, because the out come and problem solving will never be the same.
Making analogies about government spending can be a usefull tool, to help people understand what is going on in a way we can comprehend. Scoppe even claims to do this often. However we can not directly compare government spending to our own spending and/or businesses, because the out come and problem solving will never be the same.
Assignment #2, T.Beasley
This article, "Scoppe: Government has to make choices, familes, businesses don't" written by Cindi Ross Scoppe which appeared on TheState.com seems to be written with the intent to make it clear that "there are no easy answers here" to the current economic issues we as Americans face. The audience addressed seems to be everyone who has a stake in the economy. The crisis being faced by each individual, each local community, each state and the entire country brings savings, budgeting, and just surviving to the forefront of everyone's mind.
As the author makes clear, there are a lot of ideas out there, but which ones make the most sense? How can we be sure to make the hard choices that need to be made and to make sure that those are the "right" choices, best for as many as possible while hurting as few as possible? Who gets their budgets cut? Who loses their jobs? Who takes a pay cut or gets a raise? Maybe some of the higher up management needs to take a salary cut so that people lower on the totem pole can keep their job and continue to barely scrape by with their salary?
Let's just hope we can all cling to the edge of the cliff by our fingernails until someone can figure this mess out! Who will be that wise?!
As the author makes clear, there are a lot of ideas out there, but which ones make the most sense? How can we be sure to make the hard choices that need to be made and to make sure that those are the "right" choices, best for as many as possible while hurting as few as possible? Who gets their budgets cut? Who loses their jobs? Who takes a pay cut or gets a raise? Maybe some of the higher up management needs to take a salary cut so that people lower on the totem pole can keep their job and continue to barely scrape by with their salary?
Let's just hope we can all cling to the edge of the cliff by our fingernails until someone can figure this mess out! Who will be that wise?!
Assignment#2 B.Adams
The article "Government has to make choices families, businesses don't" was written by Assistant Editor, Cindy Ross Scoppe, and published in "The State".This article was written to inform the people of South Carolina that we are facing economic problems, not only as a state but a country as well.
Cindy Scoppe is saying that there are various ways that the government could help through this time, but what choices do the people have. Do you layoff workers, cut salaries and taxes, close businesses, give raises or what? Those are some of the questions that need to be answered, and they need to be answered right away. The government cannot continue waiting for a solution to the problems to just pop up in their face, now is the time to answer the questions and solve the problems. Basically, right now all the choices and all the questions will be answered by the government, and we as a nation have to believe that they will do what is best for all of us.
Cindy Scoppe is saying that there are various ways that the government could help through this time, but what choices do the people have. Do you layoff workers, cut salaries and taxes, close businesses, give raises or what? Those are some of the questions that need to be answered, and they need to be answered right away. The government cannot continue waiting for a solution to the problems to just pop up in their face, now is the time to answer the questions and solve the problems. Basically, right now all the choices and all the questions will be answered by the government, and we as a nation have to believe that they will do what is best for all of us.
Assignment #2 JMiller
The article "Government has to make choices families, business don't" written by Cindi Ross Scoppe was displayed in "The State.com". This article was written to inform the people of South Carolina that there will be a series of decisions the government needs to make that will drastically change the lives of everyone. We can cut salaries to ensure there isn't any job losses or cut taxes so people don't lose income that could cause families to lose their homes and property. While businesses make budget cuts that causes job losses to save the company. That's why the government has to step in and do what's right for the economy not satisfying the needs and wants of businesses and families. Yes, the decisions are going to be devastating to many families and businesses but there just aren't too many options out there that won't affect anyone.
Families of course want what is best for them and in the same perspective that's the same for businesses. The bottom line is that businesses will crash, people will lose their jobs and times are going to be tough. No one wants to fail or fall flat on their face but we don't have too many options, sometimes you have to take a fall to get something good for the long run. No one will be entirely happy with the decisions the government will make but do to the economic situation we're in, it's time for families and businesses to step back and let the government take over for once.
Families of course want what is best for them and in the same perspective that's the same for businesses. The bottom line is that businesses will crash, people will lose their jobs and times are going to be tough. No one wants to fail or fall flat on their face but we don't have too many options, sometimes you have to take a fall to get something good for the long run. No one will be entirely happy with the decisions the government will make but do to the economic situation we're in, it's time for families and businesses to step back and let the government take over for once.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Assignment # 2 S. Suarez
The article"Government has to make choices families, businesses don’t" was written by Cindi Ross Scoppe,and was published in "The State". It was targeted more towards the citizens of south carolina in order to inform them about the economic problems that the state and the country is facing right now. The article talks about how we are in a real crisis right now and gives various different ways in order for the government to help out. Ideas such as not recieving bounses in order to hold off on layoffs, and raising taxes to increase in state spending, salaries and local purchases are all good ways to avoid laying off hundreds of people who really need jobs to support themselves and their families.
During these tough economic times we all have to make some sacrfices in order to help out in the struggling economy. If that means we all have to pay a little extra on taxes and not recieve those nice bounses during the holidays then we are going to have to learn to deal with it. It is better for us to help hundreds of people keep their jobs then to recieve nice bounses and spend it on something useless like a brand new high definition T.V or the latest high tech gadget on the market. We need to be creating more jobs for people and not cut them. The government is meant to help us, but we can't make them do all the work for us. Everybody has to do their own part to help out during this crisis. So we all have to make a few sacrficies in order to help out the state and the country as well.
During these tough economic times we all have to make some sacrfices in order to help out in the struggling economy. If that means we all have to pay a little extra on taxes and not recieve those nice bounses during the holidays then we are going to have to learn to deal with it. It is better for us to help hundreds of people keep their jobs then to recieve nice bounses and spend it on something useless like a brand new high definition T.V or the latest high tech gadget on the market. We need to be creating more jobs for people and not cut them. The government is meant to help us, but we can't make them do all the work for us. Everybody has to do their own part to help out during this crisis. So we all have to make a few sacrficies in order to help out the state and the country as well.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
S.Layman Blog # 2
The "Government has to make choices families, businesses don’t"
By Cindi Ross Scoppe, was published in "The State". This article was targeted at South Carolina readers, as well as, any audience that was reading about the financial state of the country. The article was littered with ideas of different ways, pros and cons, that the government could/should do to help our this financial crisis.
The idea that instead of firing people (who actually need jobs) they can just hold off on pay raises is probably one of the more ideal routes to go. This country is in a time of need and help and by laying off more employee's this will only hurt the economy more. There will be even more unemployment and more families doing without. Giving only a handful of people the ability to live up to their standard of living while so many more face financial issues.
Something needs to be done to create more jobs in this country. If by raising tax a few pennies here and there will overall allow for better living conditions then why not go that route. With EVERYONE only paying a few nickels or dimes here and there for something the money added together for everyone could be used to fund schools, could be used to fix issues that need to be addressed, and could help a bit when its needed most.
The government needs to step in and do something about all of this, as well as, our communities and state. We are so focused on fixing the rest of the world that our country is starting to fall apart itself.
By Cindi Ross Scoppe, was published in "The State". This article was targeted at South Carolina readers, as well as, any audience that was reading about the financial state of the country. The article was littered with ideas of different ways, pros and cons, that the government could/should do to help our this financial crisis.
The idea that instead of firing people (who actually need jobs) they can just hold off on pay raises is probably one of the more ideal routes to go. This country is in a time of need and help and by laying off more employee's this will only hurt the economy more. There will be even more unemployment and more families doing without. Giving only a handful of people the ability to live up to their standard of living while so many more face financial issues.
Something needs to be done to create more jobs in this country. If by raising tax a few pennies here and there will overall allow for better living conditions then why not go that route. With EVERYONE only paying a few nickels or dimes here and there for something the money added together for everyone could be used to fund schools, could be used to fix issues that need to be addressed, and could help a bit when its needed most.
The government needs to step in and do something about all of this, as well as, our communities and state. We are so focused on fixing the rest of the world that our country is starting to fall apart itself.
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