Cutting the Federal Budget, it just ain't that hard . . .

The elite Super Committee, with allegedly the smartest of our professional politicians, worked for months to cut $120 billion a year from the Federal Budget, this crack team of career politicians worked for months, along with countless hours from their staffs and advisors and in the end, just couldn't find anything to cut from the budget that we just absolutely could not live without, so they simply quit working on the problem.  But seriously is it really that hard, well Chuck Woolery, a game show host, has put together a quick $150 Billion + plan, just to get the ball rolling!

Now that Chuck has gotten our juices flowing and we are on a roll, let's look at a couple other ideas, just off the top of my head!

NOAA, National Weather Service, formed in the 1800's to provide weather information to Farmers.  Great idea in the 1800's when the government was the only source for this data but today every news organization, TV station and radio station provide almost continual weather updates.  Eliminating this organization would add $5.5 billion per year to Chucks $120 billion.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting - Another great idea when created in 1967 as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provided the ability for small markets to have access to Radio and TV stations.  But today technology and competition make the CPB simply another waste of approximately $500 million a year in taxpayer dollars.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) - Created in 1949 to protect Europe from an aggressive Russia.  Of course when the cold war ended, the bureaucrats in NATO were not about to give up their cushy jobs and lucrative salaries and perks, so NATO still exists today doing peace keeping work in Libya and Afghanistan.  43% of all NATO spending is from the US.  We the taxpayers kick in about $300 billion a year before any operational cost, so considering operations in Libya this year cost close to $1 Billion a month, exiting from NATO, would save a tidy $6.5 billion dollar savings.

Cut Congress and Senate budgets by 50%.  We the taxpayers spend upwards of $2 Billion a year to pay congress and their staffers, not including travel and other expenses.  Congress should be required to cut their own budget by 50% until the US is once again solvent.  Making this change would add another $1 billion in savings to the Federal Budget.  

So recapping, starting with Chuck Woolery's cuts:   $150 billion per year

Eliminating NOAA                                                   $    5.5 billion

Eliminating the CPB                                                  $      .5 billion

NATO                                                                       $    306.5 billion

Eliminate/Outsource the Post Office                          $   32.0 billion (and that's just covering the loss)

Total Yearly Cuts                                                      $  459.5 billon 

And over 10 years this would cut nearly                   $4.6 trillion 

More thoughts coming in the next few posts!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Willie P.