STEPS TO CUTTING GOVERNMENT SPENDING

I stumbled upon a blog called, Nixon's Ghost while reading a response to an article in Hot Air.

While I do not necessarily recommend the style of the blog, its content is very good.

In the post I read, NG lays out a seven step process for cutting government spending, something which the Tea Party and several lawmakers - new and old - have said they want.

STEP ONE: CUT ALL (JUNK) FIRST - and the list is long. Cut NPR, PBS, Cut NASA funding for Mohammedan “self esteem building – cut the NEA, end embryonic stem cell research – end all federally subsidized research. Cut the United Nations – ensure our contributions match those of France (and encourage the UN to move somewhere else for a change of scenery). Cut welfare – entirely, let the states handle that.

STEP TWO: READ THE 10TH AMENDMENT – then look at the federal budget – cut everything that you can’t make a reasonable 10th amendment argument to keep. Department of Education – GONE! ATF – GONE! (Seriousy – what do they do that shouldn’t be done by the states?). IRS – MOSTLY GONE! (more on this later). The goal here is reduce the Federal Government to a shell of it’s former self. If you’re not FEARFUL at the end that you cut dreadfully too much – then you didn’t cut enough.

STEP THREE: Implement a FLAT TAX - this is a great gift to Americans and will help you get rid of 95% of the IRS. The IRS should be a little office in Washington, DC – staffed by very old military retirees who sit around most of the day telling war stories – it really should be that simple. Also – since we don’t have a complicated Federal Government anymore – we don’t need lifetime lawmakers – implement TERM LIMITS.

STEP FOUR: GO BACK THROUGH THE FIRST THREE STEPS AND LOOK FOR MORE THINGS TO CUT. If the states can do it – get rid of it. By now you have a government that is a shell of it’s former size – and Americans no longer have the “FEDS” breathing down their backs in any way, shape or form.

STEP FIVE: SECURE THE BORDERS AND DEPORT ILLEGALS. Border security comes first – and it must be AIR TIGHT. If you want a “comprehensive” solution to immigration then go for it – but only after the borders are secure.

STEP SIX: LOOK AND SEE HOW MUCH $$ WE NOW HAVE TO PAY THE “BIG” ENTITLEMENTS LIKE SS AND MEDICARE. Sit down – and come up with a fix. It may take raising the retirement age – it may take reducing benefits – it may take a certain amount of privatization – whatever, at this point you know you’re not spending money on stuff so you have a lot more options on what you can do with these entitlements.

STEP SEVEN: GO TO AMERICANS AND SAY – “WE’VE GIVEN YOU YOUR LIBERTY BACK – IN ORDER TO KEEP IT, AND PASS IT ON TO YOUR KIDS – THIS IS WHAT WE’D LIKE YOU TO DO”. Sell them the program based on the fact that you’ve given them their nation back – in wonderful condition and in a state they can be proud to pass on to their children.

I think these steps are worthy of great consideration and should be passed on to our congressment and senators, who don't seem to be able to get very specific about their plans (except for the repeal of Obamacare...a very good idea, by the way).