The 2025 Government Shutdown Thread

bèlla · Sunday at 12:40 AM

Hans Blaster said:
You believe it is a bad idea?

Come now. You’re too learned for that.

Hans Blaster said:
I'm thinking we should cut that tax-free portion in half.

When a person passes away and bequeaths an estate to a descendant, it can be subject to a substantial 40 percent tax if it is worth more than a certain amount. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) temporarily doubled the Death Tax exemption to $11 million. However, beginning in 2026, the exemption will revert to the pre-TCJA level of $5.5 million.

Repeal the Death Tax

~bella

rjs330 · Sunday at 12:44 AM

iluvatar5150 said:
If you can get enough of your representatives to vote to change caesar’s mind, then so be it.

Yes that is how it works. And in tyr mean time all.of us including you can share our opinions on what should be. And everyone is following the law so I'm not sure what your point t was on quoting the scripture. Did you think.someone was advocating for not following the law? Where you advocating for everyone just to be quiet? What was your point?

Hans Blaster · Sunday at 1:14 AM

bèlla said:
Come now. You’re too learned for that.

You walked right into that one. "bad idea" is the *nicest* thing I think about religion.

bèlla said:
When a person passes away and bequeaths an estate to a descendant, it can be subject to a substantial 40 percent tax if it is worth more than a certain amount. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) temporarily doubled the Death Tax exemption to $11 million. However, beginning in 2026, the exemption will revert to the pre-TCJA level of $5.5 million.

Repeal the Death Tax

~bella

Did they somehow forget the estate tax in their giant bill of tax give-a-ways to the rich?

bèlla · Sunday at 1:31 AM

Hans Blaster said:
You walked right into that one. "bad idea" is the *nicest* thing I think about religion.

I didn’t walk into anything. I spent years living as a jew. Do you think I was oblivious to the christian position on the subject? I could have kept that to myself but I didn’t.

Hans Blaster said:
Did they somehow forget the estate tax in their giant bill of tax give-a-ways to the rich?

Of course not. He has obligations. They’ll put it in the next when no one’s watching.

~bella

Hans Blaster · Sunday at 1:45 AM

bèlla said:
I didn’t walk into anything. I spent years living as a jew. Do you think I was oblivious to the christian position on the subject? I could have kept that to myself but I didn’t.

What? Christians think "religion is bad idea"? And what does what Christians think have to do with me in the slightest?

bèlla said:
Of course not. He has obligations. They’ll put it in the next when no one’s watching.

~bella

Bradskii · Sunday at 3:52 AM

Fervent said:
I appreciate the sentiments, and don't doubt you worked extremely hard. But that doesn't erase that you likely had benefits that others don't...

That's true. And I don't want go all Monty Python a la Yorkshireman sketch about the grim realities of working class life in post war Britain. But...there wasn't a lot of benefits that put us much more than a rung or two above those that had next to nothing.

But you're right in one respect. I've had opportunities to climb up rung by rung. The better life was always in sight. But it was a struggle getting there. And now I've achieved what has to be said is a comfortable existence I'm not in a mind to accede to any government dictate that they want still more.

I'm all for making sure that everyone has at least the opportunities that I had. And I didn't mind paying a not insignificant amount of my earnings so that can happen. But...I'm not earning now. But we don't take a pension and I'm not inclined to part with anymore of what I own.

mark46 · Sunday at 9:20 AM

Hans Blaster said:
I'm thinking we should cut that tax-free portion in half.

You would need a farm exception.

iluvatar5150 · Sunday at 9:51 AM

Desk trauma said:
Yes, I have a hard time accepting absurdly untrue things , like considering $14 million dollars as “not a lot of money” as true.

It’s been kind of interesting to note where the truly elitist attitudes come from around here.

In this thread, we have “$14m is not a lot of money.” In others, it’s been “who cares about PBS? Everybody has streaming accounts now” and “who cares about daycare expenses; it’s better to have family help.”

I don’t hang in real blue blood circles, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a normy Dem, even very high earners, so much as hint at anything like that.

Hans Blaster · Sunday at 9:51 AM

mark46 said:
You would need a farm exception.

I don't.

bèlla · Sunday at 1:54 PM

iluvatar5150 said:
It’s been kind of interesting to note where the truly elitist attitudes come from around here.

In this thread, we have “$14m is not a lot of money.” In others, it’s been “who cares about PBS? Everybody has streaming accounts now” and “who cares about daycare expenses; it’s better to have family help.”

I’m not a democrat or republican nor do I support either party. I post on many subjects including those affecting the poor and others from different stations. You’re welcome to your opinion but the comment wasn’t elitist. And no one with that disposition would ever be on this site.

~bella

bèlla · Sunday at 1:58 PM

Timothy Mellon is Trump’s $130 million mystery military donor: NYT

The mystery donor whose $130 million contribution is meant to pay U.S. military troops during the government shutdown is Timothy Mellon, an heir to a renowned Gilded Age banking family, The New York Times reported Saturday. But Mellon’s donation works out to only about $100 per service member. It costs nearly $6.4 billion to pay U.S. troops every two weeks.

Michie · Sunday at 2:00 PM

bèlla said:
I’m not a democrat or republican nor do I support either party. I post on many subjects including those affecting the poor and others from different stations. You’re welcome to your opinion but the comment wasn’t elitist. And no one with that disposition would ever be on this site.

~bella

How do you know?

bèlla · Sunday at 2:05 PM

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS UPDATE

FAA Sends a Warning to All Travelers

As the federal government shutdown continues, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning to travelers about the delays and cancellations they could face during their travels as a result of that shutdown. As the shutdown continues, staffing shortages within those agencies are becoming an increasing issue as workers increasingly cannot afford to go without a paycheck and seek other opportunities.

Over the weekend, thousands of flights were canceled across some of the biggest and busiest airports in the United States, and the FAA warned that staffing issues were causing many of these delays. The Federal Aviation Administration said that air traffic control staffing issues were to blame for travel at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Newark, Las Vegas, and Phoenix and warned that these delays could continue.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that 53% of flight delays during a week-long period earlier this month were due to staffing issues, when that number is around 5% normally.

According to Reuters, the FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks even before the government shutdown.

bèlla · Sunday at 2:10 PM

Michie said:
How do you know?

Elitists tend to associate only with people who share their status, interests, or background.

Hans Blaster · Sunday at 2:39 PM

bèlla said:
Elitists tend to associate only with people who share their status, interests, or background.

who are the elitists?

Michie · Sunday at 2:40 PM

bèlla said:
Elitists tend to associate only with people who share their status, interests, or background.

Well I think they do slum on occasion if you want to infer CF is beneath them somehow. They do not insulate themselves as much as some seem to think.

Desk trauma · Sunday at 3:00 PM

bèlla said:
I’m not a democrat or republican nor do I support either party. I post on many subjects including those affecting the poor and others from different stations. You’re welcome to your opinion but the comment wasn’t elitist. And no one with that disposition would ever be on this site.

~bella

Oh it just keeps getting better. $14 million isn’t a lot of money and saying that isn’t elitist.

iluvatar5150 · Sunday at 7:52 PM

bèlla said:
Elitists tend to associate only with people who share their status, interests, or background.

By that definition, the vast majority of people are elitists.

bèlla · Sunday at 9:07 PM

iluvatar5150 said:
By that definition, the vast majority of people are elitists.

Connecting with likeminded people is the norm as you’ve noted. But limiting your associations to people from a specific socioeconomic group or class and ostracizing those outside of it is a different matter. And there’s usually barriers for entry in place to keep them out.

It’s the difference between a venue like this that welcomes all and a group that functions by membership and requires an application, 2 recommendations from current members and an entrance and yearly fee. They’re not looking to engage with christians. They’re seeking the company of believers from a specific background and economic status.

Whether they’re elitist is a subject of debate. I think there are situations where memberships are apropos. But I think it’s helpful to talk to people from different walks of life. You can be oblivious to a lot when you don’t. That isn’t good when you have a lot of means. It’s easy to live in a bubble and ignore the world. You’ll end up in echo chambers that may not be edifying.

~bella

Michie · Sunday at 9:57 PM

bèlla said:
Connecting with likeminded people is the norm as you’ve noted. But limiting your associations to people from a specific socioeconomic group or class and ostracizing those outside of it is a different matter. And there’s usually barriers for entry in place to keep them out.

It’s the difference between a venue like this that welcomes all and a group that functions by membership and requires an application, 2 recommendations from current members and an entrance and yearly fee. They’re not looking to engage with christians. They’re seeking the company of believers from a specific background and economic status.

Whether they’re elitist is a subject of debate. I think there are situations where memberships are apropos. But I think it’s helpful to talk to people from different walks of life. You can be oblivious to a lot when you don’t. That isn’t good when you have a lot of means. It’s easy to live in a bubble and ignore the world. You’ll end up in echo chambers that may not be edifying.

~bella

You really seem to admire the elite and and money. People’s stations in life. I wonder why. You speak of it constantly. It makes me very curious. I’m not saying this as a dig but you speak in very broad terms and are quite elusive in your flowery speech. You go to a lot of extremes in your phases in life depending on what you view on YouTube from what I have observed but you have never let go of the financial and social aspect of it. So do not take offense. I find it fascinating.

The 2025 Government Shutdown Thread

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