Let's decrease or even elminate corporate subsidies to lower government deficit.

[Egbert]

The budget was balanced in WI until Walker walked in and gave out tax breaks to all his biggest campaign donors. Talk about corruption.

Cut teacher salaries to pay for it. Rob the poor to pay the rich.

[DinoDoc]

The budget was balanced in WI until Walker walked in and gave out tax breaks to all his biggest campaign donors. Talk about corruption.

Liar.

[DinoDoc]

I don't see any reason to go after entitlements until the corporate subsidies and bloated military budget are dealt with first.

Entitlements are the largest part of the budget.

[Dinner]

My big problem is with Exxon-Mobile making over $100 billion per year in profits and all the other majors also making astronomical profits wtf are we subsidizing them? Even if we only save $20-$25 billion per year that's free money so it's a no brainer. Besides, with oil continually going up they have a massive market based incentive to "drill, baby, drill" already so there is no need to put tax payer money into the equation. Either the market price justifies it or it does not besides the massive subsidies have never been proven to actually increase output by a single barrel because there is already such massive profits to be made they would have done so anyway. I say, cut the subsidies and double the royalty payment percent so the tax payers can actually make money instead of losing money on these transactions. There is hundreds of billions of dollars of profits to be made by them by making use of publicly owned resources so instead of giving that money away for nothing (net nothing as royalty payments are smaller then the subsidies given) let the ****ing public actually make some money off of the companies taking publicly owned property. Make the bastards pay because they'll still make so much off the deal they'll still end up doing it anyway.

The massive problem, of course, is political corruption. Big Oil bribes a lot of Congressmen so the Congressmen let big oil **** over "we the people" while both of them laugh at us for our stupidity. Take their subsidies away, put the screws to them and make them double their royalty payments, and then see who laughs last.

[Berzerker]

I'd eliminate these subsidies, and then I'd start shredding the Pentagon's budget... Then means testing SS...

[Dinner]

Actual sense?! ALRIGHT!

Let me blow you hugs and kisses, Berz. :hug:

[Hauldren Collider]

Umh, you said a few million is a "substantial portion" of a billion or two. If so then Oerdin's proposal to cut $120 billion in farm subsidies must by your own logic also be a "substantial portion" of $1.5 trillion. The benefits of funding IRS audits and cutting other corporate welfare might also turn out to meet your definition of "substantial portion".

Oh I agree that eliminating farm subsidies is very important. I wasn't arguing with that.

[MrFun]

Oerdin, it's not a step in the right direction, it's a red herring. Even if you cut all the subsidies and tax exemptions and federal grants until all you had left were core services and entitlements we'd still have a gaping deficit. You simply can't fix the deficit without cutting entitlements. While we're talking about steps in the right or wrong direction, explain to me what kind of a step adding another entitlement is? Right or wrong?

Aren't corporate subsidies another form of entitlement?

[Hauldren Collider]

No....

[MRT144]

Oerdin, it's not a step in the right direction, it's a red herring. Even if you cut all the subsidies and tax exemptions and federal grants until all you had left were core services and entitlements we'd still have a gaping deficit. You simply can't fix the deficit without cutting entitlements. While we're talking about steps in the right or wrong direction, explain to me what kind of a step adding another entitlement is? Right or wrong?

I'll remember this next time the NEA comes up.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd eliminate these subsidies, and then I'd start shredding the Pentagon's budget... Then means testing SS...

This.

Means testing SS has to happen (as well as raising the tax ceiling... let's be honest and admit its a welfare program and not a retirement plan), but corporate subsidies are far easier to deal with as a first step.

[rah]

Yeah, let's continue to make sure there is no middle class anymore. Betray all those that have contributed heavily into the system expecting at least something in return when they retire.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What exactly do you think means testing SS is?

[DinoDoc]

Yeah, let's continue to make sure there is no middle class anymore. Betray all those that have contributed heavily into the system expecting at least something in return when they retire.

Unless Flemming v. Nestor has been overturned, I'm not exactly sure you have a legal right to SS payments. Not that it matters anyway. Anyone depending on SS payments to retire on is a fool of the highest order.

[DaShi]

They should rely on inheritance.