The Real Budget Busters!

Long time readers of The Po File know that MasterPo is rooted in truth and reality, no matter how unpleasant it may be. Human nature, regardless of what people say, is such that nobody likes to be told the bad truths. They’d rather be told good lies and pleasant fantasies than confront cold truth and awful reality.

For as long as MasterPo can remember the talk in Washington from the politicians was about reducing spending and reducing the budget. Didn’t matter who the President was, what party controlled Congress, etc. All sides said the same thing.

In truth there were some tepid attempts at this once in awhile. An item here and there was reduced a few percentage points. But in the big picture it was just pennies.

So here we are today with a $13.3 trillion dollar debt, a $1.3 trillion dollar deficit (gap between what the government takes in from taxes and what it spends out), and these numbers increasing by the TRILLIONS every year for at least the next 10 years! That’s not partisan or rhetorical. That’s what both the White House and Congressional Budget Office figures say. Look them up for yourself.

Let’s face reality:

Social Security and Medicare together consume 40% of the Federal budget (based on 2009 budget figures).

The reality is it doesn’t matter who is in office or what party they are, Social Security and Medicare are NOT going to be cut! Much less eliminated or privatized. Just won’t happen. Never. The politicians may play with some numbers here and there but the programs will remain, in full force, and in full funding. These are the American ‘Rock of Gibraltar’, though not as awe inspiring or cause for pride.

So what does that leave to be cut?

The typical response is “Cut the military!”

The same budget figures show American military spending is just 20% of budget.

If someone can show MasterPo how 20% is bankrupting the country while 40% is not please do!

There are a wide host of reasons not to cut defense in this day and age. Far too many to discuss here at this time other than to say it’s like cutting your town snow removal budget on the first day of winter. That is not to say there’s isn’t waste in the military budget ($500 toilet seats, etc) either.
So, even if we eventually someday actually do get a President and Congress that is serious about real substantive spending cuts, where will those cuts be?

If 60% of the budget (SS, Medicare and Military) are considered so sacrosanct where will those cuts come from?

MasterPo doesn’t have an answer. But MasterPo does know that if real solid budget cuts are ever to be made there cannot be any Sacred Cows

It’s not a matter of “shared pain”.

It’s reality.