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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday September 24 2016, @11:02AM   Printer-friendly
from the riddle-me-this-batman dept.

The New York Times has an article asking readers to select (from their list) what questions they'd like to ask the 2016 presidential candidates.

It's clear that both candidates haven't given specific answers to questions about issues which directly affect us. What questions would Soylentils ask the candidates (your choices, not mine as in the NYT article) to identify their positions on issues which matter to you?

Some of the questions I'd like to see answered are:
How would you work with a Congress which isn't aligned with the goals of your administration to actually get something accomplished?
Does money equal speech? If so/not so, why and how?
How will you rein in our intelligence agencies that are unconstitutionally spying on U.S. citizens?
What specific steps would you take (if any) to combat anthropogenic climate change?
Would you allow non-American foods to be cooked in the White House kitchen? If not, what steps will you take to reduce the obesity problem that will inevitably ensue?

What about the rest of you? What questions would you like to see answered by the candidates?


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  • (Score: 2) by SunTzuWarmaster on Saturday September 24 2016, @12:57PM

    by SunTzuWarmaster (3971) on Saturday September 24 2016, @12:57PM (#405925)
    HRC had a net worth of -$8M in 2001, and is now worth $31M. Trump has used bankruptcy courts to restructure debts and is worth $4.5B. The US GDP is currently at $16.8T, with its debt at $17.8T. What would you do to address it?
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @01:16PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @01:16PM (#405929)

    Are you asking the two candidates to chip in from their personal wealth to help pay down the national debt? I like it.

    • (Score: 2) by SunTzuWarmaster on Saturday September 24 2016, @01:31PM

      by SunTzuWarmaster (3971) on Saturday September 24 2016, @01:31PM (#405931)

      Heh. It is the most upsetting thing to me int he current political landscape. Both major candidates have decided that "debt is bad" int heir personal lives. The Fiscal Times indicates:
      "The gross national debt as a share of the overall economy is expected to remain relatively flat over the coming 10 years, with a slight uptick from 104 percent of GDP this year to 105 percent by 2026, according to the study. However, if Clinton’s policies were enacted by Congress, the gross debt would rise to 107 percent of GDP by 2026. Under Trump’s plan, by comparison, it would rise to 143 percent of GDP."

      Somewhere in this discussion is that NEITHER candidate will spend less than taxes bring in. There is not a (federally) fiscally responsible party to vote for, despite the fact both major candidates ARE (at least somewhat) fiscally responsible with their own money.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @03:22PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @03:22PM (#405952)

        > Both major candidates have decided that "debt is bad" int heir personal lives.

        If what's good for individuals must be good for the country, then the reverse should also be true, right?
        Therefore people should also have the right to print money, to judge others guilty of crimes and incarcerate them, declare eminent domain over their neighbor's property and to declare war and attack other countries.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @02:58PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @02:58PM (#405943)

      Then we should've elected Mitt.

  • (Score: 2) by JNCF on Saturday September 24 2016, @04:59PM

    by JNCF (4317) on Saturday September 24 2016, @04:59PM (#405975) Journal

    Trump has used bankruptcy courts to restructure debts and is worth $4.5B

    ...according to Forbes. Bloomberg says $3B. Trump usually claims at least $10B, but his valuations of his own wealth have fluctuated by at least $3.3B in a single day. He once said, "my net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with markets and with attitudes and with feelings—even my own feelings."

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @07:39PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @07:39PM (#406023)

      Once he releases his tax returns, we can know for sure what he's worth.
      Don't hold your breath waiting for that.

      A significant portion of Trump's "wealth" comes from licensing his name.
      He had 4 casinos with his name on them and all of those declared bankruptcy.
      IOW, he couldn't make money owning casinos.
      It's been said by several money-smart guys that had Trump simply put his inheritance into an index fund, he would have more money today.

      ...and, after his bankruptcies, he can't get any bank to give him a loan.
      We're back to trading on his name alone.
      I won't be the first to indicate that his presidential run started as an effort to improve his brand and that his success at hornswaggling the voters, to the extent he has, came as a total surprise to him.

      -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:29PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:29PM (#406033)

      That is like asking someone who owns a home and a car with a bit of cash in the bank and a small amount of debt what they are worth.

      My personal value value fluctuates by nearly +/-3000 dollars PER day. I have enough assets for it do something like that. Non liquid assets. Liquid assets tend to be much more stable and do not fluctuate as much in value. DT and HRC both are in the same boat. As the market moves around them their value can change.

      Take for example an empty warehouse. It has been on the market for 10 years. No one will buy it. Is it worth anything? Probably not much. But suddenly one day a company opens a new factory in the town and they need every scrap of warehouse space in town. Suddenly your property is worth a lot more.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:30PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:30PM (#406034)

      Trump spent over a million dollars to lose a libel lawsuit against a business reporter who claimed Trump was only worth ~$200M. [washingtonpost.com]

      The thing about Trump is that he might have assets valued in the billions. But that guy's got debt. Maybe more than half billion in debt. [politico.com] He's added $50M in debt just to finance his campaign.