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Here's What The American People Really Want To Cut From The Federal Budget
TBI ^ | 2-25-2013 | Walter Hickey

Posted on 02/25/2013 10:04:50 AM PST by blam

Here's What The American People Really Want To Cut From The Federal Budget

Walter Hickey
February 25, 2013

The Pew Research Center conducted a poll in mid-February asking respondents what aspects of federal spending they would prefer to see cut. The poll confirms past surveys that show that although Americans prefer to cut government spending in abstract terms, there aren't many specifics they want slashed.

The poll comes as the cuts known as the sequester begin to start kicking in this week. Under sequestration, every non-exempt aspect of government spending will see a cut. This will generate $1.2 trillion worth of savings over the next 10 years.

But the Pew poll found that respondents were relatively content with the size and scope of most aspects of the government, despite a general urge to cut spending in broad terms.

Pew Research Center For The People & The Press

As the chart shows, the only aspect of government spending respondents wanted cut was foreign aid. Still, USAID is a relatively small portion of the grand federal budget, accounting for a total of only $50.7 billion in fiscal year 2012.

The least controversial portions of government spending were Social Security, veterans' benefits, and education. The latter two are both subject to cuts as a result of the sequester, but only one-tenth of respondents wanted them to be slashed.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: budgetcuts; economy; sequestrian
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1 posted on 02/25/2013 10:05:06 AM PST by blam
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To: blam

Another sucker poll. They didn’t mention specific programs that are hideously wasteful, only general areas of spending that everybody generally favors.


2 posted on 02/25/2013 10:09:01 AM PST by Missouri gal
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To: blam

And you see in this poll where the public is so misinformed. Dump money into heart-tugging areas, regardless of results.


3 posted on 02/25/2013 10:18:03 AM PST by ilgipper (Obama supporters are comprised of the uninformed & the ill-informed)
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To: blam

If that’s an accurate poll, we are screwed. With the exception of foreign aid, it seems a super-majority of Americans favors either continued or increased levels of federal spending, regardless of the fact we are broke and $17,000,000,000,000 in debt with more than a hundred trillion in unfunded mandates.


4 posted on 02/25/2013 10:21:44 AM PST by Orbiting_Rosie's_Head (argh)
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To: Orbiting_Rosie's_Head

We own the world’s reserve currency. Currently borrowing costs are near or below 0%. We are not “broke”. The US government is not a household.


5 posted on 02/25/2013 10:27:10 AM PST by ksen
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To: blam
Dump: Dept. of Education

Energy Dept

Homeland Security especially TSA

in their entirety. There are others but my kauphy hasn't completely kicked in yet.

6 posted on 02/25/2013 10:27:53 AM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: blam
Everything, and I mean everything, not explicitly listed in Art 1 Sec 8 needs to be cut.

No. I do not care who's private oxen will get gored in the process. For things like the FAA/FCC/NASA... Hand them over to private consortia like the IEEE.

Enough is enough.

7 posted on 02/25/2013 10:28:26 AM PST by Dead Corpse (I will not comply.)
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To: Don Corleone

How about we cut the O’Dumbies vacations and golf. No wait he will spend more if hes is still at the white house.


8 posted on 02/25/2013 10:31:41 AM PST by jimpick
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To: blam

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.


9 posted on 02/25/2013 10:32:53 AM PST by beelzepug (Telling other people they need to die is a good way to get your own lamp blown out.)
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To: Don Corleone

Don’t forget the EPA; rogue dept.


10 posted on 02/25/2013 10:35:21 AM PST by beelzepug (Telling other people they need to die is a good way to get your own lamp blown out.)
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To: ksen

“We own the world’s reserve currency.”

But for how much longer?


11 posted on 02/25/2013 10:38:11 AM PST by ConjunctionJunction
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To: ConjunctionJunction

“But for how much longer?”

For the foreseeable future. What’s going to replace it? The Euro? The Yuan? Doubtful.


12 posted on 02/25/2013 10:41:18 AM PST by ksen
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To: blam

When the american people get corrupt...
You end up with a political system EXACTLY like the one we have..

American people seem to getting MORE corrupt NOT LESS..
Expecting it to change is delusional..

The QUESTION: Just HOW delusional ARE YOU?..

** Note; If you expect change you are delusional its just a matter of how delusional.. you are.. not IF..


13 posted on 02/25/2013 10:50:44 AM PST by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: Missouri gal
Another sucker poll.

Exactly. The end benefits addressed in these questions are desireable. It's all in how you get there. As another poster mentioned, anything not authorized in the Constitution should be cut.

You'd get a different response if you put the questions like this:

Do you think spending on government bureaucrats should be increased/held the same/decreased?

Do you think spending on creating and enforcing new regulations should be increased/held the same/decreased?

Do you think federal spending in areas that are prohibited by the Constitution because they are to be addressed by the states should be increased/held the same/decreased?

14 posted on 02/25/2013 11:06:19 AM PST by Phlyer
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To: blam

$1.2 trillion over 10 years is chump change and we all know it will never happen. You cannot constrain a future Congress. Most of it will never get cut. That being said I say let the sequester begin.


15 posted on 02/25/2013 11:06:57 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: blam

I’d start with hussein’s free spending.


16 posted on 02/25/2013 11:09:41 AM PST by bgill
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To: Missouri gal

Good point... Only 10% favor reduced spending on Education... when there hasn’t been a dollar spent on education since the Department of Education was created that wasn’t a complete waste and totally unproductive.


17 posted on 02/25/2013 11:37:02 AM PST by ReleaseTheHounds ("The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher)
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To: ConjunctionJunction

Pay no attention to ksen. He will put up arguments you can swat away all day, and never stop. He’s a time sink, and the House Socialist.


18 posted on 02/25/2013 11:39:20 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Due Process 2013: "Burn the M*****-F***er Down!")
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To: blam

Until our soldiers can be fed 3 squares a day, congressional salaries should be reduced.

Many of the laws and regulations on the books are redundant, and expensive to enforce. Dump them. When people are in a position to develop business, and run their businesses as they see fit, money will be made that will benefit all.

When the average American can own firearms per Amendment 2, without the infringements on his GOD given RIGHTS, we won’t need as much law enforcement. Chances are, more lives will be saved as well. More saved lives means more tax payers.

The ineffective war on drugs would be a huge savings! Fewer black-0ps amd pay-offs needed.

REstore to the States that which belongs to the states in terms of responsibilities and freedoms. Like Education for example.

Now, just eliminating cabinet positions that don’t belong there will save money in wages, materials, and legislation enforcement.

If this country operated from a position of strength rather than being blackmailed, a ton of foreign aid spending would be released.

Dump the fed and put the money BACK into the United States Treasury. It saves interest...tons of interest. It will pissof a few people but will also empower the the “People”, once again. Money goes back into the pockets of the PEOPLE, where it belongs and eliminates a whole bunch of corruption. Banks don’t belong running countries.

Look at what’s been put into place over the past 50 years that’s cost this country a small fortune...and reverse it.

Expect it? Now way no how. Too many dollar lined pockets out there hanging on for dear life.

t need as much law enforcement. Chances are, more lives will be saved as well. More saved lives means more tax payers.

The ineffective war on drugs would be a huge savings! Fewer black-0ps amd pay-offs needed.

REstore to the States that which belongs to the states in terms of responsibilities and freedoms. Like Education for example.

Now, just eliminating cabinet positions that don


19 posted on 02/25/2013 12:10:21 PM PST by PrairieLady2
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To: blam
Here's What The American People Really Want To Cut From The Federal Budget

Politicians and their bloated salaries. I suggest that we set the politician's salry at the minimum wage and see how anxious they are to remain in office to "serve us".

Political "service" was NEVER intended to be a career choice, but people who can't get jobs saying "Welcome to Walmart" have turned it into one.

We are long overdue for a change in the way that politicians are paid and in the way that their offices and expenses are operated.

But, that's wishful thinking on my part. To make that happen, we, the people who own this government lock, stock and barrel would have to DO something!

And, we won't.

20 posted on 02/25/2013 12:57:27 PM PST by DustyMoment (Congress - another name for anti-American criminals!!)
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