Has anybody noticed how much these spending cuts....

[hypocritexposer]

....will lower the debt by, in the long run?

The Republican plan calls for $1.2 Trillion in cuts over 10 years, the Democratic plan calls for less.

the debt is expected to be $24.9 Trillion in 10 years, so this deal will lower it to $23.7......


Still over double what it was Jan. 2009.

The only way is the Cut, Cap and Balance plan. Congress was about 3 votes from getting it passed in the Senate. It was only a procedural tactic that Reid used to squash the CCB bill.


They should re-pass it in the House, submit it to the Senate, debate it on the floor, get it passed and put it on obama's desk to sign.

Let's see how serious obama is about being fiscally responsible?

 

[Steve]

when the politicians get entrenched along party lines seldom does it ever clear the hurdle..

it's not like Olympia Snow or Collins can switch parties and get the thing moving..

 

[hypocritexposer]

"Let's double spending and then cut it by 10%"

"Look we cut spending by 10%, what more do you want us to do? If we cut it anymore, babies will go hungry and planes will fall from the skies."


Yes, of course, just like they did before you doubled spending..... :roll: :roll:

 

[cutterone]

Well we are all being duped by both parties and have been since 1974 when baseline budgeting was passed. There has never been a true cut to the budget since.

"Baseline budgeting" is one of those Washington terms that sounds very dry and boring. In reality, baseline budgeting is one of the most sinister ways that politicians claim to cut spending when they are actually increasing spending. The Congressional Budget Office defines the baseline as a benchmark for measuring the budgetary effects of proposed changes in federal revenue or spending, with the assumption that current budgetary policies or current services are continued without change. The baseline includes automatic adjustments for inflation and anticipated increases in program participation. Baseline, or current services, budgeting, therefore builds automatic, future spending increases into Congress's budgetary forecasts.
If we were to freeze the budget to last year's level it would score a cut by the CBO of 9 1/2 Billion.

Baseline budgeting tilts the budget process in favor of increased spending and taxes. For example, if an agency's budget is projected to grow by $100 million, but only grows by $75 million, according to baseline budgeting, that agency sustained a $25 million cut. That is analogous to a person who expects to gain 100 pounds only gaining 75 pounds, and taking credit for losing 25 pounds. The federal government is the only place this absurd logic is employed.

Politicians often like to have it both ways. Baseline budgeting gives politicians an opportunity to deceive taxpayers by allowing them to claim that they are holding the line on spending while providing more services.

Baseline budgeting seems like a technicality and should not be such a hotbed of contention, but every round of budget negotiations involves baseline budgeting with both sides of the aisle complaining that the other side is using the process to mask spending increases. Baseline budgeting is an issue that truly separates the deficit hawks from the budget chickens.

Eliminating the inflated budget baseline will force Congress to justify and account for increased spending instead of hiding behind automatic increases. Through commonsense accounting, taxpayers would learn that spending in Washington is not under control.

 

[cutterone]

This pretty well sums up the problem.

The subsequent 2010 Financial Report of the United States Government, reporting on the implementation of the 2010 non-Congressionally approved Budget, shows a net operating cost of $2,080 billion, although since this includes accounting provisions (estimates of future liabilities), the cash rather than accruals deficit is $1,294 billion.[2] According to the Government Accountability Office, the 'accrual deficit provides more information on the longer-term implications of the government's annual operations'.[3] Gross costs rose 20% from $3,736 billion in 2009 to $4,472 billion ($3,552 billion budgeted[4]), while total taxes and other revenues rose 1% from $2,198 billion to $2,217 billion.[5

Is there any doubt that every part of government could not take a 10% reduction? Is there any doubt that there is at least another 10% that is in duplication, fraud, waste, and overpayment?