[Annyllop21]

Cut down military and welfare/unemployment spending, end the global war on terror. Social security is pensions, right? Relocate all old people to Philippines and halve their pensions.

[hygtfrdes]

halve military
end foreign aid
end corporate subsidies
end drug war
end "war on terror"
increase funding DoJ/CIA/Intel

thats a start, then I'd get into the entitlement programs followed by tax cuts once the debt is under control

[sobre]

Winding down Iraq and Afghanistan + ending the health care tax exemption probably does most of the work, especially in the long-term.

Iraq and Afghanistan amount to about $100 billion per year. Do you honestly think removing health care tax exemptions would raise an additional $900 billion per year? I sure don't.

halve military
end foreign aid
end corporate subsidies
end drug war
end "war on terror"
increase funding DoJ/CIA/Intel

thats a start, then I'd get into the entitlement programs followed by tax cuts once the debt is under control

-Halving military saves about $240 billion
-foreign aid - $2-$3 billion. (Sorry but not much there)
-War on drugs - DOJ's total budget is $20 billion and WOD is only a fraction of that but let's just call it $5 billion
-War on Terror - $145 billion

You've only saved about $400 billion not counting the increased spending so you need to find another $600 billion per year in cuts.

[Blaxastij]

Kill DHS and Missile Defense and most of the US contingent in Korea. Abolish the Senate, the Electoral College and the Vice President. Since I don't know that much about internal politics I'd cut 20% out of everything equally and raise taxes to cover the rest.

[dahlilaninfo]

Eliminate everything except
$261 billion - Interest on National Debt (at least until we have the military power needed to invade the nations we borrowed money from)
$481.4 billion - Department of Defense
$145.2 billion - Global War on Terror
$34.3 billion - Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security takes over the responsibilities of the Department of Justice
Department of Defense takes over the responsibilities of Social Security and Welfare - the elderly and unemployed can be put to work clearing minefields

[wbondarmunw]

Wow, Ben doesn't think regulation of interstate commerce isn a Federal responsibility. He must have never read the constitution.

[johnlohanmclee]

I like it how people are axing the Department of Labor . I wonder what they plan to do when businesses screw them over on wages or pensions or health care...

[NvrNoNowX]

Wow, Ben doesn't think regulation of interstate commerce isn a Federal responsibility. He must have never read the constitution. What, is that department of transportation? Why is it not Homeland Security.

D of T is the federal roads funding, etc. That should go to the states.

[Kryfamid]

What big programs would you cut or eliminate in order to add up to $1 trillion per year?

Institute means testing for Social Security and Medicare. All done.

[Misebeita]

What big programs would you cut or eliminate in order to add up to $1 trillion per year?

Institute means testing for Social Security and Medicare. All done. Even if we assume 25% of the people on SSI and medicare are rich enough that they wouldn't pass means testing the savings would only be ~$240 billion leaving you $760 billion short of the goal of cutting $1 trillion.

[ggdfgtdfffhfyj]

If someone makes over a certain amount then they are judged to not need the benefit. So unless you are claiming everyone one on SSI and Medicare would be judged to be ineligible due to means testing results then you're no where near $1 trillion in savings.

[beethyday]

Good question, good thread. Budget cutting isn't as easy to do as it sounds. But it is almost too big to cut in a way. We can say "cut ___ department 40%" but we have no idea what would be cut from that department, which programs would have to go, etc. We may rethink once we knew the particulars.

Plus there is loads and loads of waste and inefficiency that could be cut (in theory) without affecting services. How to do that is another story. How do you change the culture of an institution as big as the federal government? How do you cut red tape in one of the world's biggest bureaucracies? Beats me. Plus if things were streamlined, how much money would that save? 10%? 30%? 2%? How inefficient is the gov't anyhow?

Cut defense, cut farm aid, cut a lot of other things people mentioned.

Then, probably, I'd suggest raising taxes on the rich (possibly still below pre-Bush levels, but just throwing out random ideas) with a pledge that all money from that tax would go directly to pay down the debt. Paying down the debt should be something rich folks would be ok with. As the debt declines (and interest payments decline) then the tax would be phased out as well.

[vSzsgifP]

Cut offense imo.

[Sydaycymn]

Liar. You're just mad because you know I was right and you were wrong.




Go do your research and then come back and explain how I'm wrong.

[Hoijdxvh]

I'd suggest raising taxes on the rich Rich people in CA relocate to NV.

California Bankrupt.

C'mon. Why can't the leftists be honest here. Make your priorities, cut the unnecessary waste and balance the budget.

It CAN be done.

[prehighaltitudesjj]

Rich people in CA relocate to NV.

Nope. The population keeps going up.

[Unhappu]

Nope. The population keeps going up. The population? What's that have to do with the migration of rich people out of CA? The fastest growing city of over a million is in Vegas. Look at Phoenix too. Are you telling me that a significant number of these folks are not former CA residents?

[jyhugikuhih]

Ben telling someone to "be honest".



It was worth stopping in this morning.

[Nosmas]

Wezil, it's Oerdin, what do you expect?

He has to have one inaccuracy in every post.

[MeverikcNils]

Wow why don't you admit I proved you wrong. You don't need to totally eliminate either program, let alone both of them.

Why don't you stop fearmongering.

As for "the rich" leaving CA

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/05/...-millionaires/

Ben, you're so stupid it is painful.

What most interests me is the shift in millionaire populations since last year. The total population of millionaire households grew 5.9% in 2007, a slight pick-up from the 2006 growth rate of 5%. Yet Los Angeles County, while still in the lead, lost about 7,000 millionaire households. Cook County in Illinois (which includes Chicago) also lost about 7,000, while Orange County and San Diego’s millionaire populations dipped slightly. Wow, you mean the state which was most effected by the real estate bubble where a very large percentage of paper millionaires' fortunes were based on real estate assets decreased when the real estate market imploded? Who would have guessed?!

The decrease in total numbers doesn't mean millionaires gave up their beach houses in Malibu and decided to set up house in some **** hole in Alabama and instead mostly just reflects the decreases in asset values due to the financial crisis and deep recession. Now, start posting on topic or I'll be forced to put you on ignore for stupidity the way half the forum already has.

Edit: The conclusion from your own link, you numbnut:

It means millionaires are still multiplying, but housing is taking its toll. Even though the millionaire stats don’t include primary homes, real estate is still an important wealth creator, and areas that are most dependent on the real-estate boom (California and Florida) have taken the hardest hit. Learn to read.