What Should We Cut?

[Turboswede]

So, here is a little exercise for all of you out there that think we can balance the federal budget through spending cuts and can avoid tax increases. I pulled these figures from Wikipedia for the 2008 Federal Budget:

$608 billion - Social Security
$386 billion - Medicare
$209 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
$324 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
$261 billion - Interest on National Debt
$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror
$69.3 billion - Health and Human Services
$56.0 billion - United States Department of Education
$39.4 billion - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
$35.2 billion - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
$35.0 billion - State and Other International Programs
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security
$24.3 billion - Energy
$20.2 billion - Department of Justice
$20.2 billion - Department of Agriculture
$17.3 billion - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$12.1 billion - Department of Transportation
$12.1 billion - Department of Treasury
$10.6 billion - United States Department of the Interior
$10.6 billion - United States Department of Labor

For FY 2008 our estimated deficit will be $455 billion and our current national debt is $10.2 Trillion.

Easy question, what do you cut from the above to get $455 billion?

Weird to think this problem didn’t exist under Clinton, I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the fiscal conservatives.

 

[dilloduck]

So, here is a little exercise for all of you out there that think we can balance the federal budget through spending cuts and can avoid tax increases. I pulled these figures from Wikipedia for the 2008 Federal Budget:

$608 billion - Social Security
$386 billion - Medicare
$209 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
$324 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
$261 billion - Interest on National Debt
$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror
$69.3 billion - Health and Human Services
$56.0 billion - United States Department of Education
$39.4 billion - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
$35.2 billion - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
$35.0 billion - State and Other International Programs
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security
$24.3 billion - Energy
$20.2 billion - Department of Justice
$20.2 billion - Department of Agriculture
$17.3 billion - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$12.1 billion - Department of Transportation
$12.1 billion - Department of Treasury
$10.6 billion - United States Department of the Interior
$10.6 billion - United States Department of Labor

For FY 2008 our estimated deficit will be $455 billion and our current national debt is $10.2 Trillion.

Easy question, what do you cut from the above to get $455 billion?

Weird to think this problem didn’t exist under Clinton, I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the fiscal conservatives.

Just couldn't resist politicizing it, could ya ?

 

[Jon]

$608 billion - Social Security
$386 billion - Medicare
$324 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
$69.3 billion - Health and Human Services
$35.2 billion - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
$12.1 billion - Department of Treasury
$10.6 billion - United States Department of Labor

I don't know what that brings my budget to, but there you have it.

Oh, and we can't really cut interest on the National Debt.

 

[Zoomie1980]

So, here is a little exercise for all of you out there that think we can balance the federal budget through spending cuts and can avoid tax increases. I pulled these figures from Wikipedia for the 2008 Federal Budget:

$608 billion - Social Security
$386 billion - Medicare
$209 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
$324 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
$261 billion - Interest on National Debt
$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror
$69.3 billion - Health and Human Services
$56.0 billion - United States Department of Education
$39.4 billion - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
$35.2 billion - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
$35.0 billion - State and Other International Programs
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security
$24.3 billion - Energy
$20.2 billion - Department of Justice
$20.2 billion - Department of Agriculture
$17.3 billion - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$12.1 billion - Department of Transportation
$12.1 billion - Department of Treasury
$10.6 billion - United States Department of the Interior
$10.6 billion - United States Department of Labor

For FY 2008 our estimated deficit will be $455 billion and our current national debt is $10.2 Trillion.

Easy question, what do you cut from the above to get $455 billion?

Weird to think this problem didn’t exist under Clinton, I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the fiscal conservatives.

The top three are funded through completely separate mechanisms than the rest so take them off the table and deal with them in contexts of their own funding system. All I can say about them is do not allow borrowing from their funds.

Now the rest. I would eliminate the depts of education, labor, and health and human services, and housing and urban development entirely. they are all completely useless. that's 170b right there. Roll in energy, transportation, commerce, USDA into a single agency. another 50B or more in savings.

My main focus then would be on Defense. They main problem in defense is the procurement process. Eliminate all Congressional micromanagement of defense. They merely approve a flat dollar amount for each service and have no say over what weapon systems get developed, dropped, or expanded, or what companies get the contracts. The Generals then decide what to spend the money on. After that, force system requirements to made only ONCE. Once program requirements are made, they are in stone for the life of the project. That eliminates the problem of every new general that comes along in the life of a project completely overhauling system requirements to "put their own stamp" on them. and finally the bidded amount of the original contract is all the contractor EVER gets for the project no matter what. Guessing that could save upwards 1/3rd of defense spending.

The remaining deficit would be taken care of when the economy improves and revenues increase. Once balanced we pass a balanced budget amendment and give the President line item veto. Also all earmarks would be illegal.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security

There's your $200 billion dollar surplus.

 

[Jon]

$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security

There's your $200 billion dollar surplus.

Yeah, that surplus will be nice when we're all obliterated.

 

[jreeves]

Yeah, that surplus will be nice when we're all obliterated.

Yeah if we completely drop our defense budget, get ready to learn how to speak Russian......

For godsake, there is waste in almost all sectors of the federal government.

 

[Jon]

Yeah if we completely drop our defense budget, get ready to learn how to speak Russian......

At least we know what to spend the budget on.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Anyone know what the operating budget of the IRS is? Seems pretty stupid and expensive to be collecting taxes on the consumer level.

One more reason to consider a national sales tax collected on the retail or wholesale level - 80% reduction in the administrative cost of collecting.

-Joe

 

[PeterS]

I don't know what that brings my budget to, but there you have it.

Oh, and we can't really cut interest on the National Debt.

If you intend to pay your military I would reconsider eliminating the treasury department.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

The War on Terror and Dept. of Education for starters.

 

[Chris]

Yeah, that surplus will be nice when we're all obliterated.

Obliterated by what?

19 guys with boxcutters?

 

[elvis]

Obliterated by what?

19 guys with boxcutters?

one guy with a suitcase nuke.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

one guy with a suitcase nuke.

Ahahaha! Even with all the money in the universe, these clowns couldn't stop 19 guys from hijacking 4 airplanes (two of them into the heart of the economic capital of the United States, and the other into its Ministry of War), and you think they'll catch a guy with a suitcase nuke? What a joke.

 

[elvis]

Ahahaha! Even with all the money in the universe, these clowns couldn't stop 19 guys from hijacking 4 airplanes (two of them into the heart of the economic capital of the United States), and you think they'll catch a guy with a suitcase nuke? What a joke.

no they won't. chris was wondering what we'd be obliterated by. our foreign policy needs to change or we're in trouble. Neither obama nor mccain are going to bring that change. so get ready.

 

[Jon]

Ahahaha! Even with all the money in the universe, these clowns couldn't stop 19 guys from hijacking 4 airplanes (two of them into the heart of the economic capital of the United States, and the other into its Ministry of War), and you think they'll catch a guy with a suitcase nuke? What a joke.

Look at what we were spending on defense before 9/11, compared to what we spend now. Security measures have increased dramatically. Are you saying you're for decreasing those measures to make terrorist attacks easier?

 

[Skull Pilot]

If you're going to ask for budget cuts, why don't you look at the entire budget and not just cherry pick the items you like?

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy09/pdf/budget/tables.pdf

Peruse all 30 pages and start picking where to save.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

So, here is a little exercise for all of you out there that think we can balance the federal budget through spending cuts and can avoid tax increases. I pulled these figures from Wikipedia for the 2008 Federal Budget:

$608 billion - Social Security get rid of this
$386 billion - Medicare Get rid of this
$209 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) get rid of this
$324 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending Get rid of this
$261 billion - Interest on National Debt
$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror
$69.3 billion - Health and Human Services Get rid of this
$56.0 billion - United States Department of Education get rid of this
$39.4 billion - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
$35.2 billion - US Department of Housing and Urban Development get rid of this
$35.0 billion - State and Other International Programs
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security
$24.3 billion - Energy
$20.2 billion - Department of Justice
$20.2 billion - Department of Agriculture
$17.3 billion - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$12.1 billion - Department of Transportation
$12.1 billion - Department of Treasury
$10.6 billion - United States Department of the Interior
$10.6 billion - United States Department of Labor

For FY 2008 our estimated deficit will be $455 billion and our current national debt is $10.2 Trillion.

Easy question, what do you cut from the above to get $455 billion?

Weird to think this problem didn’t exist under Clinton, I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the fiscal conservatives.

1.6875 trillion gone, of course you would need to change the tax to that is collected for social security and medicare. We could call that the tax increase. Grandfather those 65 and older and pay them from the IOU's the SS ran up till that runs out. Still have your 455 billion in there.

All the programs I cut are unconstitutional anyway. Let th States tax for those things if they want them. Or you could pass some amendments to the Constitution as is REQUIRED to have these programs.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

no they won't. chris was wondering what we'd be obliterated by. our foreign policy needs to change or we're in trouble. Neither obama nor mccain are going to bring that change. so get ready.

In that case, I agree with you, elvis. Foreign policy must changed, but I don't think either of them will be much different or make much progress in that regard. *gets ready*

Look at what we were spending on defense before 9/11, compared to what we spend now. Security measures have increased dramatically. Are you saying you're for decreasing those measures to make terrorist attacks easier?

What I'm saying is that the entire system is flawed. It's been shown time and time again that terrorism is a criminal problem, and that by far the best and most effective way to 'combat' it is through policing, not war. As for the long-term, the strategy should be pretty clear: don't support terrorist regimes in the region and aid and encourage governments that promote democracy and development.

 

[editec]

Depends...how many American citizens are we willing to kill off to balance the budget?

In other words....what's our goal?

Let's imagine who gets hurt if we elimiate each item, shall we?

$608 billion - Social Security (about 50,000,000 people get these checks, I'm informed. so we can kill off the older poorer folks and the surviving kids whose parents died, I suppose)

$386 billion - Medicare (we can kill off the sick...the HC community won't like that. Those MDs won't be able to buy that second McMansion)

$209 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (we can kill off sick kids. Again the medical establishment won't like that)

$324 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending (We can kill off the poor and unemployed and their kids, I guess)

$261 billion - Interest on National Debt (We can piss off the bondholders and crash the whole financial world, if we want)

$481.4 billion- United States Department of Defense (The richest people on earth are going to get poorer if we do this, plus a lot of folks in unifrme are going to be looking for work...not to mention that America will cease to exist)

$145.2 billion- Global War on Terror (who dies here? Less people worldwide, likely)

$69.3 billion - Health and Human Services (I don;t really know what these people even do. Take care of Lepers, I guess)

$56.0 billion - United States Department of Education (We don't need no education.)

$39.4 billion - United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Sure why not? As long as we're reniging on obligations for everyone else, why not our vets, too, eh?)

$35.2 billion - US Department of Housing and Urban Development (Hey chapter 8 people can sleep on the streets!)

$35.0 billion - State and Other International Programs (An isolated america is a solvent America, right?)

$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security (We all have guns in our homes. what do we need these guys for?)

$24.3 billion - Energy (Let the oil companies and energy companies do this. I trust them implicitely, don't you)

$20.2 billion - Department of Justice (Courts and law enforcement? Who needs those?)

$20.2 billion - Department of Agriculture (I have an orchard, Screw the rest of you)

$17.3 billion - National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Just think of the engineers who will be looking for honest work!)

$12.1 billion - Department of Transportation (Roads? Who need 'em?)

$12.1 billion - Department of Treasury (We can use shells as money)

$10.6 billion - United States Department of the Interior (Nobody needs to oversee this Nations resources do they?)

$10.6 billion - United States Department of Labor (Screw those workers)