As I write this, the United States of America is $16,275,179,205,442 in debt. By the time you read this, we’ll have piled up millions more.
Much debt is of recent vintage. When George W. Bush became president in 2000, the national red ink totaled $5.7 trillion. In eight years, Dubya nearly doubled it to $10.6 trillion. Since his 2008 election, President Obama has far outpaced Bush, sinking us another $5.3 trillion in debt in just half Bush’s time.
And, by continuing to run yearly deficits of over $1 trillion, we’re digging the hole deeper at top speed.
For all the hysteria over draconian cuts, forced at the so-called fiscal cliff, those somewhat slippery savings would at best amount to about 10 percent of our yearly deficit, leaving us spending 9/10ths of a trillion dollars we don’t have.
In the “other cuts” department, the Obama Administration had been supporting paltry reductions to federal Medicaid spending of $17.6 billion over ten years (that’s less than $2 billion a year), but just flipped its position. Why? State governors are deciding if they can afford to take part in Obamacare’s massive Medicaid expansion to cover those earning up to 133 percent of the poverty line.
Not content to spend recklessly alone, the Feds picks up the entire tab of new Medicare recipients’ first three years. After that, Washington pays 90 percent and the states pay 10.
States are wondering how they’ll come up with that additional 10 percent — seven governors have already declined to join in the spending program. No one in Washington has given a second thought to paying the 90 percent.
They figure they can always raise taxes.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
3 replies on “Death by a Thousand Non-Cuts”
The spending will continue until thecitizens in the states wake upto the problemscaused by the rampant inflation and inexorable taxes that the federal government foists on us more and more as the other countries willing to buy the debt continues to dry up. Once the state citizens take notice and vote for STATE representatives that will support interpositiona nd nullification,then the state can cut off the money supply that the federal government is counting on from the federal income taxes. Without seccedeing, the individual states can choose to not paritcipate and to limit the federal income taxes collected to the percentage that will go to constitutional purposes. Short that, the politicians will assume the money will come forever and make no changes.
.… No one in Washington has given a second thought to paying the 90 percent .…
They all will, soon enough, though, for “our” feral government is not too far from discovering the difference between watch the collapse of, say, Iceland and bringing their house of cards down around their own ears.
For starters: ( perhaps minimal in terms of total dollars and % — but, as Everett Dirksen said, “A billion here; a billion there, pretty soon you are talking real money”.
1. Cut Congressional salaries, beenfits and staffs. (The “poorest Senator, according to another source was “only” worth $6+ million. Poor guy.
2. STOP ALL FOREIGN AID TO COUNTRIES SUCH AS EGYPT (Muislim Brotherhood running it- and anti-American); and other nations that consistently VOTE against the US interests. Worth a few more billion.
3. Stop corproate welfare- and welfare to the wealthy- such as SUBSIDIZED FLOOD INSURANCE. Let people/firms that want to own waterfront property find PRIVATE P & C insurance firms to write it, and stop the taxpayer subsidies.
4. Stop ethanol and other farm subsidies. Archer-Daniels-Midland might be hurt ( hey, might not contribute as much to politicans of both parties) but, corn prices might come down, and ethanol live or die on its own. And the subsidies can be used for otehr things-like paying debts.
5. Stop fundign Sesame Street – PBS & NPR – perhaps once there was a reason, now there is not, with the chocies available.
6. Close the REA (RRURAL ELECTRIFICATION AGENCY – SET UP IN THE 1930’S TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY TO RURAL AREAS) Last I read, some 99% of the US had elecrtricity.
7. Easy chocies- clsoe Dept. of Energyy & Dept. of Education. Education is best left to the states and local governments; energy to the rpivate sector.
8. NEA — let those who like the arts support them.
The list can go on, and on.