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With the country in financial trouble, what would you cut?

If it was possible to have an "uninfluenced" person look over and review the U.S. budget, couldn't we find ways to cut back and get a balanced budget?

I just read that our explorer on mars is discovering that mars had water long ago. As I watch the reports that wall street fell 777 points today and we are in financial trouble, is finding evidence of water on mars that important? Also, I saw on CNN that each political convention cost over 50 million dollars and all of it was paid for by companies and groups which goes against the guidelines for campaign funding. Frustrating, isn't it?

What else would you cut if given the chance?

created by hockeyfan on Sep 29, 2008 at 08:24:24 pm     Comments: 17

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Comments ... #

Space exploration since it inception has driven the rest of science across the boards, resulting in a mushrooming effect on the advancement of science. That has led to much of the technology and real economic growth you see around you. The NASA technology transfer history is full of examples of technology flowing both to and from space exploration efforts to our immense benefit. So rather than cut space exploration, I would fund it more and so renew our lead in science and technology which was our real advantage over the rest of the world.

I'd cut corporate welfare, and cut corporate leaders from being phony regulators in charge of most of our government agencies. I'd cut out any possibility of a corporation giving one cent to a politician, even if it takes a constitutional amendment(s). Currently they have the right of free speech which allows them to effectively buy our federal, state, and local representatives.

I'd cut subsidies to coal and oil, which are currently at one trillion dollars each (cumulative).

I'd cut the corporate paid representatives out of government for life.

I'd cut all immigration at the border with force.

I'd deport the rest of them.

Every nation that sent jobs overseas would pay a 1000% tariff on any goods they want to sell here, until they bring back all the jobs they sent out.

I'd end all trade agreements we have signed.

I'd cut off the federal reserve, abolish it, and return monetary policy to congress.

I'd cut off any posibility of ever having another imperial presidency.

I'd pass an amendment that whenever a member of congress votes to give away his responsibilities regarding war, that it is an act of treason.

I'd cut out any possibility of lobbying.

I'd cut every news agency in the country into a thousand smaller companies with no central control, and a mandate to 100% of the time present both sides of every argument with equal gusto. Any news organization not actively doing investigative reporting would lose its license to broadcast and be required to stamp the words, "corporate propaganda" across the front page of their paper. :-) I like this one.

So much more too.

posted by prime3end on Sep 29, 2008 at 08:52:44 pm     #



Let's start by cutting electricity, water, gas, and Internet to all federal buildings. Then, when the political vermin scurry out of the halls of Congress and the White House, we round 'em up and relocate them to the states from whence they arrived.

That is more humane that the option advocated in V for Vendetta, wouldn't you say?

posted by historymike on Sep 29, 2008 at 09:15:52 pm     #



This is a little off-topic of this post...

We need clean energy...not ALL of it has to be "clean", but we need a good chunk (more than our current 5%)

If WE only had 750 billion dollars to spend on roads, infrastructure, health care, and renewable energy, the jobs created alone would equal the benefits of a cleaner, better society.

Just remember...you ARE the government...WE (the people) elect the people in office, who are supposed to act on our best interests...

This is Action and I aprove this message :)

posted by Action on Sep 29, 2008 at 10:37:10 pm     #



I'd cut Medicare and Social Security (even though I'm 60). If this were done there would be a die-off among the elderly who cannot afford to live without government subsidies. At present most families rely on government aid to take care of their elderly. I am not sure if I would be able to subsidize my mother if it weren't for Medicare. She has value since she babysits my younger brothers' children but should the state subsidize such "financial perks"? People might not like this but it makes more sense than cutting welfare (which hurts a younger generation on which we depend for future growth and consumption). Perhaps we could set up a quid pro quo. In exchange for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid those who accept such aid would lose the right to vote for such aid. Perhaps an across-the-board loss of the right to vote might be needed. This way those who benefit from such programs would not be a powerful enough voting block to keep expanding the subsidies involved.

posted by oldsendbrdy on Sep 29, 2008 at 11:05:31 pm     #



I have to disagree with dumping more money into space, unless there is work being done that we aren't privy to. wink, wink.
Yes, we have cool microwaves, smaller electronics, and playstation 3, but really, would we not have advances in technology without the space program? Maybe not as fast, but are we hurting for advances in technology?

One thing we, yes we, should do is reform voting and elections. The recent past elections have definately raised enough questions to warrant this. It is harder to get a driver's license than it is to vote. Isn't there a better way to track voting?

posted by hockeyfan on Sep 29, 2008 at 11:37:58 pm     #



NASA technology transfer is Very Active, NASA is a prime contributor to the advances in basic sciences that raises all ships, including medicine, physics of all types, materials science, nano, its amazing. They are big into solar and wind too. Hockey you should look a little deeper into NASA's contributions to small business endeavors. They are the only businesses still paying taxes, the small ones. There is no substitute for NASA and a country as warlike as ours needs all the military benefits that NASA has provided and they are too numerous to mention. The gigawatt solar facility being built in California is using brains from Sandia and NASA. When we cut NASA's budget we decide to become international losers. But really you should look at what NASA technology transfer has given the country.

posted by prime3end on Sep 30, 2008 at 04:44:17 am     #



Here is just some of NASA's spinoff contribution to cancer research, but their contribution to the useful economy is tremendous:
http://www.ip.nasa.gov/contributions.htm

Here is a small listing of what they have given us, besides the technological lead that makes the nation strong::
http://www.ip.nasa.gov/

I strongly rec a tour of NASA Glen research lab over in Clevelandia before you get out your axe. Right now they are gearing up to further partner with us here in Toledo at the (CENSORED) till press release.

posted by prime3end on Sep 30, 2008 at 05:08:52 am     #



Where I live, whenever there is a levy on the ballot for schools we always have a group of people who say "Teachers should donate at least two weeks of their salary so we don't have to raise taxes."

I say, we demand all Senators and Congressional Reps as well as the President and VP donate all their salaries.

posted by corky on Sep 30, 2008 at 06:33:36 am     #



What would I cut?

Everything.

Tell every agency or dept to plan for a (insert #) % cut in their budgets. EVERYTHING should be on the table.

posted by Postal on Sep 30, 2008 at 07:42:58 am     #



Would cut Pensions for Congressmen and Senators. Would cut out all their medical perks and have them use social security and medicare after their done in office. Would cut their salaries as well. Freeze all automatic and future pay raises for all goverment jobs till economy better. Pull troops from all foreign locations that are not active support or actual combat zones. So we still have troops in: Bosnia, Japan, Germany, England, Haiti, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Guam, Porto Rico, Philipines?? If North Korea weren't such boneheads would pull troops from there as well. I say tell Iraq they got 2 years to pull their heads out of their asses because we are leaving.

Comes down to it government beurocracy is the most inefficient way to do business there is. Any private industry can usually supply items and services cheaper. But those private companies tend to have less oversight or morals than government. As long as there is honest competition between multiple companies, its usually fair and balances.

posted by Linecrosser on Sep 30, 2008 at 09:27:16 am     #



"government beurocracy"
seriously?

I'd cut corporate welfare and war profiteering.

Any bank, corporation, agency too big to fail is to big to have, a liability, and must be broken up.

And make policy promises by politicians looking to get elected binding. Maybe a nice revival of contract law.

I'd cut school to 4 days a week, so kids can have time to read and learn on their own.

posted by charlatan on Sep 30, 2008 at 10:01:31 am     #



I could never understand why an ax (cutting each department's budget by a fixed percent) would be so attractive. If it takes x% for something to happen then you need x%. For example, if a given person needs 800 calories per day to maintain his metabolism to survive then it doesn't make much sense to do a 5% cut (if he dies). Hopefully there are reasonable people in our government (though from I saw yesterday I think not). Right now we are trying to use technology in the Middle East and Afghanistan to try to protect our troops. We may have to just rely on numbers and tactics to keep down casualties if we have to start "rationing" ammunition to maintain programs for future readiness. Oh well, it's back to my father's kind of war (were thousands died because "there was a war on").

posted by oldsendbrdy on Sep 30, 2008 at 10:46:34 am     #



As an average joe, I find myself being educated on things such as NASA from this board and it's posters. That's neat.
But as an average joe, I believe that looking at every program, learning about it, then making a wise decision based on what the country and it's citizens need is important. Not making decisions to keep my butt in office or to keep my political party happy.

Lastly, I love the idea of cutting senator and congressman pay and benefits. They have the best benefits and are taken care of for life as soon as they are elected. Besides their work schedule resembles something from "Fantasy Island".

posted by hockeyfan on Sep 30, 2008 at 01:23:39 pm     #



"I'd cut school to 4 days a week, so kids can have time to read and learn on their own."

The malls would love that!

posted by Offshore on Sep 30, 2008 at 01:58:01 pm     #



oldsendbrdy, so you don't like the "ax"?

Do you believe our federal agencies are lean and mean? Do you truly believe they lack any fat that could/ should be trimmed? Are these agencies barely surviving on your "800 calories"? If you reduce their calories by x%, will these agencies wither and die?

I could only hope so.

posted by Postal on Sep 30, 2008 at 09:49:28 pm     #



The biggest enemy of any government on earth has become a worker who demands a fair and decent standard of living. Corporate government hates such workers.

posted by prime3end on Sep 30, 2008 at 11:15:06 pm     #



The biggest enemy of any taxpayer has become a unionized govt worker. Taxpayers should fear such workers.

posted by Postal on Oct 01, 2008 at 06:03:21 am     #