Bernake advises that the US cut the deficit

[Magox]

I think true fiscal conservatives B word about goverment spending as a whole.

Fiscal conservatives bashed on Bush, hence his dismal approval ratings, the only difference between now and then is that the trajectory of spending has increased dramatically not just for the short term, but for the forseeable future under BO's longterm budget plan, therefore the howling from the conservatives has become loudened and the major problems that Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and England to name a few, highlights the tremendous obstacles that we face if the tough decisions aren't made

 

RIGHT !@#$ING NOW!!!

 

Instead, these !@#$s up on the hill, will do what is politcally expedient for themselves, which is to continue doing what they do, which is pander to their constituents and decide to not reform the entitlement system, so that they can get re-elected, which is AND WILL be the #1 drain on our economy, which of course makes the cost of servicing our debt virtually impossible.

 

We need to reform DOD, Education, Entitlements, repeal this atrocious health bill and reform the tax code in order for us to avoid losing our Reserve Currency status. IF these things don't occur, well......

[Adam]

Obama needs public support for allowing the Bush cuts to expire on the upper earners while preserving those cuts for those at the middle and lower brackets.

 

Of course we have to be "fearful" that if we don't address the deficit through taxation, then education, SS, medicare and defense will have to be cut. Nothing else of course needs to be cut or should be cut.

But wouldn't improving education lead to reduced spending?

[Magox]

But wouldn't improving education lead to reduced spending?

It would. Unfortunately higher spending on education here in the U.S over the past two decades hasn't equated to higher levels of education.

[KD in CA]

It would. Unfortunately higher spending on education here in the U.S over the past two decades hasn't equated to higher levels of education.

 

That's probably because the goal of the US public school system is to increase the size and power of labor unions, not to improve the level of education of children.

[erynthered]

That's probably because the goal of the US public school system is to increase the size and power of labor unions, not to improve the level of education of children.

 

 

You mean teaching to testing is not a good idea? Lots of skill there.

[John Adams]

In FY2007, Congress added five ships to the Navy's appropriations that the Navy themselves said that they not only didn't want and didn't need, but couldn't even operate since they didn't have the operational budget or crewmen for them. Congress did it do "create jobs".

 

So...yes.

 

It's been discussed here before but it still kills me when I used to contract for the government. We were building a landfill at Pax River and found an enormous supply of clean fill--which meant we saved millions by digging up our own fill instead of buying it. As the year end approached and this 8M project was 1.%M underbudget, the Navy directed us to help them figure out what we could do to spend the other 1.5M...because if they didn't find a way to spend it, they would get less money next year. We created something to build and spent it (hard to say no to 1.5M). Who got screwed? Everyone.

[Chef Jim]

It's been discussed here before but it still kills me when I used to contract for the government. We were building a landfill at Pax River and found an enormous supply of clean fill--which meant we saved millions by digging up our own fill instead of buying it. As the year end approached and this 8M project was 1.%M underbudget, the Navy directed us to help them figure out what we could do to spend the other 1.5M...because if they didn't find a way to spend it, they would get less money next year. We created something to build and spent it (hard to say no to 1.5M). Who got screwed? Everyone.

 

If by something you mean a really !@#$ing awesome bbq in your backyard I gotta give you a big

[John Adams]

If by something you mean a really !@#$ing awesome bbq in your backyard I gotta give you a big

 

It was 15 years ago. I don't even remember what we came up with. Some bull **** 1.5M terraforming probably.

[erynthered]

It's been discussed here before but it still kills me when I used to contract for the government. We were building a landfill at Pax River and found an enormous supply of clean fill--which meant we saved millions by digging up our own fill instead of buying it. As the year end approached and this 8M project was 1.%M underbudget, the Navy directed us to help them figure out what we could do to spend the other 1.5M...because if they didn't find a way to spend it, they would get less money next year. We created something to build and spent it (hard to say no to 1.5M). Who got screwed? Everyone.

 

 

.........and there are thousands and thousands of these kinds of stories never told or published.

 

Brutal.

 

 

Because of the history, I have no reason to doubt you.

 

I have one or two. To long to post about it. Not nearly the amount of which you speak. But enough that those add up to Billions and billions of wasted dollars accross the country.

[John Adams]

.........and there are thousands and thousands of these kinds of stories never told or published.

 

Brutal.

 

 

Because of the history, I have no reason to doubt you.

 

I have one or two. To long to post about it. Not nearly the amount of which you speak. But enough that those add up to Billions and billions of wasted dollars accross the country.

 

I was working for a huge company with lots of government projects. We did this all the time. And all the projects were cost-plus, which means that our costs were covered no matter how poorly we estimated and if we went overbudget, the government would scold us but in the end we'd still make tons of money. The way it all worked on the government jobs side (mostly Navy LANTDIV for me) was completely opposite of the way things worked on the commercial jobs side, where of course, going overbudget was a catastrophe.

[Chef Jim]

I was working for a huge company with lots of government projects. We did this all the time. And all the projects were cost-plus, which means that our costs were covered no matter how poorly we estimated and if we went overbudget, the government would scold us but in the end we'd still make tons of money. The way it all worked on the government jobs side (mostly Navy LANTDIV for me) was completely opposite of the way things worked on the commercial jobs side, where of course, going overbudget was a catastrophe.

 

And it's not like we're all blind to this, it's been common knowledge for years. Remember the toilet seats and hammers. But nooooo we have to hand over a huge project like health care over to the government. We are so !@#$ed.

[DC Tom]

And it's not like we're all blind to this, it's been common knowledge for years. Remember the toilet seats and hammers.

 

I always liked the "Independence Day" theory of the overpriced toilet seats and hammers: that's where they hide the "black" budget items.

[Celtic_soulja]

.........and there are thousands and thousands of these kinds of stories never told or published.

 

Brutal.

 

 

Because of the history, I have no reason to doubt you.

 

I have one or two. To long to post about it. Not nearly the amount of which you speak. But enough that those add up to Billions and billions of wasted dollars accross the country.

 

Yes there are. Sickening way to do business. People think it is just a general statement that the government "works backwards." But they ACTUALLY work backwards. The more you use the more you get. They keep running this way regardless of the debt they accrue.

 

I've been on site and have seen them upgrade well pads and caps on four inch monitoring wells to ten foot pads and caps the size of manholes to inflate the costs. It is ridiculous that the government agencies get rewarded for being irresponsible. People fear privatization of services that we are used to counting on the government to provide but unless something changes in government culture it is the only viable solution.