How to move forward with compromise

[theeedude]

The only thing I care about in this deal are the front loaded cuts. The ones in the outer years are going to happen or not going to happen based entirely on the economic picture. Future Congress's are not bound by this one.

 

[woolfe9999]

The only thing I care about in this deal are the front loaded cuts. The ones in the outer years are going to happen or not going to happen based entirely on the economic picture. Future Congress's are not bound by this one.

Very few of the cuts are front loaded. Which is a good thing as that would hurt the economy.

 

[Carmen813]

The deal didn't actually include defense cuts.

It included a mechanism that would implement hard cuts if congress couldn't agree on something within 6 months or something.

The problem for the right is that the cuts are too heavy on defense and not heavy enough on Democrat pet projects.

Might create a situation where the Democrats on the commission might not have much incentive to reach a deal since they don't risk any pain. Best plan is an across the board cut. Don't come up with an agreement and 5% budget cut on everything.

The deal was 50% from domestic and 50% from defense. How is that heavy in one way when defense costs nearly $1 trillion a year.

 

[theeedude]

Very few of the cuts are front loaded. Which is a good thing as that would hurt the economy.

Thin it's not that bad of a deal for Dems. They agreed to give up future cuts that would either happen anyways if the economy recovers, or won't happen anyways if it doesn't. In exchange they got defense cuts that wouldn't otherwise happen, assuming GOP doesn't flip flop again on not counting cost of withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan. Long term this should help shift the spending away from defense towards domestic.

 

[ProfJohn]

The deal was 50% from domestic and 50% from defense. How is that heavy in one way when defense costs nearly $1 trillion a year.

$1 trillion out of $3.8 trillion... hmmmmmm little over 25% of the budget is the source of 50% of the cuts....


BTW I don't think defense is close to $1 trillion. More like $700 billion...

 

[Phokus]

No balanced budget amendment
No revenue increases

Looks like Obama has jumped the shark and converted to a Republican.

Exactly. This, along with the fact that Obama signed off on extending Bush's tax cuts, also stripping the public option out of Obamacare, and he's STILL a 'socialist' in the eyes of slack jawed inbred tea party retards. This country is fucking doomed.

Also, there were some conservatives here who said they'd be in favor of tax increases if it was accompanied by spending cuts (i think PJ was one of them). They're noticeably silent on that.

 

[ProfJohn]

Phokus, show me the cuts and then we can talk about the taxes.

Even this deal will add $8 trillion to the deficit in the next decade.

So come 2021 we will have a $23 trillion deficit?? We are so screwed and we don't even realize it...

 

[IronWing]

Phokus, show me the cuts and then we can talk about the taxes.

Even this deal will add $8 trillion to the deficit in the next decade.

So come 2021 we will have a $23 trillion deficit?? We are so screwed and we don't even realize it...

Shouldn't you be savoring the biggest Rep victory since December when Obama caved on the Bush tax cuts? Really should be renamed the Bush/Obama tax cuts I suppose. God's work is never done, sigh.

Anyway, the baby boomers are retiring. They will demand more government services. They will vote themselves these services. Spending on SS and Medicare will go up. We can rein that in somewhat by retuning Medicare to stop giving away the store to the medical industry (Part D, ahem) but spending on these two programs will not come down. If the Reps reduce spending on these programs in one Congress they will be out on their asses the next and the programs will continue to accommodate the wants of the baby boomers. Medicaid will likewise grow to cover destitute boomers and the growing working poor class. We can eliminate the rest of domestic federal government and still grow the hole. Taxes will have to increase to cover these costs. Whine about it, nash your teeth, rent your clothing but spending will increase and taxes will have to follow. A balanced budget amendment can force us to not pass the buck down the road but will not stop increased spending. Demographics is budgetary destiny.

 

[sarsipias1234]

Delete

 

[sarsipias1234]

Delete

 

[mchammer187]

$1 trillion out of $3.8 trillion... hmmmmmm little over 25% of the budget is the source of 50% of the cuts....


BTW I don't think defense is close to $1 trillion. More like $700 billion...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/02/01/us/budget.html

738 Billion DoD
122 Billion Veterans Benefits
50 Billion Military Retirement
--------------------------------
910 Billion

if you add DHS (50 Billion) and interest on whatever you are borrowing than you are well over 1 Trillion but it is much closer to 1T than it is 700 Billion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States

 

[sarsipias1234]

Delete

 

[mchammer187]

Does this include any "black projects"?

I don't believe so but I could be wrong but if it does not include black projects than that is another 55 billion roughly