I'VE BEEN WORKING MY WAY through the various cuts which have been suggested in order to deal with the deficit, but with a broader agenda.
It seems that it would be wise to make choices that not only eliminate the deficit, but also strengthen our country as well.
In line with that, I've suggested that we find cuts which will invest in the nation as a whole, decrease our over-investment in the military, and provide economic fuel to the levels of our economy where the work is actually done.
Below are the next ten areas in my list:
- I refused to cut $250,000 for government contractors. (Savings: $0)
Some of this money goes to people who already have plenty, but unlike tax breaks, it only goes to them when they are creating jobs.
Not a good thing to cut.
Also, the infrastructure these contractors are rebuilding or building is used by everyone, and so benefits the economy in the long run for us all. - I refused to make other cuts to the federal government. (Savings: $0)
Similar reasons. - I refused to cut aid to states by 5%. (Savings: $0)
Where does the money end up going? To hire teachers, create jobs and infrastructure, improve ordinary people's lives.
And State governments are scraping the bottom of the barrel financially these days. - I reduced nuclear arsenal and space spending. (Savings: $38 billion)
We invest way too much in military spending, and nuclear arms are something we're trying to get rid of anyway.
Now is the time to start saving some money in the process. - I reduced the military to pre-Iraq War size, and further reduced troops in Asia and Europe. (Savings: $49 billion)
Once again, we do not need to be the world's police force.
Even if we did, we could still do it on much less than we're spending now. - I reduced navy and air force fleets. (Savings: $24 billion)
Our stick is bigger than anyone else's by a huge factor, and the price tag is costing us severely. - I cancelled or delayed some weapons programs. (Savings: $18 billion)
Similar reasons. - I refused to reduce non-combatant military compensation and overhead. (Savings: $0)
It's one thing to say that our future Presidents could get by with a little less weight to throw around, another to say that the people who keep our defenses running should have to sacrifice their paychecks to balance the national budget. - I reduced the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to 30,000 by 2013. (Savings: $169 billion)
Need I explain? - I didn't enact medical malpractice reform. (Savings: $0)
The argument for this one is that too many doctors order too many tests because they're afraid of being sued—so we should make it harder to sue doctors.
On one hand, the whole idea of tort reform is basically a way to take protections away from consumers, and doctors have plenty of financial incentive to cut costs on tests, so I'm not sure this is a good idea.
On the other hand, doctors spend their lives helping people, and are bound to make the occasional mistake, so some reform might be a good idea.
So I ended up on the fence.
But since this is an economic exercise, about the deficit and the economy, and since the amount it would save is so small, I skipped it.
In the next installment:
Medicare, Social Security, and Some Taxes...
