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Feb. 20, 2006 The federal government has never been known for fiscal restraint. A president always has some war or some pet domestic project to run up a deficit. Only Andrew Jackson, for all his many faults, had a debt free government. The problem is that the federal government has gotten bigger and bigger. George Washington had four cabinet secretaries, and they ran very small departments. Today we have... well a lot more. Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisania territory for fifteen million dollars, which was twice the entire federal budget. Today we have a budget of nearly three trillion, and it will go over three trillion in the next few years. Today even a "conservative" President talks about compassionate conservatism, using government to help when people hurt and leaving no child behind. The party of fiscal responsibility has turned into the party of pork with bridges to nowhere and bike trails galore. Our deficit is 423 billion. Now when it comes to deficits I am not one who believes that they cause economic disaster. Red ink is not necessarily bad for the economy, but it is bad for government responsibility. But how do we reign in the free spending? An amendment to the constitution? Sounds nice, but try to get a congress to restrain itself. Massive tax hikes for deficit reduction? We know what that will do to the economy. No, the only real choice is to slash spending. Seriously slash spending. In the State of the Union speech President Bush talked about cutting a few billion from the budget to help reduce the deficit in half by 2009. Well here are some cuts he can make that will cut the deficit immediately. Big government spends more money, wastes more money, and to be honest, infringes on the rights of the citizens who are forced to pay for it. So it is big Government that needs to go. We spend 19.7 billion on the department of agriculture. This department pays farmers to destroy crops, subsidizes them for no good reason. Our farmers are in no danger of going bankrupt, farm incomes are up and we still pay them. Let's save 19.7 billion. We spend 6.1 billion on the department of commerce. This department helps American businesses overseas. Last time I checked our businesses worked ovcerseas before a department of commerce, and we have the most competitive businesses in the world. There's another 6.1 billion. 56.5 billion for the department of education. Do I really need to say anymore? Created by Jimmy Carter for no other reason than he wanted to suck up to teachers unions, this black hole for money survived Reagans attempt to kill it, and has thrived ever since. It's time to save 56.5 billion. 23.5 billion for energy. Two words for you: Los Alamos. That should tell you what a bang up job this department has done. I think our country supplied its energy supplied its energy and watched power plants before a department of energy. 69.2 billion for HHS. Despite cuts in the welfare rolls this department still gets too much money. Too much is any. At the risk of sounding like Ebeneezer Scrooge here it's not the governments job to provide for people. I don't recall anything in the constitution about it. Let private charities take care of the poor, HHS hasn't been able to do it. 33.6 billion for HUD. Don't even get me started on this. 10.9 billion for Labor. Aside from releasing unemployment reports, andtortuing employers through their needless regulations, I don't even know what they do. But shutting them down saves 10.9 billion. 16.8 billion for NASA. I know a lot of people disagree with this one because they have a soft spot for the agency. Still lets face it, NASA hasn't pulled off anything spectacular in years. Unless you count their sucking up of money. Privitaize it or shut it down. 13.2 billion for Transportation. Does anyone know what they do? I didn't think so. But we can save 13.2 billion. 7.3 billion for the EPA. This naziesque force, created by President Nixon to give himself street cred with the greens, can seize property to protect "wetlands", and all other manner of unconstitutional nonsense. And to hear them talk the environment has gotten worse. Not doing much of a job then are they? I bet they blame it on a lack of funding. Lets save another 7.3 billion and put them out of business. 6 billion for National Science Foundation. Nothing against science, but it's not governments place. If my math is right that's 249.5 billion out of the budget that could help pay off the deficit and once it's paid off make its way back to the taxpayer. Not to mention cut governments size. Well, a guy can dream. ------------ About the author: Craig Chamberlain has written more than 100 articles for Useless-Knowledge.com. Email: craig_chamberlain@hotmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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