This post was made by Still Not Enough on "The Hill"
Department of Agriculture:
* Eliminate Food Stamps and all other welfare payments. In the 21st century, there is no excuse for a parent not earning enough money to pay for his child's food. If the parent refuses, the state takes custody. Either way, it's not a Federal responsibility.
Savings: $91 billion.
* Eliminate crop subsidies.
Savings: $8 billion.
* Eliminate subsidies to rural broadband initiatives and other "development" assistance. Pay for your Internet yourself, or do without.
Savings: $3 billion.
* Eliminate marketing operations. I see no reason for the Feds to spend money promoting American rice in Korea . Let American rice growers pay for such advertising, if they think it's worth it.
Savings: $1.3 billion
* Halve the R&D budget. There is very little need for Federal support of research into food and animal husbandry. Let Perdue pay for his own research into making a more tender chicken — since they'll reap the profits thereby.
Savings: $1.4 billion.
Department of Education:
* Eliminate K-12 grants to states. This is a state responsibility.
Savings: $50 billion.
* Eliminate ARRA ("stimulus") spending.
Savings: $20 billion.
We'll leave Pell Grants alone but redirect them to be merit-based, and we'll leave student loans alone on the grounds that they are usually repaid eventually.
Department of HHS:
* Adjust qualifications for Medicaid so as to halve outlays. Once again, in the 21st century there is no excuse for an ordinary non-disabled average-intelligence adult not to be able to earn enough money to pay for his own health care, and if he refuses, let him ask for charity from his neighbors, or do without. But leave in the remaining 50% of spending so we don't cut off the truly desperate cases — the mentally handicapped, paralyzed, or terminally ill.
Savings: $130 billion.
Department of Homeland Security:
* Eliminate the TSA. There is no rational reason for this agency to exist. The FBI, local law enforcement, and Federal marshals all have jurisdiction enough to handle terrorism. Airline safety should be up to airlines, who can hire private contractors as they see fit. We don't expect the Feds to guarantee our safety on a railroad or in a cab, so there's no reason to expect it in an airliner.
Savings: $5.7 billion.
* Eliminate FEMA. Public safety in a disaster is a local and state responsibility, or the Coast Guard if it happens offshore, and the government should not be trying to guarantee the incomes of people suffering disaster, i.e. it shouldn't be in the disaster insurance business. That's what insurance companies are for.
Savings: $7.3 billion.
Department of HUD:
* Eliminate all housing assistance. See above: if you're an able-bodied adult in the 21st century, you pay your own rent or you live in a cardboard box, and if there is to be charity, it's a state and local responsibility. There's no reason Montana taxpayers should help pay the rent of a New Orleans crack addict who can't hold down a job.
Savings: $38 billion.
Department of Justice:
* Eliminate the BATF and DEA. No war on drugs or on the Second Amendment.
Savings: $3.3 billion.
Department of Labor:
* Eliminate all job-training grants and unemployment insurance. Not the Feds responsibility.
Savings: $93 billion.
Department of State:
* Eliminate international drug war funding.
Savings: $2.1 billion
* Reduce foreign aid by 50%, except that directed to public health and children (e.g. malaria, AIDS).
Savings: $10 billion.
Department of Transportation:
* Eliminate all ARRA ("stimulus") boondoggles, high-speed rail, et cetera.
Savings: $17 billion.
Department of the Treasury:
* Eliminate more TARP spending.
Savings: $11 billion.
EPA:
* Eliminate ARRA boondoggles:
Savings: $2 billion
Eliminate AmeriCorps
Savings: $1.4 billion
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Grand total savings: $514 billion, which reduces the deficit by 40%. And notice defense, veteran's services, Medicare, Social Security, the FAA, NASA, NOAA, college financial aid remain untouched.
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