Americans Support Cutting The Deficit, But Not Cutting (their)Specific Programs

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Free Thinker

this is a problem for republicans. they make big noise about balancing the budget but when details of how it would have to be done americans reject it. “Don’t tax you. Don’t tax me. Tax that fellow behind the tree.”


Nearly 70% of Americans say cutting the deficit is an important goal for 2012, with 84% Republicans, 66% Democrats, and 64% Independents rating it as their top priority.

These folks are happy to slash spending and raise taxes — only theoretically. Asked about specific programs, wide majorities almost always favor either increasing spending or maintaining the current level, as the following chart from Pew shows:


http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/0...ograms/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

On education, for instance, 62 percent favor increases and 25 percent favor maintaining the current level. More than 90 percent favor either an increased level or the current level of spending on veteran’s benefits; and more than 80 percent favor increasing levels or maintaining the current level on college financial aid, public school spending, Medicare, and Social Security. The only program that even gains a plurality of support for reduced spending levels is aid to the world’s needy.
Among those with less than a high school education the median estimate was that foreign aid represented an extraordinary 45 percent of the budget, those with only a high school diploma 25 percent, those with some college at 20 percent. However, even those with a college degree or higher still overestimate by a wide margin, with a median estimate of 15 percent of the budget.”

The actual percentage at least in 2010 – less than 1%.
 
No doubt true but it represents a failure on the part of republicnas to educate people. Gingrich had a point when he criticized Paul Ryan for coming out with a bold budget program without preparing the foundation before hand.

Ron Paul and various conservative think tanks have propsed large budget cuts that would hardly affect us. Pull out of these ridiculous overseas military adventures. Terminate the Departments of Education, HUD, Commerce, Labor, etc. Cut all pork like rail projects and bridges to nowhere. Cut foreign aid, particularly to the middle east.

There are trillions in savings out there, all without raising taxes.
 
That's how it works of course. The good news is that our government is not that large (by comparison with existing governments, not imagined governments).

Edit: nearly left this out, the other part of the goods news is that our taxes are fairly low (again, by comparison with existing governments, not imagined governments).
 
I would say cut education. The last thing you want to cut is programs that help the disabled or the elderly.

We spend way to much on education. Look at the show "are you smarter than a 5th grader" Almost everyone that goes on that show doesnt know the answers that these kids are learning now. That is strong evidence that we are spending billions on useless education. Most people forget everything they learned in school, and schools are really just glorified daycares now. The only subjects people should be required to learn are excellent reading, writing, and math skills. Dump alot of that other stuff and make parents pay if they want their kids to learn history, science, home economics, P.E. and all that stuff.

But for those of you that disagree, what do you think is going to happen if they increase the budget? Lets say education gets 3 times what they get now. What are they going to spend it on? Increased salaries for teacher and maybe dump some more classes on these kids and really give them alot of homework. Maybe they will start teaching philosophy, piano, and my favorite "self-esteem" classes where they tell the kids that they are special and deserve the best, just because they are them. Throwing money at education doesnt help. If your kid had a tutor and he is getting Cs in school, you think by raising the tutors pay by $2 per hour is going to make your kid smarter? Its not.
 
Quote from peilthetraveler:

I would say cut education. The last thing you want to cut is programs that help the disabled or the elderly.

We spend way to much on education. Look at the show "are you smarter than a 5th grader" Almost everyone that goes on that show doesnt know the answers that these kids are learning now. That is strong evidence that we are spending billions on useless education. Most people forget everything they learned in school, and schools are really just glorified daycares now. The only subjects people should be required to learn are excellent reading, writing, and math skills. Dump alot of that other stuff and make parents pay if they want their kids to learn history, science, home economics, P.E. and all that stuff.

But for those of you that disagree, what do you think is going to happen if they increase the budget? Lets say education gets 3 times what they get now. What are they going to spend it on? Increased salaries for teacher and maybe dump some more classes on these kids and really give them alot of homework. Maybe they will start teaching philosophy, piano, and my favorite "self-esteem" classes where they tell the kids that they are special and deserve the best, just because they are them. Throwing money at education doesnt help. If your kid had a tutor and he is getting Cs in school, you think by raising the tutors pay by $2 per hour is going to make your kid smarter? Its not.
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Why am I not surprised that you don't think much of education ?
 
Quote from futurecurrents:

Why am I not surprised that you don't think much of education ?
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You are an idiot. I'm very much for education. I'm just against spending EVERYONEs money on education that will not be used by the majority of people when they graduate.

For instance...did you know that some of the stuff kids are learning in elementary are things like "Polar bears wont eat penguins" and "the ostrich is the fastest bird on land"

Does anyone need their 6 year old to know what a castanet is and how to play it?

Or teaching what part of the flower pollen is made in?

This is the crap that you are paying in taxes for ALL kids to learn. You all learned this is school...do any of you use it? (or remember it?)
 
Quote from futurecurrents:

Why am I not surprised that you don't think much of education ?
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No need for the Federal Govt to have an education dept.
95% of the cost is covered at the state level.

Jimmy Carter made the dept just to get more control and more union govt employees
 
Teachers unions and politicians assume that educational outcomes are directly related to how much money is spent on education. In fact, there is little to no correlation.

Most of the money spent now on education is basically wasted. Wasted on armies of administrators and counselors. Wasted on endless retraining of teachers in the latest educational fads. Wasted on lavish union benefits. Wasted on extravagant school buildings and athletic facilities.

The biggest waste is wasting money on thugs who are either incapable of learning much beyond the basics or are determined to ruin the learning environment for everyone else. Of course, liberals will instinctively force the vast majority to suffer in their endless quest to pander to the dysfunctional.

Public education has basically failed, at least in most urban areas. No parent who sincerely wants their kids to succeed will risk leaving them in govenrment schools in most major cities. Even radical socialist and egalitarian obama sends his two daughters to a pricey private school. I'm guessing that school charges upwards of $40,000 a year for elementary school kids.
 
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

Teachers unions and politicians assume that educational outcomes are directly related to how much money is spent on education. In fact, there is little to no correlation.

Most of the money spent now on education is basically wasted. Wasted on armies of administrators and counselors. Wasted on endless retraining of teachers in the latest educational fads. Wasted on lavish union benefits. Wasted on extravagant school buildings and athletic facilities.

The biggest waste is wasting money on thugs who are either incapable of learning much beyond the basics or are determined to ruin the learning environment for everyone else. Of course, liberals will instinctively force the vast majority to suffer in their endless quest to pander to the dysfunctional.

Public education has basically failed, at least in most urban areas. No parent who sincerely wants their kids to succeed will risk leaving them in govenrment schools in most major cities. Even radical socialist and egalitarian obama sends his two daughters to a pricey private school. I'm guessing that school charges upwards of $40,000 a year for elementary school kids.
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Actually, we've got a pretty good ROI on education.

Outcomes:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-10-most-educated-countries-in-the-world.html

Spending:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_edu_spe-education-spending-of-gdp
 
Quote from Ricter:

That's how it works of course. The good news is that our government is not that large (by comparison with existing governments, not imagined governments).

Edit: nearly left this out, the other part of the goods news is that our taxes are fairly low (again, by comparison with existing governments, not imagined governments).
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this is the difference between the left and the right.


ricter says we are low tax...but refuses to acknowledge are taxes are massive when you add them up.


Obamacare tax... plus...

http://thekitchencabinet.us/2011/10/15/2012-list-of-taxes-in-america/
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax Interest expense (tax on the money)
Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and
local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax
Toll Bridge Taxes
Toll Tunnel Taxes
Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)
Trailer Registration Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
----

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago!”
 
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