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Originally Posted by dogzilla
....If he's frozen discretionary spending, that's a small start. He still has deficits well above what Bush was running for every year except his last year in office. That's what I think has a lot of voters angry, not that he's running a deficit but that he's set a new standard for what is acceptable.
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Obama could have kept the Iraq/Afghanistan spending off budget like Bush did and pretend it didnt add to the deficit (nearly $1 trillion over six years off budget as if it didnt exist)...but he didnt.
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So he's still got plenty of room to cut. And that includes entitlements since those are not Constitutionally protected.
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No one has suggested that entitlements are Constitutionally protected but that they are NOT unconstitutional as Tea Party crowd and libertarians insist...and the Supreme Court has affirmed that on more than one occasion.
So instead of complaining, if you want to see entitlement cut, how about offering a suggestion in a manner that wont adversely impact those in need.
IMO, core benefits shouldnt be cut; the programs should be made more cost-efficient. The health reform bill started the process for reforming Medicare by cutting nearly $1/2 trillion of over-payments to Medicare Advantage providers; forcing MA providers to compete and offer the core services at less than 15% above allowable limits (the overpayment).
Fix Social Security? Simple, you dont have to cut benefits...just raise the payroll tax on those making over $100 K, who pay $0 FICA taxes after the 6% on the first $100k