Most reasonable people agree that the United States Government is now too large and intrudes too deeply into our lives. Worse, like a shiftless rich kid with a large trust fund, it spends far more than it takes in.
President Obama's budget proposal for 2011 includes spending of over $3.8 trillion and receipts of less than $2.6 trillion leaving a deficit of over $1.2 trillion. The Congress will not change this much. A few tens, maybe even hundreds, of millions, perhaps a billion somewhere, will be cut but it is unlikely that many programs will be eliminated.
The real issue is that outlays for Defense, Veterans Benefits, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, other health spending, and Interest on the National Debt will consume more than all of the taxes paid by America's long suffering citizens and companies. Everything else will be paid for by borrowing.
The challenge, then, to the Tea Party Movement is this:
Which programs should be eliminated?
Which others should be cut - and by how much?
If that does not eliminate the deficit, what taxes should be raised?
In considering this challenge, the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse counts but not for much. A really effective program (they are often touted but rarely successful) might save as much as $100 billion, much from Medicare, but no more. Similarly, eliminating the Departments of Energy and Education will not solve the problem: their respective budgets are $31.2 billion and $71.5 billion. The savings from these three items, at $202.7 billion, while useful, pale against the $1.2 trillion deficit.
The time has come for constructive proposals: shouts of 'NO, NO, NO MORE' just aren't good enough.
America needs solutions. If the Tea Party Movement has none, then the words of William Shakespeare will be applicable:
"… a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
(Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5)
Enough said.
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2 comments:
If the U.S. Electorate does not take our current fiscal problems seriously, it's probably a bit unrealistic to expect that the people we elect will.
Perhaps the Tea Party could focus it's efforts more directly on changing attitudes first. I know this may not seem as glamorous as a Tea Party Revolt, but the strategy may bear more fruit in the long run.
How much will moving the Medicare/ SSI age to 70 1/2 save? If it works for mrd's it should work for ALL of the other elder programs. I nearly died of apoplexy when Medicare part D was passed. I wrote my Congressman (a Republican) and called him a vote whore and swore I would never vote for him again. I have only done write in's since.
On that note, I highly recommend "a Parliament of wholes" by P.J. O'Roarke
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