White House details ‘destructive’ spending cuts

Washington Times ^ | September 14, 2012 | Stephen Dinan

[Cincinatus' Wife]

With excruciating detail, the White House’s budget office on Friday laid out exactly where it will have to cut $109 billion from federal spending in January, including $11.1 billion from Medicare and $54.7 billion from defense spending.

The defense cuts include $21.5 billion from operations and maintenance for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and the reserves and National Guard, and nearly $1.4 billion from military aide to Afghanistan, with tens of billions coming from procurement and other Pentagon accounts.

“The report leaves no question that the sequestration would be deeply destructive to national security, domestic investments, and core government functions,” the White House’s budget office said in the report.

Everything from fencing and technology along the U.S.-Mexico border to the government’s own internal watchdogs to local environmental programs are also on the chopping block.

The cuts fall particularly heavy on the federal civilian workforce, where staffing levels and salaries would be docked more than 8 percent almost across the board.

[vette6387]

“The cuts fall particularly heavy on the federal civilian workforce, where staffing levels and salaries would be docked more than 8 percent almost across the board.”

I guess this is the “bad” part?

[molson209]

Why not remove the 200 % increase Obama added to government agencies when he first took office

[andyk]

In the report, the White House’s budget office took pains to say it didn’t have any discretion, and that it didn’t support the cuts.

I thought it was the administration that requested these cuts as part of the deal.

[funfan]

My husband took a 20% pay cut in the private sector

[pburgh01]

MN needs a game changer, as the Mideast erupts in an orgy of violence, the Axelrods and Jarretts are telling the MN to get back on message of tried and true hyperbole an sophism. Republicans are mean want to cut your Medicare, etc. Trial balloon. What seemed like an eternity for the MN and his buffoons, getting to November and a a smirking MN ascending the podium in Grant Park giving his victory speech is turning out to be a Bataan Death march towards an ignominious defeat. I really do think about Mid October Obama will just be mailing it in, rumors of post WH pads and where his spawn will be attending school will be rampant.

[Lucky9teen]

It's time to cut departments that ARE NOT NEEDED:

The Department of Agriculture administers large farm subsidy programs and runs the food stamp and school lunch programs.


The department will spend about $151 billion in 2012, or about $1,200 for every U.S. household. It employs 93,000 workers and operates more than 240 subsidy programs.

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The Department of Defense oversees a vast array of people and assets at home and abroad, but we could improve security and reduce costs with a more restrained military strategy.


The department will spend about $668 billion in fiscal 2012, or $5,800 for every U.S. household.

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The Department of Commerce subsidizes businesses, restricts foreign trade, and oversees the Census Bureau and Patent Office.


The department will spend about $11 billion in 2012, or about $100 for every U.S. household. It employs 41,000 workers and operates more than 97 subsidy programs.

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The Department of Education operates a range of subsidy programs for elementary and secondary schools. That aid is matched by rising federal regulatory control over the schools, but federal intervention has not generally lifted academic achievement. The department also provides subsidies to higher education through student loans and grants. Unfortunately, that aid has fueled inflation in college tuition and is subject to widespread abuse.


The department will spend about $98 billion in 2012, or $830 for every U.S. household. It employs 4,300 workers and operates 153 different subsidy programs.

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The Department of Energy oversees nuclear weapons sites and subsidizes conventional and alternative fuels. The department has a history of fiscal and environmental mismanagement. Also, misguided energy regulations have caused large loses to consumers and the economy over the decades.


The department will spend about $39 billion in 2012, or about $330 for every U.S. household. It employs about 17,000 workers directly and oversees 100,000 contract workers at 21 national laboratories and other facilities across the nation. The department operates 37 different subsidy programs.

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The Department of Health and Human Services administers the huge and fast-growing Medicare and Medicaid programs. These programs fuel rising health costs, distort health markets, and are plagued by waste and fraud. The department also runs an array of other expensive subsidy programs, including Head Start, TANF, and LIHEAP. Growth in HHS spending is creating a federal financial crisis, and the 2010 health care law sadly makes the situation worse.


The department will spend $872 billion in 2012, or about $7,400 for every U.S. household. It employs 70,000 workers and runs 445 subsidy programs.

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development engages in a range of housing and community activities that used to be the responsibility of local governments and the private sector. Its public housing subsidies, rental assistance, and housing finance activities have proven to be costly and damaging to the economy. The department's poor management and misguided policies have led to fraud, corruption, and much wasteful spending.


The department will spent $57 billion in 2012, or about $480 for every U.S. household. It employs 9,400 workers and operates 122 different subsidy programs.

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The Department of the Interior oversees more than 500 million acres of land through the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies. The department also houses the Bureau of Reclamation, which distributes subsidized irrigation water, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which administers aid programs for American Indians.


Interior will spend $19 billion in fiscal 2012, but it will collect $8 billion in revenues, which will leave net spending of $11 billion. The department employs about 70,000 workers in 2,400 offices across the nation.

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The Department of Labor's budget is dominated by the unemployment insurance system, which has soared in cost in recent years. The department runs numerous employment and job training programs, but these activities are generally ineffective and duplicate services available in private markets. The department also oversees an array of labor union laws and workplace regulations that restrict freedom and are costly to workers and businesses.


The department will spend $127 billion in fiscal 2012, or about $1,100 for every U.S. household. It employs more than 17,000 workers.

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The Department of Transportation subsidizes and regulates highways, airports, air traffic control, urban transit, passenger rail, and other activities. However, taxpayers and consumers would be better off if these activities were privatized, as has occurred in numerous other nations. Opening up the financing and operation of transportation infrastructure to the private sector would save money, spur innovation, and reduce congestion.


The department will spend about $84 billion in 2012, or about $710 for every U.S. household. It employs 58,000 workers and operates 83 subsidy programs.

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Other Agencies

[SECURE AMERICA]

nd nearly $1.4 billion from military aide to Afghanistan, with tens of billions coming from procurement and other Pentagon accounts.

Since this money would end up being used to kill Americans and destroy America I have no problem with this.
As for the rest of the shortage I suggest we reduce every ones salary in the Federal Government from the President on down, by 15%. That is everyone that gets a federal paycheck except any active duty US Military or any employee making under $50,000. That would be an excellent start.

[9YearLurker]

Interesting, thanks.

[Noob1999]

This sounds like a town’s release about what has to be cut if you dont approve the property tax increase.

They always go for the most visible stuff, to elicit the most “oh,no’s”!

First to go is the football program; then the after school student activities, band, soccer, black american studies; then is the extra dime for school lunches; then having fewer school bus pickup stations, so Biffy and Buffy may have to walk an extra half block.

It’s always the same bullcrap, not the bloated budget, nor even re-negotiation of the municipal union demands, or administrative bloat.

Anywhere within a $700 billion military budget, one should be able to immediately identify 10% of bloat, then begin to hit some of the meat within the next 10%.

Scale that up to the $3.5 trillion non interest expense outlays that we spend annually, it should be relatively easy to identify the first 20%, $700 billion in savings.

But to get there, a leader has to sit down with congress and work with them to ensure that the “non-earmark-earmark” hits will be handed out equitably, with little compromise.

Otherwise, we’re screwed, and welcome to the fall of the Roman Empire!

[WOSG]

“First to go is the football program; then the after school “student activities, band, soccer, black american studies; then is the extra dime for school lunches; then having fewer school bus pickup stations, so Biffy and Buffy may have to walk an extra half block.”

Funny how it’s never the assistant superintendent with the $150K salary who just happens to be the super’s son-in-law that is the first to go.

Funny how Obama didnt just lop off about 3% of Obamacare to pay for this.

[Vendome]

Those are cuts of an increase in spending, not “Net Present Value” of the current budget....