Rand Paul Op-Ed in the WSJ: A Modest $500 Billion Proposal

[MRoCkEd]

After Republicans swept into office in 1994, Bill Clinton famously said in his State of the Union address that the era of big government was over. Nearly $10 trillion of federal debt later, the era of big government is at its zenith.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this will be the third consecutive year in which the federal government is running a deficit near or greater than $1 trillion. The solution to the government's fiscal crisis must begin by cutting spending in all areas, particularly in those that can be better run at the state or local level. Last month I introduced legislation to do just that. And though it seems extreme to some—containing over $500 billion in spending cuts enacted over one year—it is a necessary first step toward ending our fiscal crisis.

Read the full article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...794539522.html

[Cowlesy]

F*** yeah, Rand! GIT'M!

[skyorbit]

So that's why he's only trying to cut $500 Billion. He can say "it's a modest proposal."

That's a smart way of framing the issue.

Tracy

[Jeremy]

f*** yeah, rand! Git'm!

gitmo?

[Dustancostine]

gitmo?

git'm is go get them in southern.

[Jeremy]

git'm is go get them in southern.

I was jokin'.

[Bergie Bergeron]

So that's why he's only trying to cut $500 Billion. He can say "it's a modest proposal."

That's a smart way of framing the issue.

Tracy

Stay tuned for a full balanced budget.

[Bman]

Stay tuned for a full balanced budget.

That will be interesting.

[Bern]

...
For those who take issue with any of the spending cuts I have proposed, I have two requests:

First, if you believe a particular program should be exempt from these cuts, I challenge you to find another place in the budget where the same amount can feasibly be cut and we can replace it.

Second, consider this: Is any particular program, whatever its merits, worth borrowing billions of dollars from foreign nations to finance programs that could be administered better at the state and local level, or even taken over by the private sector?
...

Awesome.

[Dreamofunity]

"My proposal would also cut wasteful spending in the Defense Department. Since 2001, our annual defense budget has increased nearly 120%. Even subtracting the costs of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, spending is up 67%. These levels of spending are unjustifiable and unsustainable."

My favorite part.

In Rand's position, it's (relatively) easy to call for cuts in department of education and what not, liberals will trash him regardless. This, however, is a hard stance to take as a 'republican' and I'm glad he is taking it.

[angelatc]

My favorite part.

In Rand's position, it's (relatively) easy to call for cuts in department of education and what not, liberals will trash him regardless. This, however, is a hard stance to take as a 'republican' and I'm glad he is taking it.

It's not that hard. The GOP platform used to contain that goal until Bush I decided he'd rather run it than abolish it.

[Sola_Fide]

Rand is AWESOMMMMEEE!

[georgiaboy]

$700Billion bailouts were approved in the blink of an eye; a $500B budget adjustment shouldn't be too big of a pill to swallow.

[klamath]

It is never going to pass but it sure is making the other republicans paying lip service to fiscal conservatism look like fools. 100 bil that will end up as 20 or 30 bil is an absolute joke when we have a budget in the trillions. That is an accounting error blip.