What are the key issues of US Election 2024?

[Brihaha]

The most important key issues are if Biden will be able to climb any stairs or not fall over!

Yet America continues to recover from the pandemic and the Trump presidency. I feel like America's growth and progress may be important for voters to consider in reality.

 

[QvQ]

I feel like America's growth and progress may be important for voters to consider in reality.

War and the military industrial complex are revving up under Biden.

 

[Brihaha]

War and the military industrial complex are revving up under Biden.

More evidence of Biden's ability to multi-task. Smokin Joe is able to lead America back to prosperity even while falling up the stairs .

 

[QvQ]

Your anecdotes are irrelevant.

The inflation rate under Biden is 17.1%. officially.
The price of bananas 58 cents now 72 cents. That is an inflation rate of 24%.

Meat, what I buy was always under $3lb. Now $4.97
That is an inflation rate of 65%

So average the two, that is a grocery inflation of 45%.

 

[QvQ]

More evidence of Biden's ability to multi-task. Smokin Joe is able to lead America back to prosperity even while falling up the stairs

Bumbling and stumbling into war all the while smirking because war is stimulating to the economy through the military industrial complex. Yes, definitely multi-tasking.

 

[SimplyMe]

As in any project, there are real numbers that apply. Material costs and labor, how much per square foot. That could easily be determined if you are really interested.
BTW you talked about asphalt taxi ways however concrete is and has always been extensively used for taxiways for airplanes. Again, the costs can be calculated for material and labor. $194 million, for a taxi way when a mile of interstate is $1 to $2 million pre-Biden cost is a bit excessive by any calculation.

Is it? What is the total length of this taxiway going to be? Looking at the project, it apparently has a total cost of $260 million, with the $194 million coming from the federal government and the remainder coming out of the fees charged to passengers who fly to/from the airport. If you want to claim they are paying too much, I'll let you take that up with the local officials who designed it to cost $260 million -- the plans and the reasons for that cost should be publicly available.

 

[QvQ]

If you want to claim they are paying too much, I'll let you take that up with the local officials who designed it to cost $260 million -- the plans and the reasons for that cost should be publicly available.

$260,000,000 is more than the entire budget for some Arizona Counties, if I am not missing a few zeros here. I believe the budget in this county is around $250,000,000.
That county budget pays for all county personnel and services for an entire year.
Do I think $260 million for a concrete apron in Sky Harbor is a bit excessive? What do you think?
It is useless to talk to local officials. They had a huge ceremony with Buttigieg and all the Big Wigs, made all the papers. "Look what Biden is doing for Arizona" all the usual clap trap. It is a big photo op and guaranteed to impress the folks...except it doesn't.
Like I said, Americans are counting pennies and those big numbers flashing in the headlines only makes them uneasy and maybe angry.
Meanwhile, there was a 10% increase in both phone and internet cost this morning. More inflation. And the official rate is 3.2% except every month something goes up double digits.

 

[Hans Blaster]

$260,000,000 is more than the entire budget for some Arizona Counties, if I am not missing a few zeros here. I believe the budget in this county is around $250,000,000.
That county budget pays for all county personnel and services for an entire year.
Do I think $260 million for a concrete apron in Sky Harbor is a bit excessive? What do you think?

Most of it is a 200+ foot bridge over roadways. At least the taxiway itself is.

New Crossfield Taxiway U | Kiewit Corporation

The project also involves demolishing part of a building, reconfiguring many parking surfaces, moving utilities, and of course lowering those roads so they go under the bridge carrying the airplanes. Even if it was just a bridge over a stream bed it would still cost tens of millions of dollars. Infrastructure is expensive.

It is useless to talk to local officials. They had a huge ceremony with Buttigieg and all the Big Wigs, made all the papers. "Look what Biden is doing for Arizona" all the usual clap trap. It is a big photo op and guaranteed to impress the folks...except it doesn't.
Like I said, Americans are counting pennies and those big numbers flashing in the headlines only makes them uneasy and maybe angry.

Yes, that's what politicians do.

Meanwhile, there was a 10% increase in both phone and internet cost this morning. More inflation. And the official rate is 3.2% except every month something goes up double digits.

But not everything, all the time. That's how averages work.

 

[QvQ]

But not everything, all the time. That's how averages work.

IT all adds up.
Meanwhile I heard a phrase I hadn't heard since Greenspan said it in August 2008.
Greenspan said, "The fundamentals of the economy are strong." Lately Biden said it.

 

[NxNW]

Meanwhile I heard a phrase I hadn't heard since Greenspan said it in August 2008.
Greenspan said, "The fundamentals of the economy are strong." Lately Biden said it.

In this case, Biden was right.

 

[QvQ]

In this case, Biden was right.

Maybe so.
It worked for in the days of the pyramids. Now Phoenix has a huge public works project. $260,000,000 taxi way at the airport. Isn't exactly fixing the crumbling infrastructure. I am still driving on the shoulder of the road to avoid the potholes. The public library is a Quonset hut that has a few books. But what the heck, the next public works projects are electric charging stations and trains. Happy days are here again.

 

[Fantine]

Saving democracy should be uppermost in everyone's minds. Elect Trump and he won't leave...and once he entrenched himself he won't keep his promises to social conservatives and the 99%. Do you really believe a self-proclaimed sex addict (the grabber confession) cares about abortion? Does a man who, when his pastor approached him about a new roof for the church said "no, but this guy will give you a discount" care about faith at all? Does a man whose hotels are staffed with immigrants on visa really care about the wall?

 

[Pommer]

Saving democracy should be uppermost in everyone's minds. Elect Trump and he won't leave...and once he entrenched himself he won't keep his promises to social conservatives and the 99%. Do you really believe a self-proclaimed sex addict (the grabber confession) cares about abortion? Does a man who, when his pastor approached him about a new roof for the church said "no, but this guy will give you a discount" care about faith at all? Does a man whose hotels are staffed with immigrants on visa really care about the wall?

2029 would be very interesting should Trump become 47.

 

[QvQ]

Save our Democracy? From the current Feudalism?

Many people say we are becoming "socialist" however I believe the correct term is Feudal. It could go socialist, yes. If the government has become the largest job creator in the country and requires full employment. In socialism, the government assigns jobs, housing. We aren't there yet. Russian adapted easily to socialism because the Feudal System in Russia tied the peasants to the land.
However, Europe the peasants had more freedom of movement.

The peasants were controlled through taxation primarily. Any surplus beyond what the peasant needed was "taxed." All surplus was gathered up by the Administrative State. The taxes, grain, gold and other commodities were either consumed by the Administrators or selectively returned as work projects or alms to the peasants to appease and control them.

In Feudalism, the Administrative State controlled the land. In current Feudal systems, the Administrators control the money.
In American Republic, wealth was produced by the populace and the wealth produced was the property of the producer. There has to be some administration so yes, taxes were imposed but were based on amount necessary for administration.
A few years ago it was reported that for every $1 spent on roads in California, 80 cents went to administrative costs. Those are taxes.

We have not had either a democracy or a republic for quite a while. We have an administrative state that rules the country.

Congress is increasingly irrelevant. Joe Biden said Pharma would either lower prices or he could revoke their patents. Why? Government funding for research. The government therefore owns the patents and can control the companies, decides who can make how much money and on what terms That is Fealty. Another more obvious form of Fealty is DEI. Either swear the oath (fealty) to the agenda or lose the funding.. Congressional power has been delegated to the Executive and the Administrative Agencies who actually dispense the money appropriated.

There are those who believe they can influence the administrative state either by voting or by protests .
And yes, to some degree, the Administrative State will toss the alms to appease whatever segment of the population is the majority or the loudest. But ultimately, the agenda and the power is the Administrative State.

 

[wing2000]

It has to do with the price of bananas. Bananas were always abt 58 cents a pound. Now they are 72 cents a pound.
Pennies. The average voter counts pennies while the government spend Trillions without accountability.
What the heck..global infrastructure, sounds good, toss out another $200 Billion.

....your complaining over the price of bananas?

In 1995, the price was 45 cents a pound....

Nearly 25 years later, 72 cents a pount is a relative bargain. I guess it all dependes on your perspective.

U.S. retail price of bananas 2022 | Statista

In 2022, the retail price of one pound of bananas in the United States increased slightly compared to the year before and registered at 63 cents.

www.statista.com

I

 

[wing2000]

Another form of fealty is DEI. Either swear the oath to the agenda or lose the funding or the patent. Pure Feudalism.

What is DEI?

 

[QvQ]

In 1995, the price was 45 cents a pound....

Nearly 25 years later, 72 cents a pount is a relative bargain. I guess it all dependes on your perspective.

According to some sources inflation rate since 1998 is 250%. I would say that the fundamentals of the economy are not sound. And it doesn't matter who is President.
The fact is the rate of inflation is increasing in the last several years. The underlying system is becoming more unstable.
In a Feudal System the amount of taxes, any surplus of production, above a producers needs, was limited by physical reality as production was tangibles such as grain.
Now the amount of government spending is not tied to production (taxes.) GDP. The government merely increases the money supply.
It is telling that a percentage of the GDP was the base of taxation . That is the Feudal formula, how much the government can syphon off for the Administrations agenda rather than the amount necessary to actually administer the government.
The price of bananas is irrelevant because the government merely increases the amount of money passed out. ("Adjustments for Inflation) Money is just zeros on a screen.
What's to complain about?

Feudal is an old system and it was fairly stable, however abusive and corrupt, for many centuries Capitalism attempted to leave the wealth in the hands of the producers to invest according to their judgement. Now who produces, what and how is increasingly according to government control. And who receives is also according to government control.

 

[mark46]

I cannot vote in your election though close relatives can. But it seems to me that this election is one of the most important ever. So what advice would you give my relatives as to the most important issues in this election?

From my European perspective, the following seems most pertinent. But I would be interested to learn what Americans think are the key issues:

1) POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP threatens to split the country and even provoke a civil war - much to the delight of America's rivals. So what candidate can best unite America and reconcile those on both sides? How can personality politics, abortion obsessions, lies about election fraud, and 'plan-demics' be put into proper perspective?

2) AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND POWER ARE UNEQUALLY SHARED - Your super-rich grows richer while those at the bottom struggle with high prices, debt, a lack of proper health care, and educational disparities. Social mobility continues to decline and various voices among the superrich are too loud while those of the people can hardly be heard. Seething resentment is dismissed as socialism but this just feeds the underlying discontent.

3) PUBLIC DEBT levels are at a record high and this is becoming unsustainable. The political culture seems to disallow the possibility of a balanced budget.

I thought that I would re-visit the initial question regarding the top issues of the 2024 presidential election campaign.

1) DEMOCRACY
Republicans continue to campaign on the stolen 2020 election, that January 6th was OK, and that Trump is a victim.

If Trump is running, and constantly campaigning from outside a courtroom, Democrats will hope to make this the only issue.

2) THE BORDER
Democrats are unwilling to want to act to change the status of the situation at the Southern border.

3) ABORTION
Republicans continue to support a ban on abortion, often with no real allowance for exceptions.

4) PERSONAL FEELING OF ECONOMIC STABILITY
The issue is not the economy which is the best in the world and continues to set to be strong with low unemployment.

5) BIDEN's AGE
This issue is really about the vice president. After all, Trump is only four years younger. The issue is not about generational change of leadership, although nominating someone other than Trump would give the Republicans an easy victory.
=====================
NON-ISSUES
Almost no one votes for president based on the national debt, the environment, or any foreign issue (unless US troops are dying in large numbers).

 

[mark46]

According to some sources inflation rate since 1998 is 250%. I would say that the fundamentals of the economy are not sound. And it doesn't matter who is President.
The fact is the rate of inflation is increasing in the last several years. The underlying system is becoming more unstable.
In a Feudal System the amount of taxes,, any surplus of production, above a producers needs, was limited to physical reality as produce was tangibles such as grain.

Obviously, you are entitled to your opinion. Personally, I don't believe that prices being 2 1/2 times what they were 25 years ago is a significant problem, if it is a problem at all.

 

[Hans Blaster]

According to some sources inflation rate since 1998 is 250%. I would say that the fundamentals of the economy are not sound. And it doesn't matter who is President.

That is not the right number. The Consumer Price Index has increased by ~90% since 1998. (And that "250% you quoted isn't a rate, it's a total.) That doesn't indicate something wrong with the economic fundamentals. (It's also a very long time for such a measure of fundamentals anyway.)

The fact is the rate of inflation is increasing in the last several years.

Inflation went up coming out of the pandemic and then it fell. The current rate is around 3% per year, down from near 10%.

The underlying system is becoming more unstable.
In a Feudal System the amount of taxes which was any surplus of production was limited to physical reality as produce was tangibles such as grain.

Feudalism has been dead for centuries. It is irrelevant. (And yes, I read your earlier post, and it is nonsense.)

Now the amount of government spending is not tied to production (taxes.) GDP. The government merely increases the money supply.

Outside extraordinary events, the size of government spending is fairly smooth. It increases (in dollars) or decreses a few percent in any pair of consecutive budget years. There is a hesitancy to cut or increase by large amounts.

It is telling that a percentage of the GDP was the base of taxation. That is the Feudal formula, how much the government can syphon off for the Administrations agenda rather than the amount necessary to actually administer the government.
The price of bananas is irrelevant in modern money theory because the government merely increases the amount of money passed out. ("Adjustments for Inflation) Money is just zeros on a screen.
What's to complain about?

Feudal is an old system and it was fairly stable, however abusive and corrupt, for many centuries Capitalism attempted to leave the wealth in the hands of the producers to invest according to their judgement (capitalism) Now who produces, what, how and by whom is increasingly according to government control. And who receives is also according to government control.

This is incoherent. You should probably stop while you're behind.