In principle, I don't disagree with your posit. But when it's reduced to actually coming up with a list of things which can no longer be afforded, the question becomes more difficult.

Try this list on for size. I wish I could be more precise in the effect on balancing the federal budget that could be attributed to each item--I could if I took the time to do enough reserach, but life is too short for all that work. So let's just say that the following changes were made in the federal budget. I'm guessing the effect on our deficit would be pretty dramatic.

• Eliminate any Social Security payments to any citizen who has reported taxable income exceeding $50,000 per year or owned assets (real estate or financial) exceeding $500,000.
• Reduce Medicare coverage to only "catastrophic" coverage for any citizen who reports taxable income of $50,000 or more or owned assets (real estate or financial) exceeding $500,000.
• Eliminate all federal funding for Medicaid. Such healthcare coverage should be the responsibility of the states.
• Eliminate all federal funding for roads and highways except those that are currently classified as "interstate highways". All other transportation infrastructure expenditures (roads, highways, bridges, public transportation, etc.) shall be funded by the states. (The theory here is that the federal government should be responsible for transportation needed for interstate commerce with the states and locaities funding transportation assets needed for intrastate commerce.
• Eliminate any and all agricultural subsidies. Let the free market determine which agricultural products should be produced within the U.S. and which are better produced elsewhere in the world.
• The IRS Code shall be discontinued and the IRS disbanded. The federal income tax shall be replaced with a flat tax of 25% of reported income for every American citizen and all properly documented foreign nationals, with no deductions, exclusions or credits of any kind. "Income" is defined as all income of any kind.
• The IRS Code shall be modified to require a 35% tax payment by all commercial enterprises based on revenues with no deductions, exclusions or credits of any kind.
• The federal government shall assume the cost and responsibility for the operation and funding of all public schools in the country. Concurrently, any and all local taxes levied for education by state and local governments shall be discontinued. The federal government will fund the operation of all schools from the proceeds of a value added tax assessed on the sales revenues of any and all commercial enterprises with sales greater than $100,000 per year. Schools shall be operated according to standards and regulations established by the federal government. Only the children of U.S. citizens and those of properly documented laiens shall be enrolled in public shcools.(This change is made in recognition that education is fundamental to the national economy and should not be managed by states or localities.)
• All federal welfare payments or programs shall be discontinued. They should be the responsibility of states and localities.
• A national program of medical insurance shall be introduced covering every American citizen and foreign nationals residing here with proper documentation. The federal government will negotiate payments for all medical, surgical and prescription medical care. The premiums for this medical insurance shall be paid by each and every taxpayer as a flat percentage of their reported income (citizens with lower income will pay less than those with high income). No private medical insurance will be permitted or used to fund healthcare. There shall be no payment for medical care for anyone other than U.S. citizens or properly documented foreign nationals. Nor will hospitals or doctors be required to provide treatment to foreign nationals who are not properly documented.
• The federal budget shall require that the total of all federal expenditures be limited to 95% of trailing year actual revenues. The remaining 5% of revenues shall be used to retire federal debt until such time as debt is reduced to a level of 20% of trailing year GDP, after which time the "debt reduction" element can be used for resumed spending programs.
• A special payroll tax shall be created which would apply to any employer caught employing undocumented workers. Such tax would be a penalty amounting to 300% of the payroll payments reported on their tax returns. Alternatively, a payroll amount could be estimated for violators who have filed inaccurate tax returns by the Department of Immigration & Naturalization.

There, that's probably a good start at reducing federal expenditures and shifting responsibility for a number of functions to individuals and the localities or states where they reside.

And, oh, a couple of other changes might help, as well...

• There shall be term limits on all federal offices--two terms for President, two terms for Senators, and four terms for members of the House of Representatives.
• Federal elections for all offices shall be federally funded, with no spending by candidates of any kind or for any purpose permitted.
• Both primary and general elections shall be "national " elections, held on the same day.
• Campaigning for election will be limited to a period of eight weeks before each of the primary and general elections. A part of the condition for the federal funding of campaigns will be that at least 50% of all campaign appearances by each candidate for federal office be face-to-face appearances with their opponent(s). (Voters would have the opportunity to compare the candidates more closely and campaign travel costs could be shared between candidates.)
• Corporate campaign contributions to political organizations or by the corpoations themsleves, for the purpose of funding advertsing, shall carry a special tax of 100%.

Anyone think they could get elected on this platform?