"Government has to tighten its belt, just like everyone does..."

[ljm2002]

...if I hear this one more time I will scream.

Government is not a household.

If you find yourself in a discussion with someone making this claim, that government has to manage its budget "just like we do", ask them this: what percentage of your household budget do you spend on defense? Even the most rabid pro-gun survivalists don't spend 50% of their household budget on defense. Ask them how much they spend on current, ongoing conflicts? I'm guessing not too many households are financing feuds with their neighbors or out-of-state adversaries.

Now if people want to make government more like a household, then fine: start by putting more resources into housing, food, and other necessities like clothing and energy. Defense should be a small fraction of the budget, with an emphasis on alarm systems and just enough defense to protect the country against attacks. Trade, employment and taxes should figure large in the government-as-household budget, since we must ensure adequate income.

Anyway just thought I'd put it out there.

[EstimatedProphet]

1. And how often do you try to bring your budget in line by cutting your own pay?

[opihimoimoi]

2. KnR.... Exactly :o)

[Angry Dragon]

3. K&R

[ixion]

4. A budget is a budget, household or otherwise, and should be met not exceeded

and we could do that if we wanted to stop blowing crap up worldwide.

[WatsonT]

5. Some clever politician could secure a reelection by putting forward a bill

call it the belt tightening bill that allows politicians to voluntarily cut their own pay to below say 100 grand.

You could opt for it or not and the difference would go towards the deficit.

And then come election time you could always point out who did and did not choose to "tighten their belts" for the good of the country when they were asking everyone else to make sacrifices.

[Search4Justice]

6. K & R

[Scuba]

7. I hear some Wall Street hedge fund managers are squeezing themselves...

...right down to six homes and only three with yachts.

[PA Democrat]

8. How many families would be buying more guns when their family members lack food, shelter

and health care? How many families would max out their credit cards to buy their billionaire uncle aa annual free trip to the Cayman Islands when they can't afford to send their kids to college?

[ljm2002]

10. Exactly! Very good points!

We constantly hear the tea party perspective on the federal budget. I'd like to hear more from our Democrats along the lines of what you said here.

[tinrobot]

9. You can either cut spending or increase revenue

Taxing corporations more would raise a lot of revenue.

[Blue Owl]

11. Pay no attention to the overfed, bloated, flabby war gut hanging over that belt

n/t