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money & financepolitics
U.S. Cabinet to Eliminate Dozens of Government Programs
President Barack Obama announced an initiative to reduce "wasteful" government spending in his weekly address on Saturday.
"Billions are squandered on programs that have outlived their usefulness, or exist solely because of the power of a lobbyist or interest group," Obama said.
An agenda topic at Monday's first full Cabinet meeting will be budget cut proposals from each federal department and agency.
In his Saturday address, Obama named two specific budget cuts recently made: firstly, the Department of Homeland Security is no longer spending $3 million on logo updates. The DHS was created less than 7 years ago and the reason that the logo needed a $3 million update so soon remains to be seen.
The second budget cut is the saving of an estimated "hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending and cost overruns" in the Department of Defense. According to the DoD's FY 2008 Agency Financial Report, the Department's available resources were $1.1 trillion, which primarily consisted of $736.4 billion in appropriations. The net cost of operations was $676 billion. A possible budget cut is no longer appropriating $736.4 billion to tally $1.1 trillion in resources when net operating costs are only $676 billion.
Obama pledged to announce "the elimination of dozens of government programs shown to be wasteful or ineffective. In this effort, there will be no sacred cows, and no pet projects."
"Billions are squandered on programs that have outlived their usefulness, or exist solely because of the power of a lobbyist or interest group," Obama said.An agenda topic at Monday's first full Cabinet meeting will be budget cut proposals from each federal department and agency.
In his Saturday address, Obama named two specific budget cuts recently made: firstly, the Department of Homeland Security is no longer spending $3 million on logo updates. The DHS was created less than 7 years ago and the reason that the logo needed a $3 million update so soon remains to be seen.
The second budget cut is the saving of an estimated "hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending and cost overruns" in the Department of Defense. According to the DoD's FY 2008 Agency Financial Report, the Department's available resources were $1.1 trillion, which primarily consisted of $736.4 billion in appropriations. The net cost of operations was $676 billion. A possible budget cut is no longer appropriating $736.4 billion to tally $1.1 trillion in resources when net operating costs are only $676 billion.
Obama pledged to announce "the elimination of dozens of government programs shown to be wasteful or ineffective. In this effort, there will be no sacred cows, and no pet projects."
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Me Again
7:09PM 7:09PM Apr 19th 2009
Very interesting, Mr. Obama. You think that money for "NATIONAL DEFENSE" is "wasteful spending" yet you are all FOR "big" money being spent on a "bullet train" that is most certainly NOT NEEDED during a recession! So, therefore, you are saying that even though we're in a recession AND are STILL "at war" with Al Quaida (I know, YOU don't call them terrorists), NEED the protections of our own Defense Dept., a high speed train going through our nation is MORE IMPORTANT than defending OUR country from others, outside our country, who MEAN to kill us Americans (and HAVE ON 9/11) or those who may be a threat to us now or in the future. Okay, fine, you don't agree...but if THAT is the case, then WHY haven't you "done away" with The Patriot Act? WHY are our Constitutional freedoms being underminded? WHY are many law-abiding, tax paying "citizens" of the United States being "targeted" by Homeland Security as a "threat" simply because they disagree with Liberals on some issues? I'm thinking that millions on millions of OUR taxpayer $$ are being wasted on the foregoing while REAL security threats from those who are not peaceful American citizens are probably being ignored. For all those reading this...I am NOT even a Republican, but even I can see the wrongfullness in all of this. Just my opinion (as long as I am still allowed to have one).
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jan
11:16PM 11:16PM Apr 19th 2009
You should look more specifically at where the defense cuts will be coming from. We won't be any less safe because of them, and toys created for use during the Cold War aren't a whole lot of use now. We have new kinds of battles and new ways of fighting and we'd damned well better acknowledge it. President Obama is acutely aware of terrorist threats, fear not. Whatever leads you to believe he doesn't know this? Because he's got a more far-reaching, multi-pronged approach?
The proposed railroad improvements are absolutely necessary, on so many levels - only someone who can't look beyond next year could fail to see this. The energy savings and dropped demand for oil are just the beginning.
Those targeted by Homeland Security aren't Republicans or conservatives. They are fringe extremist groups, which threaten all of us, Reps and Dems both. They have been in the sights of our government for many years now - this isn't new.
And what on earth makes you think you won't be allowed to express yourself? I suspect Limbaugh or Beck may have tried to scare gullible people. It's seriously off the wall.
One last thing..improved international relations under this President will lead to increased international cooperation and information-sharing. It's critical to our safety. This should have been obvious to the entire country after 9-11 but sadly, it wasn't.
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Gregory Dittmer
11:23PM 11:23PM Apr 19th 2009
Me Again
7:09PM 7:09PM Apr 19th 2009
Very interesting, Mr. Obama. You think that money for "NATIONAL DEFENSE" is "wasteful spending"
Okay, fine, you don't agree...but if THAT is the case, then WHY haven't you "done away" with The Patriot Act? WHY are our Constitutional freedoms being underminded? WHY are many law-abiding, tax paying "citizens" of the United States being "targeted" by Homeland Security as a "threat" simply because they disagree with Liberals on some issues?
####################################################
The fact of the matter is that he is NOT cutting actual spending!
The DoD has $1.1 TRILLION at its desposal, yet it has an operating budget of only $676 BILLION. That means the DoD has an EXTRA $736 BILLION which is NOT being used. Just the EXTRA monies which the DoD has at its disposal is enough to just about pay off the stimulus package conservatives have been screaming about!
Why should the Government set aside MORE than TWICE the operating budget of ANY department!?!
As for the so-called "Patriot Act," that was the dream of the REPUBLICANS NOT the Democrats. It has ALWAYS been a key part of the Bush/Cheney administration. I really find it odd that YOU think in should be eliminated, yet Bush/Cheney went on and on about how VITAL the "Patriot Act" is to National security!!
The fact YOU seem to think the Patriot Act has ANYTHING WHATSOEVER to do with disagreeing with Liberals is really funny... THAT was the Bush/Cheney team!!
But just wait... IF Obama ever does eliminate the Patriot Act... YOU will probably be one of the FIRST to scream Obama is weakening National Security!
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Ron M.
12:58AM 12:58AM Apr 20th 2009
jan, that's one big wish list.i think tou're full of crap.
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Amy
2:21AM 2:21AM Apr 20th 2009
WWW.pophilarity.com
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Amy
4:26PM 4:26PM Apr 26th 2009
www.pophilarity.com
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bopp
8:12AM 8:12AM Apr 20th 2009
This after the Tea Parties? This should have been the first thing on his agenda. He has expanded programs that should have had cuts in spending. SCHIP, HUD,NASA, EPA. What about cutting fraud waste and overpayments in medicade and medicare. Fraud and tax cheats. The Farm subsidy program. Handing out money to activist groups why can't these organizations do their own fund raising. Pork barrel and Earmark spending. There are hundreds of programs that should be cut but I don't see that happening when the ones that should be cut he is expanding. Amtrak for pete sake don't they get it, it hasn't made a profit in 40 years. People will keep their cars they are not going to ride the train. Japan and Europes high speed rails sense their beginning have lost half their market to the automobile.
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rob sssss
11:49AM 11:49AM Apr 20th 2009
According to Bopp - "Japan and Europes high speed rails sense [sic] their beginning have lost half their market to the automobile" - OOOH that's why I saw thousands of amphibious automobiles crossing the English channel on their own, huh ?
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UncleD
1:54PM 1:54PM Apr 20th 2009
Is there no end to the wisdom of the POTUS Obama. Just a few short months in Office and he is an expert on World Foreign relations, an expert in banking and financing, an expert on economics, a military genuis, an expert on the automotive industry, an expert on high
speed transportation, an expert on the envoiroment,
an epert on federal budgetary and fiscal matters, etc.,
etc..
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jan
1:00PM 1:00PM Apr 21st 2009
One of Obama's strengths is that he's aware of what he doesn't know - and he seeks to remedy it. This is in contrast to those who haven't a clue about their shortcomings and care less.
Do you know of a single person who IS an expert on all those things?
And yes, foreign affairs has always been a subject familiar and interesting to Obama. It was his area of concentration at Columbia. He has studied it, questioned it, read extensively everyone from St. Thomas Aquinas to Plato to Gibbons to Churchill - in his spare time. He's seen America from afar, and until you've lived this way, you can't appreciate the importance of this perspective, nor overestimate its value. Integrating all these things and choosing experts in the field add up to a pretty knowledgeable approach. The military is a tool in all this, not the basis of foreign policy, as it had become in recent years. One doesn't need to have been a soldier to know how to best utilize the military. He does have to be able to communicate with its leaders and respect their opinions - which never all agree - and this he does.
To Ron M. - Sorry you think any positive reality relating to this prez is a 'wish list'. What a negative world you must inhabit. Sometimes people with whom you disagree are actually right. Never always, but sometimes.
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Tammy
2:20PM 2:20PM Apr 20th 2009
What a fucken joke will not cover one day of interest on the debt the mixbreed dog racked up just to remind you assholes he is not black he is of mixed race, he is only black when it works for him.
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FP
2:24PM 2:24PM Apr 20th 2009
Article 1 section 8 clause 12 of the Constitution says the legislature is "To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that cause shall be for a longer term than two years."
It would appear there is more room for action if that provision is still in effect.
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Tech
4:51PM 4:51PM Apr 20th 2009
We don't need all those F-22 Raptors from Lockheed, the F-35 is already out, cheaper and better! As long as we have enough troops to steal the oil which backs our dollar sitting in the middle east and to keep the Canadians out we don't need most of the rest of the junk. As we have enough nukes to blow up the world ten times over already, what's the point of the rest of the junk? A few good marines and Navy Seals to take out any bad guys, a few support people and you can downsize the whole wasteful bunch! Do like Finland, give every US citizen a machine gun for their house and then see who invades! They keep the Russians our with just that stuff. Our government doesn't trust us so we have to spend trillions on stupid toys we never get to blow off.
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Judy
7:48PM 7:48PM Apr 20th 2009
ANOTHER ATTACK ON THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS. AMERICA IS BEING REDUCED DOWN TO A 3RD. WORLD COUNTRY IF WE ARE NOT ALREADY. WITH THE JOBLESS RATE, FORECLOSURE RATE, REPOSSESSED CAR RATE, AND HOMELESS RATE IN AMERICA, HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUT RATE, ADH, AND OTHER MENTAL DISABILITY RATES, CRIME RATE, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RATE, WHAT ELSE COULD WE ASK FOR?
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Mark
8:56PM 8:56PM Apr 20th 2009
I'll believe it when i see it!
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TEXAN
11:04AM 11:04AM Apr 21st 2009
So far all I read is a bunch of wrangling in the public sector over opinions about programs that are GOING to get cuts, or programs that are GOING to get funded via stimulus.
NOWHERE is there a PUBLIC LIST of ALL programs that are currently being paid for, that states WHEN the program was established, and by WHOM; WHAT the GOAL and MISSION were to be and the TIMELINE for COMPLETION and the METHOD of MEASUREMENT of success or failure.
SO how can ANYONE come to any conclusion about whether this is GOOD AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT....or if it is just pandering and symbolic gestures to the voting public.
I WANT TO SEE A LIST OF ALL, THE AMOUNTS BEING SPENT, AND WHY WE ARE DOING IT, AND WHEN IT MAY BE ENDED. NO PROGRAM HAS EVER BEEN SOLD AS A LIFELONG CONTINUOUS COMMITTMENT....BUT THEY HAVE ALL TAKEN ON A BUREAUCRATIC LIFE OF THEIR OWN....WITH NO END UNTIL SOMETHING STEPS IN AND JUST STOPS IT ON THE SPOT.
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mayabelle1107
11:24AM 11:24AM Apr 21st 2009
Norman Mattoon Thomas (Nov. 20, 1884 - Dec. 19, 1968) was a leading socialist, pacifist, and six time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. In a 1944 speech explaining why he need not run for president anymore, he said this..."The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."....He went on to say: "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform."
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jim
12:01PM 12:01PM Apr 21st 2009
we were all warned about obamas agenda.
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Tech
1:51PM 1:51PM Apr 21st 2009
John F. Kenedy had guts! He got rid of the two top people at the CIA and was going to break it up. Doubt Obama has the testicles to take those criminals on. course Dulles(the guy he fired) was on the Warren Commision and got the DC airport named after him. Gangsters seized America quite awhile ago and all they do is fleece the people over and over.
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bill
7:27PM 7:27PM Apr 21st 2009
He said nothing is sacred ok, let's see if ends any programs for the poor and minorities that a billions of waste on those who do not contribute just demand. He will never do that. He is to much of a politician and not going to impact those who got him in. Defense is waste but tarp funds is not? He is a liar and talks a good game and does not come through, double speak.
Releases memos on the water boarding but not the fact that this is a comon training methods for special forces to go through, nor the memos that reveal all the plots and murders that were stopped due to the mild, yes very mild methods. shake the hand of Chavez who kills, rapes, tortures and locks away forever. What the hell is wrong with you?
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