Hey Eric Cantor is asking for ideas on what to cut

[nadinbrzezinski]

so why not give him some ideas...

I just sent him this gem

-----------------
The biggest item in the US Budget is the Department of Defense. Until you deal with that, you are just playing around the edges. You want to down government, there is the point where you start. SO how about slashing DOD by half?

Get serious Republicans and stop just fumbling around the edges.

Ah the crash would be something to behold but that is another matter.
-----------------

You too can help.

yhttp://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/YourIdea.htm

[ananda]

1. His salary and health benefits.

nt

[madmax]

9. That's a point but,

if ircc anyone elected to office even if they serve one term are entitled to benefits from Uncle Sam for life. I had to work x amount of years to become vested in my company's retirement plan. Why not the D.C. Bandits?

We should ask them to have to follow the same corporate rulz we peasants must follow.

Am I mistaken about the one term thing?

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Yes for the house

You have to serve at least six years, the exception POTUS.

So a Senator gets it... but a house member needs three terms. And it is a proportion of the salary. For a full investment they need 20 years.

[dkf]

21. Give them 401ks.

It doesn't make sense for a transitory job that you must be elected to to receive pensions. That encourages politicians to work harder for ther reelections to ensure a pension than to work for the people. I would say that is a conflict of interest.

[madmax]

24. That's a good point. Technically they are 'temps'

you know the, 'The will of the American People', 'The American People have spoken'.

Temps don't get benefits.

[butterfly77]

69. That's right..

besides why are they asking us, aren't we paying them to have all of the answers?

Didn't they tell "THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" that the Dems know nothing and they know everything,they are the only ones who can run the country?

[madmax]

23. Six years is a pitance.

For POTUS - well all of them even if they sucked ok. But, w - he owes us! Nada for him except for a few months 'splain himself at the Hague and a few years behind bars. I can dream.

For the hell of it I'm going to write about the retirement requirements to my Senators. I'll get a form letter from my Republican idiot, as usual.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Well at the six year point

the pension is not that great either... if that helps.

It's been like that for ever... and that is because it was supposed to reward people who had to make real sacrifices. The model was not for professionals but part timers who did put careers on hold, not that it was a career.

[madmax]

40. The model was a good idea - that's out the window

in these times. That seemed to be the reason many wingers when asked stated they voted for new blood because Washington was too filled with insiders. I guess that logic only applies if the 'insider' is Democrat.

Not that great a pension doesn't help. Not one red cent for those suckers. I want blood. :rofl: Seriously vindictive lately. Gosh, I hate that but, I now believe that in order to get our point across we must be more like the rabid right-wing. Not batshit crazy or liars but, every minute point must be magnified. Of course, there is a matter of priorities and this isn't one of them. It's an add on for those who have the time, just to be prickly.

Speaking for myself, I need to focus and pick my battles. I'm getting there. Lists work for me, working on that now. I think I'm going to need another notebook. ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Constitutions only show their holes

when crisis arise.

We are at a crisis point.

We truly need a whole sale reform... to allow for MORE than two parties in practical terms... (Scrap the winner take all system, won't happen though unless there is an amendment, good luck)

And in my view we need to make voting mandatory. Republicans rely on low voter turn out. No, I cannot rely on creating the civil culture, so lets take a play from Australia.

These are not around the edges reforms either... and they will not happen until I am afraid the crisis deepens even further.

On the short term, the tea parties in congress should provide both entertainment and tummy aches.

Hell, we may even need a new constitution... and the fall from Empire, it is coming, might provide room for five to seven new ones.

[madmax]

43. I've read that about Australia

When did they make voting mandatory? Can you imagine how the wing-nuts would react. Hell, I can't even imagine how so called, 'normal' people will react. Perhaps if were sold as a privilege, which it is - such as a drivers license or Social Security Card.

Moved from NJ to NC. NJ has motor-voter also which makes it easy to vote. After moving to NC in June of 2008 we moved between the 2008 election and this one I received my new voter registration when I changed my address with MV, with up-dated address, location of my new polling location and all political information e.g. district and party affiliation - I'm 'non-committed.' I like to keep them guessing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. 1913 due to a similar problem in Parliament

a log jam in the political system due to few people voting.

Things magically improved as in things became far less partisan, once voting was made mandatory.

[madmax]

45. Nadine, how the hell do you keep track of all this?

I'm starting to wonder if you're an earthling or someone from another galaxy. ;) I can't keep track of where I parked my car when shopping or put my keys when I enter the house. I feel so inadequate.

You have an amazing, vast amount of knowledge that you so effortlessly share. Takes longer for me to find something with Google than to just ask you.

A true asset to the DU community. Thanks for being here, I'm sure that there are many DU'ers who don't post but, get a damn good political education from posts such as yours.

We need more like you and others whose names I don't want to mention at the risk of forgetting someone and it would be rude.

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. I got a masters in history

and I was preparing a poli sci class... the Australian example was in the textbook I was using to prepare the class.

[madmax]

54. Ah Ha!! You cheated!!

You spent your time, money and energy getting an education. No fair! I heard that 'they' hide information in books! Now, I'm convinced.

Seriously, I've always felt very intimidated by people who have a higher educational background than mine, gone to college and more. I married into a family with a lot of education and degrees. I keep my mouth shut when I'm around them when the conversation gets too deep for me. Plus, I have the added benefit of not hearing well, so I use - 'sorry, I missed that' card. :P

I'm quite comfortable with you maybe it's because I can hide behind this keyboard.

No, the reason is you have an excellent way of making a point and posting information. You never come off as a know it all, snarky, or exasperated 'by the stupidity of some people' in the tone of your posts. I don't know what you look like in r/l but, the way you write brings visions of Rachel to my mind. She has that gift to inform without coming across stiff, stuffy or full of herself.

[nadinbrzezinski]

56. Thanks

I also worked with EMTs and trained EMTs... those kids were not that well "educated" but they were in other ways.

Book learnin' is but one type of education.

[madmax]

59. Life learnin' ain't too bad for survival

but, if I had another opportunity I'd shoot for a career and a degree.

There were issues at the time, that just made it impossible. I always feel like Brando, in 'On The Waterfront.' 'I coulda been a contender.' It is what it is.

[countrydad58]

52. My feelings also!

I want their fucking blood of any RWS be it a R or a D!

[madmax]

55. C'mere and sit by me.

:evilgrin: I posted something to the affect that I've become a vampire and I want, must have, need their blood. I want Republican red meat!

[countrydad58]

50. Ditto

Thats a good start,along with staff & their budgets,the millionaire, Billionaire tax cuts, & bloated offence Budget.

[trueblue2007]

53. REDUCE CONGRESS AND SENATE Salaries and Benefits!!

Roll back their $$ to 1980 standards.

[GoCubsGo]

2. I'm going to suggest he cut out his own paycheck, and that of his fellow GOP Congresspeople

I'd like to see them work for free. After all, that's what he and his ilk want for the rest of us.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Hey voters, your Republicans don't know what to do!

[and-justice-for-all]

8. A dire sign of failure...nt

[jpak]

4. Lets eliminate tax breaks for oil companies when gas prices exceed $3 a gallon

:evilgrin:

[lisa58]

5. How come he doesn't already know?

[Contrary1]

6. Why is he needing ideas?

I thought the Repubs had all the answers.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Making it LOOK like you are part of the process

this is a pretend reality.

[aquart]

18. I know. But it's lots of fun.

I posted the link to Facebook.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

68. what ever happened to pork?

[virgdem]

37. Simple..he doesn't have any of his own!

[and-justice-for-all]

7. That is basicly what I told him too..

along with all representatives salaries.

[FredStembottom]

11. Cut Medicare for all the Hoveround Hitlers in the Tea Party!

And, theirSocial Security payments, too!

Just like they want!:party:

[PassingFair]

12. Let's start with "Faith-based Initiatives"

Then military funding.

[LiberalFighter]

46. There should be absolutely no funding of any religious organizations or their charities.

[madmax]

62. Oh don't even get me started on that one.

I've been bitching about that since the late 70's when I read how much real estate and other non-related religious holdings the Vatican controls. NO tax exemption for anything other than the building (whatever religion, church, Temple etc.) and the lot it's built on. Period. The End.

[LiberalFighter]

63. There should be a limit on how much property they can have that is tax exempt.

No tax exemption for schools on their property. Child care or any other business they might have.

Even then, why should there be any exemption? They are using roads along with the services need to maintain roads to access their place of worship. Do they pay for fire, police, garbage collection?

[madmax]

64. Not to mention stocks, bonds, primo real estate

which has nothing at all to do with any church related matters at all. I had all that info for years and there came a time when I threw it all out. Guess, I'll have to fire up the google. The old material was all old tech anyway - type written paper and the like.

Will be much easier this time around and I don't intend to write a book so for my purposes it will be good.

[WCGreen]

14. Here is what I sent...

Go after the defense budget because that is the biggest part of the budget. We can't afford to keep policing the world.

You want to know why other countries are cleaning our clocks as far as trade is concerned?

Simple, becuase we are proving for a stable international order.

You know we are in the 21st century and you don't have to have the biggest dick in order to get respect.

Cut the defense budget because that is where the money is...

[Trekologer]

15. Let's eliminate social security and divide and conquer

I submitted this "modest proposal":

"We cannot afford the giveaway of Social Security and Medicare anymore. For current Social Security recipients, begin to phase it out by decreasing payments by 20% each year for a gradual sunset. For Medicare, provide a list of insurance providers and let seniors choose and buy the coverage they want instead of the government providing it."

I don't think this should happen. But seniors broke in a large percentage for the GOP this election. I think that a lot of the support came from seniors being told that nothing will change if you're already getting Social Security and, in other words, screw the younger generation. If we can prod the GOP to suggest this (after all, isn't it socialism??), seniors will revolt against them.

[Mz Pip]

16. What I found interesting

was the list of things you could vote on that they are considering cutting. Defunding NPR was at the top of the list. Considering NPR gets only about 2% of its money from the government it seemed pretty trivial. How much money does the government give to NPR. In the grand scheme of the budget I suspect it's a fraction of a percent of the whole budget.

Most of the items listed were tiny things. Cutting all of them wouldn't even make a dent in the budget deficit.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. That is why I said

if you are serious cut DoD by half... that would be serious.

[Mz Pip]

26. I suggested that

and also told him not to vote on giving Congress a raise. If everyone else has to tighten their belts so should they.

[madmax]

29. That would be the best cut of all

The defense contractors are making a killing. And what's up with paying merc's big bucks and our soldiers peanuts.

I did see a post a few days ago defending the DoD and NASA because of all the scientific discoveries and such.

[Cosmocat]

49. Fin joke ...

just giving the lugnuts who they have in the fold their little rat holes to gleefully get lost in ...

NPR ... That would be like looking to get a handle of the budget for a pro football team and making big talk about cutting out one of the 5 breads in the game meal banquet ...

[femrap]

17. I'd rather like

to see a paired appendage of his cut off. :evilgrin: It might make him nicer....works on animals. Just sayin'.

[LiberalFighter]

47. Never heard of a eunuch every getting out of control.

[femrap]

65. And have lovely singing voices as well. nt

[gaspee]

19. Congressional salaries and perks

Put in a minimum time limit before they can collect a pension.

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. +1000!

:thumbsup: But instead, the pukes will makes cuts to Social Security/Medicare. :grr:

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. Don't ask me dumbshit, it's your fucking "plan". n/t

[Naturyl]

28. Oh boy, they got smart. A brain cell grew. That's bad news.

All welfare programs are toast if they let the public make make this decision. Which of course they know, and is why they are doing it.

[Naturyl]

42. Aaaaaaand, right on cue:

Week one, the very first suggested cut they came up with, was OF COURSE welfare:

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week1.htm

[L0oniX]

30. He can cut his pay.

[11 Bravo]

31. Glenn Beck's throat?

[Retrograde]

32. Run it like a business :)

10% across the board cuts everywhere - including all military budgets, congressional staff, aid to other countries (and that includes Israel). A lot of us in the so-called Real World have been through these - why not let them share the joys of indiscriminate cutting without a plan?

Seriously, I think military spending needs to be re-prioritized so more money goes to benefit the people on the front lines and their families and less to propping up contractors, but that's going to take a serious commitment and hard work, and major campaign contributors are likely to be unhappy.

[madmax]

57. +10 Especially re-prioritize the military budget. nt

[Generic Brad]

33. He won't appreciate my idea

I suggested they index congressional pay cuts to mirror the unemployment rate.

[malaise]

34. I suggest both wrists

:evilgrin:

[glowing]

35. Will they ever learn.. When they do this stupid shit, we find out and actually

between the snark and fun; make the real valid points.. Then we overload their servers.. and the damn thing crashes because they don't have hip cool people like ourselves who will work for or with them (or they don't pay them well enough) and then they have to take the site down.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. No, they will not

[LeftishBrit]

38. Copying Cameron et al?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10398707

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. Well I would never say republicans have an original

thought.

But the Dems did the same back in 2008.

Again, they have no original thought.

[LiberalFighter]

51. Cut their staffing by half.

Serve grass burgers at their cafeteria. Require them to van pool to and from work.

Restrict staff salaries to 150% of poverty level in DC. Prohibit any staff from working for the same person more than 3 months in an 18 month period. Prohibit staff from having Congressional provided or Republican Party health benefits.

Now that is for just Republicans.




Charge businesses a tax for using the roads. Give them a tax cut when they use rail or air transportation. That might alleviate construction for highway transportation.

[madmax]

58. Ever notice that around 10 am MSNBC

puts up a menu of what's for lunch in the House and I believe Senate. Who's paying for that? Do they pay or is that another damn perk we pay for.

If it's a perk I'm going to have a fit. They're always scamming to cut school lunches and food stamps and their at the trough eating from our tax dollars?

[LiberalFighter]

60. They pay. Don't know if they at least reasonable price or not.

Or if it is subsidized.

[madmax]

61. Well that subsidy should end.

Nickel and dime the bastards to death as they do with the working poor and the middle class.

[Canuckistanian]

66. He's run out of ideas already?

Isn't it HIS JOB to figure out policy?

What do they pay Congressional leaders for? Are there no duties or responsibilities?

Or is this part of the whole "outsourcing" philosophy now?

[HooptieWagon]

67. My suggestion...

Why not cut Congress's healthcare? Why should they have socialized healthcare when so many Americans have none at all? They should buy their health insurance in the free market just like ordinary Americans... does Congress think they are royalty or something?