Read that Biden is looking for 1 trillion in cuts in budget deal

[abelenkpe]

early today and hope that democrats push to raise taxes on the very wealthy and cut subsidies rather than lay off middle class workers or continue to cut social programs. Think momentum is on the democrats side since the Ryan plan was announced and that if democrats can continue to be seen protecting the working class it would be build on that momentum. Kinda afraid that being seen cutting more from the working class would sour voters enthusiasm. What do you all think?

[mmonk]

1. How much would cutting the OVP save?

That being said, cutting out the subsidies to Big Oil and raising taxes on the rich certainly has my blessing.

[nykym]

2. I havwe some suggestions

End Oil subsidies $3.65 Billion
End Coal Subsidies $230 Million
Tax the wealthy the 2%ers $81.5 Billion
Cut the F-35 Fighter Jet $382 Billion
Pass a Public Option $11 Billion
End Ethanol Subsidies $7 Billion
End Cotton Subsidies 3 Billion

Feel free to add to the list and pass it on to Joe.

[abelenkpe]

4. Do love those suggestions!

There was a chart recently showing the projected budget with tax cuts for rich and the wars. I'm going to try to find it again. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to write....well can't hurt anyway. ;)

Just feel that any deal has to include military, corporate subsidies and possibly raising taxes on the top one percent. The working class has already made plenty of sacrifices and it's time for others to as well.

[n2doc]

3. Depends on the time scale

If it is 20 years or a decade, and is cumulative, such cuts can be found easily. If it is per year, then there is no way to do it without raising taxes, cutting military spending significantly, cutting subsidies to agribiz and oil, and or cutting SS and medicare. Can't see him being dumb enough to go after the last 2.

[tkmorris]

5. SS is not part of the Federal budget

Changes to it would not have any effect whatsoever on the deficit.

[n2doc]

7. Depends

You may claim that it is not part of the budget, but if Congress and Obama say it now is, and pass legislation saying it is, than it is.

There is nothing fundamentally untouchable about SS. They could, for example, pass legislation saying that the surplus SS funds collected so far are to be used to cancel out some of the debt, and that SS can only run as a program that spends only as much as it takes in each year. Not likely, but possible.

[Eagle Mall]

6. no link? not surprising.

[former9thward]

8. End all farm and agriculture subsidies.

Don't know the cost but their purpose is long gone. Main help Big Agriculture now.

[RC]

10. Actually, not true.

European farmers are subsidized. This year a lot of farmers haven't been able to get their crops in because of flooding and wet fields. Without these subsidies, they go bankrupt and get bought up by big agribusiness. The cost of food goes even higher.

[former9thward]

11. I don't care about European farmers.

We need to end corporate welfare. Can't do it if we try and pick and choose. Someone will always make the point about how their product or service is "important" or "needed". End it all.

[RC]

13. You need to understand how Europe treats its farmers and why.

Do not lump the big agribusiness farms with the family farms. There are major differences. Big is actually bad in this case.

[Johonny]

9. I'm willing to give up the wars

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Memo to Joe: Try looking for that trillion (and, more) in the Pentagon.

Of course that would mean giving up on our glorious "necessary" wars....that were gloriously losing or gloriously lost but are still fighting and paying for.