Where do YOU Think Gov't Should Cut Spending?

[Glensather]

Just a thought, but where would you think the government needs to cut spending?

 

[Mr. H.]

The Cost of America's Farm Subsidy Binge: An Average of $1 Million Per Farm

 

[konradv]

An across the board cut of a certain percentage together with some increase in revenues should show we're serious, thereby inspiring confidence and allowing the marketplace to take care of the rest.

 

[saveliberty]

Big Bird.

Education in general. It should be a state run program. Then we create 50 separate programs that can show us what truly works best.

Expand the age at which you can start receiving Social Security and Medicare.

Reduce the length of time you can receive unemployment or welfare.

Create a defense budget that centers on defense and not offense.

Stop trying to rush inefficient energy technology to market.

Reduce "disaster" assistance and allow private firms to sell flood insurance.

 

[saveliberty]

An across the board cut of a certain percentage together with some increase in revenues should show we're serious, thereby inspiring confidence and allowing the marketplace to take care of the rest.

You realize that if Congress does nothing with the "fiscal cliff", that is exactly what happens.

 

[konradv]

An across the board cut of a certain percentage together with some increase in revenues should show we're serious, thereby inspiring confidence and allowing the marketplace to take care of the rest.

You realize that if Congress does nothing with the "fiscal cliff", that is exactly what happens.

That's too draconian. It would take money out of the pockets of those that can least afford it.

 

[healthmyths]

Just a thought, but where would you think the government needs to cut spending?

$400 billion a year in duplicate programs is a START!!!

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its annual report on government duplication today.
This is the second year of a three-year process, during which the GAO will comprehensively review the federal government to identify duplication, fragmentation, and waste.
Since the review’s inception, GAO has found 66 areas of duplication encompassing over 1,500 individual programs.
This year, GAO identified 32 new areas of duplication and 19 additional areas of waste and inefficiency.
The report cites duplication in almost a thousand individual programs, costing taxpayers over $300 billion per year.
This is on top of more than $100 billion identified in last year’s report.

Examples include:

• - $3 billion spent on over 200 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education programs. GAO stated that since 2005, when it first looked at this issue, “the majority of [STEM] programs have not conducted comprehensive evaluations of how well their programs are working.”
• - 37 uncoordinated EPA laboratories and 94 “green building” programs for which costs cannot be determined because “information agencies provided was incomplete and unreliable.”
• - $736 million spent on 14 different diesel emissions programs and federal funding for 55 surface freight transportation programs.
• - 160 various housing assistance programs at a cost of $170 billion annually.

-- 82 duplicative teacher quality programs. One year later, none of the identified programs have been consolidated or eliminated.
-- 18 duplicative domestic food and nutrition programs where “no executive action [has been] taken,” at total cost of $62.5 billion.

http://budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=5b942c34-d1e5-49de-be92-a85dad8aa191&SK=42ED5BBA6767481D74B2057AC359ACD4

 

[saveliberty]

An across the board cut of a certain percentage together with some increase in revenues should show we're serious, thereby inspiring confidence and allowing the marketplace to take care of the rest.

You realize that if Congress does nothing with the "fiscal cliff", that is exactly what happens.

That's too draconian. It would take money out of the pockets of those that can least afford it.

Then cut more, so government IS affordable. BTW, its called your fair share. Legalized stealing from someone else doesn't really make it more fair.

 

[saveliberty]

They used to be called public servants, because they were paid less than private business for a similiar job. Now they get paid more and have better benefits. Anyone see an opportunity for savings?

 

[Oddball]

Oooo...He wants a list...

• Close all military bases in Germany, Japan, England and Korea (for starters).
• Bring the troops (all of them) home from the Middle East, Europe, and anywhere else they don't belong.
• Shelve the money pits known as the Osprey and F-35.
• End all (read: ALL) foreign aid welfare handouts.
• Leave the UN and boot its America-hating goons off of our shores.
• Abolish the federal departments of Energy, Commerce, Labor, HUD, HHS, Education, DHS, along with the EPA, TSA, BATF, DEA and end the idiotic "war" on (some) drugs.
• Privatize the FDA.
• End the Federal Highway Administration, the federal highway trust fund and NHTSA an devolve their responsibilities to the marketplace or the states.
• AMTRAK...Gone.
• Farm subsidies...History.
• Privatize air traffic control (already been done with success in Canada).
• Abolish the BLM and sell off all land under its control.
• Abolish the FWS and devolve its responsibilities to the states.
• Dump the NEA, CPB/PBS/NPR and all other hairy-fairy federal hobby handouts.

That a good enough start?

 

[Rozman]

I say everything takes a hit...
Wherever government spends money on should be hit.
Hit em all that way you spread it around...

I would stop before looking at medicare medicaid and SS....

It's not possible we can't cut spending on everything else...
Do that and see where we are.
Then we can look at how much we need to raise as far as taxes....

 

[healthmyths]

Just a thought, but where would you think the government needs to cut spending?

How about Medicare?
I have access to a database of 6,000 hospitals that billed Medicare in 2009 Medicare OPPS claims for calendar year ending 12/31/2010.

This Tampa hospital submitted under this description CT and CTA without Contrast Composite
519 claims which they billed Medicare at a rate of $2,800 per claim and for which the hospital cost to perform services was $46.
A 5,987% MARKUP over costs... all because the hospital is padding and passing on their OTHER unreimbursed expenses!
And this happens in ALL hospitals

All information in this report is taken from the Medicare Hospital OPPS Identifiable Data Set which is updated annually by CMS based on the service year (i.e. calendar year). The file includes hospital outpatient billing data for 100% of all Medicare fee-for-service claims for outpatient services provided during the twelve months ending December 31. The report is consistent with CMS Data Release policies.
Information is reported for the twenty Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs) representing the highest Medicare payment to the hospital. APCs are defined by the procedures performed according to definitions published by CMS for the corresponding service year. A list of APCs is provided for reference.
Note that the Number of Patient Claims may be less than the Units of Service provided (i.e. one claim may include multiple units of service for a procedure).
Average Charges are based on both covered and non-covered charges for all accommodations and services (related to the revenue code) for a billing period before reduction for the deductible and coinsurance amounts and before an adjustment for the cost of services provided.
Average Costs are based on charges adjusted to cost using the hospital's specific cost center cost-to-charge ratio.

 

[jasonnfree]

You realize that if Congress does nothing with the "fiscal cliff", that is exactly what happens.

That's too draconian. It would take money out of the pockets of those that can least afford it.

Then cut more, so government IS affordable. BTW, its called your fair share. Legalized stealing from someone else doesn't really make it more fair.

Do you mean taxation? If so, power to tax is legal, couldn't run a country without it.

 

[Rozman]

Libs kill me they want to get more money from the rich as if that will fix much of anything...
The only thing it fixes or calms down is their massive hard on against rich people.

They say the debt and deficit isn't really much of a problem....

How bout if you cut the debt by 10-20 %
For starters we would owe 10-20 % less...
And our interest payments should drop by 10-20 %....

Just think how many more people you could give food stamps to.
How many more people can get benefit's from UE...
And just how many more Obama phones would that provide....

 

[healthmyths]

I'd also start by STOPPING this action that has been instituted under Obama!!!
Production on Federal Leases is DOWN!
While President Obama has been touting in recent days that his administration is promoting oil drilling in the United States, oil production on federally owned lands has in fact declined by 17,000 barrels per day since he took office in 2009.

Oil Production on Federal Lands Has Declined Under Obama | CNS News

In a clear signal that the Obama administration is shifting the government's approach to energy exploration on public lands, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar yesterday canceled oil and gas leases on 77 parcels of federal land after opponents said the drilling would blight Utah's scenic southeastern corner.

Salazar's decision -- which reverses the Bush administration's move to allow drilling on about 130,000 acres near pristine areas such as Nine Mile Canyon, Arches National Park and Dinosaur National Monument -- is one of a series of steps that the new administration and congressional Democrats are planning to reshape federal regulation of drilling, mining, lumbering and other resource-tapping activities.
Salazar Voids Drilling Leases On Public Lands in Utah

 

[blackhawk]

Just a thought, but where would you think the government needs to cut spending?

All of the listed and I would add Congress cutting their pay given the piss poor job they have done.

 

[GuyPinestra]

All of the above...

 

[saveliberty]

That's too draconian. It would take money out of the pockets of those that can least afford it.

Then cut more, so government IS affordable. BTW, its called your fair share. Legalized stealing from someone else doesn't really make it more fair.

Do you mean taxation? If so, power to tax is legal, couldn't run a country without it.

Correction: You can't run a government bent on expanding its power and influence on its citizenry without taxes.

 

[whitehall]

All of the above. We are bogged down in Afghanistan fighting an enemy that lives in the 6th century and we are spending money we don't have building yet another super-carrier to fight an enemy that doesn't exist. The education system is such a mess that American kids excel in one thing, feeling good about their ignorance. LBJ's "war on poverty" spent trillions of dollars putting more people in poverty.

 

[Wehrwolfen]

A general cut of 10 to 15% across all Federal agencies. Then a close look at entitlements. Food Stamps, Unemployment extensions, Obamaphones, changes in Social Security (example reitirement at 70).