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What would you be willing to give up to reduce the size of government?

What goverment service that benefits you would you give up?

  • Total voters
    53
I voted, but will expound upon my vote after my return from the gym. The addict in me logged in 'only for a second'...:3oops:
 
Give up? None of them! I'll vote on just cutting funding.
 
BTW, what ARE "Cultural Grants?"
 
donc said:
I think that we could close about half the overseas military bases and save a few bucks while not sacrificing of our own security while doing so. Let someone else take on some of the responsibilities of being the world cop.
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I completely agree,we have WAY too many bases that have dubious value.....Plus were spending billions on military resorts in places such as S.Korea and the Green Zone in Baghdad that need not be built.
 
Winnb said:
Ah if only the so called conservatives had done that with Iraq. How many Billions could we have saved. Ooops I meant Trillions.
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No,hasn't reached trillions yet.


Btw-Good to see you Winnb :2wave:
 
Department of Education

Department of Energy

Enviromental Protection Agency

Congressional Budget Office

NASA (Half)

All Liberals in Congress (Just Kidding:2razz::lol:)

Those are just off the top of my head....
 
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Winnb said:
Ah if only the so called conservatives had done that with Iraq. How many Billions could we have saved. Ooops I meant Trillions.
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Ah 76 Senators voted to fo to war in Iraq.....:doh They were not all Conservatives my left wing friend......
 
Navy Pride said:
Ah 76 Senators voted to fo to war in Iraq.....:doh They were not all Conservatives my left wing friend......
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You'll get no argument from me on that. But without the votes of so called Conservatives the war would have never happened.

So drag the Dems into if you want, that doesn't excuse the GOP.
 
I don't think giving up entirely anything is necessary, but certainly all programs should be trimmed.
 
Redress said:
I don't think giving up entirely anything is necessary, but certainly all programs should be trimmed.
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I'm personally of the opinion that all government agencies could, at the least, be massively revised and trimmed. While, at the same time, becoming more effective.

I have no idea how, exactly, as I don't know much if anything about the intricate workings of every single government agency/entity.
 
Winnb said:
You'll get no argument from me on that. But without the votes of so called Conservatives the war would have never happened.

So drag the Dems into if you want, that doesn't excuse the GOP.
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Wait, Wait, you said Conservatives, I said both Conservatives and Liberals voted to go......Even Bill Clinton when he was president voted for regime change.......
 
Oftencold said:
I'm always curious about the "thought processes" of people who would have us abandon the role of "global cop."

Does this mean that you'd be comfortable with the global savagery, which would surely follow? Or do you entertain some fantasy that this would not occur?
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So where in the constitution does it give our government the power to police the world? Oh.. that's right I almost forgot, it doesn't!

I'm also assuming you wouldn't mind China coming to one of the 50 states and setting up a base... right?

Globalist :roll:
 
The Mark said:
I'm personally of the opinion that all government agencies could, at the least, be massively revised and trimmed. While, at the same time, becoming more effective.

I have no idea how, exactly, as I don't know much if anything about the intricate workings of every single government agency/entity.
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Yeah, it's time to put some real effort into improving government agencies so that they are more efficient and cheaper to run. Major savings could be made without major cuts in services.
 
Phantom said:
So where in the constitution does it give our government the power to police the world? Oh.. that's right I almost forgot, it doesn't!

I'm also assuming you wouldn't mind China coming to one of the 50 states and setting up a base... right?

Globalist :roll:
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If we're going to try to keep the populace happy with bread and circuses, then it follows that we have to impose a pax Americana on the rest of the world also.

Otherwise, how are we going to follow in the footsteps of the Roman Empire?
 
I voted for the cultural grants and earmarks. The rest are needed to have a country worth having or to even have a country at all. What is most interesting to me is that so many people really say they want earmarks removed from government. I think that most of the people who assert this would be the same to feel that their representatives were not doing their jobs when the earmarks dried-up and would throw them out of office. But such is human nature.
 
tlmorg02 said:
I voted for the cultural grants and earmarks. The rest are needed to have a country worth having or to even have a country at all. What is most interesting to me is that so many people really say they want earmarks removed from government. I think that most of the people who assert this would be the same to feel that their representatives were not doing their jobs when the earmarks dried-up and would throw them out of office. But such is human nature.
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What they really mean is that they want everyone else's earmarks removed. Pork is what other representatives get for their districts. Essential government money is what our representative gets for our district. It's a sure fire formula to keep the pork coming and the deficits piling up.

Maybe representatives need to be elected at large, but then, we'd be voting for a lot of people we don't really know.
 
Military - Our best chance for peace is a national defense nobody dares challenge. I do think those nations who want our bases there to protect and defend them or want our help with a missile defense system etc. should be paying the full cost of that, however.

Infrastructure, such as federal highways - The interstate highway system as it was originally envisioned does promote the general welfare and reinforces the national defense by ensuring unrestricted mobility. Infrastructure that controls shared airspace, waterways, seaports, etc. is also legitimate for the federal government to manage. Municipal or private water systems, airports, state/local roads, bridges, etc. are not a legitimate function of the Federal government to provide or maintain.

Scientific Research or Agencies such as NOAA - Keep only that which can be defended as providing the general welfare; i.e. benefits no special interest or group but benefits all equally.

Education - The Federal government should be providing no monies for education in the various states and should have no control of any kind over the education of its citizens. It should retain a single office responsible to gather data from all the various states and make these available to the states, perhaps distribute and oversee administration of standardized tests (SAT) as approved by the Universities, and research and advise on available resources, but otherwise stay out of it.

Homeland Security / Law Enforcement (FBI) -Also the CIA - these are essential for the Constitutional mandate to the federal government to provide for the national defense.

Court System - SCOTUS and the federal courts are Constitutionally authorized and do have a role to play. I would like to see judges selected on merit rather than judgeships given as political payoffs though.

Federal Reserve - I'll have to think about this one. I think I'll probably arrive at the conclusion that the Fed is not the best way to go to regulate the national currency.

Regulatory Agencies such as the FDA or NIST - Some regulation is necessary in order for the Federal government to secure our rights. The agencies that exist to protect us from bad food, dangerous substances, etc. should be evaluated to determine if the federal government can do that more efficiently, effectively and at a lower cost than the states can do it for themselves. Then we should proceed accordingly.

Earmarks for your state or county or any other form of national charity or benevolence - I am personally promoting a Constitutional amendment that will make it illegal for the federal government to use taxes or fees from any source in order to dispense charity or benevolence or provide special favors to anybody. The federal government will be restricted to promoting the general welfare meaning that whatever they do must benefit everybody, rich and poor alike, without respect to race, gender, location, political preferences, or socioeconomic standing.
 
Military
Homeland Security / Law Enforcement (FBI)
Court System
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None of these. They're vital for the most basic workings of our government. Without them, we have no society.

Infrastructure, such as federal highways
Scientific Research or Agencies such as NOAA
Education
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Not these either. They're a source of competitive advantage...or if we don't do them right, a source of competitive disadvantage. I do think our education system needs to be restructured, which would eventually reduce the size of government.

Federal Reserve
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No. Most of the people who hate on the Federal Reserve have no idea what it does. It is essential to keep our economy stable.

Regulatory Agencies such as the FDA or NIST
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No. I'm not a huge fan of the FDA and at one point I supported getting rid of it entirely...but I now think that it does have some use as a certification agency that people trust. However, I think that people should be able to use any drug at any stage in development, as long as they sign waivers acknowledging they do so at their own risk.

I have no problem with the NIST at all.

Cultural Grants
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I'm not really sure what you mean by cultural grants. Can you clarify?

Earmarks for your state or county
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Yes, obviously. No one actually likes them other than the politicians.
 
megaprogman said:
I want honest answers here. What government service that gives you some sort of benefit or makes your life better would you give up in order to cut taxes or reduce the budget deficit?

Honestly, I can't think of any other than maybe a smaller military and department of homeland security.

Most people want to make government smaller, but only for those other guys.
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Military- I didn't vote for it but it needs to be scaled down a lot.
We are in to many places.


Infrastructure, such as federal highways- I am on the fence about this, I can see the need for the interstate system but the way the strings attached type of funding the feds do is annoying and should be stopped.

Scientific Research or Agencies such as NOAA- There is no real reason why these type agencies exist, scientific research that usually done privately with federal grants doesn't mean the people own it even though we funded it.
If we fund it we should own the results.

You could probably convince me of the need for NOAA.

Education- There is no reason for the feds to be involved in education, not a single damn reason.

Homeland Security / Law Enforcement (FBI)- I could see the need of the FBI but HS is stupid and ineffectual.
Too much law enforcement can be a bad thing.

Court System- It's useful but needs serious reforms.

Federal Reserve- I hate the Fed but if we were to eliminate it, there would be disastrous consequences.
Maybe a gradual elimination.

Regulatory Agencies such as the FDA or NIST- Most of these agencies are crap and ripe with corruption, I don't see a real need for their existence.

Cultural Grants- As much as I love museums and cultural studies, the Federal government has no role in these matters.
They need to stay out.

Earmarks for your state or county- The are unnecessary.
Localities can fund their own projects.

My own additions.
Medicare/Medicaid- Needs to be eliminated, with a possible exception for those who are truly disabled.

Social Security- Completely unnecessary, racially discriminatory and used for voter manipulation.
Get rid of it.
 
megaprogman said:
I want honest answers here. What government service that gives you some sort of benefit or makes your life better would you give up in order to cut taxes or reduce the budget deficit?

Honestly, I can't think of any other than maybe a smaller military and department of homeland security.

Most people want to make government smaller, but only for those other guys.
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It depends on the time. Sometimes a military would be needed (like now), sometimes taxes need to be cut (like now).

Reduction happens over time, and what is being reduced, should, if Congress is competent, change after a while. But we all know congress isn't competent, and thus we have surpluses where we don't need and deficits where we do need. And people wonder why many call the gov. inefficient.
 
You left off the largest chunk of unconstitutional spending: social programs.
 
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