• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

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
Slartibartfast

Slartibartfast

Jesus loves you.
Supporting Member
DP Veteran
Monthly Donator
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
71,977
Reaction score
58,575
Location
NE Ohio
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Liberal
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.
 
Last edited:
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.
 
I would get rid of a few programs. First I think the Homeland Security is pointless and redundant. Homeland Security started out as an agency to help different branches of law enforcement (TSA, customs, fema, coast guard, ect.) communicate and work together for national security interests... But we already have the National Security Agency (NSA), so my view on this would be to eliminate DHS and hand over their responsibilities to NSA/CSS.


I also think we need to quit treating our country like it's a global empire. Currently we have U.S. troops stationed in 135 countries. This is not just a financial issue with me, it is also not good foreign policy.
 
What would I be willing to give up?


Regulatory agencies

Foreign aid

Pork projects for my state/district

Government-run education

Needless and counterproductive wars--Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, etc.

Idiotic treaties--Carbon tax, global warming, etc.

Economic development schemes

Cash for clunkers

Obamacare

Consentual "crime" enforcement--drugs, prostitution, gambling, etc.

"Homeland security"

Patriot act

Government meddling in general
 
ronpaulvoter said:
What would I be willing to give up?


Regulatory agencies

Foreign aid

Pork projects for my state/district

Government-run education

Needless and counterproductive wars--Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, etc.

Idiotic treaties--Carbon tax, global warming, etc.

Economic development schemes

Cash for clunkers

Obamacare

Consentual "crime" enforcement--drugs, prostitution, gambling, etc.

"Homeland security"

Patriot act

Government meddling in general
Click to expand...

Government pensions........;)
 
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.
Click to expand...

I would gladly give up having Social Security and Medicare in the general fund, especially if the government were willing to pay back those IOUs and keep said funds in a real trust account, bearing interest, of course.

I'd be willing to give up military bases in parts of the world that are no threat to us any more, and more than willing to give up the role of global cop.

I'd give up agricultural subsidies.

I'd sell off GM stock and cut my losses there.

And, close down the Department of Education.

I suppose it's too late to take back those bailouts of enterprises "too big to fail."

I'd give up Medicare Part D in exchange for the right to negotiate drug prices and get those #@$$!! prescription drug ads off television.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there is more that we could do without.
 
1) Forced insurance purchases.

2) Useless gun laws.

3) More national debt.

4) Rediculous EPA regulation.

5) Unemployment.
 
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.
Click to expand...

Especially in Europe..... then we would see just how long their UHC lasts, or if the next guy with 3 tanks and an old biplane takes them over.
 
That list up there has lots of holes.

Basicly, if it's not allowed in the Constitution, I'd like to see it go away.

Education isn't allowed.
Healthcare isn't allowed.
Welfare isn't allowed.
Socialist Security isn't allowed.
Medicare isn't allowed.
Farm subsidies aren't allowed.
Subsidies aren't allowed, period.
National Endowment for the Arts isn't allowed.

etc etc etc.

The military is allowed....it should be watched carefully.
The purpose of the military is national defense, not Kosovo Defense or Europe Defense or Haiti Recovery.

We could pretty much do away with 90% of the federal budget and I'd be happy.
 
Military --- Hell no.
Infrastructure, such as federal highways --- No.
Scientific Research or Agencies such as NOAA --- Some, perhaps, but not all, so no.
Education --- While IMO it does need major reorganization, I would not get rid of it.
Homeland Security / Law Enforcement (FBI) --- No.
Court System --- Hell no.
Federal Reserve --- In a heartbeat.
Regulatory Agencies such as the FDA or NIST --- Some, but not all.
Cultural Grants --- Yes.
Earmarks for your state or county --- Hell yes.
 
I'd privatize much of our infrasturcture and education, and get rid of most non defense related research grants, pork, and the Fed. Everything else would be seriously reformed and probably shrunk
 
I take it this poll applies only to the Federal Government.

The poll is incompetently framed, but here is how I voted:


  • Education

    Abolish the Department of Education.

    The US Federal Government actually spends more on education
    than the nations of the Asian periphery (Japan, Korea, Taiwan,
    Singapore), which have led the world in K1-12 educational
    attainment from Day One. In fact, compared to these countries
    there seems to be an inverse correlation between the amount
    of Federal money spent and standardized test results.

    The US states, counties and municipalities should finance all K1-12
    education. Disaprities in income are largely cancelled by disparities
    in the cost of living, so the burden should be nealry equal on a
    state-to-state basis.

    This does not mean the Fedral government is forbidden to subsidize
    education in certain unambiguously useful fields such as Engineering,
    but we do not need an entire Federal department to accomplish this.
    Maybe a committee or two, that's all.


  • Cultural grants
    These should be 100% locally funded.


  • Earmarks
    This is another more dignified-sounding term for "Pork".

    I swear to God if any earmark has ever put money in my pocket
    I am unaware of it.

    Abolish Earmarks/Pork, and start from scratch with a new system
    for figuring which bridges really need to be built (or repaired) , and
    which we can do the f*** without.



Here are a few more desireable abolitions:

  • The Department of HUD
  • The Department of Energy
  • The Department of Transportation

Reduce budgets and staffs of the above by 90% off the bat, and
then combine the remaining under one authority. We have this thing
called the Department of the Interior: maybe that would serve as a
good umbrella department.



None of this is gonna happen anytime soon, of course.

We have just gotten over 12 or so years of Republican Party
cynical and hypocritical pretention, and now we are going to
have to hope for the best from the Democrats for a looooong
while, and the Democrats, and the threadstarter amply illustrates,
do not even pretend to want to cut anything.

So suprise! It looks like we are screwed. Pass the KY, ladies
and gentlemen, you are gonna need it! But don't count on
any kisses, except on your asses every election cycle.
 
Last edited:
my choice not found.

my answer!! :)

having the the federal government spend our tax dollars.

let the states spend it. remove the middle man, the federal government. save 100's of billions.

now the feds do need to provide for defense as the constitution says thou. ;)

mtm1963
 
Scarecrow Akhbar said:
That list up there has lots of holes.

Basicly, if it's not allowed in the Constitution, I'd like to see it go away.

Education isn't allowed.
Healthcare isn't allowed.
Welfare isn't allowed.
Socialist Security isn't allowed.
Medicare isn't allowed.
Farm subsidies aren't allowed.
Subsidies aren't allowed, period.
National Endowment for the Arts isn't allowed.

etc etc etc.

The military is allowed....it should be watched carefully.
The purpose of the military is national defense, not Kosovo Defense or Europe Defense or Haiti Recovery.

We could pretty much do away with 90% of the federal budget and I'd be happy.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much my position.
 
Dittohead not! said:
I would gladly give up having Social Security and Medicare in the general fund, especially if the government were willing to pay back those IOUs and keep said funds in a real trust account, bearing interest, of course.

I'd be willing to give up military bases in parts of the world that are no threat to us any more, and more than willing to give up the role of global cop.

I'd give up agricultural subsidies.

I'd sell off GM stock and cut my losses there.

And, close down the Department of Education.

I suppose it's too late to take back those bailouts of enterprises "too big to fail."

I'd give up Medicare Part D in exchange for the right to negotiate drug prices and get those #@$$!! prescription drug ads off television.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there is more that we could do without.
Click to expand...
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?
 
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?
Click to expand...

It is not the job of the US, nor the burden of the US taxpayer, to provide security for the rest of the world on a 24/7 basis.

There is no guarantee that "global savagery" (whatever that is) would follow.

Where is your proof that if the US military abandons overseas bases the world will simply fall apart?
 
Last edited:
dbl post. ---
 
Last edited:
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.
Click to expand...

Why are there NO entitlement programs on this list? OK, fine, you only get ten, but NOAA? NEA? Small fry. Who would give up the courts system?
 
Harshaw said:
Why are there NO entitlement programs on this list? OK, fine, you only get ten, but NOAA? NEA? Small fry. Who would give up the courts system?
Click to expand...

didn't think of them when I was making my list.
 
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?
Click to expand...

Perfectly comfortable with it, considering the alternative.

Here's an idea, since this is a free country: If you want to get involved in Angola's civil war, you either go over there and join a side, or you send your very own personal money to one side or the other, or do whatever you want about it, so long as that whatever does not include my money, my children, or my government.

No where in the Constitution can be found the phrase "world cop".
 
Scarecrow Akhbar said:
Here's an idea, since this is a free country: If you want to get involved in Angola's civil war, you either go over there and join a side, or you send your very own personal money to one side or the other, or do whatever you want about it, so long as that whatever does not include my money, my children, or my government.
Click to expand...

Ah if only the so called conservatives had done that with Iraq. How many Billions could we have saved. Ooops I meant Trillions.
 
I voted for just the courts system, but I don't want to do away with it, I just want it severely reduced. I think the majority of laws written in this country are done just excuses for the federal government to pay for more judges, such as drugs and prostitution. I want to get rid of laws criminalizing drugs and prostitution but I know it won't happen because it pays for too many judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. While I want to maintain regulation bodies, I think such regulations shouldn't be too byzantine to understand.

Everything else, I support it all, to one degree or another.
 
Shouldnt it be about bad and good spending rather than whole departments?
 
mikhail said:
Shouldnt it be about bad and good spending rather than whole departments?
Click to expand...

Maybe, but that would require a moderation of our beliefs, and that's just downright un-American.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom