Ron Paul proposes $1 Trillion in specific cuts

[Locutus]

Many of the ideas in Paul’s 11-page Plan to Restore America are familiar from his staunch libertarianism, as well as tea party favorites, like eliminating the Education and Energy Departments. But Paul goes further, proposing an immediate freeze on spending by numerous government agencies at levels from 2006, the last time Republicans had complete control of the federal budget, and drastic reductions in spending elsewhere. The Environmental Protection Agency would see a 30 percent cut; the Food and Drug Administration would see a 40 percent cut; and foreign aid would be zeroed out immediately. He’d also take an ax to Pentagon funding for wars.


Appearing on CNN ahead of the speech, Paul was pressed by Wolf Blitzer on how eliminating about 221,000 government jobs across five cabinet departments would boost the economy. He responded: “They’re not productive jobs,” he said.


“You cut government spending, that money goes back to you. You get to spend the money,” Paul said during his speech. “I am absolutely convinced it is the only road to prosperity.”

Read more: Ron Paul proposes $1T in specific budget cuts - Dan Hirschhorn - POLITICO.com
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[captain morgan]

The Environmental Protection Agency would see a 30 percent cut; the Food and Drug Administration would see a 40 percent cut; and foreign aid would be zeroed out immediately. He’d also take an ax to Pentagon funding for wars.

I don't know about the EPA or FDA, but you'd think that foreign aid and military spending would be a no-brainer.

 

[wulfie68]

Many of the ideas in Paul’s 11-page Plan to Restore America are familiar from his staunch libertarianism, as well as tea party favorites, like eliminating the Education and Energy Departments. But Paul goes further, proposing an immediate freeze on spending by numerous government agencies at levels from 2006, the last time Republicans had complete control of the federal budget, and drastic reductions in spending elsewhere. The Environmental Protection Agency would see a 30 percent cut; the Food and Drug Administration would see a 40 percent cut; and foreign aid would be zeroed out immediately. He’d also take an ax to Pentagon funding for wars.

OK, I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool socialist. By Canadian standards I am a Conservative but this is ridiculous. Eliminating education - he wants a country of illiterate bumpkins? Eliminating the Dept of Energy - so he wants a return to the Standard Oil monopoly and unregulated price gouging? Cut the EPA so in other words air and water quality goes in the crapper. Cut the FDA so food and drugs are less safe for those who can afford them? I can't argue about taking an axe to the Pentagon or foreign aid: I've never understood the liberal economic justification for this whole "give them tractors and we'll make money selling them parts" thing. On the whole, if Ron Paul was elected, it would be time to buy stock in companies making enviro-domes for settlements, like in science fiction stories, because he would turn the US into a wasteland.

 

[mentalfloss]

As much as I like Ron Paul's stance on the war effort, his stake out on other claims don't make much sense.

Cut a significant amount of unnecessary military expenditure and you've already set the country in a positive direction. No need to start cutting things we need.

I don't necessarily disagree on reducing the size of government somewhat - but republicans and democrats like to fool the public on this issue by imposing a strawman. They don't acknowledge that there is a level of granularity in how to measure a governments performance, and simply saying CUT CUT CUT or SPEND SPEND SPEND by reducing or increasing the staff size does not do us much service.

Get some numbers out there, and make it more transparent about what size and role of government is appropriate for the current state. Clearly, if you reduce the government size, you're not necessarily making the government more accountable or saving money - you could just be giving fewer fat cats more moneys and we don't need more of that right now.

 

[petros]

The FDA has a revolving door between the corporate world and the political policy settting world. That is a bad bad thing.