…nobody gives a shit.
The House is voting on “Cut, Cap & Balance” today, but the Senate won’t pass it and Obama has promised to veto the thing if it gets as far as his desk.
Yes, they all want to work together and make a deal. NOT.
From the Reaganite Republican: Proposed cuts that would save $2.5 trillion over 10 years:
• Save America ‘s Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings.
• International Fund for Ireland . $17 million annual savings.
• Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.
• National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.
• National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.
• Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings .
• Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings .
• Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
• U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.
• Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings .
• Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings .
• John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.
• Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.
• Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.
• Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings.
• Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.
• Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.
• Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.
• Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.
• Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.
• New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.
• Exchange Programs for Alaska , Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts . $9 million annual savings
• Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.
• Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.
• Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings
.
• Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.
• Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.
• Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.
• FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.
• Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.
• Economic Assistance to Egypt . $250 million annually.
• U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.
• General Assistance to District of Columbia . $210 million annual savings.
• Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.
• Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.
• No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.
• End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
• Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.
• IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
• Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings .
• Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings over ten years.
• Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.
• Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.
• Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings.
• Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . $12.5 million annual savings
• Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings .
• USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.
• Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). $93 million annual savings.
• Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $56.2 million annual savings.
• Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs. $900 million savings .
• Ready to Learn TV Program. $27 million savings ..
• also cut HUD Ph.D.Program, the Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act, etc.
_________________________________________
= TOTAL SAVINGS of
$2.5 Trillion over ten years
19. July 2011 at 9:54 am
That’s an awful lot of money floating around out there. Some of those items, I’d keep, others I’d toss out. Any services that are duplicates need to be cut. Anything that continues to pad or line the pockets of govt need to go. We don’t need new offices, new decorating, etc. We don’t. When schools are falling down around our children, our officials should not be given fancier and fancier offices with nicer furniture. In fact, they should be put into the schools that are deteriorating and have to work out of there until they can get their shit together and find money for our children and essential services.
I say we cut their salaries, reduce the number of assistants they have, take away luxury accommodations, etc. Used to be that you went into public service to better your community and to help others. Now you go into public service to better your bank account, to help yourself.
19. July 2011 at 9:56 am
LOVE your ideas! Wish we could adopt them immediately
19. July 2011 at 10:08 am
I wouldn’t say that NOBODY gives a shit. Just not enough of the right people
19. July 2011 at 10:09 am
Yeah, you’re right there…
19. July 2011 at 5:41 pm
I see you and are thinking on the same lines. I wrote a post the other day (buried in all my recent outbursts) about cutting salaries… make them work for a living and LEAVE their jobs to be a congressman and pay them a SMALL stipend until they go home. Hence, they won’t want to stay. It is NOT to be equivalent to what they made, it is to supplement them being away for a SHORT period of time from their job in their state. What a concept… too bad it died so many years ago.
19. July 2011 at 5:52 pm
That’s the way it should be, VW. Perhaps we can get back there someday…
19. July 2011 at 10:01 pm
I think the pres. needs to come to Indiana. Our state budget is in the black. We may not wear shoes or have all of our teeth but we know how to manage our money.
20. July 2011 at 7:00 am
Indiana is a pretty state. I was there in 1972 with my family for Dad’s Army reunion.
Y’all could school obama AND California!
19. July 2011 at 11:20 pm
The government drones got the Department of Energy, the energy situation has got worse ever since. The government drones got the Department of Education. Education has got worse ever since. The Government drones got The Great Society. Society is in the toilet.
I am not always the smartest guy in the room but I can see a relationship here. Anything you want to make worse, put government drones in charge of it.
20. July 2011 at 7:04 am
Yep! Then put government on top of government. Then ladle a big ol’ helping of the UN on it. That’s a shit sundae.