Billions and Billions and Trillions and Trillions.......

[Pogues]

Do you mean 40% to every department (cut social security 40%, Medicare 40%, defense 40%, etc.) or would you cut some by 90% and cut defense by 20% and Medicare by 30%?

And if we have cuts there are consequences to each. People say "We need to cut Medicare spending" which is all fine and dandy but I work in health care and got no raise in 2009 or 2010, a small increase in 2011 that was taken back when Medicare cuts were announced and then another pay cut when we saw the depths of the cut. But I have a job, many other companies in my field cut jobs. So by cutting the gov't spending like this it cuts my pay which cuts the tax revenue. I'm not saying we can't cut because there has to be cuts along with a tax hike but it isn't as easy as looking at the numbers and saying "x% cut" will get us there.

We take what we are spending today in total and figure out how to get rid of 40%.

No it wouldn't be easy. It would probably piss off a lot of people. But we'd have to find a way to do it. I, unfortunately, don't have the time nor knowledge to look at the numbers and say what I would cut, specifically, but if we needed to, we could do it.

And I would argue we need to.

[heyelander]

We take what we are spending today in total and figure out how to get rid of 40%.

No it wouldn't be easy. It would probably piss off a lot of people. But we'd have to find a way to do it. I, unfortunately, don't have the time nor knowledge to look at the numbers and say what I would cut, specifically, but if we needed to, we could do it.

And I would argue we need to.

Well if it's just an arbitrary number without actual ideas, why not cut 80%? That would be even better!

[Pogues]

Okay...maybe I can at least try...with JC's link.

I'm at 46% by 2020. Lots and lots of cuts, though I added some things too. That was kinda fun.

[Pogues]

Well if it's just an arbitrary number without actual ideas, why not cut 80%? That would be even better!

Because people would freak out enough with 40%. 80% would incite a revolt.

[joncarlos]

You guys are all heartless bastards. I bet you cut school breakfasts.

It was all I could do to get down to the 60% they needed, I basically hit it right on the nose.

[onejayhawk]

heard a Law School tax Professor speak several years ago. One thing that stayed with me. He thumped copy of the Code and Regulations, "Every line in these books has a constituency."

J

[Pogues]

You guys are all heartless bastards. I bet you cut school breakfasts.

It was all I could do to get down to the 60% they needed, I basically hit it right on the nose.

Actually, being a teacher (well hopefully a teacher) and having done my student teaching at a school that was 80% free or reduced school lunch, I know the importance of breakfast for those kids that cannot afford a simple thing as a morning meal. So, in a complete anti-Republican move, I kept school breakfasts.