first...spending cuts must be realized for some period of time before tax increases are to be considered...they must be real cuts...not below the baseline cuts ...but below the inflation rate cuts at very least...more to point is that the cuts should be be nominal dollar cuts..ie spend 2.0 billion in 2012...then spend 1.85 billion in 2013...

Paul Ryan is correct...the way to increase revenues is to flatten the tax rate and butcher the deductions...which will lead to higher tax payments from the so called wealthy...ie 250,000 and above if you want to use that level for convo purposes...

the political discussions should center on how to get more money to the feds via decuction eliminations...not by increasing rates....as

this is essential because the whole damn conversation is moot and useless if we do not get growth in the economy.....corporations and small businesses and even individuals are leveraged ..meaning that actual economic growth of 4% or above will increase tax revenues to the feds and states by much more than 4%....the Reagan JFK and Cinton years prove this...even some aspects of the Bush yrs before 2007 show this...

Bowles Simpson was an adult way of getting down to biz...our fearless leader ignored it and the damn Senate refuses to even put together a budget..one of their constitutional duties....

Ryan is correct also in that forcing the current Medicare model to be embedded in the law for all time is a fast track to financial ruin......the dems must recognize this or all bets are off..Ron Wyden...dem of Oregon ddi...his specialty is medicare...

Paarl