Where The Heck Do We Start Cutting?

[Mr. Sauerkraut]

cut stupidity first

 

[Pepe]

Everyone will feel the "pain" before this economic debacle runs its course.

In FY 2010, the Empire's revenue totaled 2.4 trillion from all sources, ie; personal income tax, corporate income tax, excise taxes, customs duties, et. al.

The Big Four, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Interest on the Debt consumed 2.23 trillion of the revenue.

The math is simple.

Every item in the budget must be examined and trimmed and all "Unconstitutional" spending must cease.

Eliminate the Department of Education.

Eliminate the Department of Energy. The old AEC/ERDA to be divided between DoD and Commerce.

The Department of Agriculture to be cut by 50% in personnel and budget.

The Departments of Commerce and Labor to be combined into a Department of Industry and Labor with a 50% reduction in personnel and budget.

Eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Developement.

Eliminate Department of Health and Human Services but keep the CDC as an Independent Agency.

Eliminate the Department of Transportation. Amtrak to "sink or swim" on its own.

Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security, the US version of the Gestapo, in its entirety.

Department of Defense: As specified in the Withdrawal Agreement, leave Iraq on schedule. Withdraw from Afghanistan as soon as logistically possible. Mothball four carrier battle groups. Scrap all F-15s and F-16s and send half the remaining AF to the Reserves. Cut one Marine Division and one Air Wing. Withdraw all Forces from Korea, Japan including Okinawa, Germany, Italy and Close most or all of our 727 Foreign Bases. Cut the Army down to 360,000.

The Department of Veterans Affairs may have whatever resources are necessary to care for our injured and disabled Vets and their Widows (Spouses) and Orphans. The Budget will NOT be balanced on the backs of those who bore the most burdens for the Nation and its People.

Raise the Age of Retirement for Social Security to 70 over the next ten years (2012). Raise the Age for Early Retirement to 67 with a one percent reduction in benefits for each month retired early with the same cut in all future COLA increases.

Institute a "phase out" of SS over the next 40 years and phase in Private Accounts.

Ditto with Medicare.

Eliminate Medicaid. This is a State issue.

No Benefits for "Illegals."

That's a start.

 

[rdean]

First of all, Blue States have got to STOP funding Red States. It's unfair and Red States are about as thankful as "Iraq".

 

[rdean]

Everyone will feel the "pain" before this economic debacle runs its course.

In FY 2010, the Empire's revenue totaled 2.4 trillion from all sources, ie; personal income tax, corporate income tax, excise taxes, customs duties, et. al.

The Big Four, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Interest on the Debt consumed 2.23 trillion of the revenue.

The math is simple.

Every item in the budget must be examined and trimmed and all "Unconstitutional" spending must cease.

Eliminate the Department of Education.

Eliminate the Department of Energy. The old AEC/ERDA to be divided between DoD and Commerce.

The Department of Agriculture to be cut by 50% in personnel and budget.

The Departments of Commerce and Labor to be combined into a Department of Industry and Labor with a 50% reduction in personnel and budget.

Eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Developement.

Eliminate Department of Health and Human Services but keep the CDC as an Independent Agency.

Eliminate the Department of Transportation. Amtrak to "sink or swim" on its own.

Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security, the US version of the Gestapo, in its entirety.

Department of Defense: As specified in the Withdrawal Agreement, leave Iraq on schedule. Withdraw from Afghanistan as soon as logistically possible. Mothball four carrier battle groups. Scrap all F-15s and F-16s and send half the remaining AF to the Reserves. Cut one Marine Division and one Air Wing. Withdraw all Forces from Korea, Japan including Okinawa, Germany, Italy and Close most or all of our 727 Foreign Bases. Cut the Army down to 360,000.

The Department of Veterans Affairs may have whatever resources are necessary to care for our injured and disabled Vets and their Widows (Spouses) and Orphans. The Budget will NOT be balanced on the backs of those who bore the most burdens for the Nation and its People.

Raise the Age of Retirement for Social Security to 70 over the next ten years (2012). Raise the Age for Early Retirement to 67 with a one percent reduction in benefits for each month retired early with the same cut in all future COLA increases.

Institute a "phase out" of SS over the next 40 years and phase in Private Accounts.

Ditto with Medicare.

Eliminate Medicaid. This is a State issue.

No Benefits for "Illegals."

That's a start.

What benefits do "illegals" get now?

 

[Pepe]

What benefits do "illegals" get now?

If you don't actually know the answer to your question...................you are beyond redemption and hope.

 

[JBeukema]

You can't have PC's 'limited government' without destroying America

The nation is too big to survive as a confederation, It is either a strong federation or the end of the Union as a truly singular nation.

 

[boedicca]

IOW, JB is saying that the solution to the problem is to accept the problem as unsolvable.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[JBeukema]

IOW, JB is saying that the solution to the problem is to accept the problem as unsolvable.

Thank you for sharing.

No, I'm saying that 13 little colonies and a 50-state Union bigger than the fucking EU are two very different realities and we can't apply 200-year-old answers to wholly different questions and circumstances to what we face today.

It's like trying to use the operator's manual for a ham radio to fix a nuclear reactor leak.

 

[boedicca]

That is a bunch of sophistry.

50 states do not magically mean we need centralized government control of our private lives with government spending 25% plus of economic output.

 

[JBeukema]

Add to that list:

The Department of Labor

So we should enforce no OSHA standards and return to the 'good ol days' before the labour movement won safer working places and living wages?

Junk FCC

So I should be allowed to use my private ham radio to block out commercial stations and airline communications because there is to be no FCC to regulate the use of frequencies and other standards?

 

[JBeukema]

That is a bunch of sophistry.

50 states do not magically mean we need centralized government control of our private lives with government spending 25% plus of economic output.

A loose confederation works for 13 small colonies in the days before radio.

It doesn't work for a massive empire that's one of the world's largest nations in both land mass and population in the days of ICBMs.

Loons like PC and Dude think it's still 1782

 

[JBeukema]

Federal housing programs should be completely disbanded, as they were the reason for the mortgage meltdown.

And, clearly, the right to a home is not in the Constitution.

Says who?

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
​

b. Federal highway and mass transit programs, budgeted at $41.3 billion in 2011. Eisenhower’s Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was supposed to expire in 1972, “designed to create a national 41,250-mile highway system to be completed by 1969.” It has been expanded to 160,000 miles. The 18.4 cents federal fuel tax to fund the plan could be assumed by the states (I know, the Constitution gives the feds the power to establish ‘post roads’… can’t we assume that to have been done?). Federal Highway Funding | Downsizing the Federal Government

the reality:
Home | Report Card for America's Infrastructure

2009 Grades

Aviation D
Bridges C
Dams D
Drinking Water D-
Energy D+
Hazardous Waste D
Inland Waterways D-
Levees D-
Public Parks and Recreation C-
Rail C-
Roads D-
Schools D
Solid Waste C+
Transit D
Wastewater D-

America's Infrastructure GPA: D
Estimated 5 Year Investment Need: $2.2 Trillion

 

[Modbert]

Levees D-

You know, maybe if there was a large disaster involving the Levees then maybe people would wake up as to how much they need to be imp-



Oh.

 

[elvis]

I wonder how prepared FEMA is for a major San Francisco earthquake.

 

[Modbert]

I wonder how prepared FEMA is for a major San Francisco earthquake.

They've made some nice improvements to all those FEMA trailers!

 

[JBeukema]

In the spring of 2008, Gen. David H. Petraeus decided he had spent enough time gazing from his helicopter at an empty and desolate lake on the banks of the Tigris River. He ordered the lake refilled and turned into a water park for all of Baghdad to enjoy.
...
But today the Baghdad park is nearly waterless, more than two years after a U.S. military inauguration ceremony that included a marching band and water-scooter rides. Much of the compound is in ruins, swing sets have become piles of twisted steel, and the personal watercraft's engines have been gutted for spare parts.
The troubled history of the venture speaks to the limitations and mishandling of a program that has provided U.S. military commanders with $5 billion for projects in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past six years.
​

Petraeus blew $1 million on Iraqi water park - Iraq - Salon.com

 

[Mr. Sauerkraut]

Eliminate the Department of Education.

do you think that american kids are over-educated?!

Eliminate the Department of Energy. The old AEC/ERDA to be divided between DoD and Commerce.

Forgot Enron?

The Department of Agriculture to be cut by 50% in personnel and budget.

and giving them the power?

Eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Developement.

Hell, what´s in your mind? Everybody shall build up whatever, wherever he wants?

Eliminate Department of Health and Human Services but keep the CDC as an Independent Agency.

Say hello to the lobby parasites

Eliminate the Department of Transportation. Amtrak to "sink or swim" on its own.

another thousands of unemployed people

Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security, the US version of the Gestapo, in its entirety.

Why always this evil nazi argumentation? Do you know what you´re talking about? If you would have a gestapo, your´ll already be blown away.

Department of Defense: As specified in the Withdrawal Agreement, leave Iraq on schedule. Withdraw from Afghanistan as soon as logistically possible. Mothball four carrier battle groups. Scrap all F-15s and F-16s and send half the remaining AF to the Reserves. Cut one Marine Division and one Air Wing. Withdraw all Forces from Korea, Japan including Okinawa, Germany, Italy and Close most or all of our 727 Foreign Bases. Cut the Army down to 360,000.

Try this. Good luck.

 

[Talismen]

Close most WWII, Korea and Vietnam bases.
Stop all foreign aid.
Cut entitlements.
Cut every manner of "ear mark".
Cut salaries of all three branches of government.
Root out fraud from every program.

Reform SS.

1. Entitlements....

It seems to me that entitlements are like contracts. They must be enforced for folks who are currently receiving benefits. We've made promises, and individuals have made their contracts/commitments based on same....children in college, mortgages, car payments.

Changes should be made, but only for future recipients. And lag time for the changes should five to ten years.

I have to disagree there.

There is rampant abuse within most entitlement programs. People who utterly refuse to get a job, because it is easier to sit back and let the government check roll in. Whether that 'check' is subsidized rent, help with food or utilities, etc etc. Here in Iowa, we literally have generational-welfare families that enroll their youngest 'welfare prospects' as soon as they can legally do so, and then they sit back and let everyone else pay their way.

 

[Talismen]

Here are $343 billion in cuts....get crackin'!!

Funny, you guys from right always seem to miss the 1.5+ trillion in defense spending.

Many of "us on the right" have noted several areas of defense spending that should be cut.

Acting as if we haven't done so....Is a bit transparent, don't you think?


Also -- aside from the things those of us "on the right" have mentioned, in terms of cutting defense spending...How far do YOU really want to go? We're in the middle of 2 wars. Yes, they are winding down, for good or bad, but...I'm not willing to deprive a soldier of something, in order to feel good about spending.

They are already deprived enough as it is.
It's always been that way.

They aren't paid enough for the work they do.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Close most WWII, Korea and Vietnam bases.
Stop all foreign aid.
Cut entitlements.
Cut every manner of "ear mark".
Cut salaries of all three branches of government.
Root out fraud from every program.

Reform SS.

1. Entitlements....

It seems to me that entitlements are like contracts. They must be enforced for folks who are currently receiving benefits. We've made promises, and individuals have made their contracts/commitments based on same....children in college, mortgages, car payments.

Changes should be made, but only for future recipients. And lag time for the changes should five to ten years.

I have to disagree there.

There is rampant abuse within most entitlement programs. People who utterly refuse to get a job, because it is easier to sit back and let the government check roll in. Whether that 'check' is subsidized rent, help with food or utilities, etc etc. Here in Iowa, we literally have generational-welfare families that enroll their youngest 'welfare prospects' as soon as they can legally do so, and then they sit back and let everyone else pay their way.

Does this post apply to Social Security and Medicare?
These are the 'entitlements' that I was refering to.