WebMD Community Talk Show

Value small businesses who are creating new jobs. Don't raise the minimum wage.

Yes, It makes a big difference. If Obama and his progressive administration has another 4yrs. to change the country we will be exactly like Greece and other countries in Europe. America was founded on the Constitution and we now look and are more like Europe than the United States. We cannot lose this great country. This is a very important election. Thank you!

Equality in taxes .Im tired of the loopholes for the wealthy.I want insurance for all so that those without dont need to go to ER and pay ER prices for a infection that then gets paid by our taxes..I wanted osama caught, DONE.I want the economy to get better even if its been slow,the damage done by past p\Presidents almost sunk us all. Looks like pres Obama will get my vote

I agree that placing value on small business is critical. But not raising minimum wage is not going to help, gas prices are on the rise and that effects everything in our economy. So by keeping minimum wage at $7.25 or what ever it is in your state, is going to make it difficult for these people to get to and from work and to provide for themselves. Therefore they will probably try to work somewhere else, where they can get paid more and possible get medical benefits, i dont know if your company offers health benies. Now if there were a decent government provided health care, which they would be able to recieve at no cost to the employer that may work in your favor, or you could pass off the extra savings in the form of a raise or increase in hourly wage.

Let me start by saying that I am a registered Independent. As for Greece and the rest of Europe, they didnt fall from grace over night, it was a long process. So by pointing the finger at the current guy in office is sort of a cop out. As for the country being founded on the Constitution you are absolutely right, how ever, we havent been using that document to run this country for quite sometime, it is merely just becoming a piece of paper. Politicians both Democrats/Republicans, Liberal and Conservatives are all controlled by the almighty dollar. Greed has taken over this country and the wheels have been in motion for quite sometime. So our convential wisdom has lead us astray, depressions, recessions, bubbles oh my. So doesnt it make some sense to look at things from a different angle? All in all, as far as im concerned we are hopeless as far as a real leader, there is to much outside influence involved and that will not go away because there is too much money at stake. So from this election on, i plan on abstaining my vote, until there a worthy candidate worth voting for.

being a religious person I agree with you but I obsolve to hold my vote and remain neutral waiting for God and his kingdom. that may not be your view per say buy I agree on the greed and not voting no one person will save this world. To me (not saying anyone is wrong or pushing my beliefs on you at all!) the only thing to save this world is Jehovah. I don't want to step on any toes or offend anyone this is just what I believe

I think the more important question might be, who does it matter to the most? One of the things i have noticed over the past few years is gas prices..constantly fluctuating as we all can agree. But I can remember before the last election, the prices started to fall around election time, even though "W" was on his way out, he was still a republican, so Big Oil probably wanted to keep a good taste in everyones mouth, so lets keep gas prices down, people may spend more money and the economy could get a bit of a surge. Fast forward to present day, gas prices are slowly increasing, with projections that over the summer they may be close to $4 again. During the state of the union, the current president said and im paraphrasing, that this is the first time in over 10 years that the US was less than 50% dependent on foreign oil. This fact was confirmed as true. So ask yourself...if we are less dependant on foreign oil, why are gas prices going up? I remember 4 or so years ago when gas was out of control, oil was close to $100/barrell and gas was close to $4/gal. As far as I know the price for a barrell of gas isnt close to that price, but yet the prices for a gallon of gas are just as high. So as big oil is turning out record quarterly profits, year after year, you have to scratch your head. Have we been conditioned to believe that it is "normal" for gas to be this high? Big oil sure hopes so and they will probably wreck another tanker or crack another well...just so they can squeeze out an extra $.25 on us. Because the democrats are more harsh on big business, they want one of their guys in office, and in all honesty who could blame them, so they do what they can to influence the people. Higher price at the pumps, less disposible income, economy slides and people dont travel. So big swing states like florida dont get the economic boost that they so despirately need and they vote in the favor of Big Oil. So based off of that long winded rant, i think i just got my answer, Big Oil sits in the Oval Office, no matter what political party might be keeping the chair warm. So as they turn out $40 billion quarters, they set the bar...now their shareholders wont expect anything less, god forbid they only made $30 billion the next quarter and if it continued to go down till it became a reasonable amount of money, the economy would be able to correct itself. Now to my environmental friendly pals out there, most of you are probably saying, you could by a hybrid or a more fuel effiecient vehicle. To that i say your absolutely right, but if you make minimum wage or can't afford a car because fannie and freddie ruined your credit, your kinda stuck driving your gas guzzler.

Its amazing that so many students from around the world come to study in amercia, they know they can get a great education and get a great job, in their home country. We have so many bright minds in this country, yet we cannot come up with a reasonable alternative fuel, they are saying it will take 15 to 20 years to develop the technology...Well get crackin! Although I find that time frame be hard to believe, when it took the foreign auto makers less than that amount of time to perfect our engines and make them better and more effiecient than we could here in the states. if i had to guess, I'd say their is a heavy influence from big oil in washington, keeping these ideas down and at bay, they are probably the ones setting up a this outlandish time table, so they can milk it for every penny that its worth. Everytime i put gas in my car, i want to puke at the prices i am paying and their is no justification for these price hikes. A few hundred years ago, that type of activity would have led to a revolt. Our founding fathers created this nation so that they could stop being pushed around by their government, so they could be a government, by the people, for the people and of the people. To be continued...

Thats the beauty of America, You are entitled to your beliefs, atleast for now. But speaking of religion, our country was started by people who were fleeing from religious persecution, its kind of ironic that a country founded off of those principles is trying to opress a huge religious population. As far as im concerned their are radicals in almost every religion, so using the one bad apple spoils the bunch seems a bit short sighted.

Now dont get me wrong, I understand that the reason you go into business is to make money and free enterprise is great. but if you went to buy a stick of gum that was $.05 and the next day it was $.50, wouldnt you want to know why the price changed? Well if he said, I only have 10 pieces left and i cant get any more, simple rule of supply and demand right? But what if he had an entire case of gum in his back room? He is controling the supply driving up the price, silly example i know. But it happens all the time and im willing to bet that it happens in big oil. We hear on the news, people are traveling more consuming more gas...supply is low. Garbage, they just stopped working 3 shift and went down to two...or they laid off a 1/4 of their work force for a month, give them a rest.

Im finally off my soap box...But as human beings, we have the minds and the reason to question. We should not believe everything we hear or read...actually we shouldnt believe any of it. Just look back over history, government have been lying to their people to maintain control, what makes this government any different? If your saying because its America, the land of the free home of the brave your kidding yourself. Men and Women are giving up their lives to defend what this country has been built upon, a document that is meaningless to most politicians, the least we can do for them, is defend what they are fighting for here, while they are abroad.

I'm not so concerned who is elected but I want

1. better health care options
2. no more empty promises
3. someone who knows how our government representatives and senators can manipulate a bill to include $500,000 to tell us how many seagulls fly into San Diego (example only)

I'm not thrilled with any of the candidates. It was that way last presidential election and now this one. I don't want any of them.

Its like I have a choice between Donny Osmond, Steven Tyler, or the Captain of the Italian cruise ship that ran aground. Who do you vote for?

We cannot, repeat...CANNOT...keep the current administration in office for another four years!!!! He can blame, bash, criticize, whatever he chooses to do, the last administration, but it has gotten so much worse since 2008.

And please, anyone out there who feels they will abstain from voting, that is not the answer, because that is a vote FOR the current administration. We don't want that, do we?

I can't stand any of the main candidates, whether sitting president or the main Republican contenders. I'm a Libertarian and I'd vote for Ron Paul if I could because I like his intelligence, his ideas, and most (not all) of his vision. I do think the president has a large effect on national affairs, especially in how they interact with the rest of the government. Through executive orders and through overriding Congress they can have too much power, actually. Take a look at what's been happening during the last two or three years and it becomes apparent.

I'd like to have better medical care but not through anything government derived. I'd like to see private industry doing more of what the government does, and lower taxes from a smaller government. I think Ron Paul would work toward that, and as a doctor would keep workable health care in mind. Right now the health care that is going through is very difficult for medical providers and that's goin to make it hard for everyone.

Anytime someone has influence on where trillions of dollars are spent, then it's VERY IMPORTANT.

Anyone who overspends is off the books for me. I don't run my house that way, don't run a business that way and we voters shouldn't elect to run our country that way. Getting more for free always sounds nice at first, but never ends up working out in the long-run.

As for healthcare...
I'm sorry for everyone without healthcare - I'm self-pay myself. But asking all of our neighbors to pay for us with their hard-earned taxes is not the answer.

As for equality with taxes...
BELIEVE me, a person who makes more pays WAY more in taxes! When you don't make much, tax deductions can equate to a gigantic % of your income...April is a happy time of year. When you make a ton, you search for every dang loophole you can find, because even then, the % of all those deductions is so small and you still pay tons! You feel like you make so much but end up with so little after taxes.

The wealthy aren't the bad guys, they're the job creators, the innovators, and the risk takers of our country (for the most part anyway), punish them and you punish everyone they employ.