Obama Administration Moves to Trim Defense Fat by $100 Billion

[Beetwasher]

--snip--

Well, it's happening again. An unprecedented $100 billion dollars' worth. This time, the target is private Defense contracting. With President Obama's blessing, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has initiated an aggressive "Efficiencies Initiative" designed to clean up defense contracting and save the Department $100 billion over the next five years. The Washington Post reported this morning that Secretary Gates took a swing at the bloated Defense contracting budget:

deaniac83's diary :: ::
"We've not seen productivity growth in defense," Gates said. He noted that consumers buy "more powerful computers and mobile phones every year, but the taxpayer has had to spend significantly more in order to get more. We need to reverse this."

Defense contracting from top to bottom are in the eye of the admnistration.

The savings plan he's detailing Tuesday includes a five-step road map on how the Pentagon can be more efficient when it buys roughly $400 billion worth of goods and services that range from advanced aircraft, ammunition and submarines to contracts for feeding U.S. troops overseas, mowing lawns at military bases and running complex computer networks.

--snip--

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/9/15/902241/-Obama-Administration-Moves-to-Trim-Defense-Fat-by-$100-Billion

[Blue Owl]

1. Finally -- some fucking sanity

The MIC has gotten so out of control under Bu$hCo with his optional wars and privatized no-bid contractors getting blank checks for God-knows-what.

[rfranklin]

2. Try about 750 billion....

Then we'd be talking.

They will trim $100 billion and then give it back in no bid contracts.

[Beetwasher]

3. Better To Do Nothing I Guess!

:eyes:

"They will trim $100 billion and then give it back in no bid contracts."

Back this load of crap assertion up.

[ProSense]

4. The entire defense budget is $700 billion, and

half of the goes to compensation, including for Veterans.

[toddwv]

5. Source?

Wiki says the "defense" budget is $721 bil.

Veterans Affairs $66.2 billion
Veterans pensions $58.4 billion

[ProSense]

6. Regardless

The Pentagon spends about $700 billion a year on defense -- $300 billion of which goes toward salaries and benefits for military and civilian employees. The rest is for weapons, including airplanes and ships, and for service contracts to keep computers running and facilities maintained.

more

The entire defense budget is less than $750 billion so suggesting a $750 billion cut is unrealistic.

You're right that Veterans is a separate line.

Still, cutting $100 billion over 5 years is significant, especially when the cuts are coming from the non salary and benefits portion.

[Kolesar]

23. Gates is advocating only $20 Billion per year

After a decade when the military budget doubled. We can cut more: $750 Billion/5 years -> $150 billion/year -> :)

[TheWraith]

7. INCLUDING veterans.

Look for personnel costs.

[vaberella]

8. False, part of that is ending many contracted officials. n/t

[rfranklin]

9. Okay, I'll compromise at $350 billion which means that...

we will still be spending more than the next five top military spending countries combined.

And, by the way, there is probably another $100 billion in black ops expenditures that are just too secret to be included in the budget.

Pulling out the "respect our troops" card, by the way, is a favorite Republican tactic.

[Beetwasher]

10. Is Someone Asking YOU To Compromise?

:shrug:

[deaniac83]

16. Frankly, if you want real substantial cuts

then you need to support this. We need to make this effort a success beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Successes of smaller initiatives is likely to give rise to bolder initiatives, but belittling smaller initiatives won't help your bigger goal.

[Cha]

11. Thank goodness we have the Obama Admin

doing unheard of things like this..thanks for linking deaniac at dailykos, Beetwasher.

[CTLawGuy]

13. but obama is a corporate conservative!!!!11

who is more conservative than Reagan, and did I mention he's corporate? :eyes:

[Cha]

14. Demagoguery

claptrap. :hi:

[CTLawGuy]

15. catfood

and corporate, and sellout and more catfood.

[deaniac83]

12. Thank you from the author

I wrote that article (on both Daily Kos and on my blog The People's View - http://www.thepeoplesview.net), and I want to thank you for posting it here.

As I said in the article itself, there are going to be complaints about it being not enough, and much of it legitimate. But the truth is, even this is very very hard to do. If we as progressive want a more sane Defense budget, we ought to work to make sure this project succeeds beyond anyone's wildest dreams, so that the Administration can take on further and more aggressive measures. Success builds upon itself, remember folks.

[Mister Ed]

17. Awright! Smaller Government! (by a little bit, anyway)

Ya think the Teabaggers will appreciate it?

(Hint: So far, the tax breaks they've gotten under Obama seem to have escaped their notice...)

[ClarkUSA]

18. The Military-Industrial Complex is busy maxing out donations to Republicans right about now. nt

[joshcryer]

19. I saw an article recently that pointed out that the cost for essentials was DOWN big time.

That is, aircraft carriers, airplanes, rockets, bombs, bullets, etc, was at an all time, utterly all time low. But that the military budget was still highest it's ever been. Why? Because contractors get major pork that they pour down the drain. The actual cost of our military is far lower than it needs to be, if we simply shaped it up a bit.

This is an excellent move by Obama.

[Beetwasher]

20. I'd Be Willing To Bet Obama's 100 Bil Is A "Conservative" Estimate

of his eventual savings.

[denimgirly]

21. Nice to see OBama being more Progressive these Days...

Hope this new style of governing continues after the election since right now Dems always act progressive to win votes...its how they govern after elections. But its nice to see Obama governing progressive for a change

[quiet.american]

22. K&R.nt

[GSLevel9]

24. lipstick on a pig... 20b a yar is nothing.

How about starting with 100bn a year and see if we can find 200bn.

[Drunken Irishman]

27. Well hell, if 20 billion a year is nuthin', maybe you'll foot the bill?

[flpoljunkie]

25. What's sad about this is that Congress will fight tooth and nail to stop even this $100 billion cut

[opihimoimoi]

26. kick for the thread...good one...:o)

:bounce: