Don't you wish I had some influence in government?

[BreweryYardRat]

A few hours of simple math and a somewhat buggy program (http://www.nathannewman.org/nbs/longbudget06.html) let me come up with a projected budget that lowers the deficit by $227.70 billion. And this is only a rough projection, because I don't know enough about the health-related stuff to pass judgement on that. It may not be feasible due to considerations of political reality, but as an ideal...

Projections are below (note, this projection presumes we are pulling out of Iraq, but not Afghanistan):
Spending ($2677.52 billion: increased $4.47 billion)
________________________________________
Military Spending ($433.52 billion: cut $12.58 billion)
$106.57 billion .... Military personnel (No Change)
$153.62 billion .... Operation and maintenance (No Change)
$80.84 billion ..... Procurement (No Change)
$68.13 billion ..... Research, development, test and evaluation (No Change)
$16.15 billion ..... Military Construction, Family Housing and Other (No Change)
$5.4 billion ....... Atomic Energy Defense Activities
Cut $12.58 bil. from base of $17.990 bil.(-70%)
$2.81 billion ...... Defense Related activities (No Change)
________________________________________
Iraq and Afghanistan Operations ($59.35 billion, cut 52.5 billion)
$52.5 billion ....... Military Operations (No Change) Cut $52.5 bil. from base of $105 bil. (50%)
$6.85 billion ...... Reconstruction aid (No Change)
________________________________________
Military Retirement ($138.58 billion: increased $23.1 billion)
$49 billion ........ Military retirement
Increased $8.17 bil. from base of $40.832 bil.( 20%)
$43.61 billion ..... Income security for veterans
Increased $7.27 bil. from base of $36.338 bil.( 20%)
$3.88 billion ...... Veterans education, training, and rehabilitation
Increased $0.64 bil. from base of $3.236 bil.( 20%)
$41.22 billion ..... Hospital and medical care for veterans and retired military
Increased $6.87 bil. from base of $34.353 bil.( 20%)
$0.87 billion ...... Housing and other veterans benefits and services
Increased $0.15 bil. from base of $.723 bil.( 20%)
________________________________________
International affairs ($31.59 billion)
$13 billion ........ International development and humanitarian assistance (No Change)
$9.47 billion ...... International military aid (No Change)
$7.97 billion ...... Conduct of foreign affairs (No Change)
$1.15 billion ...... Foreign information and exchange activities (No Change)
________________________________________
General science, space, and technology ($25.01 billion: increased $1.04 billion)
$5.62 billion ...... National Science Foundation programs (No Change)
$4.48 billion ...... Department of Energy general science programs
Increased $1.04 bil. from base of $3.444 bil.( 30%)
$14.91 billion ..... Space flight, research, and supporting activities (No Change)
________________________________________
Non-Defense Energy Spending ($6.38 billion: increased $4.26 billion)
$2.19 billion ...... Energy supply Increased $1.46 bil. from base of $0.73 bil. (200%)
$3.11 billion ...... Energy conservation and preparedness
Increased $2.08 bil. from base of $1.034 bil. (200%)
$1.08 billion ...... Energy information, preparedness, & regulation Increased $0.72 bil. from base of $0.36 bil. (200%)
________________________________________
Natural resources and environment ($62.32 billion, $31.16 billion)
$10.90 billion ...... Water resources Increased $5.45 bil. from base of $5.45 bil. (100%)
$18.14 billion ...... Conservation and land management Increased $9.07 bil. from base of $9.07 bil. (100%)
$6.24 billion ...... Recreational & Park resources Increased $3.12 bil. from base of $3.12 bil. (100%)
$16.84 billion ...... Pollution control and abatement Increased $8.42 bil. from base of $8.42 bil. (100%)
$10.1 billion ....... Other natural resources Increased $5.1 bil. from base of $5.1 bil. (100%)
________________________________________
Agriculture ($26.02 billion)
$21.73 billion ..... Farm income stabilization & crop insurance (No Change)
$4.29 billion ...... Agricultural research and services (No Change)
________________________________________
Commerce and Housing Loan Programs ($6.82 billion)
$-4.28 billion ..... Federal Housing Loan Programs (No Change)
$2.17 billion ...... Postal service (No Change)
$-0.96 billion ..... Deposit insurance (No Change)
$7.96 billion ...... Universal service fund (No Change)
$1.93 billion ...... Other advancement of commerce (No Change)
________________________________________
Transportation ($70.68 billion)
$36.51 billion ..... Highways and highway safety (No Change)
$8.51 billion ...... Mass transit (No Change)
$0.61 billion ...... Railroads (No Change)
$17.26 billion ..... Air Transportion (No Change)
$7.37 billion ...... Water transportation (No Change)
$0.42 billion ...... Other transportation (No Change)
________________________________________
Community and regional development ($29.09 billion: increased $9.99 billion)
$6.25 billion ...... Community development (No Change)
$2.86 billion ...... Area and regional development (No Change)
$19.98 billion ..... Disaster relief and insurance
Increased $9.99 bil. from base of $9.990 bil.( 100%)
________________________________________
Education ($64.07 billion)
$38.57 billion ..... Elementary, Secondary & Vocational education (No Change)
$22.27 billion ..... Higher education (No Change)
$3.23 billion ...... Research and general education (No Change)
________________________________________
Training, labor and unemployment ($47.81 billion)
$6.88 billion ...... Training and employment (No Change)
$1.6 billion ....... Labor law, statistics, and other administration (No Change)
$39.33 billion ..... Unemployment compensation (No Change)
________________________________________
Non-Medicare Health Spending ($253.32 billion)
$192.72 billion .... Medicaid grants (No Change)
$6.23 billion ...... State Children's Health Insurance (No Change)
$3.17 billion ...... Indian health (No Change)
$3.24 billion ...... Substance abuse and mental health services (No Change)
$4.7 billion ....... Disease control, public health and bioterrorism (No Change)
$29.36 billion ..... Health research and training (No Change)
$3.01 billion ...... Food safety and occupational health and safety (No Change)
$10.89 billion ..... Other health care services (No Change)
________________________________________
Medicare ($345.76 billion)
$182.76 billion .... Hospital insurance (HI) (No Change)
$115.14 billion .... Supplementary medical insurance (SMI) (No Change)
$46.7 billion ...... Prescription drug benefit (No Change)
$1.16 billion ...... Health care fraud (No Change)
________________________________________
Civilian Retirement (Social Security excluded) ($72.02 billion)
$4.89 billion ...... Civilian retirement and disability insurance (No Change)
$58.22 billion ..... Federal employee retirement and disability (No Change)
$8.91 billion ...... Federal employees' and retired employees' health benefits (No Change)
________________________________________
Aid to Low-Income Families ($206.78 billion)
$38.45 billion ..... Housing assistance (No Change)
$37.58 billion ..... Food stamps (No Change)
$19.3 billion ...... Other nutrition programs (WIC, school lunches) (No Change)
$38.66 billion ..... Supplemental security income (SSI) (No Change)
$18.21 billion ..... Family support payments (TANF) (No Change)
$34.05 billion ..... Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (No Change)
$13.15 billion ..... Child tax credit (No Change)
$4.8 billion ....... Child care funds (No Change)
$2.58 billion ...... Other aid to low-income families (No Change)
________________________________________
General Family Support ($25.62 billion)
$6.56 billion ...... Foster care and adoption assistance (No Change)
$2.92 billion ...... Child support and family support programs (No Change)
$16.14 billion ..... Social and family services (No Change)
________________________________________
Social security ($544.82 billion)
$454.4 billion ..... Old-age and survivors insurance(OASI) (No Change)
$90.42 billion ..... Disability insurance (DI) (No Change)
________________________________________
Administration of justice ($43.1 billion)
$11.35 billion ..... Federal law enforcement (No Change)
$10.46 billion ..... Border security and immigration (No Change)
$10.91 billion ..... Federal litigation and judicial activities (No Change)
$6.16 billion ...... Federal prison system (No Change)
$4.22 billion ...... Criminal justice assistance (No Change)
________________________________________
General government administration ($17.76 billion)
$3.67 billion ...... Legislative functions (No Change)
$1.14 billion ...... Executive office programs (No Change)
$9.8 billion ....... IRS & other fiscal opertations (No Change)
$3.15 billion ...... Other general government (No Change)
________________________________________
Net interest on the debt ($211.08 billion)
$211.08 billion .... Net Interest (No Change)
________________________________________
Undistributed offsetting receipts and allowance ($-43.99 billion)
$-43.99 billion .... Undistributed offsetting receipts and allowance (No Change)
________________________________________
Tax Expenditures and Tax Cuts ($873.37 billion: cut $201.76 billion)
________________________________________
2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts ($158.38 billion: cut $136.5 billion)
$0 billion ......... Benefits for Richest 1% of Taxpayers
Cut $116.95 bil. from base of $116.9562 bil.(-100%)
$0 billion ......... Benefits for Next Richest 4%
Cut $28.86 bil. from base of $28.8708 bil.(-100%)
$58.92 billion ..... Benefits for Next Richest 15% (No Change)
$43.6 billion ...... Benefits for Next 20% of Taxpayers (No Change)
$55.86 billion ..... Benefits for Bottom 60% of Taxpayers
Increased $9.31 bil. from base of $46.546 bil.( 20%)
________________________________________
Corporate Tax Breaks ($23.85 billion: cut $36.5 billion)
$0 billion ..... Untaxed Foreign Profits Cut $15.74 bil. from base of $15.74 bil. (-100%)
$9.87 billion ...... R&D Tax Breaks (No Change)
$4.05 billion ...... Energy, Mining and Timber Tax Breaks (No Change)
$9.93 billion ...... Tax Free Bonds (No Change)
$0 billion ......... Other Corporate Tax Breaks
Cut $20.76 bil. from base of $20.770 bil.(-100%)
________________________________________
Personal Business & Investment Benefits ($57.95 billion, cut 28.76 billion)
$30.38 billion ..... Lower tax rates on capital gains (excluding housing) (No Change)
$0 billion ..... Step-up basis of capital gains at death (No Change) Cut $28.76 bil. from base of $28.76 bil.(-100%)
$23.01 billion ..... Tax-Free Bonds (No Change)
$1.36 billion ...... Enterprise & Empowerment Zones and New Markets credit (No Change)
$3.2 billion ....... Other personal investment tax breaks (No Change)
________________________________________
Pension & Retirement Deductions ($168.47 billion)
$51.05 billion ..... Employer-paid Pensions (No Change)
$58.12 billion ..... 401Ks & Keogh plans (No Change)
$7.31 billion ...... IRAs (No Change)
$29.48 billion ..... Group and personal life insurance benefits (No Change)
$19.77 billion ..... Untaxed Social Security benefits (No Change)
$2.74 billion ...... Other retirement benefits (No Change)
________________________________________
Health Insurance Tax Benefits ($140.99 billion)
$125.69 billion .... Employer-paid Health Insurance (No Change)
$4.33 billion ...... Self-employed medical insurance premiums (No Change)
$1.83 billion ...... Medical Savings/Health Savings Accounts (No Change)
$9.14 billion ...... Deductibility of medical expenses (No Change)
________________________________________
Housing tax benefits ($163.71 billion)
$76.03 billion ..... Mortgage Interest (No Change)
$14.83 billion ..... Deductibility of property taxes on homes (No Change)
$36.27 billion ..... Capital gains exclusion on home sales (No Change)
$29.72 billion ..... Exclusion of net imputed rental income on owner-occupied homes (No Change)
$2.11 billion ...... Housing bonds & low-income housing investments (No Change)
$4.75 billion ...... Exception from passive loss rules for $25,000 of rental loss (No Change)
________________________________________
Other individual deductions and exemptions ($159.99 billion)
$37.89 billion ..... Charitable contributions (No Change)
$34.62 billion ..... State and local taxes (w/o home property) (No Change)
$6.55 billion ...... Soldiers and veterans tax benefits (No Change)
$5.94 billion ...... Workmen's compensation (No Change)
$14.01 billion ..... Education deductions and credits (No Change)
$32.81 billion ..... Child credit (No Change)
$2.81 billion ...... Child care credits and deductions (No Change)
$2 billion ......... Deduction for the blind and elderly (No Change)
$7.86 billion ...... Social Security benefits for disabled and survivors (No Change)
$3.76 billion ...... Untaxed foreign personal income (No Change)
$3.28 billion ...... Employee parking and transit expenses (No Change)
$1.25 billion ...... Adoption and foster care tax credits (No Change)
$5.42 billion ...... Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)- revenue loss component (No Change)
$1.79 billion ...... Other fringe benefits (No Change)
________________________________________

Budget Totals
Old budget was $3748.1268 billion
($2673 billion in spending, $1075.1268 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).
New budget is $3,550.89 billion
($2677.52 billion in spending, -$873.37 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).
You have cut the deficit by $227.70 billion.

[hwmnbn]

1. seawolf, can you do my taxes?

Seriously thanks for doing all this numbers crunching. Can you send it to your congress-critter or senator?

I did notice you repealed the tax cuts for the wealthy. Therein may be the problem for our elected officials. Damn!!

[BreweryYardRat]

2. Program does most of it...

I just corrected the code glitches where it won't let you lower funding for certain items (the war, overseas tax breaks, etc...) or raise funding over 100%.

"I did notice you repealed the tax cuts for the wealthy. Therein may be the problem for our elected officials."

I'm of the opinion that if they claim to serve the country, then they should damn well be willing to pay their fair share in taxes.