1/3 of U.S. wages are Social Security, Medicare, and Unemployement Insurance

[droski]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

I'm all for a fixed % cut of everything. 30% suits me for starters. Tough decisions would happen, but the enormous amount of fluff ad worthlessness that we all know to be there would take the biggest beating.
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my concern with cutting defense is that govt agencies seem to not cut the fat when they get less funding they cut services. i guess cutting waste is counterproductive when you ask for more money in the futrure.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by droski

my concern with cutting defense is that govt agencies seem to not cut the fat when they get less funding they cut services. i guess cutting waste is counterproductive when you ask for more money in the futrure.

I understand and don't care. They can only keep that up for so long. The Pentagon / General Staffs need to halved immediately and pared down from there over time.
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[droski]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

I understand and don't care. They can only keep that up for so long. The Pentagon / General Staffs need to halved immediately and pared down from there over time.
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noncombat pay freeze would be a nice start.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by droski

noncombat pay freeze would be a nice start.

That and the senior staffs and their made up gigs / commands have to go away. It is unbelievable.
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[droski]

how much of this is an attempt to jack up final years wages for purposes of screwing the pension funds?

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by droski

how much of this is an attempt to jack up final years wages for purposes of screwing the pension funds?

No idea. Perpetual fiefdom expansion brought on by seemingly endless pot of gold is the main culprit.
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[sjt18]

Originally Posted by lawgator1

I say we cut entitlements AND defense, eliminate the Bush tax cuts, and the payroll tax cut this year.

Libs just can't bring themselves to the reality that the problem is NOT under taxation but overspending.

We can't just cut entitlements based on these numbers. We have to move people from the dole to productive jobs. That means the people Progressives of both parties have been buying off with tax $ for about 70 years now will have to get some tough love... meaning Progressives can't count on votes.... meaning this more than likely ain't happening. I am not personally optimistic that this gets fixed any time before we have a major economic collapse.

[sjt18]

Interesting, true, and pertinent story.

A guy I work with had lunch with a friend of his a couple of weeks ago. She works for an auditing firm that evaluates gov't programs and agencies for waste. Guess where the feds made the first cut? Her salary went from $75k to $35k.

[sjt18]

Originally Posted by lawgator1

I think we can cut in direct proportion from defense translated to the same percentage in entitlements. That way, everyone's ox gets gored an equal amount.

Yep... makes sense. Tie an absolute necessity for the survival of the nation AND a constitutionally mandated gov't function in the same proportions as an endeavor with no clear Constitutional grounding and that contributes nothing to the health or security of our national economy.

[mreed90]

How about we enact an anti-parasite law like the USSR had. If you won't work and your able to you get locked up and forced to work or killed. That would be a lot of lazy azz people to work I think.

[therealUT]

Originally Posted by mreed90

How about we enact an anti-parasite law like the USSR had. If you won't work and your able to you get locked up and forced to work or killed. That would be a lot of lazy azz people to work I think.

I would quit working on principle and choose martyrdom.

[mreed90]

Originally Posted by therealUT

I would quit working on principle and choose martyrdom.

Doubt it.

It just freaking makes me sick seeing all these lazy people (of all colors just so I don't get called racist) bleeed the government dry.

[therealUT]

Originally Posted by mreed90

Doubt it.

It just freaking makes me sick seeing all these lazy people (of all colors just so I don't get called racist) bleeed the government dry.

So, your solution is to kill them.

While I have issues with most "social welfare" programs and services, I have no issue with someone who simply chooses not to work.

[TheDeeble]

Originally Posted by sjt18

I am not personally optimistic that this gets fixed any time before we have a major economic collapse.

Neither am I. Liberals seem to have no interest in making real cuts. Too many people live off the govt teet, and any attempt to pry them off will not be accepted.

Although that's just one area where changes are needed. If we're ever going to actually significantly reduce this debt, it is not going to be pain free for US citizens. Cause and effect people. You can't live off of credit and expect it to go away without making sacrifices.

I'd have my eye on social security, medicaid, and defense, but we all know nothing will really be done.

[therealUT]

Originally Posted by TheDeeble

Neither am I. Liberals seem to have no interest in making real cuts.[/B].

Neither do conservatives. Bush and the GOP controlled congress enhanced Medicaid and Medicare. When push came to shove on the issue of privatizing Social Security, they flinched and backed off.

The powers that be see cutting most of these programs as political suicide and will avoid doing so at all costs.