Don't Faint, But I'm Giving Obama Props on this.

[Perchoutofwater]

Do the Chinese have a lot of camels?

 

BTW, can anyone think of a credible invasion threat that would ever impose its will on us?

 

EVERYTHING in our gubmnet could stand to lose some dead weight. That includes military spending. Or just reallocating resources to but it where it is needed most. Didnt Obama stop funding the 22 million per plane F-22 program?

 

At a time when both our states and nation are running unprecedented deficits, what is the cost of illegals to our governments? How much faith do you have in the government to the south? Do you think they are paying any more attention to who they let in their country than we do?

 

I would love to see us be more intelligent in how we spend our money in all areas, defense and social. I'd much rather see barriers with manageable choke point erected on both of our borders than the next generation fighter.

 

I have no issues cutting waste in defense. I just wish those of you that always complain about it felt same about your sacred cows that are in no way specifically layer out in the constitution,and in many cases contrary to the writings of our founders.

[bpwallace49]

At a time when both our states and nation are running unprecedented deficits, what is the cost of illegals to our governments? How much faith do you have in the government to the south? Do you think they are paying any more attention to who they let in their country than we do?

 

I would love to see us be more intelligent in how we spend our money in all areas, defense and social. I'd much rather see barriers with manageable choke point erected on both of our borders than the next generation fighter.

 

I have no issues cutting waste in defense. I just wish those of you that always complain about it felt same about your sacred cows that are in no way specifically layer out in the constitution,and in many cases contrary to the writings of our founders.

 

Perch, i COMPLETELY agree with you in cutting waste in defense, and in no way do I think that should be first. the whole system needs an audit enema to clean out the waste. Defense is just one of the areas (and probably not the biggest) source of wasteful spending that needs a system re-examination.

 

Defense spending hides more pork and earmarks than anyone wants to admit. The Raptor program was made in someones congressional district, and they fought like hell to keep those jobs a rollin', even when they were not needed. Streamline the system, and invest in the right things that actually matter to the troops in the field including better armor for vehicles, predator and reaver drones, and intelligence gathering capacities. As long as we are going be fighting wars agaisnt de-centralized targets, we might as well give our troops the best possible chance at winning the damn wars . . .

 

I agree with the border securing, and not only does that give the military a mission domestically if/when we ever stop starting wars in the mideast but it also provides domestic jobs for securing the border in the interim.

[Ursa Majoris]

I wasn't aware that cutting pork and earmarks instead of defense somehow adds to military spending.

Is that how liberal politics work, if you cut something, you have to spend on what you don't cut?

Talking points to rouse the rabble:

 

Pork, earmarks.

 

Actual cost of those in relationship to the real big tickets:

 

Minimal

 

Cutting pork and earmarks will make the tiniest of dents. This is not to defend them in any way, this is simply to point out that when shifting a pile of rocks, it's better to shift the big ones first rather than the grains of sand around them.

[Ursa Majoris]

At a time when both our states and nation are running unprecedented deficits, what is the cost of illegals to our governments? How much faith do you have in the government to the south? Do you think they are paying any more attention to who they let in their country than we do?

 

I would love to see us be more intelligent in how we spend our money in all areas, defense and social. I'd much rather see barriers with manageable choke point erected on both of our borders than the next generation fighter.

 

I have no issues cutting waste in defense. I just wish those of you that always complain about it felt same about your sacred cows that are in no way specifically layer out in the constitution,and in many cases contrary to the writings of our founders.

You've seen my opinion on illegal immigration before so I won't repeat it here. It is close to yours, generally. However, the question about the actual cost to the taxpayer needs to be answered first.

[Perchoutofwater]

On a side note it cost the US government around $4.5 Billion for each Nimitz class carrier, Dems in congress want to raise the debt ceiling by $1.8 Trillion. That is the equivalent of 400 USS Ronald Regans, or 40 times the number of carriers that are currently active. Heck you could buy over 170 new carriers for what Obama's non-stimulus stimulus package cost. Just saying.

[Perchoutofwater]

You've seen my opinion on illegal immigration before so I won't repeat it here. It is close to yours, generally. However, the question about the actual cost to the taxpayer needs to be answered first.

 

The actual cost of what? The actual cost that illegals have on our society, or the actual cost of barrier? Why does it matter when this is something clearly mandated in the Constitution and yet we are willing to piss away funds even in times like this on all kinds of crap that isn't.

[Yukon Cornelius]

I wasn't aware that cutting pork and earmarks instead of defense somehow adds to military spending.

Is that how liberal politics work, if you cut something, you have to spend on what you don't cut?

i see you got the memo

[Yukon Cornelius]

The actual cost of what? The actual cost that illegals have on our society, or the actual cost of barrier? Why does it matter when this is something clearly mandated in the Constitution and yet we are willing to piss away funds even in times like this on all kinds of crap that isn't.

lobbyist

[Ursa Majoris]

The actual cost of what? The actual cost that illegals have on our society, or the actual cost of barrier? Why does it matter when this is something clearly mandated in the Constitution and yet we are willing to piss away funds even in times like this on all kinds of crap that isn't.

The actual dollar cost. To taxpayers. If we are to reduce deficits and the debt, we must tackle the problem head on. If there is waste in defense of e.g. $100 billion per annum, it would not make sense to tackle illegal immigration if the cost of that per annum is e.g. $25 billion, regardless of illegality. It might make sense to do both, of course, given the resources, but if fiscal sanity is your aim, then personal preference needs to be put aside and the biggest tickets addressed first because that's where the biggest longer term payoffs are.

[Perchoutofwater]

The actual dollar cost. To taxpayers. If we are to reduce deficits and the debt, we must tackle the problem head on. If there is waste in defense of e.g. $100 billion per annum, it would not make sense to tackle illegal immigration if the cost of that per annum is e.g. $25 billion, regardless of illegality. It might make sense to do both, of course, given the resources, but if fiscal sanity is your aim, then personal preference needs to be put aside and the biggest tickets addressed first because that's where the biggest longer term payoffs are.

 

I guarantee I can build a concrete barrier, employ tons of people (get them off the government tit) do what is actually mandated in the Constitution all for less than the cost of Medicare and Social Security which are not specifically mentioned as powers or duties of the government.

[Ursa Majoris]

I guarantee I can build a concrete barrier, employ tons of people (get them off the government tit) do what is actually mandated in the Constitution all for less than the cost of Medicare and Social Security which are not specifically mentioned as powers or duties of the government.

So you're not interested in discussing sensible ways to reduce the deficit, then?

[posty]

So you're not interested in discussing sensible ways to reduce the deficit, then?

 

Neither is Obama...

[Perchoutofwater]

So you're not interested in discussing sensible ways to reduce the deficit, then?

 

I'm interested in discussing all ways to reduce the deficit.

[Jimmy Neutron]

I guess it's encouraging that someone is looking at a spending freeze, although it only effects 1/6th of the total budget. If we can get that done, then maybe roll it out to encompass more of the budget and eventually decrease spending significanlty.

 

The associated numbers I heard on this proposal was that it would save $250 billion over the next 10 years. Meanwhile the CBO put out a projection today that the total debt will double in roughly the same time period - to some $12 trillion. Kinda puts everything into perspective...