Here is a really NEAT little game from the New York Times....it let's YOU balance the Federal budget...what would you cut? what would you keep? Do the things you THINK cost a lot actually make a huge difference? Will you have to cut something you care about?http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html
Click on the link to "Play". When you're done...drop back by Rip and Read and leave a comment (you may post anonymously if you wish) letting us know what you cut and kept! Extra Credit if you want to explain "Why".
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Okay, so here is MY balanced budget.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=2225d6q3
I chose to:
1. Cut pay of civilian gvt workers by 5% (We have to, they have to.)
2.Reduce the Nuclear Arsenal and Space spending (on the assumption that this means "Star Wars" - I don't want to see NASA cut further.)
3.Reduce the Number of Troops in Afg and Irq to 60k. (This was the second to last choice I made...there is NO sense sending our kids into harms way if we don't send enough to do the job.)
4.Increase Medicare to 70. (We should have already done this. The damn baby boomers are as healthy as horses and gallivanting around enjoying retirement on our dime...retirement was only meant to last a few years...not 40!)
5. Cap Medicare Growth in 2013-- (not something I wanted to do, but with the exception of cutting military - which not only gives us the biggest stick in the playground but employs a LOT of people- there was no other way to make it work.)
6.Social Security to 70. (Again, no brainer...retirement was meant to be a short rest before death...not half a life of playtime.)
7. Reduce Benefits for those with High Incomes. (yeah, it's a little like socialism..they paid in, they should get out...but, hey, rich people: ask not what your country can do for you...we've done enough and now we're broke!When we make our money back, I'll consider changing.)
8. Return Estate Tax to Pre-Clinton levels. (For all the talk about "family farms" this is a total give away for the rich...let's not create a permanent aristocracy who does nothing for their money but inherit it...it's not like they are going to be left poor.)
9. President Obama's Investment Tax proposal. {Had a hard time with this one, but chose the Obama option which is a weaker tax than the Clinton era one...}
10. Allow Bush tax cut to expire for households over 250k per year(...no brainer.}
11. Payroll tax: Subject some incomes above $106,000 to tax (Gosh, we've been doing a lot for those top brackets...what have they been doing for us?)
12. Millionaire's tax on income above $1 million (If you are making that money, you are using employees trained in our schools, you are shipping goods on our roads, defended by our police, fire and military...and probably not paying a living wage or health care..leaving US to pay it for you..PAY UP CHUMP!)
13. Carbon tax.
14. Bank Tax. (no more "to big to fail" )
Okay, it's balanced. What was YOUR solution?
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