Slash or Burn

Liberals these days like to accuse conservatives of "slash and burn" policies that "kill Old people and children."  The truth is that we MUST Slash and Burn our budget or our government will go bankrupt and default.  In about 24 hours, the time will run out on the Continuing Resolution is that is currently funding our government and the government will effectively shutdown (although government slowdown is a better term).

Currently House Republican leadership, Senate Democrat leadership and the White House are trying to work out a deal for another CR or a complete budget.  The Senate Democrats proposed a $33 billion budget that Speaker John Boehner rejected and the White House has promised to veto a one week $12 billion cut from the House.  But their is a major problem with all of these proposals . . . it is not near enough.  During the last campaign, House Republicans promised $100 billion in cuts and now Boehner is pushing $61 billion in cuts.  Note to Boehner and all Republicans: 61 is NOT the same as 100, you're about $39 billion off.  I propose that if House Republicans cave and cut less than the promised $100 billion we burn them by not voting for their re-election.  This budget is too important to only cut 33 or 61 billion, we must at the very least, cut the promised $100 billion. 

The truth is that $100 billion is not enough, radical and drastic cuts must be made NOW.  Several months ago, Senator Rand Paul proposed a $500 billion cut and the Cato Institute proposed a $1.06 trillion cut and Paul Ryan has a 2012 budget proposal that would cut between 4 and 6 trillion over 10 years.  These are real cuts, drastic cuts, needed cuts.  The Cato proposal would balance the budget by 2020, the Ryan proposal by 2050.


I would also like to propose a deal on the debt ceiling and the 2011 budget: No deal on either without the passage in the House and Senate, signing by the president and ratification by the states of the Balanced Budget Amendment as proposed by Senator Mike Lee.  This will force Congress to cut spending to 18% of GDP (currently hovering around 25%), make desperately needed reforms to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare and start to pay down the national debt that is currently at a staggering $14 trillion.

The time to act is now, not 5 years from now, RIGHT NOW!  For years politicians from both sides of the isle have been kicking the can down the road on spending cuts, and now one more kick will result in that can and person kicking it to plunge down the massive hole at the end of the road.  If the cuts that were promised to us are not instituted, it's time to Slash and Burn anyone, including my own Congressmen, who voted for cuts less than the promised $100 billion.