風蕭蕭_Frank
以文會友
事實核查：巴菲特確實提出了在赤字問題上向國會求助的計劃
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/reason/2013/04/12/fact-check-buffett-did-float-plan-lean-congress-over-deficit/15832154007/
卡羅爾·法德
時代聯盟讀者想知道：
沃倫·巴菲特是否真的提出了一項新的憲法修正案來解決國會問題，其中一項建議是，隻要赤字超過國內生產總值的3%，所有現任國會議員都將沒有資格連任？
奧馬哈先知巴菲特確實說過這樣的話，但那是在一次電視采訪中，而不是任何嚴肅的憲法修正案提案。
談論預算赤字和提高債務上限並不是什麽新鮮事。 據 Snopes.com 報道，早在 2011 年 7 月，政客們就在討論如何為政府提供資金——特別是因為避免政府關門的最後期限是 8 月 2 日。
請記住，我們上個月剛剛過了同樣的截止日期。不管怎樣，國會議員正在閉門開會，以敲定一項協議，媒體報道了不同的意見。
億萬富翁巴菲特於 2011年7月7日接受 CNBC 采訪時發表了上述言論。 甚至 CNBC 也將其描述為“不完全嚴肅（但也不完全開玩笑）”。以下是原話：
"我可以在五分鍾內結束赤字。你隻需通過一項法律，規定隻要赤字超過 GDP 的 3%，所有現任國會議員就沒有資格連任。是的。 是的，現在你已經在正確的地方得到了激勵措施，對吧？（笑）。” 您可以在 http://tinuurl.com/6xo8yao 觀看視頻。
這封包含巴菲特名言的病毒式電子郵件接著提出了“2013 年國會改革法案”，據稱該法案是擬議的憲法第 28 條修正案。
由於它遵循巴菲特的名言，因此與他有關，但實際上與巴菲特無關。 而且，根據國會圖書館立法數據庫 Thomas.gov 的檢查，沒有國會議員提出任何此類修正案。也沒有證據表明它是由任何州政府機構提出的。
據 Snopes.com 和為信息網站 About.com 研究都市傳說的特德·埃默裏 (Ted Emery) 稱，國會改革提案於 2009年10月開始在互聯網上流傳（巴菲特的名字於2011年添加）。它包含大約在同一時間開始流傳的“擬議的第28條修正案”連鎖信的大部分文本。
從2009年到2013年，原則沒有改變，隻是在最新版本中提出了12年的任期限製。 其他提案：議員離開國會時無任期、無養老金； 國會退休基金將立即轉入社會保障； 國會可以像所有美國人一樣購買自己的退休計劃； 成員不能自行投票決定加薪； 會員將不再擁有政府免費提供的健康計劃； 國會將平等遵守所有法律； 與過去和現任國會議員的所有合同均無效。
經過搜索，沒有發現改革提案的原始來源；Snopes.com 隻是將其定義為"基於互聯網的政治活動”。而且該文件中存在很多不準確之處。
國會議員不像大學教授那樣擁有終身職位； 他們競選公職。他們已經繳納了社會保障金，並沒有立即獲得全額養老金。 他們得不到免費醫療保健。 據《美國新聞與世界報道》的一篇文章稱，當這封電子郵件流傳開來時，立法者們充滿了疑問，不得不向選民解釋其中的許多陳述都是不真實的。
這封病毒式傳播的電子郵件還表明，在憲法的 27 項修正案中，有 7 項花了一年或更短的時間才成為法律，這一切都是因為公眾壓力。 據稱，巴菲特希望每個收件人將電子郵件轉發給至少 20 人，並要求每個人都做同樣的事情。 這樣，三天之內，美國大多數民眾就會收到消息，並施加壓力，讓這項“改革”成為憲法的一部分。
巴菲特沒有發送這封電子郵件，也沒有要求收件人轉發。
卡羅爾·費德：(904) 359-4635
沃倫·巴菲特有一個“5分鍾內結束美國赤字”的天才計劃
https://www.thestreet.com/personalities/warren-buffett-has-a-genius-plan-to-end-u-s-deficit-in-5-分鍾
這位億萬富翁投資者有一個簡單的計劃來解決最大的經濟問題之一。
作者：耶拿·沃伯頓 2023 年 12 月 5 日
投資傳奇人物沃倫·巴菲特以其智慧和易於記憶的俏皮話而聞名。他最著名的名言建議我們“當別人貪婪時要恐懼，當別人恐懼時要貪婪”，被譽為現代市場的最佳投資建議。
但他還有很多其他俏皮話。
沃倫·巴菲特的一些最著名的名言包括：
巴菲特在 93 年的人生中分享了許多有用的花絮，並通過他領導的公司 Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) - 獲取免費報告 (BRK.B) - 獲取免費報告，擁有約 65 家公司。現在，巴菲特提出了另一條免費而簡單的建議，這次是關於美國經濟的主題。
巴菲特就美國赤字提出簡單建議
美國赤字繼續擴大。2022 財年，政府赤字為 1.4 萬億美元。2023年，這一數字將攀升至 1.7萬億美元，比上一年增加3200億美元（23%）。
兩黨政策中心寫道："收入同比減少4570億美元（9%），支出減少 830 億美元（1%）。”“支出受到美聯儲自 2022 年 10 月以來六次加息的影響，這將聯邦基金利率推至 22 年高點 5.25% 至 5.5%，使償債成本增加1770億美元（33%）。”
報告指出，隨著付款恢複，美聯儲加息和學生貸款政策的變化是赤字擴大的兩個主要原因。
但沃倫·巴菲特有一個簡單的方法來阻止不斷增加的債務。
它來自 2011 年拍攝的一個片段，當時 CNBC 的貝基·奎克詢問這位億萬富翁投資者他會采取什麽措施來解決日益嚴重的問題。 此後，這段視頻又重新出現在網上。
“我可以在五分鍾內結束赤字。 你隻需通過一項法律，規定隻要赤字超過 GDP 的 3%，所有現任國會議員就沒有資格連任，”他說，
“現在你已經在正確的地方有了激勵措施。所以它有能力完成......更有效的威脅就是說，如果你們不能完成它，我們會找其他人 來完成它。
馬斯克回應巴菲特的赤字想法
埃隆·馬斯克對視頻做出了回應，他說："激勵措施很重要。當前的係統會激勵超支，所以我們就會超支。”
另一位網友在談到巴菲特的解決方案時寫道："這對我有用。讓我們也把腐敗的參議院也包括在內。”
另一位用戶建議："從那時起他們也不應該得到報酬。”
一位人士指出："你還必須讓他們沒有資格擔任說客。”
另一位人士表示："很多事情都可以通過這種方式解決，但不幸的是，問題並不那麽容易。如果他們解決了這樣的問題，就不再有機會從納稅人那裏竊取現金，從而不再有利可圖。”
作者：Jena Warburton 是 TheStreet 的高級記者兼編輯。 她的業務涵蓋零售、投資、餐飲、銀行和金融領域。 耶娜畢業於三一學院，獲得美國研究學士學位。
Fact Check: Buffett did float plan to lean on Congress over deficit
Carole Fader
Times-Union readers want to know:
Did Warren Buffett actually propose a new constitutional amendment that would fix Congress, one suggestion of which is that any time there is a deficit of more than 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, all sitting members of Congress will be ineligible for re-election?
It's true that Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, made that statement, but it was in a TV interview, not as any serious constitutional amendment proposal.
Talk about the budget deficit and raising the debt ceiling isn't new. Back in July 2011, according to Snopes.com, politicians were discussing ways to keep the government funded - especially since the deadline to avoid a government shutdown was Aug. 2.
Remember, we just had that same deadline last month. Anyway, Congress members were meeting behind closed doors to hammer out a deal as the media reported various opinions.
Billionaire Buffett gave an interview on July 7, 2011, to CNBC during which he made his statement. Even CNBC describes it as "not entirely serious (but not entirely joking either)." Here is the exact quote: "I could end the deficit in five minutes. You just pass a law that says that any time there's a deficit of more than three percent of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. Yeah, yeah, now you've got the incentives in the right place, right? (Laughs)." You can view the video at http://tinuurl.com/6xo8yao.
The viral email that contains the Buffett quote goes on to present "The Congressional Reform Act of 2013," which supposedly is a proposed 28th amendment to the Constitution.
Since it follows the Buffett quote, it is linked to him but, in reality, has nothing to do with Buffett. And, according to a check of Thomas.gov, the legislative database of the Library of Congress, no member of Congress has proposed any such amendment. Nor is there evidence that it has been proposed by any state governmental body.
The congressional reform proposal began circulating on the Internet in October 2009 (Buffett's name was added in 2011), according to Snopes.com and Ted Emery, who researches urban legends for the information website About.com. It contains the bulk of the text of the "Proposed 28th Amendment" chain letter that began circulating around the same time.
The tenets haven't changed from 2009 to 2013, except that in the latest version, term limits of 12 years is proposed. The other proposals: no tenure, no pension when members leave Congress; congressional retirement funds would immediately move to Social Security; Congress can buy their own retirement plan just as all Americans do; members cannot vote themselves a pay raise; members will no longer have a health plan provided free by the government; Congress will equally abide by all laws; and all contracts with past and present Congress members are voided.
A search revealed no original source for the reform proposals; Snopes.com just defines it as "Internet-based politicking." And there are a lot of inaccuracies in the document.
Congress members don't have tenure like college professors; they run for office. They already pay into Social Security and are not immediately vested with a full pension. They don't get free health care. When this email makes its rounds, lawmakers are swamped with questions and have to explain to constituents that many of its statements are untrue, according to an article in U.S. News & World Report.
The viral email also suggests that of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven took one year or less to become the law, all because of public pressure. It says that Buffett wants each recipient to forward the email to a minimum of 20 people and ask each of those people to do the same thing. That way, most people in the U.S. will receive the message in three days and exert pressure to make this "reform" part of the Constitution.
Buffett did not send the email and did not ask recipients to pass it on.
Carole Fader: (904) 359-4635
Warren Buffett has a genius plan to 'end U.S. deficit in 5 minutes'
The billionaire investor has a straightforward plan to solving one of the biggest economic issues.
Investing legend Warren Buffett is known for his wisdom and easy to remember quips.
His most famous quote, which advises us to "be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful," is hailed as some of the best investing advice for the modern market.
But he has plenty of other one-liners.
Some of Warren Buffett's most famous quotes include:
And now Buffett is offering up another piece of free and simple advice, this time on the subject of the U.S. economy.
Buffett offers simple advice on U.S. deficit
The U.S. deficit continues to widen. In fiscal year 2022 the government ran a deficit of $1.4 trillion. In 2023 it climbed to $1.7 trillion -- or $320 billion (23%) more than the previous year.
"Revenues decreased by $457 billion (9%) and outlays decreased by $83 billion (1%) year-over-year," the Bipartisan Policy Center writes. "Outlays were impacted by the Federal Reserve’s six interest rate hikes since October 2022, which pushed the federal funds rate to a 22-year high of 5.25% to 5.5%, raising debt servicing costs by $177 billion (33%)."
It cited Fed interest rate hikes and changes in student loan policies, as payments resumed, as two main reasons for the widening deficit.
But Warren Buffett has a simple way to stop the increasing debt.
It comes from a clip taken in 2011, when CNBC's Becky Quick asked the billionaire investor what he might do to solve the growing problem. The clip has since resurfaced online.
“I could end the deficit in five minutes. You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of
Congress are ineligible for reelection," he said,
"Now you've got the incentives in the right place. So it's capable of being done. ... A more effective threat would be just to say, if you guys can't get it done, we'll get some other guys to get it done."
Musk responds to Buffett's deficit idea
Elon Musk responded to the video, saying, "Incentives matter. The current system incentivizes overspending, so we get overspending."
"Works for me. And let’s include the corrupt senate too," another wrote about Buffett's solution.
"Nor should they be paid from that point on," another user suggested.
"You'd also have to make them ineligible for working as lobbyists," one pointed out.
"So many things can be solved this way, the problem is unfortunately not that easy. If they fix things like this there is no more opportunity to steal cash from the tax payers and thus not lucrative anymore," another said.
Jena Warburton is a senior reporter and editor at TheStreet. She covers retail, investing, restaurants, banking and financials. Jena graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor's in American Studies.
