While it is popular to say the US is a “nanny state” or the we need to drastically cut the size of the Federal Government, I suggest that is pure rhetoric and manipulation unless you are willing to base your opinions on real numbers. Here are the numbers:
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1258
If by nanny state you mean safety net programs, they make up 14% on the 2010 budget. This is what safety net programs are:
These programs include: the refundable portion of the earned-income and child tax credits, which assist low- and moderate-income working families through the tax code; programs that provide cash payments to eligible individuals or households, including Supplemental Security Income for the elderly or disabled poor and unemployment insurance; various forms of in-kind assistance for low-income families and individuals, including food stamps, school meals, low-income housing assistance, child-care assistance, and assistance in meeting home energy bills; and various other programs such as those that aid abused and neglected children.
If you mean social security it was 20% of the 2010 budget.
If you mean Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) was 21% of the 2010 budget.
Defense and Security was 20% of the 2010 budget.
Interest on debt was 6% of the 2010 budget.
Interest on debt was 19% of the 2010 budget.
Other is:
■7% – Benefits for federal retirees and veterans: This subcategory combines the veterans’ benefits and services function (700) and the federal employee retirement and disability subfunction (602, which is part of the income security function).
■3% – Education: The education subcategory combines three subfunctions of the education, training, employment, and social services function: elementary, secondary, and vocational education; higher education; and research and general educational aids (subfunctions 501, 502, and 503 respectively).
■2% – Scientific and medical research : This subcategory consists of the general science, space, and technology function (250), and the health research and training subfunction (552).
■3% – Transportation : This subcategory consists of the entire transportation function (400).
■1% – Non-security international: This subcategory consists of the international affairs function (150) except for international security assistance, which is included with defense, above.
■4% – All other: This subcategory consists of all other federal expenditures.
This is where the rubber meets the road. Talk is cheap…extremist’s self-righteous indignation is manipulative…manipulation ends when reason begins…
So now that you know what it is, tell me how would you make radical changes? Give specific percentages please.
Thanks to raysmom for having ideas and some real numbers.
For the rest, it is interesting to note that out of all the 9News bloggers that have been highly opinionated and extremely insulting about politics none can put their money where their mouth is because they do not have real ideas only angry words. Angry words do not solve problems, they only create problems. If you vote for these folk’s candidates you will be part of the problem and not part of the solution. They have no answers…they will not fix any problems…they will only make things worse…they certainly are the party of NO!
Please note that I realize the analytic piece of my numbers is not here. I started to research studies already done on my ideas but I do not want to take the time to come up with numbers based on current research so I will just say the I think my numbers are conservative, more reductions may likely be obtained, but these would be my minimum goals…
My reductions from the current percentages would be…
Reduce Social Security by 22% (by 2041 with gradually extending the retirement age). 22% of the current Federal piece of 20% is 17.6%
Reduce Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP by at least 20% with the suggestions I made…20% of the current Federal piece of 20% is 16%.
Bennet (D) Supporter markdart:
Social Security Current Percent – 22%
Social Security Proposed Percent – 17.6%
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Health Reform Subsidies Current Percent – 20%
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Health Reform Subsidies Proposed Percent – 16%
Buck (R) Supporter raysmom
Social Security Current Percent – 22%
Social Security Proposed Percent – 0%
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Health Reform Subsidies Current Percent – 20%
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Health Reform Subsidies Proposed Percent – ?%
New Safety Net Program Current Percent – 0%
New Safety Net Program Current Percent Proposed Percent – ?%
Raysmon – I really am not against helping the underserved. But the lines in this country as to who the truly underserved are have become increasingly murky as the poor have become big business. 30% of our state budget is huge, and will become much more under ObamaCare
I agreed with a fair amount of what you stated in this post.
Two questions…
Here are the state numbers, what would you cut and how much? You have already said you would eliminate Social Security. What about Medicaid, CHIP, Welfare? What about the safety net program you mentioned. What is that and how much percent wise are you willing to spend on this?
2010 State spending & deficit in billions[6]
Total spending Pension Health care Education
Welfare Protection Transport Deficit Budget gap
$19.6 $3.2 $4.4 $4.8 $1.7 $1.7 $1.2 $17.9 $1.6
a $26 billion plan to give states money for Medicaid and education that the President signed into law on August 10, 2010
http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Colorado_state_budget
Here are the Federal numbers for Health Care Reform. I have not seen how Health Care Reform affects the states with the 26 billion dollar kickback but I do know this…
Here are the CBOs Long Term Budget Outlook for 2009 and 2010. This is pre-Health Care Reform and post-Health Care Reform. These quotes are taken from the section dealing with health care costs.
Percent of GDP Chart Projected 2035
Pre-HCR, 2009 Projection Medicare Total Spending 8%
Pre-HCR, 2009 Projection Medicaid, CHIP 5%
Post-HCR, 2010 Projection Medicare Total Spending 6%
Post-HCR, 2010 Projection Medicaid, CHIP, Subsidies 4%
Total spending for Medicare is projected to increase to 8 percent of GDP by 2035 and to 15 percent by 2080. Total spending for Medicaid is projected to increase to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 and to 7 percent by 2080. (2009 page 35 in pdf)
Under the extended-baseline scenario, which reflects current law, federal spending for those (Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the insurance subsidies) programs would grow from 5.5 percent of GDP today to about 10 percent of GDP in 2035; about 6 percent of GDP would be devoted to Medicare, and about 4 percent would be spent on Medicaid, CHIP, and the exchange subsidies. (2010 page 41 in pdf)
The Long Term Budget Outlook 2009
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10297/06-25-LTBO.pdf
The Long Term Budget Outlook 2010
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/115xx/doc11579/06-30-LTBO.pdf