Reigning in Deficits

[TexasTiger 12,956]

Last balanced budget was a bipartisan affair, but it started in 1993 when congress raised taxes without a single Republican vote. That cost some Dem congressmen their seats. They knew it likely would. Clinton ran on tax increases that didn’t spare the middle class— gas taxes. The 1995/96 republican Congress worked with Clinton and they cut spending. The combination of additional revenue & spending reductions led to a balanced budget and budget surpluses. And did not cripple the economy— just the opposite.
 

Dubya blew up a working model and no politician has had the backbone to reinstate it. Any reasonable person knows cuts aren’t enough unless you want to slash military spending and popular programs like Medicare & Social Security. If you think you’re going to get there cutting foreign aid or by not sending Ukraine old weapon systems, look deeper. We are not paying for what we’re insisting on. 

Are you willing to raise taxes and if so, which ones?

[AU9377 4,977]

On 8/25/2023 at 8:32 PM, TexasTiger said:

Last balanced budget was a bipartisan affair, but it started in 1993 when congress raised taxes without a single Republican vote. That cost some Dem congressmen their seats. They knew it likely would. Clinton ran on tax increases that didn’t spare the middle class— gas taxes. The 1995/96 republican Congress worked with Clinton and they cut spending. The combination of additional revenue & spending reductions led to a balanced budget and budget surpluses. And did not cripple the economy— just the opposite.
 

Dubya blew up a working model and no politician has had the backbone to reinstate it. Any reasonable person knows cuts aren’t enough unless you want to slash military spending and popular programs like Medicare & Social Security. If you think you’re going to get there cutting foreign aid or by not sending Ukraine old weapon systems, look deeper. We are not paying for what we’re insisting on. 

Are you willing to raise taxes and if so, which ones?

I think the first thing we have to do is a reworking of the entire budget.  The government over pays for almost everything it purchases.  That isn't by chance.  We spend approx 1/3 of our total budget expenditures on health care spending, yet Americans pay more individually than any other people on the planet. The number of military bases we fund around the globe is astonishing and many are unnecessary.  I could go on and on. 

Basically, we have to stop digging the hole before we can climb our way out of it.

I am not opposed to a 1% federal sales tax if that tax is earmarked and used to fund health programs and deficit reduction.

Edited August 27, 2023 by AU9377

[TexasTiger 12,956]

3 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

I think the first thing we have to do is a reworking of the entire budget.  The government over pays for almost everything it purchases.  That isn't by chance.  We spend approx 1/3 of our total budget expenditures on health care spending, yet Americans pay more individually than any other people on the planet. The number of military bases we fund around the globe is astonishing and many are unnecessary.  I could go on and on. 

Basically, we have to stop digging the hole before we can climb our way out of it.

Defense budget is such a sacred cow the issue often isn’t really about defense. Any cut is seen as unacceptable even while folks go on about waste and gouging. And domestic bases are often more about money directed to districts. The whole thing needs modernizing for current threats and streamlining. Unfortunately, we are practically paralyzed from solving problems due to polarization.

The biggest problem with our healthcare spending is the amount that doesn’t go to healthcare. Americans fund outrageous insurance profits which grow from denying healthcare.

[Gowebb11 9,337]

15 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

We spend approx 1/3 of our total budget expenditures on health care spending, yet Americans pay more individually than any other people on the planet.

Fact. And we get worse results. People here go bankrupt and start Go Fund Me pages to fund treatment. We can do much better.

[LPTiger 5,167]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:26 AM, AU9377 said:

I think the first thing we have to do is a reworking of the entire budget.  The government over pays for almost everything it purchases.  That isn't by chance.  We spend approx 1/3 of our total budget expenditures on health care spending, yet Americans pay more individually than any other people on the planet. The number of military bases we fund around the globe is astonishing and many are unnecessary.  I could go on and on. 

Basically, we have to stop digging the hole before we can climb our way out of it.

I am not opposed to a 1% federal sales tax if that tax is earmarked and used to fund health programs and deficit reduction.

100%.   I couldn't be more in support of our military.   At the same time, we need to figure out why the 1/8th inch dia. x 4 inch bolt I buy at Home Depot costs me $.12 but when our military procures it it is $1.12.  This has been an issue for way too long.      

[CoffeeTiger 5,135]

15 hours ago, LPTiger said:

100%.   I couldn't be more in support of our military.   At the same time, we need to figure out why the 1/8th inch dia. x 4 inch bolt I buy at Home Depot costs me $.12 but when our military procures it it is $1.12.  This has been an issue for way too long.      

I don’t know about things like bolts and ‘regular’ supplies, but our military gets overcharged on the weapon systems, vehicles, electronics, repair services, etc because over the decades all our nations defense contractors consolidated into only a handful of corporations who know that our Gov has no other options but to pay their prices or not get the weapons/technology. 
 

A lost of stuff our military buys only has one company in the nation who makes it or is even capable of making it, and the companies do what private companies are made to do…maximize their own profit. 

[arein0 970]

37 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

I don’t know about things like bolts and ‘regular’ supplies, but our military gets overcharged on the weapon systems, vehicles, electronics, repair services, etc because over the decades all our nations defense contractors consolidated into only a handful of corporations who know that our Gov has no other options but to pay their prices or not get the weapons/technology. 
 

A lost of stuff our military buys only has one company in the nation who makes it or is even capable of making it, and the companies do what private companies are made to do…maximize their own profit. 

Also, it only hurts your group to spend under budget. Your group doesn't get to realize the difference and the next year you more than likely get a smaller budget.

[LPTiger 5,167]

26 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

I don’t know about things like bolts and ‘regular’ supplies, but our military gets overcharged on the weapon systems, vehicles, electronics, repair services, etc because over the decades all our nations defense contractors consolidated into only a handful of corporations who know that our Gov has no other options but to pay their prices or not get the weapons/technology. 
 

A lost of stuff our military buys only has one company in the nation who makes it or is even capable of making it, and the companies do what private companies are made to do…maximize their own profit. 

One of my favorite clients was a company named Pemco Aeroplex that performed maintenance on C-130s and KC-135s.  Every so often the Airforce would run out of certain parts  and Pemco would have to source them.   Every part on the aircraft has a unique "military specification" i.e. mil spec.   The mil specs are extremely detailed.   The one I became most involved with was a braided stainless steel wire cable that connected the cockpit controls to the flight controls (i.e ailerons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, etc).  The mil spec detailed how the cable was to be manufactured and tested.  The testings included endurance testing where the cable was rotated thousands of times over a roller and strength testing subsequent to the endurance wherein the cable is stretched to a certain foot pound pull.   Long story short, USAF ran out of the cable and Pemco sourced it with Bridon American Corp.   After installing it on 12 135's a mechanic one day noticed a kink in the cable.  He had been doing this jobs for decades and had never once seen a kink.  He alerted his supervisor and Pemco sent the cable off for independent testing.   The cable fell to pieces during the endurance test.   The aircraft had to be grounded, and Pemco had to send teams out to the filed to swap out the cable.   We sued, and we began opening statements on Sept 20, 2001.  That is right, 9 days after 9/11.  The associate who tried it with me was a Naval Academy grad who had nearly 100 combat missions in an A-6.  My client rep was a retired full-bird Colonel.   We tried it for 5 days.   The jury was out for 34 minutes.   The jury lit them up.   Anyhow, I suspect many companies refuse to produce the products because of the mil spec.