All of us have our favorite ideas on how to bring spending in line. Let's face it - in our personal budgets, we either have to cut spending to match our income, or increase our income to match our spending. At the federal level, that means either less spending, or more taxes.
We all love taxes, don't we? As long as it's the other guy who gets taxed, not me. I'm no different. But since we can't all go untaxed, maybe we should look at how to cut spending.
So here's my list:
1. Entitlement programs: First, any entitlement program not funded by its beneficiaries are scrapped. Gone. Done. Including all those federal employees who work on those programs. Close the offices, sell the buildings. You get the idea. Next, any entitlement program funded by its beneficiaries are kept apart from the general fund and may NOT be used as collateral or otherwise leveraged for any purpose other than paying its beneficiaries. Further, only those who pay into these sorts of programs - such as Social Security - may receive benefits from it, and then only in proportion to their participation in funding their personal accounts. Personal accounts may be willed to beneficiaries other than oneself in the same manner insurance policies can. This means NO DEADBEATS, ILLEGALS, OR NON-PARTICIPANTS WILL GET A DIME OF FEDERAL MONEY. Productive citizens will, non-productive won't. Yes, that's social Darwinism. This will save in excess of a trillion dollars a year, all by itself.
2. Welfare programs: Hey, didn't you read paragraph 1, above? No federal welfare. Of any nature. If the states want to provide any form of welfare, more power to them. But they can expect productive people to leave those states for states where there is no welfare.
3. Social Engineering Programs: We're talking things like Planned Parenthood, NEA (both types - National Endowment for the Arts and the National Education Association), PBS, "cultural awareness and appreciation" brainwashing in public schools, any affirmative action programs, etc. Elimination of these programs will save more billions.
4. Foreign Aid: You may be surprised to read this, but I'm not opposed to foreign aid. I'm just opposed to how it's done, although it doesn't amount to many billions. In the Ostrich Killer's budget, all foreign aid would be in the form of in-kind help, targeted to specific non-politically affiliated organizations in the various countries meant to receive such aid. For example, aid to Ethiopia would likely include drilling and irrigation equipment, farming equipment, seeds, etc. But no dollars. And any in-kind materials sent to these organizations would be built or grown in the US. Further, those countries who are not whole-heartedly pro-American would receive no foreign aid of any type. Nor would we allow imports from those countries.
5. The Space Program: They need a lot more money if they're going to reduce the chances of killing more astronauts and still do meaningful exploration. The Ostrich Killer is a big fan of space exploration. So I'd start by doubling their budget. That might almost bring their budget up to an amount roughly equal to the annual pizza expenditures by our citizens.
6. National Defense: This is an area where the question is not "how much can we afford?" but "how much is required?" Without a decisively dominant military, we don't continue to exist as a country. We hear that we have a 25-year technology lead on the rest of the world when it comes to defense items. Well, let's make that 50 years. Sitting on our collective asses and enjoying that technological lead won't keep us safe.
7. Other Programs, Agencies, etc: A deep review of every government agency - dept of agriculture, education, commerce, interior, etc - will be undertaken with the abiding question "does this agency or organization benefit the country more than it costs?" at the top of the list of questions. Any who are doubtful will be canned. Doors closed. People fired.
Do you like the above? Send a copy to Obama. Don't like it? Send a copy to Obama.
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