Republicans have full control, let's balance the budget finally
Comments
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Welfare has already been cut. Or did you miss the memo?HFNY said:You're not too knowledgeable about the budget are you?
Did you know that defense has already been cut? And did you know that they are already (wisely) looking at trimming the overly generous benefits that military spouses receive?
And exactly what "corporate welfare" would you like to cut? The devil is in the details.2001400ex said:
Because there's no fraud, waste, or abuse in defense? No corporate welfare we can cut?HFNY said:"On the backs of the poor and elderly"
I always find that talking point especially stupid because it's as if anyone who uses that phrase forgets that we are talking about massive government programs, which are uniquely vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/09/Social-Security-Watchdog-I-See-Dead-People
Or how about food stamps, whose budget has increased nearly 50% under Obama and abuse is rampant particularly since the program has grown?
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/02/26/74-Billion-Food-Stamp-Program-Budget-Crosshairs
As for Medicare, fraud is so widespread that about 10% of all Medicare billings are fraudulent and it even has its own Wikipedia page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_fraud
And for Medicaid, Social Security Disability fraud has also been an increasing problem:
reformssdinow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Fraud-SSDI.pdf
So don't you think if each of the budgets are trimmed it will sharpen the "minds" at these departments to hasten their work on rooting out fraud and abuse? Or will they prove that bureaucrats are mostly lazy pieces of shit who maintain the status quo of letting our taxpayer dollars walk out the door?
Here's my point. Cut from everywhere. You don't read well.
We need to either raise taxes, cut from everywhere, or do both. That's how you balance a budget. You don't cut from welfare and add to defense. -
The fuck?HFNY said:You're not too knowledgeable about the budget are you?
Did you know that defense has already been cut? And did you know that they are already (wisely) looking at trimming the overly generous benefits that military spouses receive?
And exactly what "corporate welfare" would you like to cut? The devil is in the details.2001400ex said:
Because there's no fraud, waste, or abuse in defense? No corporate welfare we can cut?HFNY said:"On the backs of the poor and elderly"
I always find that talking point especially stupid because it's as if anyone who uses that phrase forgets that we are talking about massive government programs, which are uniquely vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/09/Social-Security-Watchdog-I-See-Dead-People
Or how about food stamps, whose budget has increased nearly 50% under Obama and abuse is rampant particularly since the program has grown?
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/02/26/74-Billion-Food-Stamp-Program-Budget-Crosshairs
As for Medicare, fraud is so widespread that about 10% of all Medicare billings are fraudulent and it even has its own Wikipedia page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_fraud
And for Medicaid, Social Security Disability fraud has also been an increasing problem:
reformssdinow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Fraud-SSDI.pdf
So don't you think if each of the budgets are trimmed it will sharpen the "minds" at these departments to hasten their work on rooting out fraud and abuse? Or will they prove that bureaucrats are mostly lazy pieces of shit who maintain the status quo of letting our taxpayer dollars walk out the door?
Here's my point. Cut from everywhere. You don't read well.
What "overly generous benefits" would those be?
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There is not one benefit I received in 21 years of service that was "overly generous." Though reduced price booze was nice.AZDuck said:
The fuck?HFNY said:You're not too knowledgeable about the budget are you?
Did you know that defense has already been cut? And did you know that they are already (wisely) looking at trimming the overly generous benefits that military spouses receive?
And exactly what "corporate welfare" would you like to cut? The devil is in the details.2001400ex said:
Because there's no fraud, waste, or abuse in defense? No corporate welfare we can cut?HFNY said:"On the backs of the poor and elderly"
I always find that talking point especially stupid because it's as if anyone who uses that phrase forgets that we are talking about massive government programs, which are uniquely vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/09/Social-Security-Watchdog-I-See-Dead-People
Or how about food stamps, whose budget has increased nearly 50% under Obama and abuse is rampant particularly since the program has grown?
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/02/26/74-Billion-Food-Stamp-Program-Budget-Crosshairs
As for Medicare, fraud is so widespread that about 10% of all Medicare billings are fraudulent and it even has its own Wikipedia page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_fraud
And for Medicaid, Social Security Disability fraud has also been an increasing problem:
reformssdinow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Fraud-SSDI.pdf
So don't you think if each of the budgets are trimmed it will sharpen the "minds" at these departments to hasten their work on rooting out fraud and abuse? Or will they prove that bureaucrats are mostly lazy pieces of shit who maintain the status quo of letting our taxpayer dollars walk out the door?
Here's my point. Cut from everywhere. You don't read well.
What "overly generous benefits" would those be? -
Thank you for your service
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Chatch can afford to pay more in tax than all of you combined. So raise taxes on the rich.
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Ex, learn how congress works. And what real man would ever support a cut to defense?
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How did they cut welfare?
And yes, I think they should freeze defense spending for a few years (even with low inflation, it would be a "cut" in real / inflation-adjusted terms).
As for military benefits, and as I understand it, dependents (wife / children) do not have to pay any co-pay whatsoever. I have also heard elective surgeries (such as boob jobs) are much less than they should cost. I could be wrong though since it's just what I recall hearing (obligatory don't twist).2001400ex said:
Welfare has already been cut. Or did you miss the memo?HFNY said:You're not too knowledgeable about the budget are you?
Did you know that defense has already been cut? And did you know that they are already (wisely) looking at trimming the overly generous benefits that military spouses receive?
And exactly what "corporate welfare" would you like to cut? The devil is in the details.2001400ex said:
Because there's no fraud, waste, or abuse in defense? No corporate welfare we can cut?HFNY said:"On the backs of the poor and elderly"
I always find that talking point especially stupid because it's as if anyone who uses that phrase forgets that we are talking about massive government programs, which are uniquely vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/09/Social-Security-Watchdog-I-See-Dead-People
Or how about food stamps, whose budget has increased nearly 50% under Obama and abuse is rampant particularly since the program has grown?
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/02/26/74-Billion-Food-Stamp-Program-Budget-Crosshairs
As for Medicare, fraud is so widespread that about 10% of all Medicare billings are fraudulent and it even has its own Wikipedia page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_fraud
And for Medicaid, Social Security Disability fraud has also been an increasing problem:
reformssdinow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Fraud-SSDI.pdf
So don't you think if each of the budgets are trimmed it will sharpen the "minds" at these departments to hasten their work on rooting out fraud and abuse? Or will they prove that bureaucrats are mostly lazy pieces of shit who maintain the status quo of letting our taxpayer dollars walk out the door?
Here's my point. Cut from everywhere. You don't read well.
We need to either raise taxes, cut from everywhere, or do both. That's how you balance a budget. You don't cut from welfare and add to defense. -
Hey Hondo...defense spending is only about 20% of the total budget. How again is cutting that going to fix the overall spending problem?
And you ever figure out if they were actually "cutting" like you were claiming (i.e. lying...or like they actually did to the defense budget), or are they just slowing the rate of growth?
And now lets watch Hondo continue to gurgle... -
@HFNY you were good enough to respond.HFNY said:How did they cut welfare?
And yes, I think they should freeze defense spending for a few years (even with low inflation, it would be a "cut" in real / inflation-adjusted terms).
As for military benefits, and as I understand it, dependents (wife / children) do not have to pay any co-pay whatsoever. I have also heard elective surgeries (such as boob jobs) are much less than they should cost. I could be wrong though since it's just what I recall hearing (obligatory don't twist).2001400ex said:
Welfare has already been cut. Or did you miss the memo?HFNY said:You're not too knowledgeable about the budget are you?
Did you know that defense has already been cut? And did you know that they are already (wisely) looking at trimming the overly generous benefits that military spouses receive?
And exactly what "corporate welfare" would you like to cut? The devil is in the details.2001400ex said:
Because there's no fraud, waste, or abuse in defense? No corporate welfare we can cut?HFNY said:"On the backs of the poor and elderly"
I always find that talking point especially stupid because it's as if anyone who uses that phrase forgets that we are talking about massive government programs, which are uniquely vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/09/Social-Security-Watchdog-I-See-Dead-People
Or how about food stamps, whose budget has increased nearly 50% under Obama and abuse is rampant particularly since the program has grown?
thefiscaltimes.com/2015/02/26/74-Billion-Food-Stamp-Program-Budget-Crosshairs
As for Medicare, fraud is so widespread that about 10% of all Medicare billings are fraudulent and it even has its own Wikipedia page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_fraud
And for Medicaid, Social Security Disability fraud has also been an increasing problem:
reformssdinow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Fraud-SSDI.pdf
So don't you think if each of the budgets are trimmed it will sharpen the "minds" at these departments to hasten their work on rooting out fraud and abuse? Or will they prove that bureaucrats are mostly lazy pieces of shit who maintain the status quo of letting our taxpayer dollars walk out the door?
Here's my point. Cut from everywhere. You don't read well.
We need to either raise taxes, cut from everywhere, or do both. That's how you balance a budget. You don't cut from welfare and add to defense.
Here's the deal. If you want a capable all-volunteer, deployable expeditionary military, you will need to either (1) pay them wages commensurate with their worth in the job market, or (2) get innovative with benefits.
The US military has traditionally chosen (2), because it is cheaper in the long run.
It is true that spouses and dependents get no-copay access to Tricare. Tricare is *not* a traditional health plan. If you are near a military base and there is an available military practitioner, that is who the dependent is going to see. Only if there is no availability on the installation will Tricare refer to an outside provider, and then Tricare reimburses physicians at rates that would make Medicare blush. Like 10% of billed fees, in my experience.
Remember that career military are making 65%-85% of what they could be making in the civilian economy, and that because the military makes them move every 2-4 years their spouses are typically unable to have careers. So they are stay-at-home moms or they make do earning far below their capabilities. Many spouses with professional certificiations and college degrees work in entry-level jobs or volunteer positions on military installations because they aren't able to find work at Fort Pigsknuckle, Kentucky.
So you want them to make copays?
Tricare uses excess capacity of military medicine when and where it exists, and pays so poorly on the outside that it isn't accepted by many providers in the civilian economy.
There was a time in the mid-Iraq war when the Army was training a bunch of residents in plastic surgery because of all the IEDs and burn cases, and they would get them to log hours with elective surgeries, which were reimbursed at Tricare (bargain-basement) rates. But this was the Army getting paid to train its plastic surgeons. That's what I call a win-win, and that program's done for now anyway.
People look at the military benefits package and get all jealous, but they forget about the moving to Nowheresville, Arkansas every 2-3 years and the low pay without even factoring in much longer hours than civilians and a training schedule that wears out bodies. Even pencil-pushers and file clerks go out and train in body armor and strain the hell out of their bodies. There's a good reason military members are eligble for retirement after 20 years. I got out of my "strenous" MOS six years ago, and they're going to put some titanium screws in my back next month. Guess what? I will be eligible for Army, VA, and SS disability. And I will have earned it.
I don't get worker's comp, I don't get to sue my doctors if they fuck up, and I don't get to quit if I don't get along with my boss. Also the military happily exempts itself from workplace safety regulations and the right to organize. -
@HoustonHusky - the problem is that once you take military spending and entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and what-not off the table there is very little discretionary spending in the federal budget.
This chart is a few years old but it is pretty similar to what we have been for the last 40 years or so. Only 18% of the Federal Budget is non-military, discretionary spending. Military spending is a huge chunk, but one that is pretty necessary in a world where our allies aren't meeting the NATO budgeting standard.
