What are your ideas for cutting gov't spending?

[Deborah K]

I think to start off, they should do an across the board cut of at least 5% on everything.

Then, they should initiate a program to privatize SS.

Repeal Obamacare and the financial reform law. Replace Obamacare with something that includes tort reform and cross-state competition.

Introduce a balanced budget amendment.

Phase out some of the depts. like the DOE, and the IRS.

Audit the Fed and Ft. Knox.

Repeal the 16th amendment.

[Seraphim]

MILITARY

That ABSOLUTELY needs to be #1. Social programs can and MUST be gradually phased out (rapidly mind you)...Military needs to be ruthlessly cut NOW. NOW. NOW.

[Deborah K]

Yes! Close down all those bases worldwide. Or at least most of them.

[Jordan]

Cut military to $200b from $600b, we'd still outspend everyone 2:1. Take soldiers from overseas to form a fence on the border.

Simplify the tax code. Flat tax, progressive rates if you must, but no credits, no exemptions, none of that nonsense.

Change the tax code to remove withholding. Every citizen has to file and mail in a check once a year. (Best way to stir shit up, start the conversation, IMO.)

Offer social security "buyouts" to knock off long term SS debt, flatten the convexity of the curve.

More...

[Chester Copperpot]

cut out entire departments.. Dept. of Education, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, etc.. Good bye

[MN Patriot]

Light a fire under Congress's butts by inciting a tax revolt. There will be no cuts until things change dramatically. We have been too damn polite with those socialist despots in Washington that call themselves Democrats and Republicans. Politely talking about what we would like to cut will get us nowhere, even with all these Tea Party Republicans that got elected. Many of them still support the political Establishment.

[anaconda]

Pay as yo go with 20% surplus annually to retire Treasury Bonds. No adjustment for inflation on spending ( fix at 2010 deflator).

[Seraphim]

Yes! Close down all those bases worldwide. Or at least most of them.

I don't think people realize how much of their taxes and federal deficit goes toward military and funding an empire

[Fox McCloud]

...[/government]

[ILUVRP]

Close 90% of overseas bases---Make all defense contracts fixed fee ( many are cost plus now, they love them )---get everyone and everything out of the middle east--cut foreign defense aid by 75%--close homeland security down--scrap the patroit( ?) act---no goverment pay raises ( even the lousy congress) for 3 yrs--cut the energy,commerce,education depts in half, then close them down---have a flat tax,or a national sales tax, or a tarrif tax, close down 75% of the IRS. Use our new $2 billion embasy in Iraq for bombing runs, then leave it.

Then like Harry Brown said " go to lunch ".

[Lord Xar]

1. End the Nation Building/Empire Building
2. End the Wars (see #1 above)
3. End the Foreign Aid Country Welfare ie, Eygpt, Mexico, Israel etc..
4. End the government subsidies to Colleges, special interests orgs. ie. ncla, acorn, npr etc...
5. Use a sliding scale on Medicare etc... to eventually privatize it.

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

1. End the Nation Building/Empire Building
2. End the Wars (see #1 above)
3. End the Foreign Aid Country Welfare ie, Eygpt, Mexico, Israel etc..
4. End the government subsidies to Colleges, special interests orgs. ie. ncla, acorn, npr etc...
5. Use a sliding scale on Medicare etc... to eventually privatize it.

Would prefer to see:

1. Legalize competing currency
then your list...

[cswake]

Here's a cool interactive tool that should assist everyone (you can use the hide mandatory spending button to target the more palatable programs):
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/02/01/us/budget.html

I have yet to see any recommendations that come close to cutting $1.4 trillion. Even if we pulled off a coup and Republicans said yes to $500 billion in Defense cuts, the Democrats would faint from $900 billion in cuts to:

Children's Health Insurance Program ($13.5 billion)
Substance abuse and health services ($3.5 billion)
Food & Drug Administration ($2.5 billion)
Education for the disadvantaged ($10.8 billion)
Conservation programs ($6.4 billion)
International development and humanitarian assistance ($7.4 billion)
Air transportation security ($5.4 billion)
Community development fund ($4.4 billion)

Call me a pessimist, but there is no way politicians or their constituents would allow $1.3 trillion in cuts to ever occur.

[Mike4Freedom]

These things need to happen to prevent us from being a third world country in a few years if not sooner.

1. Cut The Defense budget in Half
2. Repeal Obama care and the financial reforms
3. Get rid of the Dept of education and energy
4. Cut all income taxes in half. Get rid of capital gains and corporate taxes.
5. Impose a 5 - 10% tarrif on imported goods
6. Get rid of half of the regulations we have on the books
7. Cut the budget of the DHS and TSA in half
8. Cut the FBI budget in half
9. Legalize marijauna
10. Cut another 10% across the board
11. Privatize SS
12. No more bailouts for anyone

If these things are not done and I mean within the next few years we will be a third world country in about 5 years.

As long as we have a federal reserve I dont see anything in my list happening unfortunately. This is why I am kind of hoping for a currency collapse, it's the only thing that will make the above happen.

Just make sure you are prepared, Food storage, guns, gold and silver and a portfolio of foreign stocks.

[devil21]

I think we should start with Congressional salaries and Executive Branch salaries. Once those are hacked back about 50% we can move on to other things. Closing military bases around the world, in peaceful countries in particular, expose the black budget of the CIA, NSA and others and then cut the living shit out of their budget. Those things should be tackled before any domestic spending is touched.

[Zeeder]

When the dollar crashes all our spending cut dreams will come true, until that day arrives it's nice to delude ourselves with fantastical lists.

[ClayTrainor]

Cut out the whole tumor.

[amy31416]

IRS, DHS, TSA, DOE, ATF, FDA...and those are just to start.

Oh, and end pensions and health care for gov't employees as well.

[Dripping Rain]

Repeal NCLB
Repeal Medicare prescription program
Do away with the DOE, DOA & EPA

[CCTelander]

Cut out the whole tumor.


Get it ALL, or it just starts growing and spreading again.

[tmosley]

Start with A, end with Z, and repeat as necessary.

[Deborah K]

When the dollar crashes all our spending cut dreams will come true, until that day arrives it's nice to delude ourselves with fantastical lists.

Since the goal of the globalists is to control us through debt slavery, the debt isn't going to go away, even if the dollar did crash, which tptb probably won't let happen. Instead, they'll morph it into a global currency.

With that in mind, our goal should be to force these pricks and pricketts to balance the budget and pay down the debt.

[Zippyjuan]

If you are truely serious about cutting the deficit, you have to look at the big ticket items. Those are Social Security/ Medicare and the Department of Defense. In the estimated budget on Wiki for 2010, you could get rid of every department in goverment and still have a deficit. That is how hard it will be.

Two number groups:

Estimated receipts for fiscal year 2010 are $2.381 trillion, an estimated decrease of 11% from 2009.

$1.061 trillion – Individual income taxes
$940 billion – Social Security and other payroll tax
$222 billion – Corporation income taxes
$77 billion – Excise taxes
$23 billion – Customs duties
$20 billion – Estate and gift taxes
$22 billion – Deposits of earnings
$16 billion – Other



Mandatory spending $2.184 trillion: (+15.6%)
$677.95 billion (+4.9%) – Social Security
$571 billion (−15.2%) – Other mandatory programs
$453 billion (+6.6%) – Medicare
$290 billion (+12.0%) – Medicaid
$164 billion (+18.0%) – Interest on National Debt
$11 billion (+275%) – Potential disaster costs
$0 billion (−100%) – Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
$0 billion (−100%) – Financial stabilization efforts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_federal_budget

[psi2941]

cut student loans and student aid

[specsaregood]

Oh, and end pensions and health care for gov't employees as well.

Cut the pensions and mandatory 50% pay cut for all federal govt workers. Make it so nobody wants to work for them.

[smithtg]

If you are truely serious about cutting the deficit, you have to look at the big ticket items. Those are Social Security/ Medicare and the Department of Defense. In the estimated budget on Wiki for 2010, you could get rid of every department in goverment and still have a deficit. That is how hard it will be.

Two number groups:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_federal_budget

What I love about fakipedia is the use of the word "mandatory" Bullshit. If there is no revenue, then there shouldn't be an expense period. The budget must be balanced. That should be the first demand

Oh- and lets educate the sheeple and tell them that their SS taxes just go to the general fund to pay all the other BS spending

This is a good thread. My personal pet peeve is the MIC as most have mentioned as well as TSA and homeland security. My next pet peeve is DOE. Had some experience with them this summer. What a waste of $$. Lets not forget the '
secret' side of goverment where there is a million government contractors, and govt leeches that have clearance secret, top secret, whatever whatever, join the gang..... there is a whole branch that just "checks" and manages that. The list goes on and on

big ticket items must be hacked and hacked hard