Committees scramble to assemble $50B in budget cuts

[Sazar]

House Republicans voted to cut student loan subsidies, child support enforcement and aid to firms hurt by unfair trade practices as various committees scrambled to piece together $50 billion in budget cuts.

More politically difficult votes -- to cut Medicaid, food stamps and farm subsidies -- are on tap Thursday as more panels weigh in on the bill.

It was originally intended to cut $35 billion in spending over five years, but after pressure from conservatives, GOP leaders directed committees to cut another $15 billion to help pay the cost of hurricane recovery.



http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/27/congress.budgetcuts.ap/index.html

Here's what I don't understand.

There is well over $50 billion in pork in the recently passed highway bill. Why not go back there and cut out the flub? If money is in such demand why the hell not cut back on spending on b.s. projects first and foremost rather than simply cutting back on programs that help americans?

Cutting back on programs that help people who NEED it to survive is not the best way to do things.

[Zelda_fan]

I'm all for cutting out the free-handout programs in America. Wish we'd of cut them out a long time ago. This is America - you freaken work for your money.

[Sazar]

You CAN'T live in america on minimum wage with a family to support with the cost of things as they stand.

Cutting support to aid firms hurt by unfair trade practices affects small businesses, note the support Boeing is getting in its fight against Airbus.

Students need loans in order to go through college these days, even while the work off campus. I was broke when I got out of college and it wasn't like my education cost that much in-state.

Free-handout programs are there to give american's a level footing and everyone an equal chance to make something of themselves. Fobbing of the state I completely frown on, but there are programs we have which help in a positive way.

On the matter itself, why is it there is no problem in allocating over $600 billion for a highway bill and then having to cut various programs to assist with hurricane recovery efforts? That's bogus.

In a state of war, we should learn to make sacrifices, pork projects are not a sacrifice.

[Zelda_fan]

emergency recovery and disabled vets and things like that should get plenty of money. I agree with you there. And student loans I don't have a problem with either because you'll eventually have to pay it back, and it raises the intelligence of the country.

As for the other stuff? I'm of the opinion, if you can't make it on your own - then tough tits. Business is business. It's rough, but that's the way it is. Giving everyone "equal footing" is a step towards Communism. And yeah, you CAN live off minimum wage in certain places. Not New York or LA, but in some small town you could live off min wage if you bugeted right. If you work 40 hours a week that would give you around $750 - $800 a month after taxes. You can live off of that - not comfortable - but you can live. As for having a family? Don't start a family if you can't support them...

[Sazar]

How about the cuts and the highway bill. Why not cut out the pork from there and get extra money that way?

You haven't posted anything on that yet.

[Zelda_fan]

I haven't examined the highway bill that intensivly, but yeah, if there is in fact pork, then by all means, cut that too. I'm all for cutting any sort of pork out of government spending.

[CybrSage]

I have no problems with temporary programs. If you are born poor, the odds of you dying anything but poor are slim. If you want to work your way out of it, "tough tits" then. You cannot. You have no money for college and can only work a low paying job because of it. You will never have money for college then, and you die poor. Your children are born poor and die poor as well.

That is called a caste system, and that system failed a long time ago.

[Shamrock]

I'm all for cutting out the free-handout programs in America. Wish we'd of cut them out a long time ago. This is America - you freaken work for your money.

and for people WHO CANT work, huh? like my brother who is on the lung transplant list?

[Sazar]

I have no problems with temporary programs. If you are born poor, the odds of you dying anything but poor are slim. If you want to work your way out of it, "tough tits" then. You cannot. You have no money for college and can only work a low paying job because of it. You will never have money for college then, and you die poor. Your children are born poor and die poor as well.

That is called a caste system, and that system failed a long time ago.

That is how I feel about it.

[DaveW]

and for people WHO CANT work, huh? like my brother who is on the lung transplant list?


Yeah there ARE people who genuinely need government assistance. There are lots of lazy people who abuse the system, but simply cutting funding for everyone wont address that issue.

They should actually spend more money investigating the people on welfare and removing the leeches.

If you cut off all the parasites you could save billions in welfare without cutting the benefits to those who really need it (you could probably even afford to give them more).

And yes, they should have cut that highway bill not this.

[Drumphil]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no problems with temporary programs. If you are born poor, the odds of you dying anything but poor are slim. If you want to work your way out of it, "tough tits" then. You cannot. You have no money for college and can only work a low paying job because of it. You will never have money for college then, and you die poor. Your children are born poor and die poor as well.

That is called a caste system, and that system failed a long time ago.

Damn right!
Hence the introduction of free education for all in the first place. Look at how far that advanced society for everyone. The countires that did that first actually have a middle class. And those that followed are catching up fast.

[Zelda_fan]

That is called a caste system, and that system failed a long time ago.

No, it's called "America before FDR", and from what I understand, it was a pretty darn good place to live. There was a time when income tax was totally optional. Think about that - you get the 30% of your paycheck back to you.


and for people WHO CANT work, huh? like my brother who is on the lung transplant list?

Ok yeah, for people who genuinly need it (disabled vets, handicap people, etc), but 90% of the people just milk the system to get free handouts when they are perfectly capeable of working. I knew someone who was unemployeed, perfectly able bodied, and he told me "I can make more by getting unemployment than working at best buy so I'll just stay unemployeed." It also pisses me off when I go to the grocery store and I see people using food stamps yet eating better than I do.

[UDawg]

Damn right!
Hence the introduction of free education for all in the first place. Look at how far that advanced society for everyone. The countires that did that first actually have a middle class. And those that followed are catching up fast.
No. This is not how it has worked. You just made this up on the spot. Stop be for you hurt your self or worse, you hurt someone else.

[Drumphil]

really? I'd say it was a large part of the motivation for the people who promoted the idea in the first place. FWIW, I am actually going to get my history books and read up on this again so I'm a little more certain of the details.. Been a while since I looked at all this.

Hang on.. why am I replying sensibly. I forgot who I'm talking to.

[DiscipleDOC]

and for people WHO CANT work, huh? like my brother who is on the lung transplant list?
I believe that welfare has a place--for those who are challenged physically/mentally, but everyone else should be cut off.

[saturnotaku]

Hence the introduction of free education for all in the first place.

That "free" education for all costs me (and every other homeowner) thousands of dollars in taxes every year. 2/3 of my property tax bill goes to funding education.

[CybrSage]

I am a generous person. I believe the poor need help, and I think it is the role of government to give that help.

That said, I also agree that they should spend more money investigating those who commit fraud and prosecute them most horribly. I say a minimum of 10 years prison for anyone who is convicted of willfull fraud.

At first we will spend more on the investigations, and we will spend more on prisons for a spell, but in the end we will have a much leaner system.

[Zelda_fan]

I am a generous person. I believe the poor need help, and I think it is the role of government to give that help.

That said, I also agree that they should spend more money investigating those who commit fraud and prosecute them most horribly. I say a minimum of 10 years prison for anyone who is convicted of willfull fraud.

At first we will spend more on the investigations, and we will spend more on prisons for a spell, but in the end we will have a much leaner system.

Help for the poor should be given by charaties NOT the government. With small organization charaties they can make sure that the money goes to people who actually need it not some some crack head who is poor because he spent all his money on drugs.

[DiscipleDOC]

Help for the poor should be given by charaties NOT the government. With small organization charaties they can make sure that the money goes to people who actually need it not some some crack head who is poor because he spent all his money on drugs.
I agree with this. The role of the gov't. should not extend to social issues like feeding the poor. Although, I do feel they should make sure that everyone is treated fairly when it comes to health care, I still don't think they should be used as a crutch.

[Sazar]

That's a pet peeve of mine DD.

Health care in this country costs too much. Way more than it needs to cost.

[netviper13]

I have no problems with temporary programs. If you are born poor, the odds of you dying anything but poor are slim. If you want to work your way out of it, "tough tits" then. You cannot. You have no money for college and can only work a low paying job because of it. You will never have money for college then, and you die poor. Your children are born poor and die poor as well.

That is called a caste system, and that system failed a long time ago.

:werd:

[Drumphil]

That "free" education for all costs me (and every other homeowner) thousands of dollars in taxes every year. 2/3 of my property tax bill goes to funding education.

So go live in a country that doesn't do that and see how much nicer things are.

[Zelda_fan]

So go live in a country that doesn't do that and see how much nicer things are.

IMHO public education should be something that is city/town controlled rather than state controlled. Anyone who has ever been to public school knows it is royally screwed up and you don't learn jack squat there. Reason why? The state screwed it up.

[UDawg]

So go live in a country that doesn't do that and see how much nicer things are.
Dewd! We live in the US. It is the greatest country in the world. Why would we go any where else? That is like making it to heaven and then say "I wonder if hell would be better".

[evilchris]

That's a pet peeve of mine DD.

Health care in this country costs too much. Way more than it needs to cost.

It's the people's fault. People going in for colds, runny noses, headaches, all useless **** that just clogs up the damn system. Take a freaking Advil.