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Panel Chairmen Recommend Cutting Federal Spending by $200 Billion

Jetboogieman said:
Because all military spending is sacred. It must increase every single year without fail, if it doesn't, that president is weak, limp wristed America Hater.
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No, military power is sacred, not spending. We don't want to cut the military (as liberals do), but we are all for controlling costs and looking for economic efficiencies as long as the mission remains the same.

There's a HUGE difference between spending on useless politically generated entitlements and the cost of having and continually developing the best military in the world.
 
Conservative said:
I probably give more to poor people than you make and that is where the responsibility lies, not forced giving by the Federal govt. that never solves a social problem.
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here we go again, another self proclaimed rich conservative posting claims he can't begin to back up. maybe you and turtle dude should have a pajama party, and count the money in your piggy banks.
 
liblady said:
here we go again, another self proclaimed rich conservative posting claims he can't begin to back up. maybe you and turtle dude should have a pajama party, and count the money in your piggy banks.
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I am still waiting for how all that spending in the name of compassion has created compassionate results which means solving the problem? The facts prove you to be foolish thus your inability to respond to them. Why do we need the Federal Govt. taking care of personal resonsibility issues and local responsibility?
 
Conservative said:
I am still waiting for how all that spending in the name of compassion has created compassionate results which means solving the problem? The facts prove you to be foolish thus your inability to respond to them. Why do we need the Federal Govt. taking care of personal resonsibility issues and local responsibility?
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And on to the personal insults.
 
Conservative said:
I am still waiting for how all that spending in the name of compassion has created compassionate results which means solving the problem? The facts prove you to be foolish thus your inability to respond to them. Why do we need the Federal Govt. taking care of personal resonsibility issues and local responsibility?
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sorry, conservative, you have provided no facts, whereas i did. and you seem to be ascribing words to me which were never posted by me. you should really check yourself.
 
liblady said:
sorry, conservative, you have provided no facts, whereas i did. and you seem to be ascribing words to me which were never posted by me. you should really check yourself.
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I have indeed provided results, bea.gov will give you the actual revenue and expenses that have been spent. I suggest you do some research there.
 
Conservative said:
Do you realize that tax cuts for anyone means they get to KEEP MORE OF WHAT THEY EARNED? You don't like the rich, then stop supporting them with your purchases. Try doing that with your tax payments? Class envy and liberal class warfare is counter productive and violates the foundation upon which this country was built.
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More silly comments about class envy and liberal class warfare...That and lower taxes makes for a better economy.

.the class envy I see is coming from middle class conservatives who wannabe wealthy class by paying less taxes instead of smarter investing. Liberal class warfare should be hard to prove, since the liberal rich are offering to submit to higher taxes for themselves. Guess they have learned how much is "enough"...
That and lower taxes always makes for a better economy is the mantra of the right wing....

If that is all the GOP has, 2012 should be interesting...
 
UtahBill said:
More silly comments about class envy and liberal class warfare...That and lower taxes makes for a better economy.

.the class envy I see is coming from middle class conservatives who wannabe wealthy class by paying less taxes instead of smarter investing. Liberal class warfare should be hard to prove, since the liberal rich are offering to submit to higher taxes for themselves. Guess they have learned how much is "enough"...
That and lower taxes always makes for a better economy is the mantra of the right wing....

If that is all the GOP has, 2012 should be interesting...
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It really is hard overcoming cult followers and their brainwashing. people keeping more of what they earn takes power away from bureaucrats and thus they need less of that so called "liberal" help. that scares the hell out of liberals, losing their power. Lower taxes always helps individuals create a better economy for themselves. Why do you have a problem with that? Why do you want your dollars sent to D.C. so D.C. can spend it the way they want vs. sending it to your state and local govt. where you are closer to the spending and thus the control? there isn't a lot of logic to a liberal's argument.
 
Le Marteau said:
My God, where do you come up with this stuff?

I hear Americans say this all the time, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how they figure that. Britain and France are two of the most powerful nations on Earth, that is a fact -- and they're not dependent on anyone for their protection. The only possible way I can figure you saying that is that you must somehow be referring to NATO, an organisation in which Britain, France and the US are equal partners.

Furthermore, I do believe it was America begging the rest of Europe to join it in Iraq, not the other way around. And yet, France and Britain have both fought wars (successfully, I might add, which can't be said about Iraq or Afghanistan) without American aide.

Long story short, you're talking out of your arse.
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The general order of the world is maintained by the U.S. military. France and England rely on that order in their military and diplomatic engagements.

That era is passing, however.
 
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if social security and medicare are such successful govt programs, why are they in need of such massive fixing?

why can't they keep the promises they made to the citizens who've paid tens of thousands of tax dollars into these programs?
 
from Conservative

Lower taxes always helps individuals create a better economy for themselves.
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I have no idea how you would even begin to try and prove that claim.

And I thought we were talking about society and the American people here - not just what is good for an individual?
 
haymarket said:
from Conservative



I have no idea how you would even begin to try and prove that claim.

And I thought we were talking about society and the American people here - not just what is good for an individual?
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Hate to break it to you but society is made up of individuals and individuals with more spendable income need less of that so called liberal help. Why are liberals so afraid of people keeping more of what they earn? You actually believe that liberal bureaucrats really care about the poor and underprivledged? If they truly cared they would solve the problem but don't.Why?
 
The Prof said:
if social security and medicare are such successful govt programs, why are they in need of such massive fixing?

why can't they keep the promises they made to the citizens who've paid tens of thousands of tax dollars into these programs?
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Well, part of the problem with Medicare is that the costs are about three times more than we are bringing in from tax witholding. That math will never work. So, the tens of thousand paid into these programs isn't nearly enough.
 
then it doesn't appear to be a very successful program, after all

members were promised services, not rate hikes

why can't social security keep its promises, why must it be fixed (again)?

and to the tune of trillions?
 
Conservative said:
Hate to break it to you but society is made up of individuals and individuals with more spendable income need less of that so called liberal help. Why are liberals so afraid of people keeping more of what they earn? You actually believe that liberal bureaucrats really care about the poor and underprivledged? If they truly cared they would solve the problem but don't.Why?
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On that same line of thinking, why do conservatives think that we need to spend six times more on defense than any other country on this planet and not pay for it? Neither party is fiscally conservative in my opinion and from the backlash regarding this proposal from both sides makes it clear that neither side wants to give an inch.
 
Taboon said:
On that same line of thinking, why do conservatives think that we need to spend six times more on defense than any other country on this planet and not pay for it? Neither party is fiscally conservative in my opinion and from the backlash regarding this proposal from both sides makes it clear that neither side wants to give an inch.
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Probably because that is the role of the govt. to protect us, not provide for welfare. Defense costs with the supplementals 750 billion a year out of a 3.8 trillion dollar budget, 1/5 of the budget so IMO defense is paid for over and over again. Read the Constitution.
 
The Prof said:
then it doesn't appear to be a very successful program, after all

why can't social security keep its promises, why must it be fixed (again)?

and to the tune of trillions?
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Define successful. I'm sure there are some efficiency issues related to Medicare. Anything that large would. But, I can't fathom a way to reduce the costs by 2/3rds to match the receipts we bring in to pay for it while maintaining the services it provides. It may be too expensive but it's pretty obvious we aren't obtaining enough related to tax revenues to pay for the program as it is right now. There's really only two options: 1. increase tax revenues to keep Medicare solvent 2. Cut services to granny
Neither is popular, so I'm sure we will do what we always do, punt and continue to lose the game.
 
Taboon said:
Well, part of the problem with Medicare is that the costs are about three times more than we are bringing in from tax witholding. That math will never work. So, the tens of thousand paid into these programs isn't nearly enough.
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Think it might help if the govt. didn't put SS and Medicare on budget and spend it for other items than SS and Medicare? Do you know what on budget means?
 
Conservative said:
Probably because that is the role of the govt. to protect us, not provide for welfare. Defense costs with the supplementals 750 billion a year out of a 3.8 trillion dollar budget, 1/5 of the budget so IMO defense is paid for over and over again. Read the Constitution.
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Where in the contstitution does it say Defense gets a blank check?
 
Taboon said:
Where in the contstitution does it say Defense gets a blank check?
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Where it defines the role of Congress. Why don't you address what I posted? you think that 1/5 of the budget is too much for the defense of this country? What do you think the role of the Federal Govt. is?
 
The Prof said:
1. a program that keeps its promises

2. a program not in need of a multi trillion dollar fix
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The only reason that SS and Medicare need a multi trillion dollar fix is that Congress has borrowed trillions of what was supposed to be a trust fund and spent it on other programs replacing it with IOU's that have to be funded. That is where any fix for SS will go. The biggest mistake ever made was putting SS and Medicare on budget and then spending the money.
 
Conservative said:
Where it defines the role of Congress. Why don't you address what I posted? you think that 1/5 of the budget is too much for the defense of this country? What do you think the role of the Federal Govt. is?
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/tables.pdf

From Page 5 of the PDF (Labeled 149) Baseline Projects of Current Policy by Category

2011 Budget Baseline Projection (which means if all things stayed the same, no policy changes):
Security (i.e. Defense, Intelligence, etc) - $846 Billion
Social Security - $730 Billion
Medicare - $492 Billion
Medicaid - $271 Billion
Net Interest (on debt) - $250 Billion

Total Cost of "Sacred" Programs - $2,589 Billion

Expected Revenues (i.e. tax receipts) for 2011 - $2,583 Billion

So, the total cost of the "sacred" programs is a bit more than what we expect to bring in for receipts for 2011.

This doesn't include any non-defense discretionary spending whatsoever. What does that mean?

No NASA
No Departments of Anything (including Justice, Labor, Education, Commerce, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Treasury,EPA, Small Business Administration, Health and Human Services)
No Disaster Relief (Sorry New Orleans, better not get any hurricanes going your way)
NO ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT THE "SACRED" PROGRAMS CAN EXIST IF WE WANT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET FOR 2011.

Ok with that?

So, you want to reduce taxes even further? Well, you have to start cutting into those sacred programs then because we are already $6 Billion dollars short based on expected tax receipts for next year.

You want to increase defense even more. Well, you're going to have to increase taxes or cut even more into Medicare, Social Securtiy or Medicaid.

That's where we're at. Any questions?

Oh yeah, to answer you question. I absolutely think that spending 25% of our budget on defense is way too much. It's actually over 30% of expected tax receipts, that's even worse.
 
Conservative said:
The only reason that SS and Medicare need a multi trillion dollar fix is that Congress has borrowed trillions of what was supposed to be a trust fund and spent it on other programs replacing it with IOU's that have to be funded. That is where any fix for SS will go. The biggest mistake ever made was putting SS and Medicare on budget and then spending the money.
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That's only part of the story. From the budget link I provided earlier. 2011 expected cost of Medicare and Medicaid is $763 Billion. Guess what we are going to bring in for payroll taxes to pay for those costs? $192 Billion Woops, that seems a bit light considering the costs doesn't it?
 
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