Obamaite primitives dream of budget cuts

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4537988

Oh my.

First, the High Priestess of the Obamaites:

cali  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:29 AM
Original message
 
Obama vows to cut spending: Where and what should he cut?

Obviously, most of us would like to see cuts in defence, but aside from that where would you like to see Obama target spending cuts?

meowomon (454 posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:31 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. corporate welfare

Crankie Avalon  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:31 AM
Response to Original message
 
2. Cutting down on any aggressive wars lying around would be a dynamite start.

BobRossi (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:33 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. NASA, NSA, DARPA, CIA, FBI, DOE

All good starts.

cobalt1999  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:34 AM
Response to Reply #3
 
5. NASA is not a good start.

In fact, it's underfunded.

Zywiec (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:50 AM
Response to Reply #3
 
15. Yeah, DARPA only invented the internet and GPS

I mean who actually uses these things?

tekisui  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:33 AM
Response to Original message
 
4. The Pentagon.

The primitives are fantasizing, as usual.

Any takers on a pool about how much defense spending is going to increase under the Big Zero?

Not that the Big Zero's going to want to increase defense spending, but simply because it's going to have to be increased.

NOW tense (166 posts)       Wed Nov-26-08 08:38 AM
Response to Original message
 
6. The war on drugs

To start with.

Well, one suspects what that primitive's hobby is.

Or job.

ProfessorGAC  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 09:46 AM
Response to Reply #6
 
21. Second Biggest Waste Of Money Ever

Only SDI is worse.

charlie  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:39 AM
Response to Original message
 
7. Military

It needs saying again anyway, it's a ******* open-ended coke 'n hookers party for contractors.

Much of agribusiness, particularly corn subsidies.

Intangible drilling costs.

Yeah, screw the farmers again.

Zen Democrat (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:40 AM
Response to Original message
 
8. Cut the insurance companies out of Medicare D -- and lower the costs to taxpayers and improve the coverage for seniors for medicine -- not to mention bargaining with drug companies for lower prices.

Juche  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:42 AM
Response to Original message
 
9. medicare plus, let medicare negotiate, end the Iraq war

My understanding is letting medicare negotiate medicines and eliminating medicare plus subsidies will save about $35 billion/yr. Ending the war in Iraq will save $10 billion a month minimum.

Alter Ego (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:46 AM
Response to Original message
 
11. Pony subsidies.

That oughta piss off the tinfoilers.

IDemo  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:47 AM
Response to Original message
 
12. Saturday mail delivery. Not a biggie, but it's a start

ThomWV  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:48 AM
Response to Original message
 
13. Department of Defense!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cut it in half. Don't take a scalpel to anything, just cut every ****ing program exactly in half.

ayeshahaqqiqa  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:49 AM
Response to Original message
 
14. Cut Congressional salaries and his own, to set an example of fiscal restraint.

Cut defense spending on new weapons and on the wars. Use this money to increase spending to VA hospitals and veteran care.

Cut monies to building new roads and use it instead to repair existing ones.

Stop the stupid war on marijuana, legalize it and tax it heavily--this becomes thereby a revenue producer rather than a drain.

LaydeeBug  (273 posts)     Wed Nov-26-08 08:51 AM
Response to Original message
 
16. iraq.

blindpig (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:52 AM
Response to Original message
 
17. No 'aside from that'.
 
Our military is the biggest money hole on the planet. A nearly complete waste of money, unless you're one of the masters of war. How can you possibly take that off the table? That is a total refutation of what this place has been about since it opened.

This boat is tipping so far to the right that it's going to flip over.

Hmmm.  franksolich thinks the subway cat and her kind are the biggest money hole on the planet, a complete waste of money, unless one is one of them.

cali  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:54 AM
Response to Reply #17
 
18. I wasn't taking it off the table. I was taking it as a given that we'd all like to see cuts in defense spending. I don't see how that could have been more obvious- even a blind pig with a severe cognitive disorder should have been able to figure that out. double duh.

franksolich also thinks the High Priestess of the Obamaites, the Obamaite cali primitive, could use some lessons from Dale Carnegie about winning friends and influencing people.

blindpig (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 09:34 AM
Response to Reply #18
 
20. Given the trend we're seeing here, not so obvious.
 
Cause see we're supposed to be 'pragmatic' now, bipartisan and all, besides, can't look weak on so-called 'defense'. Anyway, our man on the white horse sez he wants to ramp up the action in Afghanistan and Pakistan, continue the occupation of Iraq and greatly increase the standing army. Can't be undermining our Leader, after all, 'we' won, didn't we?

Seeing as we're supposed to be patient and not criticize this raft of hideous appointments that he's making, totally indicative of the direction that the new administration will take, I just took your OP to be more of the same.

If I misunderstood you, I apologise.

dkf  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 09:05 AM
Response to Original message
 
19. I hope they examine and justify every contract done recently to examine it for cronyism.

I bet a lot of it is unneeded.

We should concentrate on keeping functions within the civilian workforce of the Federal Government as much as possible.

"Cronyism"--don't one-party corrupt blue states have a problem with cronyism?

sentelle (543 posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 09:47 AM
Response to Reply #19
 
22. also examine them

For 'cost plus' items (meaning the contractor is paid the cost, plus profit). If they are reputable, they can work on a fixed fee, based on their estimate. This is what most businesses do.

Remove the governments ability to receive 'cost plus' bids. Then, there will be no cost overruns, $500 hammers, or fat cat defense contractors.

Please note: I am not in any way insulting 'Cost Plus World Market'

stuntcat  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 09:55 AM
Response to Original message
 
23. how much does the government subsidize the meat industry?

If we paid what it really cost then a hamburger would be like $25. Eating meat 3-4 times a day is taking a toll on the whole planet and affecting everyone's health, which ends up being another waste of resources and time. Our government is helping the industry run.

And I'm not saying everyone has to go vegan.. I just wish everyone know exactly what's going into their over-fed faces  The waste is just STUPID. Even vegetarians are paying for it with their taxes.

Rainbowreflect  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 10:11 AM
Response to Original message
 
25. Bush & Cheney's retirement and Secret Service expense.

Impeach, convict and imprison.

MessiahRp  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 10:12 AM
Response to Original message

26. I have a lot of things I would do...

Cut the Pentagon budget at least in half. We can still fund the military and do just fine with $500 billion in spending instead of $1 Trillion (let them find the $1-2 Trillion they've lost and can't find and use that). I'd eliminate the Department of Homeland Security all together and repackage the FBI, CIA and NSA and all other intelligence agencies into one Agency that uses one database.

I'd repeal the Bush Tax Cut for the Rich, close tax loopholes on SUVs and prevent off shore tax havens (not to mention prosecute those who have them currently which should be easier thanks to the UBS snitch).

I would cut out a lot of the earmarks much like McCain said but evaluate which ones were worth keeping for actually valuable reasons and which ones were basically like the Hooters Restaurant our Government built or the Bridge to Nowhere.

I'd make Marijuana usage legal and have the government tax and regulate it including providing licenses to companies that want to mass produce it. I would have similar laws about driving while under the influence and force there to be a blood/urine test taken based on suspicion since there is no breathalyzer for this. Also smoking out in public would be the same as drinking in public. I'm sure people will have no problems doing it in their own home knowing it's now legal. We'll let all Marijuana offenders out of jail and expunge their records of marijuana charges. I would also recommend that federal guidelines give all other alcohol/drug offenders treatment options instead of jail time. For those addicted to Heroin or Cocaine they should be put into treatment and given probation where they need to check in rather than filling our jails with more people.

Alleviating the prison system's burden will save us tons of money and we can spend dramatically less on the faux war on drugs.

I'd end the Iraq War and stop any further money from being invested there. I'd put Pakistan on notice and require they work with us to get Osama Bin Laden now or see their $10 billion disappear in the future.

I'd end the production of Nuclear Weapons and pretty much cancel a large amount of weapons contracts.

I'd halt any further bailout of banking businesses in favor of shoring up the sub-prime mortgage crisis by having the Government buy these mortgages and set new fixed rate terms. We can buy most of these mortgages for pennies on the dollar and by renegotiating to recoup even 50 cents on the dollar we'd make a huge profit should people be able to pay a more stabilized fixed rate mortgage rather than a fluctuating ARM loan.

I'd only give a bailout to the Big Three with serious preconditions about direction of company, CEO pay & bonuses and attempt to recover jobs that they had cut or sent abroad.

I'd offer a nice tax break to any company that retains a certain percentage of their workforce in America with tax break incentives to go even higher if they create new jobs here in America and even higher than that if the jobs are Union Jobs.

I'd offer universal health care to everyone and take everyone off of the health insurance industry's rolls. I'd eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, Medical Assistance in favor of one program. In return I would tax every employer a base percentage and raise the income tax ever so slightly to help fund it. In both cases the tax will equate to far less than they were likely paying to the insurance companies for premiums. I would push the drug companies to negotiate across the board discounts just as they do for the VA and for Canada and provide our citizens with lower costing, fully covered medicine.

I'd end Faith Based Initiatives. Churches already get huge tax breaks and donor money is better served in this as well since our Government is not real strong on tracking church activities and carrying out on any mandates with the money.

In order to prevent more credit issues I would attempt to enact rules that protect people from having their credit score used by any potential employers in considering applicants. Credit discrimination is wrong and prevents good people from attempting to rebuild their credit through working. I would also apply this discrimination law to landlords or those who provide rental housing. If someone's been evicted, a simple case search will show this and it will be easy to find out a renter's history without looking at their credit. But many times a good renter who is behind on medical bills or has a large credit card balance will be denied a place to live because of credit discrimination.

With jobs and housing credit discrimination continues a vicious cycle that keeps people impoverished. Without a place to live people won't give you a job and without a job people won't give you a place to live... without either you can never fix your credit.

So those are some of the things I would focus the most on.

High Plains (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 10:13 AM
Response to Original message
 
27. No more funding foreign wars or drug wars. Huge savings.

High Plains (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 10:15 AM
Response to Original message
 
28. Federal Bureau of Prisons. We're holding 100,000+ non-violent offenders.

Hmmm.  One suspects the above primitive has a relative or loved one in prison.

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 10:16 AM
Response to Original message

29. Faith based bullshit

Man, the grouchy old primitive IS a real grouch, isn't he?

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 10:17 AM
Response to Original message
 
30. Mercenary companies need to be put out of business immediately

They are a threat to us all.

mondo joe  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 10:18 AM
Response to Original message
 
31. Subsidies for non-food-grade corn (ie, corn intended not to be eaten as is).

lwfern  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 10:30 AM
Response to Reply #31
 
32. That would be brilliant.

There are so many obvious places to cut massive amounts from the budget, it's a no brainer.

I second the post above with DOD, NASA (yes, I said it), DARPA, DOE, etc. And the war on drugs. And all the bailouts going to corporations. And we need to withdraw from IRAQ and NOT dump all the shit into Afghanistan like we're gonna save ourselves from the bad effects of coca-cola by switching to pepsi. Every time Obama starts in on Afghanistan I remember why people say the two parties are the same. (yes, I said that, too).

End the tax breaks to the rich - and not "in a while when we feel it's safe." Just end the damn cuts.

And as a token gesture of not living like nobility, just once I'd like to see the people in the white house not waste a ton of money redecorating the damn place. I know that's not a substantial dent, but still, the fact that the elected "servants" of the homeless and hungry are spending more in a week on bs like that than many people make in a year makes me ill.

All of that money should be diverted to projects for the public good - universal health care (and frankly I am fine with stopping government research money for new medical breakthroughs until everyone in the US has access to the breakthroughs we've already made), affordable housing out of renewable resources, public transportation, community gardens, and so on.

(he should dump his economic advisers and appoint me).

Well, well, the wish list of the primitives.

Unfortunately for the primitives, none of these things will happen.

[Rebel]

NOW tense (166 posts)       Wed Nov-26-08 08:38 AM
Response to Original message
 
6. The war on drugs

To start with.

ProfessorGAC  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 09:46 AM
Response to Reply #6
 
21. Second Biggest Waste Of Money Ever

Only SDI is worse.

Kinda like that war on poverty, right?

Budget cuts? I say EVERYTHING that doesn't have to do with the regulation of interstate commerce and national defense.

[AllosaursRus]

stuntcat  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 09:55 AM
Response to Original message
 
23. how much does the government subsidize the meat industry?

If we paid what it really cost then a hamburger would be like $25. Eating meat 3-4 times a day is taking a toll on the whole planet and affecting everyone's health, which ends up being another waste of resources and time. Our government is helping the industry run.

And I'm not saying everyone has to go vegan.. I just wish everyone know exactly what's going into their over-fed faces  The waste is just STUPID. Even vegetarians are paying for it with their taxes.

Holy Moses, Andy!

This is by far the most uninformed post I have ever read! Hey STUPID! If it weren't for the protein we recieve from being carnivoruos, we would never have left the trees!

What an ignorant ASS!

[franksolich]

What an ignorant ASS!

All the primitives are.

That's why the Big Zero's not going to bother asking the primitives, even the Obamaite primitives, for advice on budgetary matters.

[Duke Nukum]

So most of the prims are saying they prefer to cut the portion of government that actually works.

I'd like to see cuts in the salaries of the members of the House and Senate since that is one of the biggest wastes of money in all of government.  I think when in D.C. the members could live in public housing projects and have their meals provided.  I think $25/year is all the cash Congressmen/women/things deserve and that should be subject to a 200% tax rate.

[thundley4]

Congress critters should make no more than an active duty military person receives for the same amount of time served.  Their pension and health benefits should mirror the military also.

[Crazy Horse]

charlie  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:39 AM
Much of agribusiness, particularly corn subsidies.

Wait a damn minute........................what about ethanol you Idjit??

[rich_t]

So most of the prims are saying they prefer to cut the portion of government that actually works.

There is a portion of the goverment that actually works (excluding the military)?

[Uhhuh35]

DUmmie_charlie  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 08:39 AM
Response to Original message
7. Military
It needs saying again anyway, it's a ******* open-ended coke 'n hookers party for contractors.
Much of agribusiness, particularly corn subsidies.
Intangible drilling costs.

Whaaaa? What the hell are "intangible drilling costs"? 

[Freeper]

ayeshahaqqiqa  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 08:49 AM
Response to Original message
 
14. Cut Congressional salaries and his own, to set an example of fiscal restraint.

Cut defense spending on new weapons and on the wars. Use this money to increase spending to VA hospitals and veteran care.

Cut monies to building new roads and use it instead to repair existing ones.

Stop the stupid war on marijuana, legalize it and tax it heavily--this becomes thereby a revenue producer rather than a drain.

Quick trivia question who was the last President who signed into law a pay raise for the office of President?
 

[claret1995]

 Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 Iwonder if any of the IDIOTS would be interested in this type of budget cutting






 WHY ARE WE BANKRUPT?




Informative, and mind boggling!


OH!  Now I understand!!!
You  think the war in Iraq is  costing us too much?   Read this:
Boy, was I confused.  I have  been hammered with the propaganda that it is the
Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS.
I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the  reader gets sick of reading them.  I  also have included the URL's for verification of  all the following   facts.

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare  to illegal aliens each year by state governments.     
Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77

2.   $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food  assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal  aliens.
Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
 Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
 Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
 5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
  Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

6.  $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal  aliens.
  Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

7.  30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

 8.  $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American  taxpayers.
Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html

9.  $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

10.  The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white  non-illegal aliens.  In particular, their children, are going to make a huge  additional crime problem in the US .
  Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html

11.  During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also,  as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries.  Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border.
  Verify at: Homeland Security  Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht

12.  The National  policy Institute, estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and  $230 billion or an average cost of between  $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.'
   Verify  at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf

13.  In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin.
 Verify at:  http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm>

14.  'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One million sex crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United  States .'
 Verify at: http: // www.drdsk.com/articleshtml

The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.   

Are we THAT stupid?

 
 
 

[thundley4]

 
Are we THAT stupid?

 

Apparently, so. At least the government is. 

[FlaGator]

How about eliminating the following departments

Administration for Native Americans
African Development Foundation
Agency for International Development
AMTRAK (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Appalachian Regional Commission
Architect of the Capitol
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
Botanic Garden
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
Botanic Garden
Bureau of Public Debt
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Chief Acquisition Officers Council
Chief Financial Officers Council
Chief Human Capital Officers Council
Chief Information Officers Council
Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
Commission of Fine Arts
Commission on Civil Rights
Commission on Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People around the Globe (HELP Commission)
Commission on International Religious Freedom
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction
Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Employment and Training Administration (Labor Department)
Employment Standards Administration
Endangered Species Committee
English Language Acquisition Office
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Export Administration (now the Bureau of Industry and Security)
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Office
Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD)
Housing Office (HUD)
Indian Affairs, Bureau of
Indian Arts and Crafts Board
Indian Health Service
Information Resource Management College
Innovation and Improvement Office
Institute of Education Sciences
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Peace
Inter-American Foundation
Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group
Interagency Council on Homelessness
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Japan-United States Friendship Commission
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Merit Systems Protection Board
Multifamily Housing Office
National AIDS Policy Office
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight
Office of Government Ethics
U.S. Mission to the United Nations

Source http://www.usa.gov/Agencies.shtml

[DumbAss Tanker]

Defense is the obvious target, paradoxically despite success and disengagement in Iraq we will still have to spend quite a lot of money there, some under the DOD budget as foreign military assistance funds but mostly under the State Department aegis, and cutting that will set up the SecState for failure if it goes forward...not that Obama doesn't want Hillary to fail, but he doesn't want that to happen in a way that would reflect on himself (which a foreign policy disaster would, given his own weak starting point in that area). 

[BamaMoose]

Whaaaa? What the hell are "intangible drilling costs"? 

This is a line item added to the Executive Branch budget during the Clinton Administration.  It's a legal defense fund.

[TheSarge]

Our military is the biggest money hole on the planet. A nearly complete waste of money, unless you're one of the masters of war. How can you possibly take that off the table? That is a total refutation of what this place has been about since it opened.

What a load of crap.

For 2008 the COMBINED totals for Social Security...Medicare...Medicaid and SCHIP totals $1.203 TRILLION.

Defense Budget for 2008 INCLUDING the supplemental money for the WoT totals $626.6 Billion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget,_2008
 

YOU DUmmies...and the Welfare Horse you rode in on.

[DarkHalo]

No surprise the first thing the DUmmies want to cut is defense. Must be nice to live in a world that is all rainbows and lollipops. Of course they think that starting Jan 21, 2009 the whole world, terrorist organizations included, will suddenly love the US and we will have no further need of defense. Just like when the Klintonistas were in charge...oh wait...

[EastFacingNorth]

You want budget cuts?  I'll give you budget cuts:

Any federal government expense not specifically provided for in the Constitution should be cut.

Sorry, DUmmies, but that does mean we keep the defense budget.  Most every other complaint of yours would be cut, however - as well as about 98% of federal programs (conservative estimate).