Debt Clock in the House Chamber?
**Written by Doug Powers
On the surface it’s an interesting suggestion, but I’m guessing the cost of construction (it would have to be “green”) and maintenance (SEIU & AFL-CIO technicians only please) would make it immediately self-defeating.
From The Hill:
Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) last week introduced a resolution that would place a clock measuring the U.S. debt in the House chamber as a “visual gesture” that reminds members of the need to reduce spending.
“We are currently borrowing $58,000 per second,” Reed said last week. “We borrow at least forty cents of each dollar we spend. That is unsustainable. The debt clock will be a distinct reminder that our national debt must always be our first consideration as we continue to spend money that we do not have.”
I’m skeptical that trying to add an element of shame to a good portion of the House by way of a debt clock would curb runaway spending any more than taping soiled diapers to the wall of a nursery would get babies to stop pooping their pants.
Besides, there are members of Congress who believe it’s their constitutional duty to spend the money that of course creates jobs, helps the economy and in turn will reduce the debt. In that twisted world, putting up a debt clock anywhere in Washington with numbers ascending skyward faster than an Atlas V would serve as little more than proof of their patriotism and evidence of their success at job creation and debt reduction.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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And therein lied the problem.
Congress and diapers need to be changed often and for the same reason.
Errah, I guess Ross Perot was right!
Yup, both start to stink in a short time.
Politics should be an avocation not a vocation.
Somehow I don’t think having the debt clock in the house, senate, or wh would make on bit of difference! These people in dc don’t give a flying flit on how the debt is cratering our Republic! Gotta raise the debt ceiling and do nothing about stopping spending. Gads, I am so sick of those people in dc!
L
While I understand this, I don’t support the idea. All it does is create another government job for some over-paid federal lackey. I mean, who is going to be kept on 24-hour call to keep winding the clock when it starts to run down???? Gotta be at least a GS10 job.
(anyone who doesn’t see the sarcasm there seriously needs to lighten up)
My main concern is that Democrats and Rinos would turn and face the clock during the pledge of allegiance.
Again, I mention, some people in DC passionately work toward the prospect of debt to crater our Republic. It’ll make it easier for picking up the pieces reshaping the USA and putting in place the form of government the Left desires.
A nice thought, but please spare American taxpayers the expense! The Congresspersons who care already know there’s a problem, and the ones who don’t care wouldn’t change their minds if there was a debt clock there. So it’s just one more thing we can’t afford.
Excellent point! It would be there as a daily reminder of their success in destroying our economy.
They should have the Debt Clock and Al Gore’s Gobal Warming Armageddon clock in there. Maybe they’ll both hit critical mass at the same time!
Bingo!
Papa Louie, you get today’s Blue Ribbon!
We’re more than 14 trillion dollars in debt, so it won’t make a difference.
POLITICIANS ARE LIKE USED TOILET PAPER: FULL OF S*** AND SHOULD BE FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET ASAP BEFORE THE STINK THE HOUSE.
I just think it would give the socialists a target to shoot for.
About the same time the Mayan calendar runs out?
No new expense of any kind should be considered by Congress until they have cut spending to below revenue.
That’s what every business and family must do.
Manbearpig’s body hit critical mass a long time ago!
From your mouth to Boehnner’s ears. Oh, never mind…
Remember when there were coin-operated breath-alyzers in bars?
They turned into a video game for drunks trying to get “high scores”.
The same thing would happen with a debt clock in congress chambers, I fear.
why bother/ they probably can not tell time
I dunno, they always seem to know when its time to adjurn for a congressional recess.
Just imagine the methane emissions (to put it delicately). Jet airplanes have had to alter their flight path after an algore meal
Oh, Doug – you crack me up! Thanks for a laugh about something so serious. I think we all need a little levity sometimes.
they tried to put breathalizers in bars, then people would see who could blow the highest number. i can see dems passing bills, and seeing who got the numbers to raise the fastest. he might want to rethink this.
What if we make every member of Congress eat a poopy diaper for every week this country remains in debt? How ’bout them apples?
Rush has been talking about this almost the entire hour. He is doing a great job, too bad a huge number of non-paying taxpayers don’t understand one word he has said!
L
Don’t count on Democrats to see this as a “real” problem. Sure, they’re bound to give it a nominal amount of lip service, but in the end, they’ll do what they always do when a crisis is in sight…try to make as much political hay before blaming the Republicans, and Bush.
The game of “Hide the Debt,” calling spending money an “investment,” and the liberal use of accounting gimmicks has caught up with the Party of No Return.
No more smoke and mirrors…no more pointing fingers…either fix it, or move out of the way and let the real experts do it.
Incompetence under the guise of partisanship, gamesmanship, and stewardship must be rewarded with the loss of their jobs. Nothing else will do.
If the debt clock has hands instead of digits, it would serve a dual purpose for air conditioning the building.
+ 1,000 Atta’ Girls!
No, absolutely GD right. Either they get it or they don’t. Why rack up yet another bill? And it’s the same heartburn trying to explain that to Liberal Bloggers/Madisonistas. They nod in acknowledgment that they actually ‘grasp’ the severity of the situation, then go -right- back to kicking and moaning about “How come we still can’t pretend it’s The 90′s?” woe is me BC.
Crude, but effective, I like it…..
Must be applied to both parties, they both got us here.
Fine by me, just don’t call it a ‘Happy Meal’.
I’d like Congress’ pay to be tied to the budget.
Increase the deficit: pay cut
Balance the budget: get paid
Decrease the deficit: get a raise
$$ Clock: Waste of money.
And IMO, the more they look at it, the more used to it they’ll be (if that’s possible).
If it had numbered wheels spinning, they could use them as part of the HVAC system, blowing all that hot air around.
right_on said:
There’s no shame in running a business and going to your vendors or lenders and saying; “I think we all know the score here and no question, things have been better. We.Fully.Intend. to make good on our obligations, but right now ( and given the circumstances? ) you really have to work with us!”
I watched my father do exactly that from time to time. When I got older, it became ‘my’ job. But owning -up- to that means dropping the facade, making all the more apparent we can’t afford PEU’s demands. So no dice.
With the added benefit for the socialists that they can claim they couldn’t see the hands because they were moving too fast!
You’ve really got something there. How about their paychecks are reduced by the percentage borrowed. Right now they’re borrowing 40% of what they’re spending. 40$ pay with held. Balance, full pay, pay back debt, bonus.
$=%?
Kinda reminds me of those Y2K countdown clocks in all the Post Offices. They were just clocks after 01/01/2000. Then customers were able to see just how slow the service was so the PO took them down. No more complaints.
The customer cared but the worker didn’t.
Same thing with the debt clock.
That kind of incentivization would work on us. We live on our paychecks. They are all millionaires. A shrinking paycheck wouldn’t be noticed by some of them, maybe a lot of them.
The only problem I see with the pay of those in dc gauged to the debt, the little darlings ‘give’ themselves a raise in a 3am get together and pass it! We have NO say it seems.
L
On April 18, 2011 at 10:44 am, Dexter Alarius said:
Three loaves of bread & a quart of water?
Oh pleeeeease….. as if the DC idiots would even look at a debt clock and have it mean anything. It would be just a stop watch for get tax increases passed now. Is anyone in DC really serious about the debt, deficit and the spending? I think not. I am sick to death hearing any in the GOP saying that they are only 1/2 of 1/3 in DC. It just sounds like another excuse. They need to lead! Do something different. We need someone to get out in front and get serious about leading. I don’t want to hear any more excuses or words that can be perceived as excuses. Where is the outrage from the newly elected tea party candidates? Why are they not reporting on who is selling us out in the GOP so we can get started on removing them in 2012? I want these back room deals exposed. I want the big spending GOPers exposed. I will not accept the “1/2 of 1/3″ thing any longer. They need to DO SOMETHING!!!! Instead of the debt clock, get a huge copy of the Constitution on the wall and make everyone who took an oath to it to jolly well live up to that oath or GET OUT!!!!!!
On April 18, 2011 at 11:11 am, Virginia Patriot said:
Yes.
Their pay should be tied in with all other federal workers, including the military. I.e., they get a 3% raise if the military gets a 3% raise.
On April 18th, 2011 at 12:32 pm, conservative hispanic said:
We’re more than 14 trillion dollars in debt, so it won’t make a difference.
POLITICIANS ARE LIKE USED TOILET PAPER: FULL OF S*** AND SHOULD BE FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET ASAP BEFORE THE STINK THE HOUSE.
Too late, my friend. The stinch is already gettin’ to me.
A commonly shared sentiment, I’m sure.
It’s whether or not Trent Lott and the boys have gotten to a bunch of them that I’m not sure about.
The bastards make more from lobbyists than they do from their salaries and perks.
I don’t know who I’d hang first, Pols or Lobbyists.
Great fun and all, but even when viewed in digital form ( it’s nonetheless staggering! ) If the Odometer in your car turned over like that the only place you’d be able to go is directly from the showroom floor to the junkyard.
And you’d be lucky to make it.
Or posting pictures of aborted fetus’s would prompt defunding of Planned Parenthood.
****************
Bust the unions, starve the money laundering arm of the socialist democrat party!
Is it time yet to indict Bernanke for lying about not monetizing the debt, under oath? If not now, when?
No blood for oil with your illegal war, Barry!
Who IS Barry Soetoro? (aka “Our Dear Son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu Oumama” Mohamar Quadaffi)
Simultaneously isn’t an option?
If they DID put a debt clock up in the chambers they would probably name it “The Glorious Clock of Salvation- Spending Erected by the Saviors of America” or some kind of horse-dung equivalent nonsense. These people, along with the president, are so in love with themselves, I would expect no less.
M_W #49,
The friction would cause a dashboard fire ! So Yes, you`d be very lucky to make it !
I suggest a moratorium on ALL spending EXCEPT for troops in war zones (forget the illegal ‘kinetic’ action in Libya)until someone wants to talk about reducing the spending and debt in an adult manner. I know that will be hard finding an adult in charge in DC but it’s worth the effort to look.
*************
Bust the unions, starve the money laundering arm of the socialist democrat party!
Is it time yet to indict Bernanke for lying about not monetizing the debt, under oath? If not now, when?
No blood for oil with your illegal war, Barry!
Who IS Barry Soetoro? (aka “Our Dear Son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu Oumama” Mohamar Quadaffi)
No way.
One viewing episode would be too long.
Break it up into the whole TV season. In fact, have them fight each other with dull weapons. Or …..bare hands. Yeah, bare hands. That’s the ticket!
My vendors/lenders wouldn’t entertain the thought. This is precisely why I’ve resorted to bi/tri-weekly deposits. (There is no sexual insinuation there for you pervs)
******************
Bust the unions, starve the money laundering arm of the socialist democrat party!
Is it time yet to indict Bernanke for lying about not monetizing the debt, under oath? If not now, when?
No blood for oil with your illegal war, Barry!
Who IS Barry Soetoro? (aka “Our Dear Son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu Oumama” Mohamar Quadaffi)
Never thought of that. You’d need an oil change before you signed the Warranty papers, and a major tune-up before you got off the lot. New tires at the first stop light.
Ahem, in the early going, I understood not advocating a total shutdown. From where we stand this minute, it won’t be long before the decision is no longer ‘ours’ to make?
Survivor: D.C. Swamp.
Although with most of these wusses, using bare hands would probably devolve into no more than a Stooge slapfest. Not that that wouldn’t be entertaining.
No problem. Spaceycakes has thick skin.
I would prefer a televised caning for the entire season.
*************
Bust the unions, starve the money laundering arm of the socialist democrat party!
Is it time yet to indict Bernanke for lying about not monetizing the debt, under oath? If not now, when?
No blood for oil with your illegal war, Barry!
Who IS Barry Soetoro? (aka “Our Dear Son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu Oumama” Mohamar Quadaffi)
LOL Touche!
**************
Bust the unions, starve the money laundering arm of the socialist democrat party!
Is it time yet to indict Bernanke for lying about not monetizing the debt, under oath? If not now, when?
No blood for oil with your illegal war, Barry!
Who IS Barry Soetoro? (aka “Our Dear Son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu Oumama” Mohamar Quadaffi)
I think it would go something like this.
Install the debt clock in the House/Senate just like a time lock in a bank.
As soon as the clock is activated, it doesn’t unlock the doors to Congress until the debt is 1 billion dollars less than the last time the doors were unlocked.
Then it unlocks the doors for an hour. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Great. Another empty political gesture. With “slash and burn” Boehner cutting $350 million for every $100B in cuts promised, what would a clock accomplish? Make Boehner cry? Maybe if they surrounded it with pictures of the children Boehner is guaranteeing will not have the same shot at the American Dream he had and called it The Poindexter Memorial in honor of the death of the GOP.
Speeches, gestures, posturing,…. How about some actual action!!!
Thou art all wise, Hiraghm.
Install the debt clock in the House/Senate just like a time lock in a bank.
Gonna start smelling something awful in a couple of weeks…..
What we need to do is to start placing liens on the personal property and start garnishing the wages of all Congress-critters. That might drive home the point and get their attention. Solve the mess you created, get back your wages and property…
Just think of it as “you break it, you bought it.”
lol…
not my problem…
Dingy Harry won’t be able to literally smell the tourists over his own stench.
Especially not after the food and water run out……
I am sure, with a few modifications, the Denny Hastert Cheeseburgers Consumed Ticker that is now collecting dust in the Capitol Cafeteria’s storage room could be retrofitted to do the job.
Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. Government’s debt rating to “negative” today. The Obama administration is loaded with (supposed) financial “wunderkinds” who cashed out after running their respective financial institutions into the ground, and are, and have been advising Obama on all matters financial.
Having seen their history with “creative bookkeeping,” ghost numbers, and convenient forgetfulness, is anyone really surprised about the current economic picture, and rating outcome? What did you expect?
In law enforcement, we had some known truths:
Once a thief, always a thief!
A liar now, a liar later!
Insanity – doing the same things over, and over again, and expecting different results.
truly, that would be the lower level pols, bureaucrats and operatives in the leftist war against judeo-christian ethics, capitalism, freedom and independence…..however, the theives and liars at the top know what they are doing.
Carefully crafting things so we are financially ruined by the few of them at the top who expect to have complete control of all things….and us.
Sorry, that was already re-purposed for the Kuchinich “days without a lawsuit for an olive pit in my olive” clock for the Congressional cafeteria and will be used later for the “days before Pelosi says something stupid” clock. Gavel not included.
I think you are missing a key element to the joke…
Am I?
Oh, I’m not totally heartless. I’d be willing to provide some matches and charcoal briquettes before the doors auto-lock.
There will be some smart-ass that will come up with idea to unplug the debt clock in order to conserve energy therefor save some money.
Quiet, the grownup is talking…
For your two examples to be funny, they have to be small numbers, right?