GOP sets up huge target for budget ax

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NYT: GOP sets up huge target for budget ax - Politics - The New York Times - msnbc.com
By JACKIE CALMES
The New York Times

House Republican leaders are so far not specifying which programs would bear the brunt of budget cutting, only what would escape it: spending for the military, domestic security and veterans.

I'm glad to see Vets avoided the ax, and I knew domestic security wasn't going to be touched (many, if not most, sea ports are undermanned).

I'm a little concered that the military, the DoD, gets a pass. Seems foolish to give it a pass. Or are the Reps using hindsight? Are they looking back at the last time there were DoD cuts and saying they won't let that happen to our Servicemen and women again.




The rest of the story kinda desends into partisan hackery.

Like these gems;

Such across-the-board cuts “would have very damaging implications for the long-term growth of the economy and the long-term future of our work force,” said Jacob J. Lew, Mr. Obama’s budget director. He is preparing the administration’s budget for the 2012 fiscal year, which would continue a three-year freeze of the same domestic spending at 2010 levels. In other words; We refuse to admit dumping all that money had little effect and we want to keep doing what didn't work b/c we can't admit we were wrong. :(

“If you look in areas like education, if it was applied across the board it would mean eight million students would have their Pell grants reduced by an average of $700,” Mr. Lew said. “You obviously could make policy not to do that, but then you’d have to save a lot of money somewhere else.” If you can't come up with $700 over a school year, you may not be prepared for adulthood.
 
They should be using chain saws not axes. I thought we were supposed to be embracing technology here.
 
in other words, they have no intention of cutting anything that would actually have an effect.

In the story they said everything else would take an average cut of 20%.

Taking things back to 2008 levels

What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.
 
in other words, they have no intention of cutting anything that would actually have an effect.

In the story they said everything else would take an average cut of 20%.

Taking things back to 2008 levels

What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

exactly. how do you not curb pentagon spending?? weapons systems that we have no need for... no bid contracts. seems to me that should be the FIRST thing you cut...

so what will they cut? schools? yep.

money they give to the states? yep.

federal agencies? yep. (which is how we ended up with the BP spill.. but that shouldn't deter them, right??)

FTC? yep... let china send in all that lead infected stuff for kids.

heaven forbid they should actually do anything useful.
 
in other words, they have no intention of cutting anything that would actually have an effect.

In the story they said everything else would take an average cut of 20%.

Taking things back to 2008 levels

What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

I agree with you. BUT, that is not how it's done. The last time the DoD fell under the ax, servicemen and women lost thier jobs, most of it done illegally, and we were not fully prepared for the next war. Everyone does what's easiest, get rid of people, not the hard stuff like; close overseas ports and bases, fine tune the equipment we use, limit the doubling of things, go over contracts so we are not paying $400 for a toilet seat or $250 for a hamer, or $800 for a bronz screwdriver.
 
In the story they said everything else would take an average cut of 20%.

Taking things back to 2008 levels

What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

exactly. how do you not curb pentagon spending?? weapons systems that we have no need for... no bid contracts. seems to me that should be the FIRST thing you cut...

so what will they cut? schools? yep.

money they give to the states? yep.

federal agencies? yep. (which is how we ended up with the BP spill.. but that shouldn't deter them, right??)

FTC? yep... let china send in all that lead infected stuff for kids.

heaven forbid they should actually do anything useful.

There's a reason they picked 2008 spending levels, you know. Blame, blame, blame. And nothing else.

The problem is, when (and if) they strip away any new spending levels from the past 2 years they're still going to be faced with a massive deficit, a bloated bureaucracy, and all of the other things they blame on the Dems. It will change absolutely nothing, except to underscore the point that from a fiscal point of view we've been screwed for 30 years and by both parties.

When the old bullshit games haven't worked before, why play them now? If they were serious, they'd be looking at everything - and the DoD is the biggest, most bloated target.
 
In the story they said everything else would take an average cut of 20%.

Taking things back to 2008 levels

What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

exactly. how do you not curb pentagon spending?? weapons systems that we have no need for... no bid contracts. seems to me that should be the FIRST thing you cut...

so what will they cut? schools? yep.

money they give to the states? yep.

federal agencies? yep. (which is how we ended up with the BP spill.. but that shouldn't deter them, right??)

FTC? yep... let china send in all that lead infected stuff for kids.

heaven forbid they should actually do anything useful.

If the weapon system is useless, it should be sold. If there is a better replacement, for a system that works perfectly, we wasted money on making a better system, and we shouldn't compound the issue by replacing something that works with something that also works.

Schools should get money from thier state only. The Fed has no business getting involved.
The states shoule learn to operate thier own budget.

The BP thing is a good point. but I think that occured more due to low standards than not enough money.

I did like the way China handled the man that sent those toys here.

What would you like them to cut? and don't just say DoD. We are in a war, and major cuts there would actually endanger lives.
 
Yep.

20% across the board. That includes everything.

We are in a hole big enough to bury the planet. Nothing should be sacred.
 
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In the story they said everything else would take an average cut of 20%.

Taking things back to 2008 levels

What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

I agree with you. BUT, that is not how it's done. The last time the DoD fell under the ax, servicemen and women lost thier jobs, most of it done illegally, and we were not fully prepared for the next war. Everyone does what's easiest, get rid of people, not the hard stuff like; close overseas ports and bases, fine tune the equipment we use, limit the doubling of things, go over contracts so we are not paying $400 for a toilet seat or $250 for a hamer, or $800 for a bronz screwdriver.

Closing bases isn't the only way to save money. I've been listening and reading when people talk about dealing with the Pentagon or their time in service on here. There are many, many stories about waste and abuse in the procurement process, not to mention the piles of paperwork that feed the bloated bureaucracy. And just as many laughs over the $300 tool that is absolutely worthless for the task, gets shoved in a locker somewhere and is replaced by a $5 screwdriver the troops pay for out of pocket. Going over the contracts is essential, streamlining the process is also essential, making the process more competitive is absolutely essential.

The other point I would make is that the last war was one we chose, and the Secretary at the time made it a point to go in as "lean" as possible to prove an ideological point. One that failed abysmally. One of these things is not like the other. ;)
 
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What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

I agree with you. BUT, that is not how it's done. The last time the DoD fell under the ax, servicemen and women lost thier jobs, most of it done illegally, and we were not fully prepared for the next war. Everyone does what's easiest, get rid of people, not the hard stuff like; close overseas ports and bases, fine tune the equipment we use, limit the doubling of things, go over contracts so we are not paying $400 for a toilet seat or $250 for a hamer, or $800 for a bronz screwdriver.

Closing bases isn't the only way to save money. I've been listening and reading when people talk about dealing with the Pentagon or their time in service on here. There are many, many stories about waste and abuse in the procurement process, not to mention the piles of paperwork that feed the bloated bureaucracy. And just as many laughs over the $300 tool that is absolutely worthless for the task, gets shoved in a locker somewhere and is replaced by a $5 screwdriver the troops pay for out of pocket. Going over the contracts is essential, streamlining the process is also essential, making the process more competitive is absolutely essential.
The other point I would make is that the last war was one we chose, and the Secretary at the time made it a point to go in as "lean" as possible to prove an ideological point. One that failed abysmally. One of these things is not like the other. ;)

Couldn't agree more. I'll tell you about our bronze and plastic screwdrivers we "had" to have, someday.

I don't recall the Afganistan war being our choosing. What war are you talking about?
 
What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

exactly. how do you not curb pentagon spending?? weapons systems that we have no need for... no bid contracts. seems to me that should be the FIRST thing you cut...

so what will they cut? schools? yep.

money they give to the states? yep.

federal agencies? yep. (which is how we ended up with the BP spill.. but that shouldn't deter them, right??)

FTC? yep... let china send in all that lead infected stuff for kids.

heaven forbid they should actually do anything useful.

If the weapon system is useless, it should be sold. If there is a better replacement, for a system that works perfectly, we wasted money on making a better system, and we shouldn't compound the issue by replacing something that works with something that also works.

Schools should get money from thier state only. The Fed has no business getting involved.
The states shoule learn to operate thier own budget.

The BP thing is a good point. but I think that occured more due to low standards than not enough money.

I did like the way China handled the man that sent those toys here.

What would you like them to cut? and don't just say DoD. We are in a war, and major cuts there would actually endanger lives.

With whom?

How about all the overseas bases, excepting the heavy lift bases that give us our flexibility for response, not only to military situations, but also for natural disasters.

Pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bushie Boy let Bin Laden go, so there is no further need for us to be there.

Cut all subsidies for industries. No exploration tax breaks, ect.

Cut all Health Care for government employees, including Congress, Courts, and Staff. They can compete on the open market like the rest of us.

Cease no bid contracts, period. Those, like Haliburton and it's subsidiaries that have failed to live up to the contracts, seize their properties and assets until they make good on the contracts.

If we are going to cease to educate our young, then make contracts with the rest of the world to supply us the scientists that we will need in the future. For we are not educating them here.

And when you fellows are all done cutting out things that the government does, I suggest that you apply the the World Bank to list us as a third world nation, for that is where we will be.
 
I agree with you. BUT, that is not how it's done. The last time the DoD fell under the ax, servicemen and women lost thier jobs, most of it done illegally, and we were not fully prepared for the next war. Everyone does what's easiest, get rid of people, not the hard stuff like; close overseas ports and bases, fine tune the equipment we use, limit the doubling of things, go over contracts so we are not paying $400 for a toilet seat or $250 for a hamer, or $800 for a bronz screwdriver.

Closing bases isn't the only way to save money. I've been listening and reading when people talk about dealing with the Pentagon or their time in service on here. There are many, many stories about waste and abuse in the procurement process, not to mention the piles of paperwork that feed the bloated bureaucracy. And just as many laughs over the $300 tool that is absolutely worthless for the task, gets shoved in a locker somewhere and is replaced by a $5 screwdriver the troops pay for out of pocket. Going over the contracts is essential, streamlining the process is also essential, making the process more competitive is absolutely essential.
The other point I would make is that the last war was one we chose, and the Secretary at the time made it a point to go in as "lean" as possible to prove an ideological point. One that failed abysmally. One of these things is not like the other. ;)

Couldn't agree more. I'll tell you about our bronze and plastic screwdrivers we "had" to have, someday.

I don't recall the Afganistan war being our choosing. What war are you talking about?

Yep, presently the Afghan war is a war of our choosing. After all, what have we to gain there? Does the Taliban present a risk to the US? What is the range of their aircraft?
 
Sounds like the GOP is taking pointers from Caribou Barbie. I really hope they put her on the ticket for 2012!
 
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What was the 2008 deficit again? And with the beating the economy took over the last 2 years, are receipts anywhere near 2008 levels?

Face it, you're not going to have any real effect from any budget cuts as long as the military is a sacred cow. Hell, as long as there are any sacred cows. Line by line with every single line item on the table is the only way you'll ever do it.

exactly. how do you not curb pentagon spending?? weapons systems that we have no need for... no bid contracts. seems to me that should be the FIRST thing you cut...

so what will they cut? schools? yep.

money they give to the states? yep.

federal agencies? yep. (which is how we ended up with the BP spill.. but that shouldn't deter them, right??)

FTC? yep... let china send in all that lead infected stuff for kids.

heaven forbid they should actually do anything useful.

If the weapon system is useless, it should be sold. If there is a better replacement, for a system that works perfectly, we wasted money on making a better system, and we shouldn't compound the issue by replacing something that works with something that also works.

Schools should get money from thier state only. The Fed has no business getting involved.
The states shoule learn to operate thier own budget.

The BP thing is a good point. but I think that occured more due to low standards than not enough money.

I did like the way China handled the man that sent those toys here.

What would you like them to cut? and don't just say DoD. We are in a war, and major cuts there would actually endanger lives.

ok.. let's talk about the 'war'. does anything change in afghanistan if we stay there five more years? ten? twenty? fifty? time to shut it down, maybe. because no one has conquered afghanistan since alexander the great. and what about cost-efficiency? remember $300 toilet seats at the pentagon?

and if we want to talk about wars, i'll point out that baby bush was the only leader in history to cut taxes during time of war. you can't have everything. it has to get paid for. you can't destroy our own infrastructure and our own schools and our own agencies to pay for nation building in iraq and afghanistan.... not to mention that we're already spread too thin... .which brings us back to taxes... which shouldn't have been cut but should go back to the levels they were at when clinton was president. but politicians are wusses... all of them.. .and they're all terrified of saying 'read my lips' and then saying... 'oops.'

you have to pay the piper sometime.
 
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exactly. how do you not curb pentagon spending?? weapons systems that we have no need for... no bid contracts. seems to me that should be the FIRST thing you cut...

so what will they cut? schools? yep.

money they give to the states? yep.

federal agencies? yep. (which is how we ended up with the BP spill.. but that shouldn't deter them, right??)

FTC? yep... let china send in all that lead infected stuff for kids.

heaven forbid they should actually do anything useful.

If the weapon system is useless, it should be sold. If there is a better replacement, for a system that works perfectly, we wasted money on making a better system, and we shouldn't compound the issue by replacing something that works with something that also works.

Schools should get money from thier state only. The Fed has no business getting involved.
The states shoule learn to operate thier own budget.

The BP thing is a good point. but I think that occured more due to low standards than not enough money.

I did like the way China handled the man that sent those toys here.

What would you like them to cut? and don't just say DoD. We are in a war, and major cuts there would actually endanger lives.

With whom? uhm. Al-Quida and the Taliban, and any other crazed terrorist that wants to kill Americans.

How about all the overseas bases,I stated to close many of those earlier. excepting the heavy lift bases that give us our flexibility for response, not only to military situations, but also for natural disasters.

Pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan. We are pulling out of Iraq. If we leave Afghn now, we will just have more issues later.

Bushie Boy let Bin Laden go, Proof? so there is no further need for us to be there.

Cut all subsidies for industries. No exploration tax breaks, ect.
Cut all Health Care for government employees, including Congress, Courts, and Staff. They can compete on the open market like the rest of us.

Cease no bid contracts, period. Those, like Haliburton and it's subsidiaries that have failed to live up to the contracts, seize their properties and assets until they make good on the contracts. That's illegal. And I will not support a dictatorship that can swoop in anytime they think someone isn't "living up" to a contract.

If we are going to cease to educate our young, We are not. then make contracts with the rest of the world to supply us the scientists that we will need in the future. For we are not educating them here. Yes we are and will keep doing so.

And when you fellows are all done cutting out things that the government does, I suggest that you apply the the World Bank to list us as a third world nation, for that is where we will be.


Any more hackery I need to be aware of?

3rd world nation? Have you been even close to one? Do you know how far we would have to go to get there?
 

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