Posted on 10/13/2010 6:42:30 PM PDT by Kaslin
Many Americans are noticing a fundamental disconnect in American life between the amount of resources consumed by government — including an $814 billion stimulus, a $3.5 trillion budget and a $13.5 trillion national debt — and the lack of results delivered to the taxpayers.
Since the president took office, the economy has lost more than 2.5 million jobs and unemployment today stands at 9.6% and rising.
Americans are demanding that policymakers identify those federal programs that are not working and stop wasting their money on them. But the spending addiction of politicians in both parties and the power of special interests in Washington have combined to prevent necessary reforms.
For example, despite the president's inaugural promise to end inefficient federal programs, he proposed just $17 billion in cuts for 2010. Congress, however, agreed to cut only $6.8 billion, less than one-fifth of one percent of the entire federal budget.
How can failing programs be identified? Congress and presidents of both parties have tried.
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) passed during the Clinton administration directed federal agencies to produce strategic plans, annual performance reports and outcome-based measures of performance.
President Bush implemented the Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to rate all federal programs on their effectiveness at delivering results to the public.
These efforts have been worthwhile. GPRA enabled the public to find information about federal agency performance on each agency's Web site. And this information has gotten better over time.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
He’s going in the right direction but when I hear end “failed” programs, I see too much wiggle room. Return the Budget to $2 billion or less. Put all entitlements on the books, including SS, Medicare, Fannie, Freddie—everything. Then start chopping and slashing like a B-rate horror movie. CUT spending any way possible.
Since all states have an EPA, DEA, and Dept of Agriculture, howz’ about shutting down those at the Federal Level. I thought Reagan was going to shut down the wasteful and useless DEA.
Fannie and Freddie haven’t been government programs since 1970. They are owned by stockholders.
Congress is not working well at all. I think we ought to end THAT program.
What they need is a standing committee to decide which agencies and stuff to abolish outright.
Here’s a plan...
“...The 31st Amendment repealed the 16th Amendment, and severely limited the ability of the Federal government to collect any taxes within the fifty states. Henceforth, the Federal government’s budget could be funded only by tarriffs, import duties, and bonds.
The 32nd Amendment outlawed deficit spending, put the new Unites States currency back on a bimetallic gold and silver standard, and made all currency “redeemable on demand”.
The 33rd Amendment froze salaries at six thousand dollars a year for House members and ten thousand dollars a year for Senators, limited campaign spending for any federal office to five thousand per term, and repealed the 17th Amendment, returning Senators to election by their state legislatures.”
.......
The Amendments
“Patriots”
James Wesley Rawles
And guaranteed, and bailed out, by us taxpayers. Unfunded liabilities need to be on the books. Going off-balance sheet with Fannie and Freddie was a ruse.
Issa, I think could be the one that can save us. He is on the right track. Unlike the other Repubabblicans.
Soooo...they’re gonna propose shutting down Federal gov’mnt....
That would eliminate everything except the military.
From what I’ve heard of Issa he seems a pretty bright guy and pretty conservative to boot. Surely it occurred to him to review EVERY feral agency and program to determine which article and section of the Constitution specifically authorizes same and report it to the electorate. Nothing will make any difference if we don’t force the nanny state genie back in the bottle...NOTHING. So, what was he thinking???
“they’re gonna propose shutting down Federal gov’mnt....”
Shut down, hell. I want to see the federal government hanged.
Reagan wanted to shut down a lot of things,(I seriously doubt the DEA was one of them since he named Bill Bennett his drug czar at one point) and his privatization commission led to many small programs being dismantled and money saved. Unfortuantely he never had a House majority to enable him to defund the big offenders.
I want to see a committee to advise the best federal programs to dismantle and reduce the scope of..
“And guaranteed, and bailed out, by us taxpayers. Unfunded liabilities need to be on the books. Going off-balance sheet with Fannie and Freddie was a ruse.”
Fanny and Freddy had no government guarantee. There was no off-balance sheet obligation of the government. Their liabilities were entirely their own problem, and the problem of their investors.
The decision to bail out these two firms with tax money was a political decision, and nothing more. There was zero legal obligation for the tax payers to be stuck with backstopping Fanny and Freddy.
My advice to the Republicans is government shutdown is no vice.
If unconstitutional is included in the definition of failing,I’m in.
I don’t know how much more of this I can take...and Bill Clinton has the audacity to suggest that I have a mental problem because I am angry! I just wrote to my congressman and two senators about it. In about three months I will receive a generic reply from a staffer. That is what has happened when I have written before. How do we change this?
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