House Republicans identify 2.5 trillion in spending cuts, will the Dems go along?

Of course not. That's far too reasonable.

Ask any Dem just here on YA, cuts don't work. I can't count the posts where they've repeated that. They have to borrow more to break even. And borrow more to break even with that. And borrow again when that bill comes in. See, if you run a household and come up short, just take out another loan, you can just take out a third when it comes time to pay that off.

See? Perfectly logical.

Some of them I could go along with. Some of them are totally ignorant.

Like the Technology Innovation Program. And frankly, I'm surprised the Republicans want to cut that, since it would profit their corporate friends. Singapore spends 20 times what we do on government research funding, which is why they are now one of the predominant innovators on the planet and we aren't. And the Trade Development Agency. I guess we don't need anyone trying to find new customers for the few things we make anymore, so who cares about trade development? Especially if we cut the Technology Innovation Program. OECD falls under the same category as the Trade Development Agency.

I'd be a lot more interested if we required collection of taxes from all the corporations that have paid nothing for years than a few federal employees. Eliminate the Davis-Bacon act?! Why would we want the Federal government to pay prevailing wages? Maybe they could just pay us what they want, like $3 a day like in China. I'd be happy to end any spending on federal office space. After all, the Republicans since 2001 created the equivalent of 5 Pentagons worth of it. We shouldn't need any more. Just move all government business to places where government offices actually exist. That would mean if you live in a town with no existing government office space, you would have to travel to a city that did if you needed something.

I'm really enthusiastic about cutting all aid to Washington DC. As one of the highest crime cities in the country, the Senators and Congressmen should have to deal with more muggings and liquor store robberies! Ever heard of not peeing in your own nest?

Now, here's a few suggestions of my own.

Eliminate tax subsidies to oil companies. $20 billion savings over ten years.

Eliminate corporate welfare. $135 billion a year savings.

Eliminate the DEA and legalize recreational drugs. $67 billion savings per year.

Eliminate half of the more than a thousand US military bases abroad. Savings of $125 billion a year.

How many Republicans do you think would embrace those?

Where is a link to this "proposal"?

You do understand that the operative word is "proposed", do you not?

All that is proposed will not see the light of day, or a vote on the floor.

How many Republicans will vote for cuts that effects their state? Watch the votes for whatever ACTUALLY makes it to the floor. I will bet you that NO Republican will vote for cuts that go to their state. None, nadda, nitch, no way!

I did not see any cuts for the military. Why? We outspend the next 13 countries combined on our military and 11 of them are our allies.

I did not see any proposal to reduce our nuclear stockpile. Why? We have over 5,000 nuclear warheads now.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64251X201005...

Do you feel safer knowing that releasing only 12 of these is enough to end life as we now know it? I am not talking about instant death for all. I am talking about the political, social and economic devastation that would follow. And, yes, many would die. You can only kill a person once. It does no good to hang someone you have already shot to death. How much money would we save annually by cutting our nuclear stockpile in half?

I do not see any proposal to cut, not eliminate, corporate grants, tax breaks and incentives.

Are you really a fiscal conservative, or do you only get all giddy inside when social programs get cut? Programs that you may need yourself one day. Cut everyone else, just don't touch a penny of what I want! Is this correct? That sounds like a typical Republican and they are NOT fiscal conservartives.

I'm glad they are, though I agree a lot of these are Democrat ideas. They need to make the cuts more bipartisan to garner support.

Also, $250 billion a year is still only 25% of the way there.

Democrats have long identified a 1 trillion dollar spending cut - Ending both wars overseas. Republicans want to add money to the deficit by keeping the Bush tax cuts (700 billion added to the deficit). Now they want to try to repeal healthcare reform which would add another 230 billion to the deficit. Why don't house Republicans stop using their government healthcare and let the money be spent on American people instead of rich politicians. Why don't Republicans want to stop paying money into subsidies for oil companies? Why don't Republicans want Detroit to cranks out wind turbines, solar plants and algae based bio-diesel cars? Oh yeah, because Republicans are corrupt and run by lobbyists and corporations. That's why ever new Republican senator elected a lobbyists as his/her adviser.

-Bill

Some of these would be fine to eliminate. Some would be disastrous. One example is the Manufacturing Extension Service in the Dept of Commerce. Big source of tech transfer to private industry, and essential to maintaining what manufacturing we have left in this country. Many of the energy programs are also cost-effective. This is cutting off your nost to spite your face in some cases. Typically for tea party people who don't understand complex things.

Thats a good start. I wonder why the farm subsidies that Bachman and Grassly benefit from are missing. I wonder why the tax breaks that Big Oil gets are missing as well.

Makes you wonder.

According to the numbers you have provided, this would save $336.4 billion. Where is the alleged other $2.2 trillion coming from?

No.

Don't you find it interesting that the bulk of these programs can be identified as Democratic causes? Don't you find it interesting that the first thing on the list is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting? Don't you find it interesting there are no cuts to Republican programs?

Ridiculous.

They will cry all the way to bankruptcy and then blame BUSH