Originally Posted by DaleMN

Just once.....NIMBY.

Thank you for adding clarity to this subject. I really look forward to your in depth analysis.

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The 9-9-9 plan eliminates the payroll witholding tax that pays for both Social Security and Medicare. While Herman Cain isn't specific on his proposals for those entitlement programs, if he eliminates the taxes that pay for them I think you can figure out what he has in mind.

I've often heard a saying that plays on the letters of the word ASSUME, when you do, in fact, ASSUME. You can assume what you want, but just keep that saying in mind.

I'm sure if we were really replacing the tax system, a lot of fundings origins would change. Don't you think?

Let's take a look at some of that list.

- Legal Service Corporation. $420M. This is where we pay for that whole "if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you". That's what they do. They provide legal services to low-income people. Care to shred Miranda?

- Amtrak subsidies. Sure. Close that down because it loses money. Well, the roads don't make a profit so why don't we close THOSE down? Neither does the police department. Oh - and just where are all the cars supposed to go - especially in the Northeast - when the trains stop running. You think you want to put those passenger in the air? Amtrak has half the traffic in the most congested part of American airspace - Boston - NY - Philly - DC. GO ahead - make it even worse.

- New Starts Transit. Sure, let's just plow more money into more crowded roads.

- High Speed Rail Grants - that $2.5B isn't repeating at the moment so claiming an 'annual savings' is disingenuous.

- Economic assistance to Egypt. $250M/year? Where did they get that number? I looked it up and it's $1.5 BILLION. Can't they get their numbers right? (Especially when it would make their case BETTER?)

- Require collection of unpaid taxes on federal employees - I actually saw someone in our office lose his job over this.

Now look at most of the items in there. Chicken feed. Oh there are some other big ones in there ($900M on Obamacare administration - though we haven't started spending that so again DC is coming up with saving money that there's no guarantee of spending) and some really loopy ones in there (mohair subsidies - STILL?).

But as someone else said - not a DIME looking at the military, Merdicare/Medicaid fraud or Social Security.

Cuts are tough, but 2.5 trillion isn't chicken feed.

My guess is that most of these cuts are "pork". Favors done in exchange for votes and/or campaign contributions. If these are Republican proposed cuts it is probably the case that most of the items listed are Democrats "pork". Surely there wouldn't be a list at least as long of Republican "pork". Nah !!
Our politicians, ALL of them, are bought and paid for.
We get the kind of government we deserve. Always have and always will unless some drastic measures are taken.

Originally Posted by Deerfly

My guess is that most of these cuts are "pork". Favors done in exchange for votes and/or campaign contributions. If these are Republican proposed cuts it is probably the case that most of the items listed are Democrats "pork". Surely there wouldn't be a list at least as long of Republican "pork". Nah !!
Our politicians, ALL of them, are bought and paid for.
We get the kind of government we deserve. Always have and always will unless some drastic measures are taken.

Any drastic measure ideas that you care to share?

Originally Posted by KatzPajamas

Any drastic measure ideas that you care to share?

That would maybe be an interesting read. I'd like to hear about Deerfly's proposed drastic measures myself.

Originally Posted by djplong

- Amtrak subsidies. Sure. Close that down because it loses money. Well, the roads don't make a profit so why don't we close THOSE down? Neither does the police department. Oh - and just where are all the cars supposed to go - especially in the Northeast - when the trains stop running. You think you want to put those passenger in the air? Amtrak has half the traffic in the most congested part of American airspace - Boston - NY - Philly - DC. GO ahead - make it even worse.

-

Amtrak makes money in the NE corridor. No-one would consider shutting down a profitable route. It also makes money on the auto train and the Acela Express. Most routes make no sense economically. This is particularly true of the long-haul routes such as the Texas Eagle running from MN to Dallas. One report concluded that we could save money by giving each rider a first class airline ticket and shutting down the route. Amtrak is a classic example of pork, the proposals for high-speed rail are no different. Every congressman and Senator wants stops in their district. Closing the unprofitable routes and privatizing the profitable parts of Amtrak saves billions and profits can be used to improve service.

As I'm a rail fan (but not to the exclusion of other modes of transport) I'll try to keep this short.

The study about the 'give them a first class ticket' has long been debunked.

People who are pro-rail like myself - TRULY pro-rail - want that as an OPTION.

But about privatizing things. The roads don't make money - so why not privatize all of them? The airports don't - so why not privatize them? The only reason the intercity busses in NH make money is because the state inexplicably bought the 6-figure busses FOR them! (And in THIS state, that's UNHEARD of)

Police? Fire? Libraries? Public parks? NONE of them make money.

I've often said that we COULD look to Canada or Europe and learn a few things from them. Especially when it comes to reining in health care costs. But one other thing we could learn is that privatizing transportation generally has bad results - as the UK has learned from privatizing their rail services.