Grover Norquist is threatening to attack elected officials that signed his pledge. Norquist is not an elected official and should not be dictating public policy. It is time for US all to stand up to him and all those that continue to hold back our economy.

For 20 years, Grover Norquist and his Political Action Committee "Americans for Tax Reform" have been forcing our elected officials to sign a 'no new taxes pledge'. This man is almost single-handedly responsible for the tax deadlock in Congress, a deadlock that needs to be broken so that our economy doesn't implode. It's time to tell Mr. Norquist what the public thinks - that the country's economic well-being comes first, and that our elected officials are to answer to their constituents, NOT a self-appointed "Tax Czar" with no elected position and no writ charter of authority from the duly-franchised electorate of this country.

US citizens face by 12/31/20012 “The Fiscal Cliff.” As such, we must begin to look inward in saving monies, reduce cost and improve tax revenue waist. With that said, we can begin with a double independent bipartisan audit on tax revenues received & spent across (ALL) government agencies, Congress, Defense, Social Security, IRS, Medicare, National Defense, Education, and so on. A double audit would be preformed to identify government fiscal waist. This would establish a fiscal baseline to move forward & begin fiscal adjustments needed to reduce government debt and improve tax revenue expenditures for "WE THE PEOPLE" of the Unites States of America.

Increase taxes on $250,000 and above! Just like the POTUS campaigned on! Elections have consequences!

I was incensed during our last election to learn that the Republican candidate Mitt Romney had slid through on technicalities in the tax code which allowed him to either pay 14% for the last two years or so, or nothing for many years before that. This " Golden Age" style tax dodging must be eliminated!

We can make government contractors help reduce our deficit through fair taxation.

Principal reduction for FHA insured loans to 110% of present market value, and if market increases, borrower agrees to split equity with Ginnie Mae 50/50 during a 5 year time period. This is is only for borrowers that are current. For those in default, current interest centric approach will be maintained. Force FHFA as well to do same to restart housing market.

.This organization is made up of CEO's for the same corporations and financial institutions that bankrupted our country and who continue, thru labor exploitation, to drag our economy down. They are not concerned for the well being of the country. They are solely interested in continuing their largess at taxpayer expense. They have no business influencing deficit/debt negotiations when it is their own behavior that has caused much of the country's fiscal problems.

Control waste in military spending by drastically reducing the number of officers. The current ratio of enlisted personnel to officers in the US military is 4 to 1.

Many middle class American families struggle to get out of “short term” debt, like credit cards. And it’s small wonder, with creditors jacking interest rates to 30% for late payment. Oh, sure, they’ll offer a very low introductory rate as low as 0%, but late payments result in that interest rate being increased to the maximum rate allowed by law, and that rate is never reduced. Coupled with low minimum payments, it is a recipe for “short term” debt to become “life long” debt. And it contributes to economic stagnation, as debtors continue to pay off debt rather than making new purchases. I personally have at least one credit card with a 30% interest rate. It has a $0 balance now, as I had transferred the balance to another card with a 0% introductory rate, which I hope to have paid off within a few months. Regulation of short term debt, like credit cards, should have been addressed as part of the government bailout of the financial industry.

Resolving the fiscal cliff by 12-31-12.

St. Petersburg City Council is considering an ordinance to require that half the jobs created at major construction projects go to local folks with an emphasis on areas of deep poverty and unemployment. We have $150 Million of projects bewteen the Pier, a new police headquarters and various sewer/waste water upgrades coming in the next couple of years. It can have a real positive impact.