Deficit

Anyone who claims to be concerned about the deficit and doesn't want to raise taxes is either a fool or a fraud. William L. Akers

Evidence of big media's bias against religion that doesn't advance the secular and liberal agenda of the Democratic Party is beyond dispute. Any faith attached to a conservative agenda is to be ridiculed, stereotyped and misrepresented. Islam is a notable exception. The media appear to bend over backward not to offend Muslims. The Washington Post on Monday, reporting from Carrollton, Ark., uncovered an event that occurred nearly 155 years ago and then sought to link it to the presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney: "On Sept.

Triplet brothers are having a blast at a water park late one afternoon and, despite pruned fingers, they don't want to leave. But it's getting late, and Dad says they must go in 15 minutes. Pick one of the superslides for one last ride of the day, dad instructs them. Of the three big slides, Adam's favorite is the red one, followed by the green and yellow slides. Burt's fave is green, with yellow second and red last. And Chip loves yellow, followed by red and green. The boys can't separate because Dad's safety rule is they keep together everywhere in the park.

It has been a familiar scene the past two days at UMBC: lacrosse sticks flying everywhere, a mass celebration, then the traditional team photo with the state championship plaque proudly displayed. When it was the South River boys' turn, after a stunning, 10-8 comeback win over Westminster in the Class 4A-3A final, the sticks flew a bit higher, the celebratory pile came together quicker and the smiles were broader. The No. 8 Seahawks had more to enjoy than bringing home the program's second state championship Wednesday at rainy UMBC Stadium.

It is imperative that we raise revenue in addition to cutting waste in existing federal programs. The following three actions would wipe out our debt over a period of only a few years without having to cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid programs: 1. Raise federal income tax rates on those earning $500,000 or more per year. 2. Levy a small tax on every stock market transaction. 3. Deduct Social Security payments from everyone's payroll for the entire year with no maximum limit on how much would be deducted during the year.

A merica faces many deficits - in federal and state budgets, in trade, in business and, most assuredly, in personal finance. But there is one very large deficit that may underlie all of them. We face a "posterity deficit," born out of our growing failure to think about the well-being of future generations. Most people are not much concerned with what lies ahead for the world beyond their lifetimes. Yet, decisions we make today on questions like the environment and spending will have far-ranging implications on the lives of future generations - for better or worse.

Do we have a deficit problem in this country? Yes. Some have suggested we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. Let's look at it more closely Do we have a spending problem? Yes. Do we have a revenue problem? You betcha. Some would say the solution to the deficit is to lower taxes. That would increase revenue? Really? Here are some historical stats form the Office of Management and Budget to gain some perspective. During Jimmy Carter's administration, tax revenue grew at an average rate of 8.75 percent annually.

Regarding your editorial "Let them eat tax cuts" (Sept. 12) about the GOP's lukewarm response to President Obama's call on Congress to pass a jobs bill, to my knowledge The Sun has never rejected an expansion of the federal deficit. Consequently, your explanation of the need for another economic stimulus package financed by deficit spending rings hollow indeed. Thomas F. McDonough, Towson

B igger than the budget deficit, America has a leadership gap. The economic recovery is not creating jobs; unemployment is rising; and the president and Congress offer little more than nostrums and platitudes. Republicans push tax cuts that experience teaches have doubtful prospects. Democrats, meanwhile, caution that "employment is a lagging indicator" - after a $759 billion stimulus has failed. It may be too early in the recovery for businesses to be hiring, but big layoffs should have stopped by now, and they have not. The huge trade deficit and reckless banking practices caused the Great Recession, and they still weigh down the economy.

In less than one week, this nation will remember the assassination of President John F. Kennedy exactly 48 years ago. It would serve the nation well if members of Congress would recall the immortal words President Kennedy spoke on Jan. 20, 1961: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. " Congress needs to restrain the spending and reel in this nation's debt. That would serve this country better than any other single item on the agenda of Congress or President Barack Obama.

With about six minutes left in the fourth quarter of Saturday's NCAA tournament quarterfinal in Annapolis and Loyola nursing a 10-8 lead, coach Charley Toomey did what many others would have - and have - done in his position. He took the air out of the ball, played keep-away, and forced Denver to double-team, thereby leaving the net open for an easy goal. That strategy, however, almost backfired on the top-seeded Greyhounds. Denver forced a turnover and turned that miscue into a goal by freshman midfielder Wes Berg with 2:43 remaining.

Kick the can down the road. Kick the can down the road. The game is getting old in Maryland, and The Sun is absolutely right to point out that, for the second time in a matter of weeks, the Maryland General Assembly is wrapping up its business without yet tackling the absolutely critical issue of fixing our state transportation funding crisis ("Unfinished business," May 16). Maryland's transportation trust fund has been severely depleted in recent years, with multiple raids on the fund to help offset operating budget deficits.

Behind the black metal doors leading into the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, Orioles players bobbed their heads to the bass-thumping music that filled the room Thursday afternoon. Travel bags in front of each player's locker, the Orioles were ready to barnstorm out of Kansas City, having completed a road series just 40 hours after arriving here. Their stay was brief, but they swept through the Midwest with a pair of more-than-meaningful comeback wins at Kauffman Stadium -- wins that came within less than 24 hours of each other.

Not long after the Maryland General Assembly last adjourned back in mid-April, gasoline prices were approaching $4 a gallon. Currently, a price-conscious shopper can purchase a gallon of regular unleaded in the Baltimore area for as little as $3.50. That's a 50-cent swing in prices, essentially a 12.5 percent discount from just one month ago. So, Mr. and Mrs. Average Maryland Consumer, has this drop in prices had a huge impact on your life? Has it revived the economy? Put the unemployed back to work?

There's a tendency among some to shorthand the ongoing federal budget debate as between Republicans who want to reduce government spending and Democrats who don't. This isn't really the case, as recent actions in the House have demonstrated. On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee took a close look at President Barack Obama's proposed $525.4 billion defense spending plan and decided that simply wasn't enough. The GOP-controlled committee voted to authorize nearly $4 billion more than what the Pentagon had requested for 2013.

As Wilson Betemit rounded third, he flung his batting helmet in the air and charged headfirst into the mob awaiting him at home plate. A remarkable comeback struck quickly -- the stadium siren blaring and the seating bowl fervent -- with the Orioles, down to their final two outs, rallying Sunday for a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics at Camden Yards in front of an announced 31,793. Betemit capped a five-run ninth inning with a three-run shot -- the first walk-off homer of his career -- taking a fastball from Oakland closer Grant Balfour (0-1)

Now that the primary election is over, it is incredible how few voters and politicians failed to make any connection between the $700 billion we spend every year on defense and the government deficits and financial crisis the U.S. is facing. The Bush administration added nearly $5 trillion in costs for wars which directly went into unpaid U.S. debt. Since 2001, military spending has doubled, and even then it was already more than any other country's. Now it is more than the rest of the world combined.

Just two days after claiming their fourth straight Atlantic Coast Conference women's lacrosse title, Maryland returned home Wednesday to close out the regular season with yet another resounding statement: They're not finished just yet. Playing for the fourth time in six days, No. 5 Maryland overcame an early deficit with seven straight goals over a span of 15 minutes, quickly pulling away from No. 16 Georgetown before surviving the Hoyas'...

Deficit reduction is an important national priority, vital to our long-term economic opportunity and security. But just because it's important doesn't mean that it can be undertaken without regard to our national values. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives left values on the sideline this week when it moved forward with a shocking proposal to cut food assistance for our nation's hungry by over $33 billion. That it was done in the name of deficit reduction does not excuse the fact that cuts to anti-hunger programs at a time when need has never been greater are both reckless and short-sighted.