what government service that you benefit from are you willing to have cut in order to balance the budget?

I wonder how many of the people who want to get rid of social security and Medicare are willing to support their parents and pay their medical bills.

We can cut defense by half if we can get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and Medicare is costing more than it should in in the longer term we need to rise the retirement age because people are living longer. I am willing to pay more taxes and a bigger co payment for my medicare to balance the budget but only if the military budget is cut.

I'd start with the small stuff. -Direct deposit checks; save on stamps and envelopes. -Sell or demolish empty govt. buildings they don't use anymore. They are paying local taxes on these, paying someone to keep them heated, cleaned and repaired (even though they aren't in use and will be torn down and replaced if they are ever needed). -Declassify some govt. documents and remove outdated laws. No one cares what food was eaten on some dinner Kennedy had. Burning mules on main street at noon doesn't need it's own law anymore; there are plenty of other laws currently on the books that would come into effect if that was done now. All these laws and classified documents have to be printed out every year and either be sent to libraries around the country or kept secret somewhere. -Listen to the Military Generals; if they don't want another 100 of this type of plane or that type of ship, don't build them! Lots of equipment built is just to make business in certain senator districts. I guess the best thing would be to allow the line item veto for the prez.

Lets see... government service that I benefit from... trash collection, road maintenence... both of those are state and local...

I can't think of a single thing the Federal government does that I benefit from. I can think of MANY things that it does which harm me, or others.

So let's get rid of the entire Federal government and let the state and local governments handle their own affairs.

That work for ya? How much you think that would save?

By the way there is no government service that the free market could not provide at a better quality for cheaper. It's called competition, it's this thing we used to have like 100 years ago.

I'm trying to think of a government service that I actually use, and all I can come up with is public roads and law enforcement.

I doubt cutting funding to the roads would work, since my state has some of the worst roads in the country, but I am willing to pay a toll to use them.

I can see cutting some of law enforcement's budget, and having them shift their focus away from victimless crimes. I don't like drug use and prostitution, but I'll deal with the random underdressed intoxicated person.

Allegedly the Department of Homeland Security benefits me by 'keeping me safe'.

I'd happily rid of that entire department and handle my own personal security.

Other than that, I don't benefit from ANY government service. Maybe roads and local utilities, but cutting those won't put a scratch in our budget and would greatly reduce my quality of life. Moreover, it's not State Govt spending that needs such urgent attention, but rather the Federal Govt and THEIR out of control spending.

@Maria: Obama's $400k annual salary (which is deserved as the president) is a drop in the ocean compared to the trillions he appropriates overseas. Hopefully you can look past our shared disdain for our president's policies and demand productive cuts elsewhere...

I am in the military, and willing to sacrifice the following:

- no more pay raises until we get the debt and deficit under control

- No more tuition assistance ($4,500 per year for USAF)

- I'll give up the living stipend for the Post 9/11 GI bill

I also never care if I collect a dime from social security in the future.

I only benefit from two federal programs that I know of, the post office and the military. So I would be willing to do without all other programs and the military has already proposed cuts.

All Non Governmental Organizations,cut 100%.

Everything else 15 %

Executive Branch,50%

Legislative Brach,50%

Why can't we just cut government programs that aren't benefiting ANYONE (other than the private prison industry, bloated police budgets and criminal organizations)?

For instance, the War on Drugs.

The U.S. (between state, federal and local) currently spends about $50 billion a year (and rising) on this failed policy. That's half a trillion dollars over the next decade.

AP IMPACT: After 40 years, $1 trillion, U.S. War on Drugs has failed to meet any of its goals

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10642775

Social Security, but only if I can stop paying into it at this moment. I've only got 19 years left to retirement age, and I think I could put the extra $5K/year or so into an investment with better return. I'm not sure I'll get anything anyway, being it is all borrowed money now anyway.