The obama pkan to freeze spewnding exempts 55% of the buget from this freeze - the 55% are the entitleemt programs that are increasing in cost in the double digits every year. A cut in expeditures needs to see cuts in entitlement to be effective.

"Mr. Obama's budget assumes new revenues, mostly from tax changes he has already proposed that would affect multinational corporations and upper-income individuals, and savings from reduced interest payments on what he calculates as a lower federal debt. "

Huh?????????????

With about $10 Trillion added to the National Debt over the next 10 years, how can he project 'reduced interest payments" on the federal debt?

I'll wait to see the actual budget and analyze it, but something doesn't make sense.

Roy. It's not just Bush's fault. It's all the people in his administration, his father and Reagan's fault too. Get it straight.

I do have a plan that would wipeout the entire National Debt literally overnight....if anybody is curious

Okay, you're on. Let's hear it.

The one thing that can very readily be cut is foreign aid. Defense spending can be cut pretty easily also. I would think that the public would support a SS and medicare tax increase to insure the solvency of the programs. No one wants to have paid into the programs for the years they have and not get anything in return. It's good that both sides are attempting to get our fiscal house in order, but the HARD items need to be addressed. The sooner the better. Also, ending Iraq and Afghanistan completely would help.

When they say cut entitlement spending, does that mean their going to raise the corporate tax rate for all corporations who continue to out source their work force and only hire 'temp' employees so they don't have to pay benefits. Does that mean their going to end all food subsidies to big agribusiness such as Monsanto and its ilk.

Entitlement programs for the poor cost a fraction of the 'entitlement' programs that corporate America receives through all the 'loopholes' in the accounting process for corporations. I'm appalled that the Military Industrial Complex continues to hold so much power in Washington. Cronyism continues to reign supreme in Washington. It's disgusting!

The US Military Industrial Complex War Machine = Corporate America (Boeing, Lockheed, Haliburton, Caterpilar to name a few) is who gets the GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS for foreign aid and that equates to JOBS in the US.

As a example, the Billions we give to Egypt in "aid", we in the US supply Egypts army (and Iraq and Iran and Afghanistan) with weapons and military equipment!

In most of these US "police engagements" the US is fighting their own military inventions/equipment.

Taking the current US "foreign aid" monies and putting that money to work in the US, rebuiliding the infra structure of the US, ie: bridges, dams, roads, rapid transit, protecting US Borders, Immigration Laws, and US Jobs, could put US Citizens to work and restructure the US economy in a fiscally "healthy" way. (the infra structure in the US could be so much better and is in need of constant maintenance and upkeep)

US tax dollars would then be helping US citizens and not some crooked foreign government.

The problem with that economic theory, the "real power" behind the US, the US Military Industrial Complex would lose their power and that is not going to happen, until US Citizens stop "buying into" the "fear" propaganda that we in the US are going to be attacked, as we already have been by corporate America and wake up and take their country back!

We have found our enemy, and it is us!

Roy:

We've been through this before. You are correct as far as you go, but you know that there was a continuing budget resolution in there that you conveniently ignore.

However, throwing sticks and stones and nitpicking is counterproductive. The issue is that we cannot sustain spending that exceeds revenues. It is high time that we recognize that national borders are irrelevant. Military spending can and must be cut without compromising our security in the slightest. Economic stability has to be the goal of the entire world. China, India, the former U.S.S.R., the entire western hemisphere - none of us profit from instability.

The terrorist problem is a police matter and the vast, vast majority of citizens the world over want an end to extremist behavior. We can defeat the al-Qaeda's, the Talibans, and the like with serious cooperation. The world is wired. There is no excuse for our governments to refuse to work together to stamp out terrorists. National defense is the first place to look for savings.

Wealth has continued to concentrate in the very upper reaches of the U.S. That is the next place to look for revenue. It may offend the sensibilities of purists, but balancing the budget means dramatic steps. The wealthy have profited the most from the American economy, they are going to have to prop it up right now, by giving back the most. It is exceedingly short-sighted to imagine that they can continue to hold onto their wealth even as everyone else plunges into abject poverty. Not only must taxes be raised, but loopholes have to be closed. Frankly, I'd end any exemptions and/or credits that reward procreation.

Entitlements are going to have to take a hit. Means testing must be introduced - immediately.

Education is not only going to have to be reformed, it is going to have to be completely rebuilt. I would maintain it is currently the second-worst investment in America. We would do well to remember that there are more people who do NOT have children in the school system than DO have children in the system. We are not getting our money's worth. The worst investment is prisons and they are screaming for an overhaul. This is a totally non-productive expense.

I would also maintain that fraud is a far more serious problem than we imagine. I also know from personal experience that waste at every level of government is completely out of control. I cannot tell you the number of times I have called and/or written my representatives and was rewarded with zero results.

By the way, I promised my current representative that I would mention his incompetence at every turn. His name is Tim Huelskamp - Kansas. His counterpart across the river is Lynn Jenkins. Both are Republican and neither is interested in dealing with lawbreakers or dealing with waste.

So, Mr. Wilson and other posters, here's a challenge. Let's see if we don't have some common ground. Let's see if we don't have some common solutions. That is after all what we're asking our legislators to do.

President Obama, who is proposing his third annual budget on Monday, will say that it can reduce projected deficits by $1.1 trillion over the next decade, enough to stabilize the nation’s fiscal health and buy time to address its longer-term problems, according to a senior administration official.

...and all he has to do is leave office! The vacations and parties alone will save millions! The fact that Nancy Pelousy is gone has already started saving millions too

At the same time, this administration and the IRS ARE increasing income taxes on the unemployed this year. They did not carry over the first $2,400 being exempt in unemployment compensation benefits for income tax reporting. I'd say those in this category are making less than $250K. Another campaign promise broken. Why are they required to pay taxes anyway?

It does not take a Rocket (Missile) Scientist with a Crystal Ball to figure out where all this is going. (ever wondered what happens to the Tidy Bowl Man when the Toilet is flushed). Can you say right down the sh!tter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DC_M2VgfVA&feature=related

For altruistic reasons you want to cut the Budget. F**king simple. Ok, not for altruistic reason, as a US Military Officer, sworn directly and indirectly to the Citizens of the US thru US Congressional US Military Commissioning Certificate and the US Constitution.

1. Cut the Insurance Corporations out of the Medical Profession.

a. Let the Government run Medicare, Medicaid, etc.. You think that the Government mismanages Medicare and Medicaid well they do and they don't. Management is contracted out to the Insurance Corporations. Make the Government do their job, not passing the work on to Contractors.

Saving per year $17 Billion, not counting the Government (US Taxpayer) costs of the actual Contracts with the Insurance Corporations.

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2009, Obama on 'Face the Nation'

Obama: No, the difference is that they're making huge profits on it, Bob. I mean, let's take the Medicare HMO programs that are being run by insurance companies. It's estimated by everybody that they're overcharging by about 14 percent. This amounts to about $177 billion over 10 years. About $17 billion a year, $18 billion a year. That's just going to pad their profits, hasn't been shown to make Medicare recipients any healthier. And in fact because those huge subsidies are going to insurance companies, Medicare recipients are not getting a good deal. Now if we are enforcing what should be the rules around Medicare and making sure the people are getting a bang for the buck, it's not going to be possible for insurance companies to simply pass on those costs to Medicare recipients because ultimately it's Uncle Sam that's paying for those services anyway.

Note Uncle Sam is US Taxpayers getting gypped.

b. Implement a Real Universal Health Care for All US Citizens, just like the previous President FDR Program. This eliminates the Insurance Corporations from the Medical Profession. In other Newsvine Posts (other Topic) I detailed the use of the existing US Government (Agencies), already US Taxpayer paid, to establish this Program (example: US Surgeon General Overall In charge, reportable to US Congress (US Taxpayers).). What US Congress gets for $42 per month (unlimited Medical Treatments) is the last vestigeof the President FDR Universal Health Care for All US Citizens (this is more like Senator Kennedy (RIP) wanted, like what he had and US Congress has, and US Citizens during and after the Great Depression (choice starve or pay for medical treatments eliminated).). USE WHAT WORKED AND WORKS, it costs money (we don't have) to reinvent the wheel.

Saving 80% decrease in the cost of Medical Treatments.

Decreases cost 80% (last part of video 1:40) by Doctor David Ores, New York.1:45

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5247963n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Versus 1.7 Trillion USDs for the current Health Care Reform (payback for Unlimited Campaign Contributions, just in time for previous Mid Term Elections).

Unlikely ally of health care reform: business
Insurers, drug companies came on board early and may profit from it

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35989945/ns/business-us_business/

History of the Insurance Corporations, "Organized Crime" gone legit. example: Arsonist Tommy the Torch selling "Business Insurance" for Organized Crime. This is also the History of the US Labor Unions after the Henry Ford Era US Labor Unions were wiped out by the 1929-1939 Great Depression. Note the 40 hour work week, Saturday and Sunday off, fair wage were mandated during World War II, the 40 hour work week was part of a War Department Study to prevent or lessen catestrophic accidents at Ammunition Plants. This (Federal Labor Rules) also applied to most US Industry as President FDR Nationalized all US Industry after suspending all US Labor Union Activities prior to and during World War II.

2. Cut the Defense Budget without degrading US Military Capabilities.

a. Elimination of the over hundred Million US Civilians in the US Military. These positions would be turned back over to the US Military. This would include the 1,000 US Civilians on Secretary of Defense Gates Personal Staff at the Pentagon, if they want to "Play Army" well join the US Military and get paid way less (also have to suffer the consequences of your decisions when deployed). example: US Civilian Administrative Assistant $50,000 plus COLA and Benefits better than US Military versus same job US Military Administrative Assistant $24,000 plus low COLA, payroll deductions for many Benefits, deductibles for TriCare(Medical)(in 1. above also get the Insurance Corporations out of the US Military Medical Profession, like it was before, F**k the Insurance Corporation Lobbyists, make all Lobbyists Illegal, Criminal, Felony. Minimum Sentence (no appeals) is for how long their Lobbying affects the US Citizens).

b. Elimination of the US Contractors, also turn over these duties (job positions) back to the US Military, like US Military Logistics, Supply, Sea Air Land Transportation, Aircraft Vehicle Weapons and Facilities Maintenance, Sanitation (Bathing Facilities, Laundry Services, Water Purification, etc.), Food Service, VIP Protection, etc.. Before the President Clinton Cut to the Bone Reduction In Forces (RIF) of the US Military these positions were done cheaper "in house" by the US Military.

example: US Civilian Truck Driver, $200,000 per year (probationary), after probation $300,000 per year. Benefits better than US Military, similar to US Diplomatic Corps. Must have US Military or US Civilian Security Contractor to provide Security. Verses US Military Equipment Operator (same job description as Civilian) $30,000 per year (if certified for multiple types of vehicles) provides own security. Benefits standard US Military Benefits with payroll deductions. Additional Duties, Combatant, can become Basic Infantry, Guard Duty as required, etc..

c. Cutting of the funding of US Military Conventional Warfare Forces and Programs (Projects). As stated during 1980s Command and General Staff College and War College the next Wars after the defeat of the USSR would be Asymmetric War not Conventional War. This view is unpopular with US Congress, as Conventional War requires the big ticket (high cost) US Military Equipment manufactured in their States, like Aircraft Carriers, Aircraft, Tanks, etc. versus Asymmetric Warfare investing in the people (Training, Experience, Knowledge). The current US Military is configured for Cold War Era Conventional Warfare against the USSR, not the Asymmetric Wars of Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Sudan, South and Central Americas, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.. example Currently only 3% of the US Military is trained equipped for the US Military Asymmetric Mountain Warfare of Afghanistan (near the Pakistanis border, northeast Afghanistan) especially during the Winter (near Arctic conditions). Less than 10% of the US Military has been trained (or equipped) to conduct Mountain Warfare (majority of Afghanistan is Mountains as part of the Pamir "Roof of the World" same chain as Mount Everest). Asymmetric Warfare is also unpopular with the majority of the US Military Flag Officers (Generals and Admirals) as most were only trained as Conventional Warfare and they know who butters their bread (US Congress, expensive US Military Conventional Warfare Equipment built in their States), example: President Obama's 24/7 US Military Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, USN Surface Warfare (Cold War Era), not USN SEAL and never trained as US Military Ground Combatant (experience that cannot be gained from others, nor books as second or third hand experience nor knowledge).

1). In the article, not building the alternative engine (VSTOL) for the Joint Strike Aircraft, F-35, takes "off the menu" the very reason some other Nations (like Oil Rich Saudi Arabia) want to buy the F-35, VSTOL capable. The US Military (especially the USMC) want to replace their over 14 year old AV-8 VSTOLs with another VSTOL capable aircraft, the F-35 without the alternative engine, the F-35 becomes a cheaper version of the F-22 and lacks the primary design capability of VSTOL, so what is the point of even buying the F-35, minus VSTOL alternative engine. The VSTOL allows US Military to forward base aircraft for time critical CAS (Combat Air Support) of US Ground Forces (especially US Military Special Warfare), that cannot be done by current USAF, USMC, USN non VSTOL US Aircraft (spotted by enemy and information relayed by radio or cellular phone to enemy forces to leave the area of attack. What they do here (Afghanistan)). Forward basing minimizes the amount of time (even if spotted by the enemy) for the enemy to unarse (escape) the area before the airstrike. Yes, the F-35 with the alternative VSTOL engine can take off and land vertically with no "runway", unlike the F-22 (1990s designed for Cold War Era Air Superiority against the USSR, not designed for the current and future required CAS as the Multirole F-35 VSTOL).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2cOV42vi5o&feature=related

2). Cutting the USN Aircraft Carriers (opposed strongly by Congress from the States with the Shipyards (primary employer)). Currently the Chinese have made Aircraft Carriers irrelevant with their manufacture and sales of their supersonic antiship missiles (capable of evading all USN Countermeasures and screening ships). The sales of these missiles to Fundamentalist Islamic Iran allow Fundamentalist Islamic Iran to control the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf unopposed, as to why the Saudi Arabians, Kuwaitis, etc are (panicking) demanding the Israelis and the US to do something, this allows the Fundamentalist Islamic Iranians to control or stop the Oil Supertankers shipping Iraqis Oil from Kuwait or Oil from Saudi Arabia. To stop possible USN Aircraft Carrier strikes against the Chinese Supersonic Anti Ship Missile sites the Fundamentalist Islamic Iranians purchased the current generation of Russian Federation S-300s (four per TEL) capable of detecting and shooting down F-22 (fourth to fifth generation stealth). A ground to ground missile strike (ICBM or Conventional) is also out of the question as the Fundamentalist Islamic Iranians have also purchased the current generation Russian Federation S-400 (two per TEL) Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) System. The Russian Federation has deployed their S-400s to former USSR Republics that supply them with Oil (minimize the ICBM Threat of Fundamentalist Islamic Iran). The Chinese have allowed the shipment of North Korean ICBMs purchased by Fundamentalist Islamic Iran thru Bejing China. The Chinese and Russian Federation are doing this for Fundamentalist Islamic Iranian Oil.

3). Foreign Aid to other Nations, Cut all.

4). United Nations Missions, Cut All, until the Russian Federation and Chinese (and other members of the UN Security Council) contribute their fair share.

This article also mentions Social Security as an Entitlement, which is not true, due to payroll deductions. This would be true if US Congress keeps using the Taxpayer paid Social Security as their own piggy bank, taking US Taxpayer contributions and never putting back the US Taxpayer money. Guess this proposed cut means that they (US Congress) will not payback (put back) the US Taxpayer Contributions into Social Security that they took.

Not mentioned. Like the Budget of Bankrupt Illegal Alien Harbor State of California asking for Federal Bailouts (does affect the overall Budget, and Budget Deficit). With Bankrupt Illegal Alien Harbor State of California spending over $10 Billion per year on Illegal Aliens (Public Assistance) of their yearly $85 Billion per year budget. That is why you (California) do not have f**king money for Law Enforcement (layoffs), Education (layoffs, increased tuitions), Firefighting, Brush Clearing (to prevent your yearly forest fires, and later mudslides), Irrigation (also yearly droughts, also why you dropped from number one fruits and vegetables to below the third world country suppliers by closing much of the fruit and vegetable basket due to lack of water), Public Infrastructure, etc.. Over $10 Billion USDs per year is a heck of a lot of money, over 1/8th of your budget, over 20 cents of every dollar collected in revenue. With your Illegal Aliens paying ZERO in Income Taxes (as stated by La Raza, M.E.Ch.A., etc. Cash for Work Only to avoid apprehensions and deportations, and NO Employer paperwork (more deductions, less money) and more apprehensions and deportations (like President Obama's 2010 ICE raids used employer paperwork to apprehend Illegal Aliens, after the inital raids the Illegal Aliens quit (if they had employer paperwork for "paychecks" (not cash under the table) and fled to other States). California State Government Statistic (2009, they do not have the 2010 yet) One Illegal Alien works Ten Illegal Aliens collect some form of Public Assistance. As stated to International News Media (Documentary and Interviews) most Illegal Aliens have no intent of becoming US Citizens as Immigrants due to the high cost of Living. The money sent home (other Nations, note adds to National Debt to other Nations) is deposited in personal savings accounts (non established financial institutions, not traceable, like a families "shoebox") so that when they return home they can live like kings (monetary exchange rate). The money is NOT for their starving families at home, as they have their families with them collecting Public Assistance to lessen their costs of supporting their families (US Taxpayers paid, Education, Public Assistance, Housing, Food Stamps, College Tuition Assistance (not all States), etc..).

Solution for the US to apprehend and deport the over 23 Million Illegal Aliens in the US as a National Security Threat (known to be forced to cooperate with the Terrorists by the Mexican Drug Lords or their relatives at Mexico are murdered.). Conduct a larger scale version of the successful President Eisenhower Operation Wetback that apprehended and deported millions of Illegal Aliens. Passage of a Federal Law similar to the defeated by the Illegal Alien Advocacy Group (US Taxpayer Funded), La Raza Attorneys, California Proposition 187, that basically denied Illegal Aliens (non US Citizens, as Loyal Citizens of another Nation) Public Assistance (including Food Stamps, WIC, Public Housing, etc.). Passage of the original, not watered down by US Congress from apprehensions and deportations to Amnesty, President Bush 2006 Illegal Alien Act (reviewed before being sent to US Congress by the US Supreme Court as 100% Constitutional, Historical Perspective Illegal Aliens versus Legal US Immirgrants, "Nation of Immigrants" not Illegal Aliens) as defeated by La Raza, M.E.Ch.A., etc. that organized the 2006 Illegal (no permits, disruption of traffic, trade and commerce, a Felony) Nationwide Demonstrations of Illegal Aliens with US Congress chickening out fearing for their lives (terrorism) as anticipated by La Raza (US Taxpayer Funded), M.E.Ch.A., etc..

There is much more to decrease the National Deficit and Budget. I have to lead my men and women of my Command Team to the next location (all Commanders lead from the front, Basic US Military Leadership 101). See you in a few days.

Reason, I love your post. It was very easy to read compared to some loooonnnnnggg post. Thank you.

By the way I agree wholeheartedly.

David Walker "Roy: We've been through this before. You are correct as far as you go, but you know that there was a continuing budget resolution in there that you conveniently ignore."

Yes, and those continuing resolutions were passed by the Democratic Congress, while still ignoring Bush's budget proposals.

But in reading your post, I think we do have a lot of common ground. Defense spending is certainly bloated, and should not be exempt from cutting, and I agree with you wholeheartedly that education needs a major transformation. How can we spend the most in the World (per capita) and get one of the worst results? Either our children are the dumbest in the World, or we have major systemic problems - I think it is the latter.

Another major problem is our health care system, where again we spend the most in the World, with very poor outcomes compared with other countries (I favor a health care system like France or Taiwan, where everyone is covered, at far less cost and much better general health).

And the pension systen for Federal civilian employees is out of control, where it costs twice as much to compensate a federal worker as it does to compensate a private sector worker - for the same type of work.

I could go on, but this is enough for now.

so if I understand most of this correctly..."His" planned "CUTS, CUTS,CUTS" are nothing more than "not" increasing spending as much as he would have liked too....Is that correct????

that's pretty much how i took it.......the guy just doesn't get it!!

of course it would add the the unemployment rolls but the dept of energy, transportation , education, homeland security could all go away and don't think we would ever miss them.

"Obama: Budget to cut $400 billion in next decade "

Let's look at the INCREASES over the last 2 years;

In fiscal year 2008 (Bush's last year), Federal spending was $2.98 Trillion.
In fiscal year 2009 (Obama's first year), Federal spending was $3.52 Trillion, and increase of $540 Billion, or 18%.
In fiscal year 2010, Federal spending was $3.72 Trillion, an increase of $740 Billion over 2008, or 25%.

So in Obama's first 2 years, Federal spending went up by $1.28 Trillion over the level of spending in 2008, and Obama is proposing 'cuts' of $40 Billion per year ($400 Billion over 10 years), and this is supposed to be something to brag about?

Oh, and by the way, these are not really CUTS, but merely reductions in the wild RATE of spending.

Does anyone see a problem here?

Of COURSE Obama wants to freeze spending at their current levels! 2010 was an orgy of spending on everything, so "freezing" spending at those levels would simply let the orgy continue.

We remind me of a family who terribly overspent on their family vacation, then proclaims to "fix" the problem by spending the exact same amount (but no more) next year! We need to deeply cut spending and get the size and scope of the federal government in line with what it SHOULD be. The federal government just tries to do too much. Too many things it was never intended to do or be.

It's laughable that he is now so concerned about spending and at the same time lobbing for a high speed rail system (which our country is not situated for), what they will just zoom, zoom through all the cities and small towns non stop. We need to get "OUR" own Country in order before we can really benefit other Countries. Stop funding other Countries, stop paying other Countries to allow us there to "protect them" and cut the salaries of Government Workers. While so many are out of work Obama handed out $100.000.00 raises!

the issue with healthcare is not the insurance companies, who make far less in profits each year than the amount taxpayers pay in fraudulant Medicare claims, but, rather the COST of healthcare. Yes, insurance companies routinely step on their own you know what; it's very easy to villify them, if they cancel policies when people get sick or make a payment that's a nickel short - but, you know, most people have no idea what their policy allows and doesn't allow, and everyone should always know what they are buying.

But cost is the issue. Creating a single payer system does nothing to address that, except by the simple expediency of being able to dictate what the system will pay - i.e., rationing. Yes, rationing already exists - your policy dictates what it will cover. But to control public costs, rationing will be much more severe.

Here's an example: The ave salary for an MD in the US is around 270,000. The average salary for an MD in France, in US dollars, is about 115,000. This discrepancy is pretty constant between US docs and all those "universal" coverage countires like France. Additionally, nearly 2/3 of French citizens buy their own supplemental insurance, too, as the "universal" payments don't cover what most MDs charge.

Another primary example is in medication costs. Essentially, the US pays for the research of all the big pharma companies by paying 2 to 5 times more for meds than the rest of the world, where govs set price limits. NobamaCare institutionalized this practice even further, in return for a discount to seniors in the doughnut hole.

Here are a few ideas that would actually reduce health costs:

Limit the amount af jury awards for pain and suffering (tort reform). Some estimate this would save as much as 10% of total healthcare costs, buy reducing defensive medicine.

Capitate services instead of paying fee for service. In this method, you pay a doc a flat fee to treat a number of Medicare clients for the entire year. Think of it as a salary instead of being reimbursed for each indivivual service. This reduces some administrative costs - billing - and lessens the likelihood of fraudulent claims; it does incentivize docs to provide excellent preventive and maintainance care, as that is less costly to the doc than acute care. Same system can be used at Hospitals; in modified form for device and equipment suppliers, too.

Change the rules requiring hospitals to treat non-emergent payorless clients in the ER. ERs should be able to triage and refer to Fed Qualified Health Clinincs the overwhelming number of clients who show up with twisted ankles or colds, instead of using ER resources. Sorry folks, nothing is free, but especially ERs.

The US is the most heavily medicated country on earth. End drug avertising, and re-educate docs about over prescribing. I read a statictic not long ago that stated 90% of prescribed narcotics are consumed in the US. Prescriprition drug abuse is the fastest growing segment of substance abuse. Raise all med deductables - if people actually had a larger stake in the game, we would think more about our own healthcare.

And, for any of you who think the gov could manage the system better than a for profit, I challenge you to log onto your state's dept of humman services website and take a gander at the rules that gov medicaid and medicare in your state. I work within this system every day, and it is the most ungainly, top heavy, bureaucratic mess you've ever seen.

cele: you might want to recheck your numbers on the costs of torts. Though I agree that some limitations are needed the costs of law suits to healthcare is nowhere near th 10% figure you quote.
Also for proits have already demonstrated that they can't mange the system so stop defending them.

Honestly no matter what is done or not done people here will find something to cry about, that's just how most here are, it's like no one works, seems to be a bunch of old farts complaining and whining, this is why America is failing people have lost that can do attitude, now it's all about let's blame everyone but us ....... We all wanted better wages, benefits, a larger home, that big SUV, and now everything is screwed so we blame the Unions, nothing of it is any of your fault right, people need to grow the hell up and stop your constant whining, you come off as a bunch of little girls ....

This isn't enough cuts in spending to save this nation from bankruptcy no matter what this administration says.

One thing I've learned from carefully watching this administration is what they say has absolutely nothing to do with what they intend to do.

One cannot help coming to the conclusion that what they say is all a sham to divert us from their real objectives which are carefully hidden from the public.

will: no one really knows what tort reform will save. I've heard smart people claim up to 10%. The truth is probably not that much; but, if it's 5%, that's still 80 billion or so a year.

As for for profits managing the system: much more efficient than gov managing the system. I work in the system, and the gov rules are astoundingly moronic. Not the intention, but bureacracy just isn't nimble enough. Most all of the inefficiencies current are due to gov regulations, not any inherent inefficiencies on the companies' part. We would do much better if we adopted national standards and let the private cos compete, or let the states develop their own rules without Fed interference, and let the private cos compete at the state level. Again, go read your state's rules. No one can easily navigate the mess CMS has created.

can reduce projected deficits by $1.1 trillion

If the deficit were reduced to zero, the outstanding debt stays the same.

We owe about 100% GDP in debt. A zero deficit keeps it that way.

The Cuts Obama is now advocating for are a sham. First he says he could never get into a cutting race with Republicans and win, then turns right around and does it anyway. The Republicans are looking for 100 billion in cuts this year, Obama looking at 1.1 trillion over ten years, you do the math. Before this he froze government spending on less than ten percent of budgeted expenditures, claiming that these "cuts" would save 400 billion over ten years but the spending freeze only lasts for five. It is apparent he is depending on larger increases in revenue and stasis in program volumes to make up that 400 billion that was never really cut in the first place. It is all double talk from Obama to confuse his followers into believing that the same man who increased spending dramatically when he came into office is now a budget hawk.

We need transparency and common sense if we are ever to live within our means as a nation. Fancy number games and optimistic assumptions will only cement the status quo. Budgets prepared should take into account worst case scenarios, such as we are now experiencing, in revenues, using bottom end numbers for growth projections not top end figures. Projected savings ten years in the future never really materialize, and by the time they should have been tallied are never questioned by a forgetful public, congress and media. If we are determined to live in the here and now then that is how budgets should be presented. Often a significant savings is projected over 5 or 10 years to make things look more attractive only to fall by the wayside like the 500 billion in Medicare cuts that is supposed to be funding Health Care Reform. So far no cuts have been reported for that program and none are on the board at least that have been reported. Defense is an area that needs to be reconfigured to find savings. The cuts of the 70's and 90's have shown the mistakes made with the overwhelming cost of subcontractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. These same jobs were held in the past by military personnel at a much smaller war time cost, but were considered dead weight when on a peace time footing.

ROFL... please READE the ARTICLE CAREFULLY...

His plan is NOT to cut the DEFICIT... but cut future DEFICIT PROJECTIONS.

And $40 billion/year is nothing.. the US spends $40 Billion in 3-4 days.

Rand Paul has been the ONLY POLITICIAN in DC with a plan to cut $500 BILLION IMMEDIATELY from the budget.

And his plan doesn't even yet touch entitlement or military spending and there is PLENTY of room for improvement on both.

But the FOOLs on the LEFT AND RIGHT can continue to ignore REAL cuts as the IMF plans to replace the Dollar as world reserve currency with the SDR.

When this happens, it will be TOO LATE for the US to do anything.

Interesting how our government is cutting back on programs that affect the people, yet they fail to cutback on their own expenses and salaries. Our government needs to stop handing over the people's money to foreign countries, taking care of all the illegals in America, and cut out all programs for them as well. America needs to take care of America and the American people first.

If our government continues to keep making all these cutbacks on programs that benefit and helps the people, then we will be seeing what happened in Egypt happening here.

Our government is basically one that says, "Do as I say, and I do as I please". Our government is corrupt to the core, and imo it needs to be torn down and restructured from the ground up.

If you foklks really want to see cuts in real spending..then you had best vote in all new people because the ones in washington now..and not just the president, who I think really wants to do us right, but your congressional so called leasders that suck up to companies for all they are worth..and the lobbyist pay them well for it. IF you will notice that no cuts are suggested that would effect congress itself, or the huge corportations that hand them so much money...we at this time have a congress that has sold this nation out...consider, why shouldn't companies take their business elsewhere if congress is handing out huge tax breaks for them to do so. For all the claimsd by our congress that this nation is still number one in manufacturing...they miss it badly..maybe in big items that few of us ever use..this nation may, may, be in or near first place..but in everything that we use every day..we are not...nor have been for a long time. For many on here that complain about the so called high wages in this country...if any of you think for a minute that any CEO would cut his or her pay just because they were allowed to pay you less that it cost to live,,you would be sadly mistaken.

Futyler Tolosa

I think I know what you idea is to cure the deficit. All of those posters that advertise cheap Nikes we charge .05 cents a post and we'd be out of debt in 6 months. Shrewd.

relax folks...its just another obama word game...

cut,cut,cut= flip,flip,flip

I can't wait to see the Republican 'plan'. There sure seems to be many on the board that continue to support the military spending. Let's see where the right goes on defense spending. I also hear, "cut the budget--but not what effects me."

More bull$hit from our govenrnment, on both sides of the isle. If Obama, his administration, and Republicans were serious about reducing America's deficit, they would all take a pay reduction of at least 20%--the execuitive, the legislative, and the judicial would take cuts across the board. Until I see that happen, all this talk about getting government spending under control is just lip service.

And until entitlements are cut, there will be no meaningful reduction in our national debt. If Social Security's entire pay outs were reduced by 25% and that money instead was applied to our debt, our current debt would be paid off in 4 years.

I like the fact that many people up here seem to be willing to discuss and share ideas WITHOUT the name calling. Of course there are a few who are worthless as well.

Mr. Walker ...

By the way, I promised my current representative that I would mention his incompetence at every turn. His name is Tim Huelskamp - Kansas. His counterpart across the river is Lynn Jenkins. Both are Republican and neither is interested in dealing with lawbreakers or dealing with waste.

So, Mr. Wilson and other posters, here's a challenge. Let's see if we don't have some common ground. Let's see if we don't have some common solutions. That is after all what we're asking our legislators to do.

I agree we do have some common ground. I've seen it. I know nothing about Huelskamp yet -- but I don't think Jenkins is interested "common ground". Will see what they, and our other midwestern legislators, have to say. For the most part, we don't get too many of the radials here going either way. If you take Texas out of the mix, most are pretty grounded. Texas is ... well Texas. LOL

david-475776

You have interesting ideas as well. I like many of them ... and I think MOST are even doable. The one that does concern me is your solution to illegal immigrants. Not that I'm in favor of illegals, but just logistically. Most of your other ideas, you seem to have thought out ways to carry them out ... but how on earth would you forcedly deport millions of people? How would you get them out of the country? More importantly, where would you put them ... especially if their counties of origin refuse to allow planes to lands, trucks to come, etc.?

In one point, you suggest cutting off all foreign aid. So now, these countries are angry AND more broke. Then you want to deport millions of people back there. I just don't see how it could happen.

Please note, I'd really like to see you take the idea further, I'm just positing some questions.

I would like to see the Republicans putting a squeeze on their job makers. Not meant to sound ignorant. What I mean is if you are going to reduce spending if Business that can with little harm increase pay and hiring gradually but within steps to boast our economy than I might agree. How come they don't ever do this? It doesn't have to be a law, Inspire the flow of money more naturally.

The more people left in the cold the more unstable our communities become. The Human factor needs to be taken into account more so than an unnatural economic factor.

Can you seriously tell me that we won't see a counter increase in crime, gangs, bank robberies, violence, and sickness and disease?

Step #1

Make EVERYONE pay federal income taxes. End zero liability and negative liability payers. This would significantly increase revenue, even if the minimum is set at 1%. But when 40% of the population pays zero federal income taxes, we'll never balance a budget.

End all foreign aid. Keep our money here. Quit sending it to countries where its leaders steal it for themselves. It is not hard to figure out where a good portion of that 70 billion that the recently ousted president of Egypt squirreled away came from.

My personal opinion is that congress will let the nation go "belly up" before it does anything meaningful to get our fiscal house in order. They, BO also, don't truly have the desire to make the cuts necessary to insure our long term solvency. A trillion over 10 years is like a pea in the pod. They won't seriously do anything until they absolutely have to. Faced with the fall of the nation, they'll figure they better do something. Year after year they do this crap and we can't get it stopped. You clean house on congress and they just go back to doing what they were doing all along, spend, spend, spend.

And like a 5 year old with a Christmas list obamma doesn't care that the U.S.A IS IN DEBT.One can see it's going to take adults to fix this mess obamma has got us in. The Congress needs to cut all programs obimbo forced on us the last 2 yrs.

Let's see the Democrats cut food stamps to help pay for their $26 billion state aid package. They also cut medicare funding to help pay for their health care bill. Now in the Presidents budget proposal he is wanting to cut the LIHEAP program in half. Heating assistance to the elderly and the poor. Sounds like they are really looking out for their constituents.

I am pretty damn fiscally conservative, as I would cut every damn thing including the military until we had a balanced budget.......no deficit spending, that is theft, but I sure as hell would not be cutting from the bottom, it would start at the top. If they continue taking from the programs that help the poor, (not including those that game the system) the truly poor and elderly, sooner or later we will have a situation in this country that will be on par with the French Revolution. It sure as hell will not be as peaceful as Egypt was. People find out that we have been giving Egypt $1.5 billion and Mubarak is walking away with $70 billion, yet they want to cut heating assistance in half to $2.5 billion in the worst economy since the great depression. I am in agreement with a post above. It is time we dismantled the government we have and start again, this time with a hangman's scaffold outside their offices. I was against the bailouts of Wall St., Bankers, Insurance Co., Car Companies, etc. No one is too big to fail when you are propped up on the backs of the citizens. If they are too big to fail then it sounds like a good time to break their companies up. Yet nothing has changed. Republicans and Democrats alike are after their own personal goals, what is best for themselves, not what is best for their constituents.

To the MBA guy with all the stats...Walmart's revenues are $102 billion/year and not $1 billion/year as you stated. You may want to revisit your argument now that the data presents a wholly different position and perspective. Quit cooking the data. Who do you think you are? A global warming scientist up for a grant renewal? Muuuaaaahahahahaaaa!

the Solution is easy stop electing Millionaires! Do they know what its like to be you? maybe at one point but are they willing to go back, would you?

It has always been Rich and Poor not Democrat and Republican. They agree on the changes you must make.

Trickle Economics and they don't feel like trickling on you right now.

I just watched that imbecile John Bonehead on TV this morning bitching about the deficit and how we are broke, broke, broke and need to make the hard cuts. We know what that means. Once again the filthy hypocritic Republicans want only to cut what hurts the little guy in this country. Social Security, Medicare, if it benefits the middle class they want to cut it. I find it disgusting, and any Republican who bitches about the deficit yet insisted on the Bush tax cuts has no right to speak out about spending. Those tax cuts are the most unjust farce that do more damage than anything else they are talking about cutting. The Repubs have some guts to whine about our deficit while demanding those tax cuts for the rich. What the hell? Vote those greedy bastards out. All of them. Where are the Tea Partiers now bitching about the tax cuts. They are a bunch of stinking hypocrites also. Just once, I would like to see a reporter while interviewing Bonehead to ask him how they can demand those tax cuts while complaining about the deficit and talking about cutting our social security. Pin them against the wall. Show America what a bunch of lying theiving bastards they really are.

Same old crap. The rich blame the poor, the poor blame the rich; the dumocrats blame the repugs and the repugs blame the dumocrats (everybody hates the tea party - they want to upset the balance of corruption) and nothing gets done. The real problem.......IS YOU!!!! Yes YOU who are reading this post right now. All of you - rich, poor, middle class, dems, reps, inds, white, black, brown, purple etc. We Americans have become selfish, shallow, short sighted, narrow minded spoiled little jerks too stupid to see the incipient catastrophic failure of the debt ridden economy, too cowardly to do anything to stop it, and so selfish that we don't even care that we are raping the welfare of our children and grandchildren in order to live the high life today. THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS LIVING WAY BEYOND IT'S MEANS.

And you know what? It's too late! The whole population is riding the economic collapse bus which is careening down a hill end with a cliff and a 100 foot drop into the third world ocean. The only way to stop it would be to crash it into an immovable object (like debt elimination) which would cause just about as many casualties as going over the cliff. What the heck. The water will break the fall. Go ahead people. Enjoy your delusion (it's not that bad - the government will do something.....won't it?) . I'm sure whoever is president when it goes over will wave his governmental magic wand and make the bus float back up the cliff. Party till you feel the splat. You deserve what you got coming for what you've done to my children's future.

As for me, I own everything I have (no credit), I am becoming self sufficient, and I'm buying weapons so I can defend myself against all of you partiers who will try to take what I have after the bus hits the water and those of you who didn't die quick get hungry. I'm guessing Darwinian theory will apply itself in spades to the US population within the next ten years. Best of luck to all of you kids playing Candyland right now. You're gonna need it.

Mark in Texas,

If you're going to correct my post, you should try citing some real data. Since you're so lazy, here it is. In 2010, WalMart's revenue was $419,240,000,000. This number I selected to frame the conversation. Since not many people know exactly what $400 billion can buy, I find it helpful to give a perspective. $400 billion is equivalent to all the revenue that WalMart takes in globally in 1 year.

That's a LOT of money. Period.

Income Statement

Revenue (ttm):
419.24B

Revenue Per Share (ttm):
112.71

Qtrly Revenue Growth (yoy):
2.60%

Gross Profit (ttm):
103.56B

EBITDA (ttm):
33.04B

Net Income Avl to Common (ttm):
15.11B

Diluted EPS (ttm):
4.04

Qtrly Earnings Growth (yoy):
9.30%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=WMT+Key+Statistics

Cut defense spending by at least half.

Simplify our tax code for citizens.

Close business tax loopholes then lower the corporate tax rate to 10%.

Raise taxes on the top 0.5% of earners to 50%. They really can afford it.

Kick lobbyists out of DC... though if we destroy the loopholes they work to exploit, they'd probably leave on their own, because they'd have nothing to do.

Medicare for all.

Legalize drugs and tax them.

Replace the logging industry with hemp cultivation, which also would serve to clean our air of CO2 faster.

Institute a Manhattan Project-level initiative focused on green energy and renewable resources. America should be spearheading the future of our global energy industry.

Reason- where do we start with calling shenanigans on your post?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Obama also thinks the government should take over the automotive industry, the banking industry, the student loan industry, the housing industry, the school cafeteria food industry, the health care industry and more. So he did in spite of we the people screaming STOP at the top of our lungs- (your hysterics are over the top)

Obamacare has been ruled unconstitutional by federal judges and he ignores what they say and presses on. Contempt of court worthy of being impeached.

(really- so appealing a ruling is something worthy of impeachment or is this more of the "I just hate the man so we have to figure out some way to scream impeach him")

He slipped back in death panels at Christmas via executive order hoping it wouldn't be reported much in the liberal media - and it wasn't. (there are no death panels- the fact that you state this makes your validity in questions. By all means please read the Bush prescription medicare bill which contains the exact wording, so I guess this make W a "death paneler")

He repeals DADT in spite of the vast majority of the military and the country being against the repeal. (the majority of the armed services didnt care or were in favor of removing it)

He makes the racist comment to republicans that "they can come along for the ride, but they gotta sit in the back" - same racist comments told to blacks in the past. THat's where his heart TRULY lies when it comes to working across the aisle. (how idiotic can you be, did you hear him preface it with you drove into a ditch....... you can come along but you cant drive you have to sit in the back- I mean serioously dude what's next a black helicopter under Detroit?)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Just food for thought - if the right wing were serious about ending the entitlements of medicare and social security, they had all 3 branches from 2000-2006. it could have been done but the middle class would be howling and the right wing knew it was political suicide so they continue to snipe at it but will not do anything for fear of voter reprisal.

Perhaps if you took off your tin foil hat and put down your birther sign you might begin to make more sense.

Everyone is unique and have their own situations and perceptions. Here is mine. Went on two job interviews last week they both said I was overqualified (I am not even sure what that means). One said "I will be honest with you I can have someone with your qualifications or even more for $8 hr. The other said why would I want this job as she insisted I was overqualified my reply? My children must eat. Well still jobless don't get me wrong I personally see it as my fault. Well I still eat only once a day sometimes a few times a week I am not complaining I still splurge on the extra soft toilet paper. We are a single income family with a stay at home dad. Might not be long before he goes bald from pulling his hair out! LOL! :)~ What happened to JOBS JOBS JOBS, Deficit Talk? Pick your Party!

The above Posts provide many valid points. But the Status-quot will not change until all Lobbyists and Lobbying is eliminated and a Balanced Federal Budget is Mandated by an Amendment to the US Constitution. Until this takes place, Politicians will continue to work for the highest-bidder, and the US will continue along its present downward spiral.

cele2000

I like many of your ideas, especially with regard to hospital ERs and tort reform. I too have seen estimates on tort reform savings as high as 10% ($250 Billion per year), but even at 5% it adds up to $125 Billion per year ($1.25 Trillion over 10 years). The existing legal system is nothing more than a "Get rich quick" scheme for lawyers, and they spend hundreds of $million on political contributions - to the Democrats.

I’m not going to get into how the cuts will be enacted and what areas will be impacted. However, just taking Obama at his word, 1.1 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years means 110 billion in cuts a year. Considering this government is running an annual deficit of about 1.4 trillion, Obama’s proposed cuts are meaningless and designed only to appeal to his gullible dregs who won’t take the time to actually think about it.

The only way to return to fiscal solvency is to balance the budget because to not do so is a continuation down the path to ruin which isn’t as far off as some think it is.

I would suggest the budget be cut by 100 billion for the next fiscal year then 100 billion in cuts for each succeeding fiscal year until the budget comes in line with spending and even this strategy will take more than a decade to fully reach a balanced budget.

It will be painful but what is the alternative?

Ok. Walmart takes in $400 B a year in revenues and that is a lot of money but

with the Presidents plan we are talking $40 B a year - 1/10th of

that-in other words 1/10th of ONE Us corporation.

The deficit is what we are spending every year OVER what we are taking in.

Reducing the deficit by such a small amount is not enough unless you are

talking really,really long term.

If I've been making 60,000 every year but I've been spending 120,0000

but then lower my spending to 110,000, not only am I still overspending

too much, but I'm still adding to my accumulated aggregate debt.

Ben, there isn't much you wrote that I can agree with except for tax code simplification. And I sort of agree with the idea of reducing the corporate tax rate, just not to 10%. Zero would be better. You and I pay those taxes anyhow. If taxes were paid more directly then voters might better appreciate the cost of the government they want to elect. This notion of passing the bill on to our unborn heirs is simply immoral, and we should be ashamed we do this.

What you didn't write that I think we should consider, though it would invalidate most of your post, is to confine our federal government budget for those things authorized for the federal government to do by the constitution. Even Representative Clyburn, the #3 dem in the House, openly admits that the vast majority of what the feds do doesn't exist in the constitution. I think a simplified tax code, coupled with direct taxation as opposed to all of the indirect, obscure, or veiled taxes we now pay, would lead to voters demanding less of the feds.

Lastly, if we are going to keep in place all of the spending categories, regardless of cutting the pittance Obama or the repubs say they want to cut, then there is no way to get out of the economic death spiral we are in. We will have to wait for the laws of economics to do the hard work for us, but this will come with much strife and war.

Our spending on "green" technology is a case in point. For every dollar spent our current and future GDP is reduced by some amount greater than if we were to simply utilize the most economically efficient energy sources available, relative to our economic competitors. This isn't to say we should use coal and oil only. My point is that if we want to create some alternative world that suits us we will have costs to face. If the alternative is worth the cost, then great, lets go there so long as the constitution permits the feds to be involved in it.

I'd prefer we do what is right for us, not for the world as a whole, that we stop demanding those not yet born pay back the debt we are accumulating to live above our present means, and that we confine the feds to the constitution. If we want all those other things then let your state do them for you. If your state can afford them then fantastic, we can use that as a model for the nation if we want.

Did I read this article right??? Obama wants Cuts, OK that is a good thing. But wants to hold spending at 3% OVER GDP for the next ten years. And That is a CUT?????????

Funny how nothing was mentioned about the 14 trillion mark being breached. And all our Illustrious Leader can come up with is CUTTING DOMESTIC SPENDING!!!!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME

Obama has no respect for the people, the country, or the office he holds. Here is yet another story of him giving official jobs to his friends despite their total lack of merit.

"You may have heard the story about what happened between White House adviser Valerie Jarrett and Four-star Army Gen. Peter Chiarelli at a recent Washington dinner.

As reported by the website Daily Caller, Jarrett, a longtime Chicago friend of President Obama, was seated at the dinner when a general -- later identified as Chiarelli, the No. 2-ranking general in the U.S. Army hierarchy, who was also a guest at the gathering -- walked behind her. Chiarelli was in full dress uniform.

Jarrett, apparently only seeing Chiarelli's striped uniform pants, thought that he was a waiter. She asked him to get her a glass of wine."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/13/greene.gracious.gesture/index.html?hpt=C1

nwnative

You had me at "John Bonehead". lol.

Seriously though, good post. Those are questions I've asked too. And I've wondered why nobody in the media asks those things? They seem fairly obvious to me.

If we eliminate 100% of foreign aid, do you know how much difference it's going to make to the budget? Less than one percent. Big woop. The United States already spends less to help the poor nations of the world than most other developed nations. Fact check:

Foreign aid is not an entitlement program. The entitlement programs make-up 55% of ther budget: the entitlement programs include Social Security, CHPS, Medicare and Medicaid plus all of those food programs, heating assistance, rent assistance, food stamps etc etc

This is all smoke and mirrors as obama wants to cut over ten years what the Repulicans want and will cut in one budget year,this tells me the democrats are not really serious about cutting out of control spending!

I called Foreign Aid entitlement spending, yes. Because, by this point, the countries we dole out the dough to think they are ENTITLED to it indefinitely.

One canNOT save their way to PROSPERITY. Try and fail.

Examples of well-meaning attempts and eventual failures...

Circuit City...

But we can take a lesson from some basics of financial management:

Save first, invest later

I believe that the very first step to being prosperous is contrary to the old saying, and indeed starts by saving. The first step is to begin living on less than you earn. This is easily done by creating a budget. The difference should be placed into a savings account where an initial emergency fund is established (The Dave Ramsey baby steps recommends $1000.00). The next major step is to eliminate any consumer debt. This is best accomplished through the use of a debt snowball and by snowflaking payments.

Once all of these basic financial steps are in place, I might argue you are already prosperous. To begin building true wealth start investing. Investing will make your money work harder for you and grow your wealth over the longer term.

@MBA-Grad Student. Thanks for the advice, professor. Everything you have posted is redundant drivel. Bring some new information to the table, please. By the way, could you have chosen a more pretentious user id for yourself? You have an MBA! Big f-ing whoop.

Don't get fooled people, do the math. The three budgets since he took office have produced 1.2 t, 1.3 t and 1.5 t in deficits. Now he announces that his budget plan will cut 1.1 t over a decade, or 100 b a year. We are still running a huge defict, a huge debt. If you take his trend of spending over the same decade, he will add another 14 trillion to the 14 trillion we already can cover.

Who is he trying to kid? If you are not serious about cutting, resign the office and let someone who has America's best interests take over.

If you cut entitlement programs (which are growing, not lessening), you would have millions of people in the streets. Literally millions would be homeless. Everybody knows that, except the rich politicians who have free medical care. I think it's way past time that the politicians start paying their health care premiums and life insurance packages. I don't understand why they're different than the rest of us.

Nobody wants to say it but the U.S. is broke and the people are poorer. Sure there are some people (1-5%) who don't need help. But it aint getting better.

When people are called back to work, they're going into jobs that pay less than they were making before. That means less tax collection. Bottom line: we're in a mess. And we don't know how to get out of it.

While foreign aid could certainly be cut, it won't make any difference. Foreign aid is an insignificant part of the budget. Cutting saves nothing and could cost us more in defense, etc.

A lot of the cuts both sides of the aisle are talking about making are cuts in various types of aid to state and local governments, those cuts just pile the burdon on the states, many of whom are already in trouble.

They need to cut a lot of the entitlement programs. Too many people collecting disability for bs reasons, too many people getting early retirements, too many perks for government jobs. They need to start raising both the taxes, premiums, and age requirements for Medicare, and cut back on some of the stupid stuff they pay for ( Rascal scooters and other over the top aids as an example). Use the IRS to review returns of all firms selling stuff to Medicade program. Open up bidding for all government purchases, right now it is so difficult to bid on a government purchase or product that many small companies do not even bid, and large companies have learned how to game the system and can keep large staffs working to do just that.

Hey MM I wish I was still working...
But being laid off by a fortune 500 company who was outsourcing jobs
for greed....58 years old and NO jobs to be had...

Hey Barry..Where is the rest of the stimulus money..?
and How much is left..???

Cut ALL foreign aid. Get our military out of Afghanistan, Iraq, and any other third world cesspool. (If they continue to be a threat, we can bomb them. It's a solid threat and very doable. It's time to stop the baby steps. We're all adults, it's time to sit at the adult table.)

Protect our borders. Remove the illegal aliens. RAISE (you heard me--RAISE) our tax rate until we become more soluable. (No, I don't like higher taxes, but again, it's the adult table. And it should be a short-term solution.)

Stop (or at the very least slow down) the massive imports of foreign goods. Buy American. Reward American manufacturing with some tax breaks (within reason).

Stop bailing out large financial entities like banks and the auto industries. Make them make themselves profitable. Prosecute the "Enron"-type CEOs and management that have robbed the American public. Stop allowing the off-shoring of American dollars.

Start billing the countries that we have financially supported for mega years. They've had plenty of time to regain their footings, it's still the adult table. Time to pay up. What, you can't pay? Too bad, so sad, sell your assets. No, I'm not kidding.

I'm tired of the same old song and dance, and it's time to stop the insanity. Who was it that said the definition of insanity is to do the same things the same way over and over and expect different results. Einstein? Yeah--no, he was right. We've been doing the same old, same old too long. Time for a change up.

What will the results be? Can they actually be much worse? We are on the verge of a financial meltdown. Our borders are totally insecure. Terrorism has become everyday conversation. Unemployment has become the daily joke, instead of the daily worry. Anxiety is going through the roof. The president and Congress need to stop playing footsies under the kiddie table, it's the adult table from now on. We may still have to cut up their/Congress' meat for them, but it's the only way we, the real people, are going to survive.

Foreign aid is a very small part of the budget. I don't agree with a lot of it but there isn't much to cut and much of it ends up back here anyway.

we are now reaping the benefits of globalization, which is a leveling of standards of living - ours, downward; China, India and Brazil, upward.

We have John Gage, the president of the American Federation of Gov Employees telling folks they are "mentally retarded" if they think gov workers should have pay and bene cuts. What world do these people live in?

Here's a couple more ideas for Zapper's adult table:

5% per year cut in all gov salaries and pensions for anyone making over 50 K per year, until the budget is balanced. This should filter to states, too.

Increase in co pays for all Medicaid recipients to $5 per doc visit, and $100 per ED visit, payable up front or no service. Hate to pick on these folks, but they have to be a stakeholder in their own care. People recieving entitilements need be understand these services are not free. I work in a Medicaid heavy agency, and the overwhelming majority of them refuse to pay the $3 copay we ask for. Yet, they carry cellphones and half of them have a pack of cigs in their pocket.

Immediate means testing for Soc Sec. I hate to go there, but it has to be done. Same for raising retirement age. Has to be done.

Immediate means testing for Medicare - not to eliminate coverage for anyone, but to increase co-pays based on ability to pay. Again, hate to go there, but we've got to start reducing these programs. Also, no more free lunch for drug cos - we pay the same as France, period.

Bring the boys home from Korea and Europe. Put them in Texas and Arizona. Then bring the boys home from Afgan and let them recupperate before going to Texas and Arizona.

Cut defense spending 3 to 4 % per year until the budget is balanced. This can first be the overseas expenditures.

Cut domestic programs accross the board 2 to 3% per year until the budget is balanced. Hard, but we've got to get our spending under control. We cannot compete until we do.

Create a national sales tax that will tax domsetically produced goods at 2% and inported goods at 15% (the numbers are illustiative only - would have to be calculated, but an essential way to reward American production).

Of course, no one in DC has the guts to take on any of this, so nothing will get done until we are so far gone the fix will be much harder than these steps.

If we eliminate 100% of foreign aid, do you know how much difference it's going to make to the budget?

Bruce, that's not the point. We should not be supplying foreign aid when we are in this financial mess. I read somewhere that the foreign aid package to Egypt alone was $110 million a year, every year, for too many years. That money could have gone to better use here. We spent god knows how much rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq, while our own falls apart due to lack of funding. It is time that Mr "I am a citizen of the world" starts looking out for the citizens of this country.

Sorry so many here have such short memories! Bush took a surplus and ...! Rather you like it or not, Mr. Obama saved us from sure Depression, it didn't happen so all you can do is bitch about how it was avoided. IF you have such great ideas, you need to get a hold of your Congress person in the morning!

Actually over a Billion a year to Egypt

Foreign aid is one part in fifty of the amount of dollars we export to other countries (they are also foreign).

Thank you Cele2000. Everybody else--if you're serious and want to sit at the adult table, keep adding to the list. Mine was just off the top of my head, and far from complete. We have solutions, and they don't need to be drastic--just a nibble here and there. It can work, we just need to push for them to happen.

BTW: Several states have furloughed their workers and forced them to already take pay cuts. The unions have been supportive in that they have also allowed cuts in benefits, no raises for years, higher insurance premium payments, etc.--all on the backs of the workers (who almost all make less than $50K a year). The unions have taken the unfair blackeye too long for their willingness to help out. (The State of Ohio saved $250 million dollars over two years with these cuts, and Gov. Kasich has the nerve to say that the workers are the budget problem! Have Gov.--check your management. They're the ones with the BIG paychecks!)

PS--stop blaming former administrations for today's problems. Yes, they helped make them happen. End of sentence. What are we/YOU going to do to make things better today? Finger pointing only cause arthritis.

We should not be supplying foreign aid when we are in this financial mess. I read somewhere that the foreign aid package to Egypt alone was $110 million a year, every year, for too many years.

First of all, most of the money we've sent to Egypt has been in the form of credits to buy our used military equipment, which are made here. So it boomerangs right back to us.

Also, like it or not, most of the money we send abroad is not charity (feeding the hungry, digging wells, etc.) Most of it goes to influential countries who have something we want -- in other words, we expect to get something for our money. For instance, when it comes to Egypt, we have a huge number of ships going through the Suez canal every year, and we expect and get preferential treatment. There are some in Egypt who think our nuclear aircraft carriers are dangerous, and should be stopped and searched -- how much would we like that? And if the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel collapsed, and a regional war started that involved other local nations, how's our economy going to look when gas hits six bucks a gallon?

That money could have gone to better use here. We spent god knows how much rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq, while our own falls apart due to lack of funding.

I assume you're talking about the infrastructure that President Bush demolished. We could just walk out and leave them to finish cleaning up our mess, sure. 9/11 was a looong time ago, after all, so we can go back to assuming the attitudes of the rest of the world towards us are unimportant.

Personally, I think that a dollar spent handing out candy to kids in Iraq may do more to prevent tomorrow's suicide bombers than the same dollar spent on intrusive body searches in our nation's airports. I've also noticed that things that happened overseas affect OUR stock market just as much as things that happen here, so maybe we should pay a bit of attention to the rest of the world.

From Chicago, but I think we do know how to fix this problem. We just lack the will to do it. And I'm not sure we will gain the will to act before economic dynamics acts for us--an outcome that will make things even worse. The problem has many causes, but I think at the root of them all is a simple notion: Most voters do not know, and cannot calculate with great accuracy, what the government they want to elect will cost them.

Would the "poor", for instance, vote for higher taxes on corporations if they comprehended the consequent decrease in employment, or increases in prices, or decreases in quality, and so on, that will result? Maybe, maybe not. But because few people comprehend that those increased business taxes are actually paid by them, many of those voters continue to vote against their own self-interests.

At this point, if I could wish for one reform above all others, it would be to simplify the tax code by eliminating all taxes but personal income (all taxes are taxes on income anyhow) so that each voter, before he or she puts a mark on the ballot, knows what the costs, and benefits, of the current government are. We have deluded ourselves for so long into believing we can have something for nothing and this has led to irrational decisions being made by voters. Which is nothing short of Russian Roulette in a self-governing republic.

MBA GRAD: Regarding your comment at 2.5 Do you really think that we need someone w/ a higher education to tell us that. Did you just learn this - is it something new? I know we are graduating idiots from high school, but now it seems that we are also graduating them from college and putting them into post-graduate programs. No wonder this country is going down the drain and China is surpassing us scholasticly. Your advice has been so enlightening. Thank you.

Sorry guys, I got so hung up after I read MNA GRAD that I forgot the main point that I wanted to make when I came down here.

Obama wants to cut subsidies to WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, that is one of the best cuts he can find, the MAN IS BLIND. How about the PORK? Maybe he should look a little deeper.

Make me dictator for a day (I'll need a few months to do the research) and I'll cut out all the waste. This will, of course, cause massive unemployment (I'd fire a ton of Federal employees, and shut down a lot of subsidies and a lot of entitlements) but w/ the money we saved could be used to subsidize rebuilding our steel industry and all the other work that's been out-sourced and get this country on it's feet again. I don't know if I could get China off out back, we owe them so much money, but it would be a start.

I'm no economist, but it makes sense to me. I don't know why we are f--king around w/ water treatment plants, which affects our health, and avoiding the real issues.

foreign aid constritutes less than 2% of the buget and pays for Aids programs in 3rd world country's, disaster relief (earthquake, tsunami etc), medical assistance etc also provides country's money to procure weapon systems that they buy from US manufacturers that creats jobs in the US.

Teernan, those tanks you saw during the protests in Egypt were made in ---- drum roll, please ---- EGYPT!

The United States of America is at it's best through its generosity, and not just from the government but from its people. It doesn't matter if it is foreign or domestic, we are a good and empathetic society. Cutting such a small amount, that has the potential to generate good will is a mistake. Our government gives less away than most developed nations as a percentage of GDP, so leave it and address defense and social programs.

Foreign aid is a pivotal factor ensuring US hegemony. Without foreign aid (bribery) many regimes would not play our game so easily. Don't underestimate the effect of greasing a few palms.

The Useless Nations have not prevented one atrocity from happening since its inception.

Most of the money provided to this organization never makes it to those 3rd world countries or its people due to wide spread corruption. Fact

http://www.thetrumpet.com/?q=1853.782.0.0

Don't like the trumpet, maybe the Cato Institute link will shed light on the Usless Nations and the corruption.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-253.html

http://coachep.com/wordpress/?tag=united-nations-corruption

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/254285/United_Nations_Facing_More_Corruption_Allegations

http://www.museumstuff.com/learn/topics/Compass_Group::sub::United_Nations_Corruption_Scandal

http://www.defenddemocracy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1348&Itemid=368

http://emergingcorruption.com/2010/10/united-nations-ripe-for-us-budget-cutting/

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/24/PT2NEWSO3-corruption-drains-global-fund-probe-find/news-nationworld/

So pick a link and tell me its worth while to keep the Useless Nations going.

It's not and the money provided this corrupt organization would do Americans far better service than any 3rd world country that doesn't see it and complains for more.

Sorry the Useless nations is just that USELESS.

Love it or leave it: DRUM ROLL PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Once again love it or leave it has demonstrated his unique ability to insert both feet into his mouth at the same time as he simultaneously slidies his head into his ass.

Bottom line: your wrong once again. The tanks you saw on TV were produced in the United States, they were purchased as tank kits by the Egyptian military and sent to Egypt for assembly as part of a co-production program between the United States and Egypt. The program has been in place with Egypt since 1988. We have very similar agreements with many other country's throughout the world. The systems are developed and sold by the US to these country's usually as part of our forign military sales program. The weapon kits are produced here in the US, packaged and delivered to the buyer for assembly. A win - win for both participants.

DRUM ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!!!!

Love it or Leave it....they are the old M60's they gave Egypt the designs and plans, tooling, etc when they stopped building them in the US. It is a design from the 60's ( and a damned good one ! ) but our present Abrams is far superior in range, firepower and armored protection.

Well, after reading through the posts here I see that people have given some serious and intelligent thought to this issue. Many are spot on. I propose we get rid if the current DC nitwits and take the more thoughtful posters here and place them on the budget committees. I know it won't happen but it would be a great improvement over our 'elected officials.'

Love it or Leave it -

I already tried to leave it. Free countries have always been few and far between. A new tyrant is born every minute. The ones that once were free have all fallen to democratic despotism. There is nowhere left to hide.

"republics decline into democracies which degenerate into despotism"

Aristotle

mygirl1....the problem is that those in DC ( both parties) all keep looking toward the next election, and they don't do what is right for America, they do what they think will help them get elected. Reasonable term limits are the first step we can take towards getting back on track, campaigh finance reform is next. If a big chunk of both houses of Congress were always lame ducks, they might get something done that is good for America instead of only good for their next election results. I do not believe that the founding fathers ever dreamed that people would become Congressmen and Senators for life !

Posted by cele2000:

Increase in co pays for all Medicaid recipients to $5 per doc visit, and $100 per ED visit, payable up front or no service. Hate to pick on these folks, but they have to be a stakeholder in their own care. People recieving entitilements need be understand these services are not free.

It would seem that part of the problem here is a viewpoint that Medicare and Social Security recipients are some kind of freeloaders, when the fact is that such people have paid into a stand-alone system outside of the Federal budget for their entire lives, a system that we were all told would be there for us when we needed it, don't ask questions, just keep paying. And now those of us who have paid into this system our entire adult lives are viewed as freeloaders?

Right now we are having a heck of a problem in this country with employers who refuse to employ older workers because of a perception or fear that such employees will drive-up group health care coverage costs. Many people who had thought that they would work until they retired, like previous generations, are being tossed onto the street 10 or more years before they had planned to retire, and now we are being called freeloaders too?

If a stand-alone program like Medicare or Social Security isn't solvent, then the simple solution would be to raise taxes, or in the case of Social Security, (which is projected to be fully solvent through 2037), perhaps we need to explore raising the income ceiling subject to Social Security taxation.

Immediate means testing for Soc Sec. I hate to go there, but it has to be done. Same for raising retirement age. Has to be done.

Don't forget that the Social Security retirement age has already been raised once in my adult lifetime, gradually from age 65 to age 67, while at the same time it has become increasingly apparent that many employers are unwilling to employ older workers, despite the fact that older workers have much more work experience. If anything I could see expanding Social Security and Medicare to at least partially cover older adults aged 55 and over, in order to take some of the pressure off of employers that continue to employ older workers. I could also see raising the Social Security income ceiling subject to taxation too, (currently $106K), as all of us regardless of income are eligible to receive Social Security benefits, not just those of us earning less than the income ceiling for taxation purposes. In fact, if we just raised the taxable income ceiling to $1 Million, without raising the tax rate, we could afford to raise Social Security benefits by 50% across the board in perpetuity, which might make Social Security retirement actually livable in most of America.

Immediate means testing for Medicare - not to eliminate coverage for anyone, but to increase co-pays based on ability to pay. Again, hate to go there, but we've got to start reducing these programs.

Again, Medicare and Social Security are stand-alone programs paid for by separate contributions that employees and their employers pay, and are supposed to be outside of the Federal budget. What we need to stop is allowing the Federal government to steal funds from Social Security to fund pet projects, whether balancing the Federal budget or hiding much of the additional costs of foreign wars, you have to admit that both of our current political parties are guilty of raiding Social Security in our recent history too.

Bring the boys home from Korea and Europe. Put them in Texas and Arizona. Then bring the boys home from Afgan and let them recuperate before going to Texas and Arizona.

Yes, I could see greatly reducing foreign military aid too, while trying to preserve the majority of Federal economic and charitable aid to less-fortunate countries and their citizens. There are a whole lot more of our troops overseas propping-up weak local security than just in Europe and Korea too. I agree that it is long past time for many of these countries to become security self-sufficient. How about all of these US companies that have moved their production offshore? How many here think that good old Uncle Sam should continue providing offshore security to foreign corporations and their products carte blanche free of additional charge? I'll bet that if a lot of these companies that have moved our jobs offshore had to pay for their own security abroad that a lot of them would not choose to move abroad in the first place.

Texas and Arizona are not the only States with problems with illegal immigration and illegal workers. New Mexico and California have the same problems along our southern border, and many of our southern sea and ocean border States also have problems with illegal immigration by sea. Along our northern border hordes of Canadians come across our border every week to work, then head home to Canada for the weekend to spend their income there that they have stolen from our own workers here. Even here in Colorado, hundreds of miles from the Mexican border, we have hordes of illegal workers stealing jobs from our own citizens. One problem unique to the Southwest is that many Hispanic families have lived here even before the White man showed-up in the first place, so how do we reign-in illegal immigration across our southern border without discriminating against long-time American citizens of the same ethnic background? Most of the Canadian illegal workers are White, so should we start demanding ID of White people to cut-down on illegal workers from Canada too? What about those of Russian or Eastern European descent that manage to sneak into this country and take jobs from our own citizens too, as most of those immigrants are White too? Perhaps we need a worker ID card that is not easily counterfeited, which might protect us all from illegal foreign workers, not just those of us from Texas and Arizona through military force?

I am fully in support of making major cuts to foreign military aid. I would also favor mothballing at least a couple of carrier battle groups and a whole bunch of other redundant ships and facilities too. How about combining our military services into two entities instead of five? The Army and the Air Force could be re-combined, and the Navy, Marines, and even the Coast Guard could be combined too, since their missions are fairly similar, and doing so would save a whole lot of dough in upper-echelon management as well as through combining facilities. Perhaps we Americans are just going to have to get used to an idea where we protect our own domestic security, perhaps ensure the security of our own hemisphere, while we move away from our longtime role as world policeman, and let some of these other countries pick-up their own security costs instead?

As for cuts to low-income energy assistance, targeted community block grants, or urban mass transit, just remember that the people getting hurt will be our own citizens who are least able to afford such cuts, thereby widening the amount of income disparity here at home. Our top tax rate is ridiculously low since we are at war, and I for one am not willing to allow the Republican Party to avoid having to discuss further tax cuts for their wealthy contributors during a Presidential election year, which in effect subsidize donations to the Republican Party to the tune of 3% of gross income above a certain income threshold. These people do not create jobs with their extra income, they use it to speculate in investment markets which only benefit a very few of us while leaving many of us in the economic lurch.

I'll agree that one of the easiest ways out of this morass is to buy American-made products while avoiding foreign-made products that steal our jobs and enrich foreigners. What is worse for the average American, the negative effects of illegal immigration here at home or allowing American companies to offshore our jobs to foreign countries that lack strict environmental-protection laws or labor and worker safety laws? We could find our way out of this mess and become much stronger economically without having to call our older workers and senior citizens freeloaders or having to make draconian social program cuts if we would just buy products made here at home by American workers instead of making foreign dictators and their minions rich instead.

Yeah, buy American-made, it is just that easy!!!

I agree with you as well. It may only be 2 percent but 2 percent here and two percent there and another two percent over here starts to add up.

What about closing some Embassies. We have Embassies in places I have never heard of.

Old Timer: You misunderstand me. Medicare and Soc Sec are indeed standalone programs with their own tax, but the tax you (and me) have paid in over the years in no way comes close to paying the benefits we're likely to recieve. In the spirit of shared sacrifice, those who can get by without full SS or Medicare should accept the idea of means testing.

Medicaid, on the other hand, is the gov health insurance for the poor. Sorry you disagree, but even the poor should have to pay something toward their care.

As to buy American. I am with you 1000%. I haven't stepped foot in a WallyWorld in 10 years and will never do so again. I buy local whenever possible, including local farmers for as much of my food as possible. I buy American whenever possible. If we would all demand American made product, we would solve our problems in short order = lower unemployment, decent wages, increased revenue. We are our own worse enemies.

Old Timer, there is so much to dispute in your post. But I want to confine myself to the first three paragraphs only. The quote you used to begin with was about MedicAID, not MedicARE. Both programs are substantially upside down, but the previous author's point was that if people have no skin in the game then they have incentive other than whatever intrinsic morality they possess to control costs or to take better care of themselves.

In your third paragraph you mention that SS is projected to remain solvent until 2037. As an accounting matter, maybe. It depends on how much one is willing to delude one's self. Here's what I mean. SS is now in operational deficit--it is taking in less per year than it is paying for benefits and administration. The money in the "trust fund" is what you are talking about going forward to 2037, but the problem is that there is no money there, just IOUs.

So, unless there is some change to the program, and considering that every year from now on SS will continue to be in operational deficit (getting worse as we go), then either taxes must be raised, other gov't programs must be cut, or we must continue to add that amount to our deficit and fund it from future citizens not even yet born.

What do you want to do? We have no other choices. Change the program, raise taxes on the people yet again, cut other gov't programs, or encumber your unborn heirs? Maybe some of all four? Here is my solution. For those on SS, or soon to be, make no changes but for reducing by 1% the possible COLA increases, should they return. For those young enough to begin to alter their retirement planning radically alter the program, less for those closer to the start date, more for those further in age from it, so that benefits are universally reduced across the board. At the same time lower the taxes they pay to fund SS by 1/2 the amount of their benefits cut. And for those not yet into the system at all, either kids or the unborn, there should be no SS. They can pay taxes at a fractional amount until we are done with this scam. At which point SS, one of the greatest Ponzi schemes ever conceived, can finally die.

And please do not lecture me on how great a program it is. It has an ROI that if you tried to pass it off in the private sector you would be investigated, tried, and imprisoned. It has racist outcomes, unintentional to be sure, but minorities are far more likely to be robbed by SS than whites or asians. I can go on, but the point is that SS is a scam that we perpetrated on ourselves in order to help fund larger government spending, all under the guise of caring about granny.

The reason that there have been no COLA increases in Social Security for some time has been that through patently false manipulation of data, which started during the Kennedy administration and each subsequent administration further modified, we have been showing a fairly low inflation rate when in fact, using the same methodology to determine inflation that was used during the Eisenhower administration, our current inflation rate would be in the 8 % range. We can also blame this manipulation of economic data for the reporting of U-3 as our official unemployment rate instead of U-6, which is our actual unemployment rate, and which is approximately double what U-3 is. We can also thank manipulated economic data for the fact that the SS taxable income ceiling hasn't been raised in some time, despite the fact that our actual inflation rate is much higher than has been reported. In fact, just since the last rise in the SS taxable income ceiling, we have actually experienced 40-50% inflation, so at a minimum, just to keep pace with actual inflation, the SS taxable income ceiling needs to be raised by the same amount just to keep pace, which is another reason why SS is becoming insolvent, besides the fact that both of our political parties have borrowed from the SS trust fund starting with the Johnson Administration, who used SS surpluses to offset reportable GNP losses.

Basically what we are experiencing here is a long-term move away from liberty, justice, and fairness for all and the creation of a privileged class which seeks to run roughshod over the interests of the worker class. Give me a good reason why there should be a SS taxable income ceiling at all, since we all qualify for Social Security benefits regardless of income? I have a close friend who was at one time a member of the educated privileged class who was rear-ended by a several-time drunk driver with no driver's license and with no appreciable assets to go after in court. Now my friend is on SS disability struggling to make ends meet while retail prices for food and fuel keep soaring without any increase for inflation in his benefit level. Remember that neither food nor fuel costs are included in the CPI anyway, and have not been since the 1970s. Sure hope that the same thing doesn't happen to you, because then you will be one of those people that you so despise, someone contributing nothing but expecting the benefits that you were promised too.

Actually keep all the H1B visa workers - increase their numbers nad seriously round up all of the illegals that number somewhere between 11 million to 21 million folks. That will see a bigger dividend for US tax payers. The H1B workers pay US federal taxes the illegals do not

The H1B visa workers take US jobs too. I'm surrounded by H1B workers who have no intention of staying here. Rent apartments with big groups of other H1B workers, then send all the money home. That doesn't help our economy in the least. Send them packing!

i agree, it isnt just the hispanics either. West Bens Wi had/has the Dragon Buffet, i knew a girl that worked there under the same program, they live 10+ in a 2 bedroom apt.

Jason: The H1B program is congressionally mandated and the numbers of participants are determined each year based upon need. These folks do fill positions that have historically been rejected by US citizens becasue of low pay or poor working conditions. That these folks have no intent on remaining in the US is eactly the right idea - they are not supposed to stay for an indeterminant amount of time. - there visa is for a specific position, location and period of time. That they send their money home is fine - it is why they came - they do pay federal and state and local taxes - that is their contribution to our economy - they also pay rent and buy food and essentials to survive all helping our economy.

I'll bet YOU live in a neighborhood with no such people.

If you cut too much more you threaten jobs of millions of people. Did it occur to anyone that a lot of "private" companies are recipients of govt grants and money? For example, the defense contractors. When we have wars, the defense contractors (Boeing and Haliburton) boom and hire. Now that we're cutting, watch that the defense contractors and other private companies - including stationary companies - start laying off.

FromChicago Also a lot of the cuts are monies that go to States, and the States who are already in trouble will have to lay off more people. It will cause job losses, but it still has to be done. Of course the government, government contractors etc could increase productivity and make up for the cuts, but I think it is against the law to use the words government and productivity in the same sentence. That is our real problem, too many government workers for the results produced, at all levels, especially at the top levels. Private companies learn to increase productivity, government thrives on bureacratic waste.

Yea Joe! a major reduction in the corporate tax rate, that's the way to reduce the deficit!!! Let's give them rich guys more "trickle-down economics" monies to line their pockets with those obscene bonuses and "golden parachutes" and to increase their investments in foreign countries and to hide in more off-shore accounts!!! That's the way to do it!!! Gonna keep my eye on your posts, cause they really make a lot of sense!!!

The real problem is the entitlements. We need to cut across the board, but we have got to deal with the Big Three: Soc Sec, Medicaid and Medicare. Until we deal with those programs, we are just kicking the can down the road - and making the inevitable day of reckoning even that much worse.

There will be many states facing huge problems this year. However, if the states go about it the right way, there shouldn't have to be excessive layoffs. The state unions are screaming about layoffs of cops and teachers, because those threats get good headlines. What the states should do is cut the salaries, pensions and benefits of all state workers, to lessen the need to lay off so many. I believe if you were to ask them, most state employees would prefer cuts in pay to the possibility of losing their jobs. the scare tactics don't matter anymore - we're at the point where government employees are going to have to share the pain with their private sector counterparts.

Ok, most H1Bs are not working crappy jobs. In order to get an H1B, there have to be various justifications made and more often that not requires the employee to have a college degree in a particular field....such as engineering. The state labor dept. has to approve the H1B petition and verify that their salary is up to par with the industry standard.

H1Bs are usually professionals, most of whom spend most of their money in the US, pay Federal/State/SS/Medicare and local taxes. Many end up becoming permanent residents/citizens and staying permanently paying into the system. Those who leave after six or seven years, leave after paying SSN/Medicare taxes into a system which they would never be able to get a payback from....i.e. more $ for others.

tutu, how would increases to the corporate tax rate in ANY way stop what you consider abuses within publicly held, but private firms? Look, here are a few truisms. One, it isn't your company, so you have no say in how it is run. If you want a say, then buy a share or two. Two, no company on earth has ever paid a tax to any government, including ours, that it didn't first collect from you, the consumer. Three, Obama himself spoke at the SOTU about fixing the corporate tax code. He recognizes, but in the most wrong way possible, that tax rates affect corporate decisions to hire, fire, move, expand, close, and so on.

But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, to give you a chance to prove that you have some concept of economics, marginal and aggregate tax rates, and more. So please tell us all how lowering the corporate tax rate, even to zero as I'd like, would cost you a penny? Sure, your taxes would necessarily increase to compensate (though the amount would be less than what the corporate taxes were), but these greedy firms you wring your hands over, to get more business, will lower their prices accordingly.

I know, I really do know. You and your leftist friends will assert that no firm will lower its prices to compensate for the decreased amount it pays in taxes. But, if you are right, if firms can today set any price they want and you are compelled to pay it, then why aren't firms simply raising their prices to any level they want? See, on its face it's a stupid argument to make. So please don't go there.

ROY WILSON;'' right after Obama was sworn in in January 2009, they passed the $862 Billion 'stimulus' bill and huge spending increases, and only then did they pass a budget calling for a deficit of $1.3 Trillion for 2009, which Obama signed in mid-March of 2009.'' Thanks Roy wilson for this post and pointing out bushs 2009 budget called or a 400 billion dollar deficit wich obam pelosi and reid added ONE TRILLION

The H1B's are destroying this country. They were originally supposed to fill jobs where NO us worker was available. But companies abused the program and hired them instead of us workers to keep labor costs down. We should not be competing for jobs with H1B's. If you study the origin of the H1B program and educate yourself you will see that I'm correct.

Magnum: Your simply insane - defense spending creates over 10 million US jobs every year - high paying US jobs - no other GVT program comes close. The defense budget with all security expeditures which includes homeland defense agency, coast guard, FBI, CIA, CID, border patrol, etc etc constitutes less than 18% of our total FED budget each year. The Forign Aid budget is around 2 %

You want savings then cut those wasteful, corrupt, mismanaged entitlement programs that are growing each year by double digits and make up over 55% of the total federal budget with little or no return to the tax payer and even less to the economy.

Look spend some time researching things before making a fool of yourself when you obviously have little if any knowledge of the topic.

funny tho magnum.... by the looks from here, Nobama is hitting on most of the same cuts the republicans are, and trying to plant that kiss without haveing the cheeks spread. Its about time he did something, bit late tho. Now kill off a goos chunk of the import industry, and maybe Americans can start going back to work sooner.

Yes Magnum completely agreed. They attack the poorest among us because they are worth the least amount of physical dollars. Billionaires own them and employ them. They fund their campaigns and make sure they keep their position.

Of course they're going to try to screw the poor to make their masters richer. All while feeding a line of b.s. to the voters and pretending to care about their constituents. That's what makes a good congressman/senator in these modern times.

Charts: your wrong, every time you walk in to a store or a doctors office or a hospital or a manufacturing facility or drive a car or fly in a plane you are seeing products that are the rersult of military research and were deverloped for both military and civilian applications.

This very iinternet was a military communication system that was developed in the 60's-70's to provide a fail safe global communication system in the event of a nuclear holocaust or natural disaster. No VP Gore did not "invent it" LMAO - he simply was one more senator that voted to have this military communication system transferred to civilian control /commercial market as the military moved to satcom as a more secure system.

Ternan

I still want to know why the Poor and Elderly are punished by the Military Industrial Complex and the party of the no, the Republican'ts. Cutting the military budget to 75 billion and then on top of that cutting all foreign aid and shutting down Military bases in foreign nations will save a lot of money. Doesn't take much research to know that the Republican'ts are out to push the poor and elderly into the streets, just look at what the Party of the no wants to cut. And if it were just about saving Money, then why does the Grand Obstructionist Party try to cut and end programs that help the elderly and poor even in our best economic times?

And by the way, I do not see anything made by the military or even inspired by it in the stores. ( The Internet is not in stores so to speak) However I see a lot of what NASA has done appearing on our store shielves. Cut the Military Budget, the over bloated military budget to 75 billion and just see what we can do, I bet the lower and middle class can get a tax cut.

Of course you do know your argument for Military jobs can also be used with saving Regular Government Jobs right? After all, a Military Job is, when you get right down to it, a Government Job.

Um, there's no such thing as a 'trillionaire'. Also, you are utterly ignorant of economics.

Magnum Serpentine,

Cut military spending to only $90 billionmore? Do you even know what it cost to run our military (who by the way protect you freedom and mine to, among other things written these posts?) Last year the military budget was $689 Billion. So you basically want to reduce the size and ability of our military by nearly 90%? Who do you think will protect this country? Do you truly believe the soldiers will work for free? Do you truly believe they will go into battle and supply their own weapons and ammo and other equipment? Are you like Obama and believe that because they volunteer, they will pay their own health care? This is not only a foolish idea, but a dangerous one at best!

Now ending foreign aid is something that you and I both can agree on! We need to get our own house in order before we worry about the rest of the world. Perhaps this famous person said it best and this fits regardless of you political affiliation, Democrat or Republican:

What have we learned in 2,064 years?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled,
public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be
tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be
curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work,
instead of living on public assistance."

Cicero - 55 BC

So, evidently, we have learned absolutely nothing......

This would be somewhat funny if it weren't so sadly true! Are we, as a human race, so stupid that we must repeat the mistakes of the many great empires before us and can learn nothing from them? Looking at the state of our great nation today it would appear the answer is a resounding YES!

How about we cut the payroll of Congress...I wish I could vote myself a raise. It is time we look at our representatives on the federal and state level to reduce their payroll and spending...here is one for you Joe Biden came to Lousiville to speak for 52 minutes....really...how much did that cost us...Plane for Biden and his staff, military cargo plane for his and Secret Service cars, and having all the cops in Louisville standing on street corners waving to his car as it sped by. He did not take question from the attendees at the McConnell center (named after Rep. Mitch)..Hey Jobamay...stay home and save some of the US tax payers money...Joe has been part of the problem for too long. As for all the congressmen that charge a fee for speaking and pocket the cash....you are working on my dime....the USA should get those speaking fees. And, all funds collected in a re-election fund for a congressman that doesn't run for re-election should be turned over to the USA and not just pocketed by the official. Let work on cleaning up our government spending at the level that see a huge pocket of cash.

How about we cut the payroll, benefits and pensions of all govenrment workers making over 50 K a year? I say that and I am a govenment worker. Compared to the private sector, we have it good. It's time to share some pain, people.

cele2000 thanks for being so up front with your views. We could start with the top, Congress and the Dept. Sec. Congress always wants the rest of us to make the sacrifice but they are the only people I know of that can solely vote on their own raises and benefits. Let's let them LEAD the way!!! That would be different.

Actually, it is acceptable to refer to the President with the title of "Mr."

What is disrespectful, and you see it on Faux News, is to refer to the PResident by his last name only.

actually simply through common practice - presidents have been referred to by their title or mr or simply by their last name. We call bush - bush, reagan - reagon and obama - obama nothing disrespectful in any of those

Probably all of them have responded to "Hey, you!" coming from the first ladies.

Steve -

Or worse...

Anyone try looking up how much the US spends on foreign aid? It less than 1% of the total budget. Matter of fact, the US gives less to foreign aid than most developed countries as a percentage of income.

On average, each American spends about $92/year on foreign aid. The average American also spends about $225/year on soda.

What I spend on soda is my business not yours or the governments, you see I earned that money.

That's great, but it misses the point. The U.S. doesn't spend NEARLY as much on foreign aid as Americans think. 1%. Cuts to foreign aid will do NOTHING to help balance the budget.

Actually forewign aid is 2% of the budget and this includes humanitarian aid for disaster relief etc. also the money spent on foreign aid includes the money we give to country's to buy weapon systems for their military - guess what - those systems are bought in the US creating a whole lot of very high paying jobs for Americans.

Also about your soda consumption - you may think its no ones business how much you spend on soft drinks per year but included in the fed budget proposal is a tax on those soda as part of the health care plan - so big GVT is taking an interest in your soft drink consumption.

erockaustin: If you've ever done a home budget, you'd know that every little bit helps!

Of course it will help balance the budget. 1% is 1%, cut that much 100 times and you eliminate the federal budget completely. Every dollar cut matters. Eliminate the federal department of education (education is a state and local function), eliminate NASA (we're retiring the shuttles anyway), eliminate the departments of energy, transportation, etc. Eliminate the TLAs (three letter acronym agencies) like the EPA, FCC, etc. Eliminate agricultural subsidies. Every little bit counts. Cut the federal government back to the level it was in 1912. That was sufficient to carry out the Constitutionally permitted duties of the federal government. Nothing else should be permitted to be spent.

A billion dollars here and a billion dollars there - pretty soon you're talking real money.

I think foreign aid should be eliminated - I don't care if it's $100 per year in total. We cannot afford it.

I think all earmark projects should be halted until the budget is balanced.

I think each member of congress, after a pay cut and reduction in size, is allotted $5000 in travel expense - then the rest comes out of their own pocket - I don't care what the reason.

I think the luxury items are removed from congress - barbers, bowling alleys, restaurants, etc. They start paying for their own stuff and quit using tax dollars.

I want government to begin acting responsibly and be held accountable.

Regardless of where the cuts come from, everybody is going to suffer. Watch and see....there will be layoff announcements from small companies like Staples and Office Depot, which are govt contractors....almost every business you can think of is a govt contractor....IT/computer companies, coffee companies. Think of all the little purchases your private companies make from the supplies for coffee to office supplies -- governments make the same purchases. And when the govt starts to cut those companies suffer too.

We're in for a rocky ride folks

From, you are right that it will be painful. But what's the alternative? Gov has grown to big, too intrusive and too centralized. It's wasteful and in efficient, and is no where near as good as private sector at creating jobs or revenue. In the long run, it will be more painful to act later than act now.

good point - what most forget is that the US FED GVT operated at a deficit for 2010 (largest deficit in trhe history of the United States (14 trillion dollars) - this proposed reduction does nothing exccet slow the growth of the deficit - it does not stop deficit spending nor does it do anything to reduce the deficit. The deficit continues to grow simplyu a tad slower than it has for the last 2 years under obama.

And at some point the cost of this debt is going to begin to rise. We've been lucky that the world would finance our orgy at 2 to 3%... wait until it hits 7 or 10% Think the cost is high now.

What this debt has done is hamstringed our ability to fund roads and schools and research, so we can make promises of entitlements we cannot possibly keep, be they universal healthcare within our present cost structure, or a retirement income for everyone, whether they need it or not, to farm subsidies, inflated gov salaries and benefits. If we don't deal with this, and soon, the crash will be much worse. And POTUS has no friggin' clue; congress is unwilling to do what's needed. Perhaps if Gov got the heck out of the way, the provate sector could salvage things, but I don't see that happening.

To True Dixie Conservative: I believe that, given President Obama's background, he is and has been focused on assisting the middle class and poor in this country from long before he was ever elected President of the United States. He was raised by a single mother, who at one point, had to get food stamps to feed Mr. Obama and his sister. His Mother was also aided in raising him by her parents, Mr. Obama's maternal grandparents, who lived in a rented apartment in Honolulu until the dates of their respective deaths. His maternal grandfather served in the U. S. military during WWII and his maternal grandmother worked at a bank in Honolulu and became the first woman vice president of that bank, in spite of the fact that she was never able to attend college. His Mother used her college education to help poor people in third world countries learn how to turn their every-day cultural skills, e.g., basket weaving, into earnings with which they were and are still able to help support their families. President Obama attended what is said to be one of, if not the best, college prep school west of the Rocky Mountains. It is also said to be a very expensive school, which President Obama attended on scholarship. That school, Punahou School, in Honolulu, a Protestant private school, requires each of its graduating seniors to spend a semester volunteering their time in the community, e.g., pre-schools for underprivileged children. Each of its sports' teams take on at least one community service project each season. When working as a community organizer in Chicago, President Obama worked with churches and their members in the poorest sections of Chicago. I don't think President Obama needs to actually see the new poor to know that we exist. I also believe that he entered politics in the first place to try to make a positive difference in the lives of all of our citizens. Given (1) his upbringing in Hawaii, which probably has the largest diverse population in the country in terms of race, ethnicity, culture and socio-economics, but its people have somehow found ways for generations to get along with each other and work together in concert for the benefit of all (except for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy by greedy American citizens, a situation that has still not been "righted"), and (2) the choices the President has made in his life since leaving Hawaii to go to college and into the workforce, I am confident that he is committed to the precepts of our Constitution that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you President Obama for the efforts you have made on our behalf to work with the politicians in Washington who appear not to be committed, as you are, to the Founding Fathers' goals for all of the citizens of our country. And, to you True Dixie Conservative, I ask that you pay close attention, because I am confident that history will record that President Barack Obama, who is a natural born citizen of this great country, having been born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii (except for the few years that he lived in Indonesia); who has produced and even posted his Certification of Birth (the only document the State of Hawaii has issued to anyone as evidence of their birth in Hawaii for over a decade now); who has not paid anyone any money in connection with his birth record, except for the cost for issuance of the certified copy/ies of his Certification of Birth that he produced and posted on the Internet ... no one in any State can obtain the "original" of their birth record, because the State maintains the originals and issues only certified copies; who is not now and never has been of the Muslim religion, his middle name having been given to him at the time of his birth as more of an ethnic name, than a religious one since his Father was not a religious man; who has been and continues to be of the Christian faith, that history will record that President Obama is one of, if not the best, President of the United States who has served in that office up until the time of his service.

good info but please give us a paragrpah or two every once in a while

So, Dano, what would taking care of the USA look like for you?

Dano: if you had the slightest clue of what your talking about you might be dangerous but you don't so that simply makes you irrelevant. Do some research before simply spewing your comments.

How many billions are we giving to everyone, how much of that aid translates into US jobs for goods and services here in the US? I know you have no clue.

Well expend some time and educate yourself - the FED budget is on line availabnle for review with a very nice breakdown on how expeditures can translates to jobs.

President is only doing what the Republicans want him to do -- since the Republicans rule.

It is amazing that the Republicans said, vote for us in November and everyone did thinking they would help with jobs, deficit you know all the important stuff.

Instead they went after WOMEN. Three bills attacking women. Rape and incest should be redefined. Imagine there is nothing else for the Republicans to take care of right now except what happens with pregnant women. I suppose it's their new HCR. They have now inserted the death panel, where a woman should die rather than get an abortion.

I am sure women who voted them in are the happiest people on earth right now. The Republicans are truly following the no tradition. NO JOBS, NO SPENDING CUTS, NO DEFICIT REDUCTION, NO BRINGING JOBS BACK TO THE USA, NO ABORTIONS, RAPE IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED RAPE UNLESS THE WOMAN IS SEVERELY BEATEN, NO MORE STATUTORY RAPE. I suppose men are happy too.

Should we ask our newly elected Republicans about jobs and spending cuts and all the promises they made, we will hear duh, duh what promises? Republicans rule women.

ok what is a thered world country???????? never heard of it before

A Thered world Country? Yes I guess a nation of dummies that can't even spell will do that.

People, cut em some slack. Some of us are public skooled by Union teachers. For 10 to 15 thousand a year per pupil what da ya expect!

Really Mac, where's this because I know alot of teachers who'd be willing to move!! Those kind of statements just show bitterness and ignorance. Is that what you intended? And if you can read this thank a teacher.

I thought it is schooled, not skooled. Skooled is a Canadian program for children. He must be from Canada, eh? If I interpret Mac's math properly, an average teacher might have thirty kids in a class, so at 10K-15K per student, the average annual pay for a teacher is about $240,000 per year. Is this a case of a math miscalculation on my part, or misinformation on Mac's part?

Carol and Virgil, most large city DEMO school districts spend about 10 to 18,000 dollars per pupil per year. Does the teacher get it, NO. Administration cost and graft and waste suck it up. Did I say the teachers got it? Recon I can't even type an understandable statement either! LOL!

Mac- I've been in manufacturing for over thirty five years, and I understand overhead costs. It's very much like the record business. The bands, if you will, get such a small percentage of record sales the only way to make any money is to go on tour. Then they have to pay for that infrastructure which includes the sound company, liability insurance for both parties, transportation, food and lodging, security, etc... It makes it hardy worth getting out of bed. What the general public does not know is what it costs to operate a business. Thanks for the intel, it puts things in perspective. Sorry about the Canada crack, just my usual sarcasm. No ill will intended.

We inbreds in Ky spend about 5 thousand per pupil per year and even though bein poe trailer trash, outscore the innercity who outspend us three times as much! It sure ain't due to the gene pool here in KY! LOL!

Not only that, but you folks have some great music. A friend of mine is from KY, a real salt of the earth.

By the way, I don't believe all the people in your state play the banjo!

Virgil, you be a thinkin about dem boys in Arkansaw, ya hear da Banjoes fire up, run for yo life or squeeellll like a PIG!

Sorry about that, it's been a while since I saw the movie. I hope when Ned dies he won't be remembered for that role alone. He was born in KY if you didn't know.

Mac, the problem is that you mentioned Union teachers. You didn't expand to include other factors, if teachers were your only focus, you should be sorry, if not, I am sorry.

Carrol, please look at 11.6. I mentioned Administrtive and Graft are the major factors. Democrates have no monopoly on corruption, but it appears to me they outdue the Repugs by a factor of 10. Those school districts that spend the most money per studit are usually in Lage Demo cities and have the worst schools and the worst coruption. How about that Cali school that spent a quarter of a billion dollars on a school! LOL!

Russel, Try this. Don't believe everything you hear, and only believe half of what you see. If you can do that you might have a better chance of keeping your sanity, it works for me.

That spending in the Middle East was started by Bush.

President Obama inherited a mess from Bush. Would you have preferred he allowed the banks to fail? We'd all be sitting worse now than we are. Even some Republicans admit he inherited the mess and allowing the banks to fail was NOT an option.

TJ Rock: Although you say " ... he ( President Obama) overspent and gave too much away when he first took office...." -please remember that the bail outs came from the Bush administration.

We can like them or not, but we will look back someday and know that they were necessary to keep this country afloat.

love it or loeave it: Bush inherited the clinton mess resulting in 9/11 and a fanatical muslim led terrorist war against the US and our alies

Obama inherited 2 wars and chose to continue our military involvement

The bank mess was inherited by Bush from the clinton administration - bush struggled with a democratic controlled congress that rejected any and all reforms of Freddie and Fannie that led to the melt down in the banking induxctry and the housing market.

You know folks your allowed to actually do some research about these topics before you comment - all the information is available on line. Would help you avoid the embarressment of making a fool out of yourself when you simply spew all your knowledge based upon some 30 second sound bite you heard on TV from that idiot obermann or his henchmen.

HE(President Obama) didn't bailout the banks, HE LENT(as THEY are paying it back, unlike the other DEAL) money to the auto companies and saved us from a massive Despression. Finally let's remember WHEN that damn bank bailout was put into place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bruce, President Bush did NOT include the cost of the wars in his budget. President Obama INCLUDES the costs of the wars. BIIIIIG difference!

love it or leave it: Actually the wars are being funded exactly the same way under obama as they were under bush. It smoke and mirrors since the defense budget does provide actually amounts requersted throughout the year - the Dod folks are upfront about thew cost but then congress then begins playing politics. They make symbolic reductions to the DoD budget and then adds the requested funding back in through special resolutions and congressional votes after the budget has already been approved

Its just how our politicians of btoth parties play the game. The Obama budget submissions as been in place for many years. He is just as dishonest with the DoD budget as were his predeccessors.

Ternan, you were pretty pretentious in suggesting that others do research on issues before posting their comments about them, and quite frankly, my research shows that your posts aren't exactly accurate either, but my main question to you is: are you aware that their is a spell check available for these posts? You might want to consider using it, especially since you appear to be sitting all high and mighty up there on your throne with Limbaugh, Beck and Palin, et al.

great, and when none of us have jobs, you won't have a business, because we won't be able to buy what you sell.

You will eliminate 20% of your employees So you can still take 3 vacations to Tahiti or wherever your greed takes you

I'm a retired Federal contracting officer, and you don't want to know about the ingrained waste, but I'll tell of some anyway.

Painted portraits of Cabinet secretaries that can only be seen in some obscure Federal Building corridor for $24,900.00, just below the public posting threshold.

Over one-and-half computers per Departmental employee. Why buy a docking station for $150.00 when you can buy another computer for $1,500.00.

These are some of the things that are in budgets that are never questioned because they've always done it that way. There's no incentive to save. If budget isn't spent one year it's a guaranteed budget reduction in the future.

The politicians got theirs, and when they retire they go onto giving five and six figure speeches to corporate conventions or multi-million dollar lobbying positions.

Do you think they really caare about Joe Sixpack or Rosie Riveter? Power corrupts, and greed rules!

The money it costs to transport, etc. President Obama is figured into the budget for his office.

I agree with reducing the salaries of elected officials. At the same time, have them contribute to Soial Security. They can take their pensions from the money in their pension funds that is there now. Taxpayers subsidize their pensions.

Bush was criticized for his VERY late initial visit to New Orleans. The criticism wasn't about the amount of trips exactly. It was more that his trips did no good later; there was no benefit from them but would have been had he made the trips initially.

Bush spent less time in 8 years of his presidency in Washington than any other president. ... Bush Spent 487 Days At Camp David, 490 Days At Texas Ranch During ... Bush Takes Most Vacation Days For Sitting President ... Maybe Bush's legacy will be "the 70 percent

nick: I agree with your stand on eliminating all of obama's czars and his hugely inflated staff at the WH starting with Michelle and her 33 memeber staff.

The salary of our law makers is not excessive considering the mandatory unreimbursed expenses these folks have - such as maintaining a residence not only in DC but in their home of record. DC average home price is over 750,000. Their salaries are merely adequate for the jobv they do. Almost every head of a company of a middle sized company makes more than our law makers do. Areas that can result in saving from our elected officals - reduce staffs, reduce staff funding, justify all travel expenses for every staff member that travels.

Simply there are millions of ways to save money in the GVT - state - local and Federal.

I strongly agree on balanvcing the budget - that means a refocus of all of those entitlement programs, raise eligibility requirements, eliminate anyone that is not a US citizen from receiving any kind of GVT support. Reduce the 55% of our FED budget expended on entitlement programs to something we can realitically support today and into gthe futuere which means reducing those outlays from 55% to around 20%

MBA - your numbers are faulty but that is totally irrelevant - being physically away from the White House does not mean the bush or obama or any of the previous presidents did not perform their jobs. State of the art communications are available anywhere they are, they travel with staff and many of the secretaries of the various GVT agencies. The GVT continues performing no matter the physical location of the President or the vice president or the speaker etc etc. The president never has a vacation - they are always working for the duration of their term in office to suggest anything else is simply foolish and out of touch with reality.

Regarding private scector salaries vs. govt. salaries--YES, private sector management/business owners make a lot of money-but guess what--THEY are paying into social security,etc and PROVIDING jobs for others who also pay taxes! GOVERNMENT JOBS DO NOT GENERATE REVENUE--they only suck up tax dollars.

Regarding Social Security recepients--THEY Paid into the system their entire working lives with the promise of a retirement income. If a private company reneged on payments to its employees who paid into the fund, somebody would go to jail--remember Ken Lay??? What about the self-emloyed? They pay the entire cost of Social Security, not just the 50% an employee pays(the employer pays the other 50%). Just because a person is self-employed does not mean they are rich.

Social Security is NOT an "entitlement", it is a retirement plan. Unfortunately, it has been raided by the government and abused by others.

There is the issue that not everyone will benefit from paying into social security. Example, a person who has worked all their life and dies before retiring. Unless they have dependents who are eligible to collect their SS, the SSA pays out a $255 "Death Benefit" and closes the account. This is especially true when a lower wage earner such as the wife dies. The husband would collect his SS, not hers. (I know this to be true--it happened to a close friend)

Yes, I WANT my SS when I am able to retire in 5 years--I worked for it, I paid into it and I don't want some bureaucrat saying I don't deserve it!

I don't believe that our Founding Fathers ever intended that Congress and the Senate would become high paying full time jobs. They were supposed to meet to discuss important issuses and then go back home to their jobs and families. The way I see it the Federal Government has 3 jobs. Protect our boarders. Deliver the Mail. Settle disputes between the states...........Let's see that makes them 0 for 3. Time for another raise.

Az Dave, the Founding Fathers also never intended this to be a country for women, or men of color either, so there you have it, the Constitution was written long ago, in a different era, we can't expect it to cover everything in today's world. BUT we should be able to expect the people that are elected to have some sort of dedication that a Founder could recognize. A huge opportunity to make very large sums of money are suppose to come from other sources, not supposedly serving ones country.

In the real world the only option is to cut your spending... I doubt most people can arbitrarily raise their income which is what the government does when it raises taxes. Or we just charge it to credit cards until they're maxed and the collection calls start, which is what eventually might happen to the U.S. if it continues to spend recklessly.

erockaustin, in the real world, Americans most often get 2nd jobs rather than cut spending, starting in the 60's with wives going to work so the lifestyle could continue. Americans would rather work more than take a cut in their lifestyle.

DOD budget is 19% of the federal budget. It hasn't been 50% of the budget since 1960. But still we could and should cut it dramatically. Withdrawing our troops and closing their bases in 130 foreign countries would result in substantial savings. Planes have to fly and ships have to sail to maintain proficiency, but basing our troops at US bases means they spend their pay in the US, benefiting our local communities, instead of spending their pay in foreign countries.

We don't have to cut all foreign aid (that seems a sore point to liberals). We can just cut all aid to Israel. That's over half of total foreign aid, and the focus of most of the foreign difficulties we have gotten ourselves into too.

The only way to cut our interest costs is to cut the amount of money we owe. We have to quit borrowing so much money. The only way we can do that is to stop spending so much money. This should be OBVIOUS to anyone with an ounce of sense, but apparently that doesn't include those who want to protect foreign aid spending at all costs.

The troops are scheduled to come home. According to some comments here, foreign aid is only 1 - 2% of the budget. Congress has to inact regulations and/or taxes on profits from overseas. The President can only sign what Congress inacts.

I think that we need to cut foreign aid to other countries. We need to work on getting good jobs for younger people, reduce spending on space projects, stop bailing out banks so the CEOs don't take huge bonuses, fire the crooks as in BernieMadoff and others who had POnzi schemes. I also think that Medicare and social security programs should not be cut. People work their whole lives and if they get sick they should have Medicare and Social Security. Not everyone can work forever. Some people get very sick in their 60's and they need these programs. I also think we need to reduce defense spending. Let some of the other countries help the United States with defense spending. We need to help our own people. The unemployment rate is very high. Why do we have to help out the rest of the world?

Every dollar matters. We can't just use the excuse that some parts of the budget are larger in order to excuse continuing to spend in another part of the budget. Every single dollar not spent is one less dollar that has to be borrowed from China.

Rserp: The proposed cuts by obama does nothing but slow the rate of deficit spending - it does nothing to stop deficit spending nor does it do anything to reduce the deficit. Reducing the deficit only happens when congress and the president get serious about bringing stability back to our GVT and our fed budget by sharply reducing budgets across the board from the entitlement programs that drain 55% of our fed budget each year and grow in double digits each year.

your comment about the waste in Military spending is one of those urban legends. Is there some waste - yes there is for several reasons: legal restrictions placed on the military when making procurements or disposal of materiels by congress, procurements of military items the military does not want or need but have been directed by congress to buy because it creates job in some senator's state or congressmans district etc etc..

your badly off the mark when you provide your example of millions of dollars of materiels being sold for hundreds. The materiels being sold have been identified as obsolete for any number of reasons, We periodically clean out our war reserve of strategic materiels/ systems when those items are no longer of use to our military forces - changes in technology, changes in the threat dictate disposition of these systems or materiels. Before we auction anything to the general public those items are first offered to any and all FED GVT agencies, some items are reserved for foreign military sales as approved by Congress, the remainder is usually designated for destruction or offered for sale to the general public if deemed not constituting a hazard to the public.

What is offered to the public are items considered excess and of no further utility to the military- The sale of these items returns money to the general fund and not to the military budget. Can you make a killing on these auctions - rarely - though there may be some good buys if you do not object to 5 year old laptops or vehicles with 300,000 miles etc.

Yeah it's utter bull$hit, because if we only prepare the upper 2% of the population up and coming generations, were screwed,,,,,

Kibot / Jackie: Here is a news flash for you that apparently went over your head in school. Those folks with money are the ones that invest in developing products, maufacturing facilites, support your schools, your hospitals, pay the largest share of the taxes, provide your loans, build your homes and creates all of the jobs that exist in our economy.

The reason it makes sense to give them the tax break is to have them use that money to create more jobs so you and your friends and family can get back in to the world force.

The real issue is that the top 10% in wealth pay over 60% of the federal taxes in this country. the bottom 47% pay no federal taxes. Fair?? No not at all, The 47% are simply a deadweight pulling this country down. They consume more then they contibute - it is a zero sum game with those 47% - the return on investment is not worth the investment.

Can you even begin to envisioon what this country would be like if everyone did pull and pay their fair share? Your issue is with those 47% not the top 10%.

The 47% are simply a deadweight pulling this country down. They consume more then they contibute - it is a zero sum game with those 47% - the return on investment is not worth the investment.

And how do you suppose we change that if we are cutting education programs, incentive programs, and head-start assistance programs for housing and work training?

You demand a change with no means to make that change. While the rich just sit up in the clouds complaining and suck us dry. The republicans support them in their useless greedy ways.

I believe that the USA spends more on education than any other Country in the world. It is just another case of spending it " Stupidly". Education has always been important to all of us. The States need to be in charge of Education, not the Federal Government. The money needs to get into the classrooms and not to the District offices. And the teachers unions should make sure we have good teachers. Instead of protecting bad teachers. Lets start teaching them about the Greatness of this country and how fortunate we are to be free to live the lives we do. God Bless America