Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy
Oh don't get me going. I honestly beleive we could cut $1T in pork out of the government, I think people would be amazed at how easy that would be.
Our local city government is just as bad, the local board of ed was complaining about how "massive budget cuts are going to force them to lay off teachers." You know how the local board of ed defines a budget cut? They got a 5.4% INCREASE in budget for 2008, insted of the 6.8% they wanted, so it was a MASSIVE SCHOOL CLOSING CUT. 
I also love how a few years ago they did actualy manange to cut the budget by $1m, they school screamed bloody murder, and you know what? Nothing happend, just like dogs barking when you take their food away. |
Wish it were that easy. Discretionary spending is such a minute portion of the Federal budget that cutting $1T is absolutely impossible. The 2008 Federal budget is "only" $2.9T
and to cut 1/3 of that is impossible.
Over 70% (if I remember correctly - this is a rough estimate) of the Federal budget goes for Social Security, defence, Medicare/Medicaid, and interest on existing Treasuries. That means more than 2/3 of the Fed budget is essentially off the table without vast structural reforms to SS and M/M.
FWIW, this is not a commentary on whether such reforms SHOULD occur, but we see what happens every time a politician ventures near these "third rails."