“The real goal should be reduced government spending, rather than balanced budgets achieved by ever rising tax rates to cover ever rising spending.” (Thomas Sowell, economist)
With Congress unable to function, we once again face the all so dreaded sequester. Politicians and pundits are characterizing this as some Godzilla-like monster that will wreak havoc on our nation. Both sides are pointing fingers and distancing themselves as far as they can from this thing. Typical cowards, Republicans and Democrats alike are responsible for this thing and they’re trying to play musical chairs to see who has got to be odd man out.
Let’s face it the national debt and government spending are clearly the fault of both parties. Each side has attached blood-sucking ticks to the budget and it’s about to kill over. Both are out stumping to scare the American people so we don’t focus on the fact that they have spent our nation over that cliff long ago. Over $16.6 trillion in national debt, more than $3.8 trillion in national spending and they are quibbling over $85 billion? I understand that the sequestration is like taking a hacksaw to the budget, but I think that is just what you need when you’re dining on a monster.
Both sides have speculated on what will happen when this thing takes effect. Military shut downs, fewer cops to protect you, prison doors are thrown open, and maybe Grandma won’t get her new spleen. I am curious why 535 people can’t figure out a way to prioritize cuts without affecting national security, law enforcement, safety on the streets, and even poor lil Grandma. So I decided to take a look for myself, and guess what? In less than a day, I found a way to save the government a WHOLE bunch of money!!! Take a look at the Good, the Bad, the Ugly…and the WTF?!?!
THE GOOD: Programs that seem like a good idea if you have some extra cash laying around, but we don’t.
National Endowment for the Arts – Grants to support the arts – ($154.2 M). Hey that’s pretty…oh wait, who gives a crap?!? We have no money for artsy-fartsy things. See us in a few decades, have your people call my people and we’ll do lunch…air kisses.
Corporation for National and Community Service – AmeriCorps/Senior Corps/Learn & Serve ($1 B). It’s really nice giving young and older folks something to do, but not for $1 billion dollars. I know what the website says they do, but I’ve never seen them. Where’s the return on my tax dollars?
National Endowment for the Humanities – Grants to support the humanities – ($154.25 M). Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou…money? Yeah, again it’s like dining on a filet mignon when you can only afford the two .99 cent tacos from Jack.
Commission of Fine Arts – To give advice “on matters of design and aesthetics” – ($2.17 M). ***Staring blankly*** That’s…umm…awesome. Idiots.
U.S. Arctic Research Commission – Provides reports, recommendations, and advice on Arctic research ($1.39 M). Okay, it’s cold, it’s a desert, and there’s lots of ice. I just gave you all the advice you need…now pay me!!! Like GLaDOS from Portal, they just want to keep doing science…sorry, we’re broke! Have a weighted companion cube and shut up. (Sorry, you’re gonna have to look it up if you don’t know Portal)
Morris K. Udall Foundation: Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy – Promotes environmental issues – ($3.8 M (2011)). Encourages tree hugging and how to grow awesome armpit hair for women. But maybe we could put a pause on it for a little while. Or why not 100% funding by private folks like lobbyists? Me likes it!
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Self-explanatory – ($51.78 M). Again, private funding!
Regional Commissions – To develop and improve economic conditions in regional locations ($99.2 M)
Appalachian Regional Commission – ($75.31 M)
Delta Regional Authority – ($11.67 M)
Denali Commission – ($10.67 M)
Northern Border Regional Commission – ($1.42 M)
Southeast Crescent Regional Commission – ($250,000)
THE BAD: Not end-the-world kind of ideas, but really this is why we pay so much in taxes.
National Wild Horse and Burro Program – Program to manage about 37,300 horses and burros on BLM land ($74.9 M). As far as I know, horses and burros have lived off the land long before we decided to “manage” them.
Indian Arts and Crafts Board – Promotes the expansion of Indian arts & crafts market – ($1.28 M). Okay, but where is the funding to help the arts and crafts of the Amish? Or Grandma’s doily coasters? Besides, I doubt the arts and crafts market is bigger than, oh, I don’t know…gambling!
Interagency Council on Homelessness – Coordinate to address homelessness – ($4.7 B). Newsflash!!! Not everyone living in the streets want to live in a house, or shower, or brush their teeth, or comb their hair, or work. The Constitution provides for the General Welfare, not the Specific Welfare needs of vagabonds. $4.7 BILLION??? A year supply of Canel’s two-seconds-of-flavor chewing gum, a supply of dirty rags for washing windows, and a few hundred gallons of 311 Steel Reserve and I got this problem fixed! Probably for about $153.72…okay, I made up that dollar amount but it isn’t $4.7 BILLION!!
Broadcasting Board of Governors – A non-military government news service ($720.15 M). Why does the Government need a news agency? Perhaps they want more objective news than what their propaganda machine MSM can put out! Oh, and did I mention one of its goals is providing news for international audiences? Yeah, buh-bye!
Marine Mammal Commission – For protection of marine mammals – ($3.08 M). Okay Coast Guard you go deep, Sheriff’s Department Boat Patrol, you run a close pattern…ready…and break!! Man, I’m not even breaking a sweat saving all this money!
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission – Improve habitats for migratory birds – ($58 M). Caaw, caw, caw, cawwwww. Okay, I just gave all the birds directions to all the green spaces, wetlands, and other eco-friendly parks we’ve been building through the years. They said thanks and they’ll stop in all the time now! Okay, what’s next? Unicorns and rainbows on demand? Give me a chance to enjoy some sweet granola first…
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe – Monitors the Helsinki Accord – ($2.5 M). Okay, so we signed an agreement with other nations to be nice to each other. Promise made, promise kept, why we still paying money???
THE UGLY: Some of these programs send your hard earned dollar to other countries. Other programs are just plain insane in the membrane!
African Development Foundation – Provides nations in African economic support ($25.5 M). Umm, with all the problems we’re having domestically, I think it’s time we stop shipping money overseas until we pay off a few credit cards. I’m all about being charitable, but not at the expense of losing the farm! Sorry Africa, it’s been a hoot, but we’re gonna have to break up. It’s you not me…err, well it’s partly me. So we’ll visit in about 50 years and we can catch up. For now, I’d suggest only having the number of babies you can feed. Peace!
Inter-American Foundation – Provides economic support for Latin America/Caribbean – ($22.5 M). Again, why we spending U.S. tax dollars abroad when we need them here? Let’s see, cut military, cops, prisons, and Grandma…or, stop paying to improve the quality of life other countries? If you don’t like living in the squalid conditions of your country…fix it!! Besides, the world seems to think we Americans are obnoxious, self-centered, and idiotic. Time to turn off the freebies!
Office of Government Ethics – “The mission of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is to foster high ethical standards for executive branch employees and strengthen the public’s confidence that the Government’s business is conducted with impartiality and integrity.” ($13.47 M). BAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA…wait…(gasp)…Really??? (gasp…gasp) Seriously?? Someone put this in the budget with a straight face??? Let that one seep in a bit.
Commission on International Religious Freedom – To defend the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad – ($3 M). First, the U.S. does not defend freedom of religion or belief INSIDE this country. Well, that is unless you’re anything BUT Christian. Second, did you read the first argument??? Someone tell me why we pay for them to do it elsewhere?
Japan-United States Friendship Commission – Strengthen US-Japanese relations – ($3 M). If we aren’t friends by now, I don’t think $3 M per year is going to change their minds. There just isn’t a Hallmark card that says, Sorry We Nuked Your Country.
Millennium Challenge Corporation – Provide economic aid to fight global poverty – ($898.2 M) Okay, I feel really bad that children around the world are starving. And I’m not going to say it’s not my problem, but there are a lot of PRIVATE organizations that do this work.
Vietnam Educational Foundation – Promotes strengthening US-Vietnamese relationship – ($5 M). Again, why do we have to pay to be friends with someone?
General Services Administration – The Government’s landlord – ($17.4 B). An agency filled with waste and fraud on this scale should be gutted. A 20% reduction would bring budget to $14 B, a savings of $3.4 BILLION. This organization that showed that level of abuse does not deserve to have tax dollars to play with. Also, by selling surplus/excess properties we would add revenue to budget.
THE WTF?!?!?: Okay, we send money and support all around the world. Admittedly, some of these costs are attributed to the troops on the ground fighting terrorism, considered “extraordinary temporary costs.” But what about all the other countries getting aid? Russia, India, Brazil, almost every country in the world. Why are the American taxpayers on the hook for these countries? And go take a look at some of the countries that breed the terrorists that want us dead; Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, etc.
Agency for International Development – US foreign aid – ($51.6 B + $11.9 B in extraordinary temporary costs)
Economic Assistance (Economic and Military Aid) – (49.59 B)
Total Assistance by Selected Countries
Iran 2,500,000 Calls us Great Satan and building nukes…brilliant!
Libya 203,183,000 Killed the ambassador and 3 others..
North Korea 3,493,000 Developing nukes!!!
Egypt 1,553,900,000 Soon to be theocracy that hates the U.S. infidels.
Cuba 20,000,000 We don’t even get to smoke the cigars???
Venezuela 5,000,000 Hugo Chavez…enough said.
Total 1,788,076,000
And the worst of all…China, who has been buying up our debt, is given $52,317,786!!! Let’s understand this completely, we lend them money so they can send it back to us as money we now owe them??? This level of stupidity boggles the mind.
Here are a few other programs worthy of mention. I could not find how much they cost the taxpayers.
Federal Geographic Data Committee – They take surveys and make maps. Rand-McNally people!! Hello?!?
Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds – Where do I start? Never mind…
Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group – Wow, someone needs a time out!
Good: 1,367,590,000
Bad: 5,559,910,000
Ugly: 4,379,670,000
WTF: 51,600,000,000
Total: 62,907,170,000
Okay, I did the heavy lifting on the $85 billion sequestration price tag. BOOM! All Congress has to do is find another 17 billion to cut without hurting national defense, making use less safe, furloughing prisoners, or throwing mama from the train. Easy, peasy, sleazy!
Having worked in law enforcement I have seen how many Government agencies operate. They have a use-it-or-lose-it attitude. They would rather pay for useless or pie-in-the-sky items than return the money to you the taxpayer. Then you have Congress who all bitch and moan about how the other party is to blame…none are faultless. They have had their hand in the cookie jar for way too long.
For years we have been hearing how the other side won’t come to the table and work out these budget problems. Hell, they won’t even put up budgets to be approved. The President’s budgets are so ridiculous his own party won’t support them.
The problem is that the Government sees this as their money and that is way off. Look how much I found in just one day and with only a cursory look at the budget. These idiots have had years to do their jobs and haven’t. It is time to fire the whole lot of them!!!
Anthony
The Radical Middle 