Preparing for government shutdown on the 17th

[MrsBachbach]

Hey, cut aid to foreign countries.   How about tending our own garden? 

Oops an earthquake, a tidal wave, etc.  rush them billions of dollars in aid.  Who comes to help US when we have devastating floods, hurricanes, tornadoes?  It's time for 'tit for tat'.  Help the ones that help us.    We keep sending weapons etc. to middle east countries  so they can fight   their bad guys. When they win, they use   those same weapons against us. Do you notice a pattern here.

Cut social security ???  Sure the oldies are the ones with the most medical bills - we can lighten the   ss load and slash medicare  spending in one fell swoop.  Just decide at 65 or 66 or 67 to send oldies off to paradise. No concentration camps or "showers," - just tell them they are going to have a "happy ending." Happy for whom?
Geez fell off my soapbox hope I didn't fracture anything

You would be shocked and appalled at how many of the young folk today actually do think that is what needs to be done with old people. I have no doubt Obamacare will take care of this problem with old people for them. Funny thing, by the time this system is fully ingrained and operating in this country and the money to fund it gets really staggering, it will be these same young people that are going to be facing this fate.

 

[MamaDoodle]

My husband wishes we could just uproot and go to Europe or anywhere else. But this is impossible, and with our tight finances, I think I'll continue bracing for far more self-efficiency and local trade, whether this stupid governmental temper tantrum does anything or not.

I don't watch much TV, I had no idea the shut down happened until recently. It hasn't done anything to us, although, I noticed gas has come and stayed down... is that coincidence? It went from $3.39/gal to $3.09/gal!

 

[Shabana]

Unleaded £5. 86 a gallon in the UK and £8. 77 a gallon for diesel. People moan as it us so heavily taxed in this country as are cigarettes and alcohol but we do have a national healthcare service. This too is frought with delay and lack of funding cutbacks and waiting lists, but it's there and those who earn contribute towards it.
In the UK we are seeing food prices escalating at the moment probably 50% more since the start of the recession in 2008 on our food bill and 30% more on hearing and fuel.
This is the reason we became more self sufficient but when I read about you all in the states gosh it makes me worry for us all in the none too distant future.

 

[hemet dennis]

So lets just say you have been elected King.

So for 2014 you have $3.03 trillion in income, and over 300 million people that all want you to pay for everything we need, and not cut any of there benefits.

This is about what was being spent before you became King.

Agency Discretionary Mandatory Total
Department of Defense including Overseas Contingency Operations 666.2 6.7 672.9
Department of Health and Human Services including Medicare and Medicaid 80.6 860.3 940.9
Department of Education 67.7 4.2 71.9
Department of Veterans Affairs 60.4 79.4 139.7
Department of Housing and Urban Development 41.1 5.2 46.3
Department of State and Other International Programs 56.1 3.4 59.5
Department of Homeland Security 54.9 0.5 55.4
Department of Energy 35.6 –0.6 35.0
Department of Justice 23.9 12.7 36.5
Department of Agriculture 26.8 127.7 154.5
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 17.8 –0.02 17.8
National Intelligence Program 52.6 0 52.6
Department of Transportation 24.0 74.5 98.5
Department of the Treasury 14.1 96.2 110.3
Department of the Interior 12.3 1.2 13.5
Department of Labor 13.2 88.4 101.7
Social Security Administration 11.7 871.0 882.7
Department of Commerce 9.5 –0.5 9.0
Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works 8.2 –0.007 8.2
Environmental Protection Agency 9.2 –0.2 8.9
National Science Foundation 7.4 0.2 7.5
Small Business Administration 1.4 –0.006 1.4
Corporation for National and Community Service 1.1 0.007 1.1
Net interest 246 0 246
Disaster costs 2 0 2
Other spending 34.0- 61.7 29.5
Total 1,510 2,293
3,803

Oh and you need to balance the budget, so where would you cut the $800 billion in spending. Or would you raise taxes ? Remember you're the king, what would you do ?

Remember that you also have to keep everyone happy.

 

[Cameron03]

So lets just say you have been elected King.

So for 2014 you have $3.03 trillion in income, and over 300 million people that all want you to pay for everything we need, and not cut any of there benefits.

This is about what was being spent before you became King.

Agency Discretionary Mandatory Total
Department of Defense including Overseas Contingency Operations 666.2 6.7 672.9
Department of Health and Human Services including Medicare and Medicaid 80.6 860.3 940.9
Department of Education 67.7 4.2 71.9
Department of Veterans Affairs 60.4 79.4 139.7
Department of Housing and Urban Development 41.1 5.2 46.3
Department of State and Other International Programs 56.1 3.4 59.5
Department of Homeland Security 54.9 0.5 55.4
Department of Energy 35.6 –0.6 35.0
Department of Justice 23.9 12.7 36.5
Department of Agriculture 26.8 127.7 154.5
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 17.8 –0.02 17.8
National Intelligence Program 52.6 0 52.6
Department of Transportation 24.0 74.5 98.5
Department of the Treasury 14.1 96.2 110.3
Department of the Interior 12.3 1.2 13.5
Department of Labor 13.2 88.4 101.7
Social Security Administration 11.7 871.0 882.7
Department of Commerce 9.5 –0.5 9.0
Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works 8.2 –0.007 8.2
Environmental Protection Agency 9.2 –0.2 8.9
National Science Foundation 7.4 0.2 7.5
Small Business Administration 1.4 –0.006 1.4
Corporation for National and Community Service 1.1 0.007 1.1
Net interest 246 0 246
Disaster costs 2 0 2
Other spending 34.0- 61.7 29.5
Total 1,510 2,293
3,803

Oh and you need to balance the budget, so where would you cut the $800 billion in spending. Or would you raise taxes ? Remember you're the king, what would you do ?

Remember that you also have to keep everyone happy.

well being a veteran I would never ever touch the veterans affairs funding. I would also like to point out that ever since i got out of the military finding a job has been really hard, all the employers say im over qualifyed and I do recieve food stamps and it does help feed my family so I would cut the amount the elected officals make for the rest of there life. 450,000 for life no if they retire after 4 years i would give them what a regular person gets at 4 years of retirement. Also cut all the vacations! make them pay out of pocket. The only reason we should pay for these things is if they are business related like meeting with the un

 

[MrsBachbach]

Unleaded £5. 86 a gallon in the UK and £8. 77 a gallon for diesel. People moan as it us so heavily taxed in this country as are cigarettes and alcohol but we do have a national healthcare service. This too is frought with delay and lack of funding cutbacks and waiting lists, but it's there and those who earn contribute towards it.
In the UK we are seeing food prices escalating at the moment probably 50% more since the start of the recession in 2008 on our food bill and 30% more on hearing and fuel.
This is the reason we became more self sufficient but when I read about you all in the states gosh it makes me worry for us all in the none too distant future.

I have seen 100% increase in food prices here in the last several years. It just keeps steadly increasing year after year. Gas prices have doubled also in the last five years. Yet they try to tell us inflation is a non factor. Well, yes, I guess so when you change the formula to track inflation all the time. Who in their right mind would exclude food and energy in their inflation formula? Our idiot government thats who.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Maybe one day people will realize that social programs are unaffordable. You eventually run out of other peoples money as Margaret Thatcher said. This country needs to stop electing socialists. The descretionary spending can be cut, even some on defense. We spend more than any other country on defense and even with cuts, will still spend more. Some departments are failures and are not needed. Education, energy. Laws that are passed that make it law for people to buy something always, always results in increased cost as some are now finding out since Obamacare became law. Those state exchanges have some pretty high unsubsidized rates don't they? Liability car insurance anyone? Sure did shoot up when it became mandatory. So did health insurance premiums when Medicare was passed way back when. Heck, why not? The government is paying for it now. Abolish the laws and eventually you will see prices drop. Abolish medical insurance in general and let people deal with the docs one on one and you may be surprised that your costs won't be much different than what you pay as your share right now. All prices would eventually drop as competition drives the market once again. Something that is not happening now.

 

[hemet dennis]

Quote:
As you can see from this chart from the Government Bureau of Labor Statistics food and fuel is in the calculations for inflation. Please get the facts right.


Table A. Percent changes in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city
average


Seasonally adjusted changes from
preceding month
Un-
adjusted
12-mos.
Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. ended
2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 Aug.
2013


All items.................. .7 -.2 -.4 .1 .5 .2 .1 1.5
Food...................... .1 .0 .2 -.1 .2 .1 .1 1.4
Food at home............. .1 -.1 .1 -.3 .2 .1 .1 1.0
Food away from home (1).. .1 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 2.0
Energy.................... 5.4 -2.6 -4.3 .4 3.4 .2 -.3 -.1
Energy commodities....... 8.6 -4.1 -7.9 -.1 5.7 1.0 .0 -2.2
Gasoline (all types).... 9.1 -4.4 -8.1 .0 6.3 1.0 -.1 -2.4
Fuel oil (1)............ 3.1 -2.1 -4.4 -2.9 -.5 1.1 1.2 .0
Energy services.......... .5 -.2 1.4 1.2 .1 -1.0 -.7 3.2
Electricity............. .3 -.6 .5 .8 .2 -.3 -.1 2.8
Utility (piped) gas
service.............. 1.2 1.0 4.4 2.4 -.4 -2.8 -2.3 4.8
All items less food and
energy................. .2 .1 .1 .2 .2 .2 .1 1.8
Commodities less food and
energy commodities.... .0 -.1 .0 .0 .2 .0 .0 .0
New vehicles............ -.3 .1 .3 .0 .3 .1 .0 1.1
Used cars and trucks.... .8 1.2 .6 -.1 -.4 -.4 -.1 -1.0
Apparel................. -.1 -1.0 -.3 .2 .9 .6 .1 1.8
Medical care commodities -.4 .1 .1 -.5 .5 .4 .4 .0
Services less energy
services.............. .2 .2 .1 .2 .2 .2 .2 2.4
Shelter................. .2 .2 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 2.4
Transportation services .1 .2 -.2 .4 -.1 .4 -.5 2.5
Medical care services... .3 .3 -.1 .0 .4 .1 .7 3.1

 

[Vamvakas]

1. U.S. is better off to default, just start all over.. Stop dragging U.S people to the gates of hell...
2. Cut Food Stamps, Welfare, Foreign Aid, stop giving lazy/free loaders people free money!
3. Protest!!! Riot if necessary... Fight for the constitution to stop Obama and his henchmen Harry Reid and Jay Carney.

3 point plan by Vamvakas

 

[mom'sfolly]

Again...look at the real numbers. You can cut food stamps, welfare and foreign aid to zero, the budget still doesn't balance. Yes, you can allow the government to default...just don't pay all those bond holding 401ks and pension plans, make it impossible to borrow money, make it impossible to pay social security and the military budgets. That won't hurt the US economy and throw people out of work.

There are some fun budget games out there on the internet. I will try to find them and post links. They ask you what your priorities are, and where you want to cut money. The good ones predict what the negative impacts of your cuts might be. They also ask where you would raise, or lower taxes. I've played with a bunch of them at different times. I have found that it is almost impossible to make the numbers work without cutting wildly popular programs, and programs that you personally may favor. In every one I've run, I've had to raise taxes. $800,000,000,000 is a lot of money to find in the couch cushions.