What to cut (and how)?

[Greenbeard]

The Tea Party wants to cut federal spending. So let's play a game.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has a budget simulator that lets you tweak various facets of the federal budget to see what happens (they issue the challenge to you of stabilizing the debt). Take a few minutes and go through all the options, choosing the ones you like and let us know how it turns out. And let's talk about it.

 

[johnrocks]

I think everything should be cut, no sacred cows.

 

[Oddball]

Where are the options for abolishing the Departments of Education, Commerce, Labor, HHS, DHS, the ATF, DEA, Medicare, Medicaid, social welfare handouts, farm subsidies, closing foreign military bases where the wars have been over for decades, selling off BLM and other confiscated lands?

 

[mudwhistle]

Funny how the deficit was under $200B in 06' but all of the sudden it's out of control.

I wonder what changed?

Btw....not every option is in that simulation.

It seems the biggest savings is in allowing the tax-cuts to expire.

Course the Dems are to blame for that being the only solution now.

So they spend us into making a bad choice intentionally and we have to live with it.

Say goodbye to your Democrap majority.

 

[Greenbeard]

I think everything should be cut, no sacred cows.

Don't be afraid to get specific about how you want to do that. For example, if we're cutting Social Security, does that mean cutting benefits (in a progressive manner or across the board?), raising the retirement age, altering the way benefits are indexed or adjusting the formula for calculating benefits, all of the above, etc? And does "everything" really mean everything (veterans' benefits, missile defense, etc)?

 

[Samson]

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Damnit.

Cut the budget, 5% per year, for every Federal DEPT, for the next 10 years.

 

[mudwhistle]

I think everything should be cut, no sacred cows.

Don't be afraid to get specific about how you want to do that. For example, if we're cutting Social Security, does that mean cutting benefits (in a progressive manner or across the board?), raising the retirement age, altering the way benefits are indexed or adjusting the formula for calculating benefits, all of the above, etc? And does "everything" really mean everything (veterans' benefits, missile defense, etc)?

I cut overseas deployments, entitlements, and raised the retirement age. But the program didn't offer any alternatives on the expiration of the Bush tax-cuts.

By the way cutting capital gains wasn't even addressed. That would get the economy churning and increase revenue. That was not even an option.

 

[johnrocks]

I think everything should be cut, no sacred cows.

Don't be afraid to get specific about how you want to do that. For example, if we're cutting Social Security, does that mean cutting benefits (in a progressive manner or across the board?), raising the retirement age, altering the way benefits are indexed or adjusting the formula for calculating benefits, all of the above, etc? And does "everything" really mean everything (veterans' benefits, missile defense, etc)?

Everything really means everything, with the system we now have, one side wants to cut mainly domestic programs and one side wants to cut mainly defense so nothing gets cut.

Personally, I would start with the foreign expenditures such as the wars and foreign aid and ;over a short time frame; abolish it, then I would abolish the corporate welfare like farm subsidies but ;at the end of the day; everything would take a hit, I would hate to cut things that help those most vulnerable like the elderly but;politically; everything would have to be cut or the politicians would be to afraid to cut anything.

 

[syrenn]

Cut it ALL.

 

[Greenbeard]

I should've probably pointed this out explicitly above but for the purposes of this thread you can feel free to go beyond the confines of the budget simulator--that was merely meant to be a device for jump-starting your thinking. If you want to eliminate student loans or the CDC or whatever, feel free. Let's roll out the specifics.

I cut overseas deployments, entitlements, and raised the retirement age. But the program didn't offer any alternatives on the expiration of the Bush tax-cuts.

By the way cutting capital gains wasn't even addressed. That would get the economy churning and increase revenue. That was not even an option.

It offered renewing them, renewing them only for people below $250K/$200K, partially renewing them only for people below $250K/$200K, and letting all of them (aside from the AMT patch) expire. What other options are you looking for?

Capital gains tax cuts are included in the 2001/2003 tax cuts. Are you looking to lower them beyond what those tax cuts set them at?

 

[mudwhistle]

I should've probably pointed this out explicitly above but for the purposes of this thread you can feel free to go beyond the confines of the budget simulator--that was merely meant to be a device for jump-starting your thinking. If you want to eliminate student loans or the CDC or whatever, feel free. Let's roll out the specifics.

I cut overseas deployments, entitlements, and raised the retirement age. But the program didn't offer any alternatives on the expiration of the Bush tax-cuts.

By the way cutting capital gains wasn't even addressed. That would get the economy churning and increase revenue. That was not even an option.

It offered renewing them, renewing them only for people below $250K/$200K, partially renewing them only for people below $250K/$200K, and letting all of them (aside from the AMT patch) expire. What other options are you looking for?

Capital gains tax cuts are included in the 2001/2003 tax cuts. Are you looking to lower them beyond what those tax cuts set them at?

I think they should be suspended for two years.

 

[code1211]

Where are the options for abolishing the Departments of Education, Commerce, Labor, HHS, DHS, the ATF, DEA, Medicare, Medicaid, social welfare handouts, farm subsidies, closing foreign military bases where the wars have been over for decades, selling off BLM and other confiscated lands?

For whatever reason, government never operates like a business. As the executive, the president needs to grow a pair and just cut to fit the revenues.

This is not a dificult thing to do. Just set the number. He has secretaries and Czars coming out of the woodwork. It's high time he made them do something. If it's 5%, then all aspects of government need to reduce their budgets by 5%.

The rest of the country has been doing this for 2 years or more from household budgets to businesses and individuals skipping increases or getting laid off.

The sacred cow in this government is the government. When so many privately employed people are getting laid off and therefore not sending taxes to the coffers of the government, why are the payrolls of government increasing with people who are making obscene salaries and cadilac benefits for the same work done at half the wage and half the benefits in the private sector?

Any competent manager could make this happen in 6 months. Just do it!

 

[Big Black Dog]

If I was the President, I would introduce a bill in Congress that would require a 10% cut in every Federal budget and program in the entire United States. Every government employee from the President on down to a simple GS worker would receive a 10% reduction in pay. There would be some bitching and moaning and groaning but in reality, there isn't a single thing that couldn't survive a 10% cut in it's budget. Once that money was recouped, I would not allow it to be spent on some new program but used entirely to begin the process of paying off our massive debt to China.

 

[Mad Scientist]

If you select every green option you can meet your goal. The only problem is that includes Cap and Tax and and a VAT Tax, fuck that shit. The budget isn't supposed to be a game, but they play it, and us, like it is one.

The American people are doing with less, the government can do with less too. A 25% cut across the board is needed but I would remain flexible with the Military. Maybe 10-15% cut for them.

I hate these fuckin' politicians with the attitude of "Well since you're so smart, why don't you tell US where to cut huh?".

Bullshit. We elected you to do the job. If you can't do it, please step aside and let someone else in who will.

We gotta' treat these fuckers like our children. If they don't listen, give em orders. If they still won't listen, give em punishment.

 

[Greenbeard]

The budget isn't supposed to be a game, but they play it, and us, like it is one.

For the purposes of this thread, I'm afraid it is. No one's going to be making policy based on the outcome of the discussion in this thread.

 

[Flopper]

The Tea Party wants to cut federal spending. So let's play a game.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has a budget simulator that lets you tweak various facets of the federal budget to see what happens (they issue the challenge to you of stabilizing the debt). Take a few minutes and go through all the options, choosing the ones you like and let us know how it turns out. And let's talk about it.

Gosh, it's so easy. Maybe Congress should use this. They could do it on their home computer and wouldn't have to go to Washington. Best of all they wouldn't have to deal all the pain and suffering these cuts would cause.

 

[Missourian]

I have a plan. No one is going to like it, but it will work.

 

[uscitizen]

First thing to cut is the penis off of all corporate lobbyists.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The Tea Party wants to cut federal spending. So let's play a game.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has a budget simulator that lets you tweak various facets of the federal budget to see what happens (they issue the challenge to you of stabilizing the debt). Take a few minutes and go through all the options, choosing the ones you like and let us know how it turns out. And let's talk about it.

Can't finish there is a twitter/facebook item covering one area and I have neither.

 

[Oddball]

I think everything should be cut, no sacred cows.

Don't be afraid to get specific about how you want to do that. For example, if we're cutting Social Security, does that mean cutting benefits (in a progressive manner or across the board?), raising the retirement age, altering the way benefits are indexed or adjusting the formula for calculating benefits, all of the above, etc? And does "everything" really mean everything (veterans' benefits, missile defense, etc)?

I got plenty specific about it....Just junk 'em.

You can't polish turds.