Sequester Your Own District/State...

[ONW]

Let's say you (politicians) have to "sequester" as little as 5% of the federal government assistance your constituency receives before you can bitch about government spending, taxes, and debt....where do you start?

 

[SkinsNDeacs]

Let's say you (politicians) have to "sequester" as little as 5% of the federal government assistance your constituency receives before you can bitch about government spending, taxes, and debt....where do you start?

I am of the firm belief that if done properly you could cut 5% of nearly all government programs without effecting service. Might cost some human capital that might be a further drag on the economy but this is something the private sector has learned over the past 5-10 years. That is why unemployment is so high.

 

[DeacinBama]

From my own little corner of the DoD, I could cut payroll by ~$1M in 5 minutes without affecting services if empowered to do so.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

I'd sequester all the hot chicks' shirts

 

[PhDeac]

I am of the firm belief that if done properly you could cut 5% of nearly all government programs without effecting service. Might cost some human capital that might be a further drag on the economy but this is something the private sector has learned over the past 5-10 years. That is why unemployment is so high.

But but jobs?

 

[DeaconCav06]

Federal agencies work on annual budgets. If you don't spend your budget it goes away. So every year in September they spend any excess money in the budget on furniture or computers.

I'm 100% convinced I could easily cut 5-10% and lose zero jobs (not that some people in the government shouldn't lose them).

 

[buckets]

From my own little corner of the DoD, I could cut payroll by ~$1M in 5 minutes without affecting services if empowered to do so.

yeah but god forbid we actually hold the govt accountable for its spending

 

[DeacinBama]

yeah but god forbid we actually hold the govt accountable for its spending

???

 

[PhDeac]

I think he was agreeing with you.

 

[WakeForestRanger]

I'd raise taxes.

 

[Milhouse]

I am of the firm belief that if done properly you could cut 5% of nearly all government programs without effecting service. Might cost some human capital that might be a further drag on the economy but this is something the private sector has learned over the past 5-10 years. That is why unemployment is so high.

it's not like big corporations are all that efficient either

 

[SkinsNDeacs]

it's not like big corporations are all that efficient either

Some are not, for sure. But if they were on the scale of the Fed Government they would not last a quarter.

 

[RJKarl]

The was an article in the OC Register that one of the first things that will happen in Ca is that food Stamps will be cut 5+% for everyone who gets them. This is cruel and callous.

 

[Milhouse]

Some are not, for sure. But if they were on the scale of the Fed Government they would not last a quarter.

have you ever worked for or with one?

 

[RaleighDevil]

The was an article in the OC Register that one of the first things that will happen in Ca is that food Stamps will be cut 5+% for everyone who gets them. This is cruel and callous.

There is a lot of virtue in a low calorie diet, but I am not disciplined enough to try it.

 

[RJKarl]

There is a lot of virtue in a low calorie diet, but I am not disciplined enough to try it.

Tell 3 and 4 yos they can't eat. I'll take you to their homes.

 

[Liquid Karma]

Tell 3 and 4 yos they can't eat. I'll take you to their homes.

Is that 5% really the difference between those kids eating or not eating?

Assuming the solution is cuts only, everyone gets hurt either directly or tangentially by cuts.

 

[ONW]

Yep, and it will take the cover of a federal decision (Sequestration), so they can go back to their constituents and claim it was big government that made the decision, not them, ask for money, and get re-elected.

 

[jhmd2000]

it's not like big corporations are all that efficient either

At the very least, they lack the dis-incentive of spending all of their budget every year.

 

[jhmd2000]

The was an article in the OC Register that one of the first things that will happen in Ca is that food Stamps will be cut 5+% for everyone who gets them. This is cruel and callous.

RJ Karl is engaging in the practice of domestic terrorism and hostage taking. The first thing he will cut is food of starving children if you ask the government to behave by the generally applicable rules of math.

Didn't you know there is no waste or inefficiencies in the entire budget of the State of California? Nope, none at all. The first thing that has to go is good to hungry children. And then Police and Firemen, and there's obviously no other choice, according to the editorial board of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (which, I'm pretty sure, is how all law is made). You wouldn't hurt a child, or would you? Why do you hate children?

To answer the OP, we're broke. We're $17T in the hole, we've stopped pretending to have a plan to pay it back and instead we elect politicians whose platform is telling people who don't pay anything into the system what they're entitled to. We have to raise taxes AND cut spending. Actually, we have to HAVE taxes in order to raise them. Across the board 5% tax raises (with a minimum rate of tax of 5% for everyone) and across the board 5% spending cuts for every single government organization. Everyone sucks, so everyone has to hurt. We're simply too stupid to be trusted to do it any other way.