Fourteen Ways to Shrink Federal Spending

A common complaint heard from the media and especially from the Democrat controlled congress is that the opposition has little to offer in the way of solutions to our current fiscal crisis. For those who abjure from Kool-Aid intake and are willing to listen, we found a very well presented list of fourteen ways to solve some very knotty fiscal problems at the federal level. Yes, there will be some math but stick with this and see if it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

For those who just want the topics in general, they are listed in synopsis. For those who require an in depth view, we suggest you get the detailed outline from Americans for Tax Reform here.

Here are the Fourteen Topics in general:

1. Resurrect the “Byrd Committee.”

2. Give the public five days to read bills before a floor vote.

3. Put every federal transaction and contract online in real time.

4. Term limit appropriators.

5. Sitting Congressmen and Senators should not be able to name buildings or other monuments to themselves, and none should be named for them while they are still living.

6. Block grant education funding and welfare to the states.

7. Freeze the salary and benefit levels of federal employees.

8. Require all eligible federal employees to compete for their job with a private sector bidder.

9. Only hire one new federal employee for every two that retire from government employment.

10. Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act.

11. Reform farm subsidies along the lines of the 1996 “Freedom to Farm” Act.

12. Leave defense cuts on the table.

13. Stop using “emergency” spending loopholes to get around budget rules.

14. Freeze discretionary spending at 2007 levels.

The savings in the restraints mentioned above would result in Trillions in both the near and the long term. Implementation of any of these reforms would require a congress with both the will and the determination to make these changes. For those who see little value in off year elections, perhaps a little study of these proposals will be convincing.

(Ed: A very special hat tip to the Vail Spot for calling attention to this).

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon