This latest budget deal (1 Viewer)

[rockaction]

This is all true but it’s even worse: as we have seen both sides will demagogue any cuts at all and panic the public as a means to gain power. 

Oh absolutely. My choice not to deal with the cynical in my response by no means precludes its likelihood.  

 

[PhantomJB]

I disagree with all of this, though not your intent. 

You cant put a moratorium on new programs because they might be better or more efficient than the old ones they replace. You can’t cut spending on the military or anything else by percentage without hurting the good along with the bad. Far better to spend the time looking at each individual program and deciding what needs to be cut. Problem is though that when Obama did it the Republicans just demagogued it, and if Trump tries it the Dems will do the same. 

But most important of all: climate change is going to force us to reassess everything anyhow. We’re going to have to spend hundreds of trillions before we’re done. 

Yes. What you describe is a very sensible process. However, it seems we are fundamentally incapable of that. Not dissimilar to our inability to address climate change without a crisis.

What I threw out was a sort of shock therapy just to stop the hemorraging (sp?) and get things under control...we haven't had a sensible budget review in over a decade so I'm not optimistic but hopefully not too cynical.

 

[NCCommish]

Everyone wants a champagne country but they want to pretend you can do it on a beer budget.

 

[msommer]

Everyone wants a champagne country but they want to pretend you can do it on a beer budget.

Brut IPA is not cheap to brew either