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Subscribe to RSSThe automatic spending cuts, just days away, would cut $85 billion a year, having an impact on federal food inspectors, TSA officers, Department of Defense and civilian workers. NBC's John Yang reports.
The automatic spending cuts known as the sequester have ignited a political firestorm in the nation's capital. But if America’s feuding politicos can’t come to an agreement soon, the $1.2 trillion in broad spending cuts will begin March 1, trimming $85 billion a year through 2021. Half of that money would come from the Pentagon and half from non-defense programs, including education and National Parks. Congress has the power to delay, reduce, or cancel the cuts at any time, either before or after they take effect, and programs like Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and student loans will be exempt.
Here’s what you need to know about sequestration as Washington’s gridlock drags us toward spending cuts that Congress passed and Obama signed into law, but that now few lawmakers seem to want.
1. How did we get into this mess?
Sequestration was supposed to be a gun that Congress pointed at itself to force lawmakers to behave and pass a budget. Instead, it’s become just the latest in a seemingly endless series of self-inflicted economic crises that threaten to damage American businesses and undermine credibility with world partners. Sequestration was built into the Budget Control Act of 2011, the bill that brought an end to a bitterly partisan battle over the government’s borrowing power, and included a provision for Congress to develop legislation in time that would have warded off the cuts. The problem with that was Congress failed to pass any such legislation, despite a heated exchange of proposals that went up to the stroke of New Year’s Eve. A bill was passed on January 2 that pushed sequestration back just a little farther – to where we are now.
2. Why call it the sequester?
The term “sequester” is adapted from the legal meaning of the power of a court to seize property, and it came into economic parlance as part of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Act of 1985. Most people are familiar with the idea of sequestering a jury during high-publicity court trials, but in this case it refers to the threat of cuts that was supposed to "force Congress to act on further deficit reduction," according to a report on the potential effects of sequestration by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
3. Who’s responsible?
The key players are President Obama, Speaker of the House John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and wonk lawmakers including Rep. Paul Ryan. They’re the same folks who walked the government into near shutdown in 2011 during the debt-ceiling debacle, squandered America’s AAA credit rating, and held hands to peer over the brink of the fiscal cliff together late last year. Earlier this week, Obama said the idea behind writing the sequester into law in the first place was to get Democrats and Republicans to “find a good compromise of sensible cuts as well as closing tax loopholes.” Republicans have lately been placing all the blame for the pending cuts on the White House, but the measure passed with a majority of Republican votes, and Ryan said at the time that the bill containing the sequester represented “a victory for those committed to controlling government spending and growing our economy.”
4. Will the government shut down?
No. The planned cuts aren't large enough to cripple the federal government. But if they do take place, it will mean that some military deployments may be cancelled, federal agencies and offices like the Transportation Security Administration and Department of Agriculture will reduce services, and some federal employees may be furloughed, asked to involuntarily take off a certain amount of time per week. There may be some alternatives to furloughs, as Jeffrey Zients, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a memo last month. Those could include government hiring freezes, the release of temporary employees, and incentives for existing employees to retire early. But many Americans can lay some of their most basic concerns to rest: Grandma will not see her Social Security check reduced.
5. When would the cuts take place?
The cuts are scheduled to take effect March 1, but they wouldn’t come all at once. For the current fiscal year, the cuts would total $44 billion, which sounds like a ton of money but represents just 1.2 percent of planned federal outlays. Defense contractors likely would be among the individual industries hardest hit by the cuts, but even there layoffs remain “speculative and unforeseeable,” Assistant Secretary of Labor Jane Oates said. But the Pew Center on the States said cuts in discretionary defense spending could cost more than 400,000 jobs over the next 10 years in Florida, Maryland, Texas, California, and Virginia -- the top five states for defense contracting.
6. How are government agencies preparing?
The White House and some federal departments already have started to buckle down to prepare for the eventuality that sequestration will go through. Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter recently told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon had cancelled deployment of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Harry S Truman to the Middle East. The Navy has said that it would delay repairs to the submarine U.S.S. Miami. But officials have assured defense contractors that standing deals will be honored. Future contracts, however, could be imperiled. Other federal departments may be able to shift some funds around within their department from lower priority activities where funds were not cut to higher priority activities that are hit by the sequester.
7. What may the long-term effects be?
This is where it starts to get really political, because it depends on who you ask. To debt hawks, a force-fed fiscal enema like sequestration may be just the purgative a bloated government needs, and they argue it would be good for the economy in the long run. But outside that circle, the economic consequences don't look so good. The Bipartisan Policy Center says that the American economy may stand to lose 1 million jobs if the full package of cuts goes ahead on schedule. And the Congressional Budget Office noted that the planned cuts will act as a drag on the country’s overall economic growth over the coming fiscal year. The long-term economic ramifications of sequestration may take years to unfold in the lives of ordinary Americans if the cuts go ahead, but for legislators who can't figure out a better way to implement the cuts, the political blowback could come much more swiftly.
8. What can be done to stop it?
With both chambers of Congress on what House leaders call a “District Work Period” this week – also known as a recess – Democrats have called on Republican House leaders to reconvene and strike a deal. Speaker of the House John Boehner has said he’s opposed to the cuts, and has made the case it's up to the White House to break the impasse. Republicans have said they will only agree to a deal to avert the cuts if it includes a plan to cut an equivalent amount of government spending in more orderly fashion. Senate Democrats are backing a plan that includes new revenue generated by closing tax loopholes for the richest Americans. With the clock ticking down, the debate is beginning to resemble the one that set up this manufactured crisis in the first place.
NBC News' Tom Curry contributed to this report.
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Economists of all political stripes are now commenting on Obama's "devastation" claim and are basically calling it pure nonsense, that an $85 billion cut in government spending spread out over the next 7 months cannot wreak havoc in an economy as large as ours. One openly called it a "joke" today on CNBC. If you are listing Mr. President, they are laughing at you and your incompetence on economic issues. You might want to hire some new speech writers who know something about economics to write comments you can read off your teleprompter that are at least somewhat accurate and avoid embarrassing yourself.
It might be wise to shift some of the spending cuts around to items of lower priority in the federal budget, but the amount of the cuts is just not that big a deal in an economy of our size.
Yeah, we're all laughing at Obama! Let's bring back the good ole GOP and George W. They can teach the Obama administration how to create a tax reduction plan along with adding a $10B a MONTH war work economically. That worked real well, that's exactly what we need now, since this darned Obama group has only stopped the bleeding for now...yeah, NOW is the time for that good ole GWB economic logic.
I think the devastation remark is accurate. If this "sequestration" happens it will dramatically lower confidence in our government. Like it or not, the reality is that we have to be able to sell bonds to fund our economy.
Peter: I have heard & read DOZENS of reports that say this has the potential to send the economy back into recession: Ezra Klein, (WonkBlog.com) Jered Bernstein, Robert Reich, and many many more. I have not heard ANY economist call it "pure nonsense" - I don't watch Faux News though, so maybe that's where you get your "economic news" (maybe from Dick Morris??? LOL)
They should Just. Repeal. It. no bickering, no negotiating. Just get rid of the bloody thing.
Nancy Pelosi: can you do a Discharge Petition on this??
.
PLEASE: JUST REPEAL THE STUPID THING - NOBODY WANTS IT!
.
FORWARD! :-)
Remember, Boehner said that he got "98% of what he wanted."
Heck of a job, Party of No.
Economists say what you want to hear so that is what you believe. Like all repubs, you have your mind made up in advance on every issue-fight the president no matter what.
We got it. We understand. The republicans HATE Obama and will fight him to the death on every single thing that they can fight him on. Thanks for thinking of America instead of thinking only of your own political party (sarcasm).
What it means is unknown by anyone. I do not believe the country has ever done this before.
Personally, I am FOR it happening and hope there is more of it but one thing we know positively for sure-the repubs will never agree to anything and will do everything in their power to protect the rich. Period.
Anyone who doesn't know this has been in a cave the last 5 years.
Why hasn't a budget been passed now going on 5 years? (Shameful ) Quick question--who controls the Senate?
The damned Democraps started all this mess by insisting of throwing money all over the place to gain votes and influence big money donors. The Republicans tried the ONLY way open to them to try to block all this spending which would require much more than just a tax hike for the rich. The whole country would tumble tring to bring in enough money to pay for the ridiculous giveaways. But, this is what Obama planned for... taking America to it's knees and making it necessary to keep him in power if the freebies were to keep coming. It's all about power and Obama is a fanatic for gaining as much as he can. To hell with the economy, he can blame it on Bush and the Republicans. He can always come up with more lies to justify why he does what he does, even though it is as plain as the big nose on his face that his final object is to slaughter America and reduce it to rubbble and make it pay for all the trouble it has caused (in HIS opinion) for all the other problems in the world. He HATES America and will try anything to cut it's throat. He planned this from the beginning and the stupid Democraps helped it thinking all they wanted was to be in power to do what they want. TO Hell with America!
That is funny Petey, John Boehner says the same thing that the president does.
Dear Mr. President we have to quit spending money like a drunken sailor.... You got your Tax Increase now where are the Cuts.....
Odumbo agreed to it sooooooooooo!
Would you uneducated, ill informed Odumbo worshiping pinheads ever get it?
$44 billion, which sounds like a ton of money but represents just 1.2 percent of planned federal outlays.
Sounds like a good start, remember these budgets have built in raises, that this "cut" is just a trim off of the automatic raises
a force-fed fiscal enema
And who eats enemas, voluntarily or otherwise? (Sorry, but that line is going to be stuck in my head for a week now.)
sequester may be what no one wants, but we all need. Cuts to the government need to come from somewhere and the sequester hits all parts equally. I hope it goes through.
This all hinges on republicans trying to protect their millionaire friends from taking a 4.5% hit on their income. How many of you commenters are millionaires ?
The republicans effectively axed our credit rating _and our reputation. This congress has the lowest approval rating of any Congress ever and you can lay that at the feet of the republicans and their posturing and stalling.
They'll do a deal at the last minute and figure out a way to save their rich buddies as well.
President Obama has the upper hand because the republicans will be blamed if the deadline isn't met.
Watch the 2014 elections and see how many of those morons get re-elected.
The biggest problem i see here is it is the smallest government agencies that get hit the worst. I work for a local agency in D.C. I have watched as our workforce has shrunk over the past 4 years from 15 people, some full employees others contractors to 9. Now 9 people have to do the work of 15, not to mention no budget increase, and no raises for the past 4 years!! I have already been furloughed 2 of the past four years, and now these a$$hats cant figure out how to avoid making it 3 of 5....?!? I am a single father, as middle class as they come. Why don't they realize that cutting my pay hurts the economy too?
Look, you want to close the plant making tanks we don't need or the company making planes no one wants to buy fine. You save 1 billion by doing so, then take some of that money, and pay their employees exactly what they were making for the next six months while you train them for a new line of work. Guess what, you just paid 200 million, save 800 million, and gave every one of those employees a new line of work and they continue paying taxes, how is that NOT a win win?? But no, that makes way to much sense for our government to even consider.
My sister is a government contractor.The company that hired her is doing the Superfund clean up from the aerospace industry that was fined for the underground water supply pollution.The government has been paid for these clean ups.Truth be told,the government could get rid of half of the contract workers plus the government employees to save more money and it wouldn't affect American's one bit.Some of those government employees call in sick every Monday,drink in the building on the job and do personal business on our dime.Many of these government employees have over 30 years of service.We the taxpayers are being ripped off daily.It's time to pare the budget down to essential services only so that we can get out of debt.
let it happen It cannot get any worse then it is now. let it get so bad that we impeach the whole Fing lot of them. Start with the top ^!&&(% and work down
Please tell me exactly on what he spends like a drunken sailor. Nondiscretionary spending and defense spending make up by far the bulk of government spending, and the President is responsible for the level of neither one. Discretionary spending has barely, if at all, increased during the past four years as a percentage of GDP.
I love how Republicans can say "Obama spends a lot of money" in at least 20 different forms (drunken sailor is one of the more creative ones, I'll give you that), but they can't name exactly which superfluous or unnecessary programs the President created and is spending money on.
"YOUR" tax increase? First of all, it wasn't a tax increase — it was the nonextension of a tax cut. Two different things, and if you're unwilling to make the distinction, then you're being intellectually dishonest. Second, it's not "his" tax increase. It's the tax-cut expiration that 65+% of Americans wanted. It's the promise that got him elected with over 50% of the vote.
Look at all the brouhaha surrounding a mere $85 billion per year in spending cuts. Do you really think we can balance the budget without also increasing revenues? You Republicans keep insisting that we need to balance the budget and that tax increases are off the table. If you're so worried about "Obamaquester" and the $85 billion less in spending, how are you going to come up with $1 trillion less in spending per year without trashing the economy?
Yup. George W. Bush casts a long shadow. It is so much easier for one person to ruin things than it it to try to build.
Especially when Republicans refuse to have it any way other than their own way. Thanks Republicans for putting everyone into a leaky boat and claiming that the only way to stop sinking is to drink the ocean.
stratocumulus you are a real peice of work. You are just like most other lib on this vine. Anything that has happened in the past is all Bush's fault and no one else but when it comes to current problems it is all those damn Republicans in the House. Why can you not be honest and say if it was Bush's fault for past events then it must be Obama's fault on current issues. If not then it must have been the fault of Congress then as it is now. I know you will not be willing to admit to these facts but I had to try to open your eyes.
Word it any way you want to, it's a TAX INCREASE. ANY time you see a larger deduction in your check for ponzie schemes like Social Insecurity and Mediscam, it's an INCREASE IN TAXES. Doesn't matter what the tax rate was previously - it's a TAX HIKE. Spin that.
Really? I'd like to know who these "65%" are because NOT ONE person I know, work with or relative in my family "wanted" this.
The issues of spending are threefold, Immediate spending, Stabilization Spending, Growth Spending. Each has its own political branch. People that have no reserves, like young adults have different spending needs than the middle aged, and the old aged. The young have no house, car, job, nor money. The middle age have the house, car and job to spend money on, (stable ), and the older have house,car, job behind them. Using myself as an example, when I was young the Space Race was ahead of me, research and development, capital investment in rockets and launching pads, etc. Now that I'm old, the Space Shuttle Program is retired. It's not to say the space program has ended, but the way money is spent on the space program is far different than when it began.
Lot's of folks don't want to recognize that some technologies we've had for some time work just fine, and some technologies that have been tested for a long time never worked all that well, and still don't. Most design work is on restructuring the label and not restructuring the product. The house hasn't changed, the financial package to finance the house has. Long term mortgages were once designed for long term mortgages... back in the day when one could expect a long term job to pay it off. Now that there are not long term jobs to pay off long term mortgages where there once were, the question of Middle Class must be redefined, as well as other concepts, and that's really what the nation is facing... bank financing concepts for short term, middle term, and long term investments, just like with the development of the space program in the early 1960's.
According to the democrats every bill that G. W. Bush signed he owns the consequences RIGHT? Well then Bo-Dumbo owns every bill he signed, he owns this one!
@HOTTICKET, I agree with you!! To all of the democrats:
What was you S.S. tax rate in 2012 (4.2% on up to $110,000) what is it in 2013 (6.2% on up to $113,700), what was the income tax rate on 400K or 450K income earners in 2012 (35%) what is it in 2013 (39.6), what was the capital-gains tax rate on 200K or 250K earners in 2012 (15%) what is it in 2013 (20%), what was the capital-gain tax surcharge (Bo-DUMBO-CARE) rate on top of the capital-gains rate on 200K or 250K earners in 2012 (0%) what is it in 2013 (3.8%), what was the percentage of AGI to deduct medical expenses in 2012 (7.5%) what is it in 2013 (10%)?
See the trend?? Yeah no tax increases from Bo-Dumbo right, keep believing Bo-Dumbo,what happened to the "Raise the taxes on the 1-2%er's and we'll take about CUTS"? Keep believing Bo-Dumbo!
And now Bo-Dumbo what more tax increases to spend, I say NO! NO! NO!
I say bring it on and 10x bigger, if it hurts so what, we are Americans and are tough resolute people.. Time to start cutting out the free stuff that Obama bought the election with.. When his possy start rioting because they no longer are getting free cell phones and a free ride their true face will be seen.. Kick out the Mexicans or take over Mexico and be done with it.. This Communist/Socialist dream he has is NOT the American way and is NOT how this country was founded..
I see the party of I don't have a clue is out defending this administration of I don't have a clue once again. Living within our means and making cuts in a bloated government is dangerous to America? Hey B.O. and all of your subjects, get a clue!
Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security to save some money as it is a constitutionally illegal police force with its sole purpose being to spy on and control American citizens at the word of the president..
Oh boy, according to the man who would be King Obama, all sorts of dire stuff is going to happen if sequestration is allowed to happen.....we're going to be shutting things down all over the place. Uh, according to this article the cuts amount to $85 billion; the 2013 white house budget is right around $3 trillion. So, a 2% reduction in spending is going to shut everything down? Either Barry is lying again, or he is even more economically clueless than we first thought.
PS: In all of his gloom & doom speeches about dire cuts, I've not once heard him mention that food stamps of welfare payments will be reduced!
He is a Communist and a politician so if his mouth is moving he is lying.. It is all about control and creating fear is the easiest way to control the poorly educated.. I say bring it on times 10 times 20, we are sick of big government and big brother.. Feeding the growth of government with more taxes and more bureaucracy/laws/fear is reaching a busting point.. His redistribution of wealth [ a Marxist ideal ] will destroy the USA..
I wouldn't shed any tears if the Airlines found themselves on the ground and the TSA pukes had to get a real job. Maybe the ONLY way to stop the useless wars is to quit funding them. The whole country has been living on promises so long that the bubble has to burst soon.
But they don't have to cut the TSA jerks...even though I would like it.... There are plenty of managers and other people in the TSA that can be cut. They could also just cut everyones salary since the TSA does not have a union...
But of course those in control will cut only the TSA guys that cause the most delays to the public just to make a point. These are the same guys that when given a choice to cut food stamps or sesame street will always choose food stamps so they can scream you are starving the children.
john the sesame street(PBS) comment made my day. I was blind now I can see.
Hopefully more sheeple will really see what the left wing media is spewing out.
I'm thinking that you two geniuses who want to get rid of the TSA don't do a lot of flying....either that, or you're incrediby stupid!
Any cuts should come from the wages of the Senators, Representatives and the Whitehouse! They were elected by both Reps and Dems to do what is right for America and all they can do is squabble over who is right and who is wrong and American Citizens suffer for it!!!!!!
This Incompetent-in-Chief lies, and our corrupt and biased media swears to it. This is now beyond the theater of the absurd. We're being told that a reduction in the rate of spending, NOT A CUT, of 85 Billion dollars will essentially cause life as we know it to end. Actually, only 44 Billion would occur in 2013. All while the Fed prints 85 Billion A MONTH,in pretty colored paper it calls money, for "quantatative easing 2" to purchase securities and artifically inflate the stock market. All while the GAO just reported that there was 44 Billion in MediCare fraud in the last year alone. BUT if we try to slow the rate of our unsustainable spending we will perish as a nation.
IF the Sequester REDUCTIONS occur, we will still spend more in 2013 than we did in 2012, and less than we will in 2014. All thanks to baseline budgeting which guarantees increased spending in perpetuity. Did you walk away knowing that after hearing our lying, left wing radical, tax and spend loving, Incompetent-in-Chief? Did our corrupt and biased media do a simple fact based analysis and inform the American people of the obvious, and undeniable reality?
I guess Trillion+ dollar yearly deficits and the increasing 16 1/2 Trillion debt are the fundamantal change in the United States our Incompetent-in-Chief promised. Does he have a plan "B" for when the inevitable economic collapse occurs, or just another speech he'll call his "plan"?
Thank you Wolverine for getting it, and laying it out there for others to see. This is the same administration that has never even managed to get a budget passed, thanks to Harry Reid. Baseline budgeting, along with pork barrel spending disguised as stimulus will be the cause of our collapsing dollar.
How old is Harry Reid now anyway? He has to be getting on up there.
According to Politico: with the sequester, the federal govt will spend $3.553 trillion in 2013 VS $3.538 trillion in 2012. Is that what Washington calls a cut?
Harry Reid is so old, he can remember when hell was a camp fire.
As most have predicted, economic collapse is rather immenent. How long can our government continue delaying spending cuts without borrowing more? I don't believe our government will ever "save" enough money or "cut back spending" enough to pay off our national debt. All the while, our politicians are arguing, getting fat eating steak, and taking recesses.
Gun control? I firmly say keep the second ammendment intact. We're going to need it to hold off our federal government when the U.S. populace finally decides that enough is enough. High capacity magazines? You're going to need them. Anyone with a sound mind that keeps up with the news daily knows where this country is headed. I personally, hope that I am wrong.
If they put the thought and actions into real solutions for our economy instead of gun control we would see some real solutions. Take the money and people planned for all these new gun regulations and put them to hiring more guards, building more prisons and enforcing the current laws. Stiffer laws for criminals, enforce full time served, no early releases, no getting off on some technicality. Most especially if you murder either death penalty or life imprisonment. These criminals with 18 arrests is unbelieable, if after a couple of times a person is arrested you don't get the picture that this person is a lifetime criminal nothing will.
Yet, according to the party of I don't have a clue, "The Union Is Strong", come on B.O. do what is right for America.
If we could only find a market for bullsh^t we could........................................................................................ ....................................................................................................................................................................
Help with math needed --- we are adding 1.x Trillion to our debt every YEAR how does 85 Billion in cuts over 10 YEARS solve anything?
Totally agree....going after the low informed voter
So what DO we need to cut.
Military by 50% CHECK!
Social Security by 20% CHECK!
Federal payroll by 50% CHECK!
Medicare and Medicaid by 50% CHECK
ObamaCare by 100% CHECK
Welfare by 90% CHECK
There I just balanced the budget!
Don't forget to cut those luxurious medical plans that our Congressmen voted for themselves and their ridiculous retirement plans that none of the rest of us have. Serve one term in Congress and you qualify for retirement.... B.S. None of the rest of us get anything like that.
Thank you, Tom Curry, for this article. And, thank you, TheDoctor72, for commenting on the benefits that the Congress members continually receive. Like one of our forefathers said: ...to work in Congress is a privilege...NOT a job. I would truly appreciate it if the Congress would take some 'cuts' in their benefits and not expect to be paid like they are for retirement. I believe a retirement program and a health program needs to be funded by those who are receiving it.......premium payments like the rest of the working force does. I respect those who work in Congress, but they do not seem to be living in the 'real world'. I believe that it is necessary to bring about an acceptable change in our government's budget...when cuts are being made.....then all should participate in having 'less'...NOT MORE.
Washington is like this: Let's say I spent $1,000 more than I made last month. I deceide that I should cut back on my spending. So instead of spending $1,250 next month, I spend $1,100 instead. Wow, that's $150 in cuts.
Crisp,
That is exactly how the game is played.
85 billion is 2.4% of a 3.5 trillion dollar budget----ohps what budget!!
The king has no clothes. America has NO budget!
Jeff - It isn't 85 billion cut in 10 years, it is 85 billion cut each year. I believe the House of Rep. should take a reduction in pay since so many of the Republicans in the House think it would be a good idea to let this sequester take place. This is a self imposed disaster that doesn't have to happen. FYI - I am a registered Republican but that doesn't mean I don't value the services and protection I receive from our government.
Your right - we are over spending 1.2 trillion a year and want to reduce that by 85 billion? Still can not see it adding up-- was republican but when you lose to the worse president in our life time its time to get out. Now I hold them all equally accountable after they played us to cut our pay over a cliff they both created just as they have done with the sequester.
Nancy, not only the House but the entire Congress...not only a cut in pay but no retirement for serving just six years and the same health coverage that average Americans get and no extra money to maintain two households. When we remove all the perks from serving, maybe we'll get Congresspeople who are interested in actually serving their country instead of greedy money-grubbers. Oh, and force them to take classes in critical thinking and negotiation since right now they are acting worse than kindergartners fighting over the dodge ball.
The only way they should get any benefits and retirement is if they work 30 plus years and meet age requirements like the rest of us. They could put part of their paycheck into a 401K like we do.
It's 85 billion a year for the next eight. While that may not seem like a lot, it's a start and more than what I've seen proposed by the house.
What cuts would you like to see made?
Where are the jobs bills?
Sequester the Kenyan Kalamity and Shotgun Joe in a tatched hut with bamboo bars in a Nairobi slum.
The sky is falling! Get that shotgun out of the safe Joe. LOL
And, while you're add it, take away Obama's TELEPROMPTER and typer of the material that is written for the teleprompter. That will save a few dollars.
I just find it so difficult to understand our expeditions to the Moon and back beginning in 1969. We were proud and excited to be American citizens.
Woe's me. Oh my God. The humanity! We'll have to eliminate the Obamaphone and cut back on Auntie Zuni's housing allowance.
Most know that saying, "Those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repeat it." The Titanic was built and designed never to sink, in fact it was called unsinkable. And so everyone on board was enjoying the incredibly luxurious journey 5 April 1912 and as that beautiful ship moved under a clear icy cold starry night. Her Captain, mingling with some of the richest people in the world, was totally unaware of the critical dangers ahead. Especially the message sent from a new device on another ship warning of ice bergs on the glassy seas.However, due to messages passengers wanted to send, it was never received.
We all know the tragic end of that magnificent ship, built with all the latest technology, and the huge loss of life. Only after it sank, was the obvious failures found, shortcuts made, where life was exchanged for profit. Ironically it has been estimated it took twenty three things going perfectly wrong, working all together for the tragedy to happen. Change any one, and the ship would not have sunk. Including when the ice berg was spotted. Now, what does this old sad tale have to do with what is happening in our nation today?
Our nation is like the Titanic is so many ways.Full of great promise, as the greatest Superpower on earth, no other can match it. But our Captain is ignoring the warnings, as we cross the ocean of time. He steers us further away from safe warmer waters, into dangerous cold ones instead. The crew is not doing their job focused important matters of state, fighting amongst themselves. While we passengers are along for the ride. Those poorest in the steerage compartments,crowded, fed little and sick from the little good air, experiencing the roughest part, the richest on the highest decks. But we are all headed to a rendezvous with destiny.At top speed, guaranteed and the world will be the witness of the most spectacular disaster it has seen in awhile it seems. Don't expect orderly abandon ship directions.Nor the Captain to be the last on board. I see a stormy gale arising, feel a hurricane mounting.History repeating itself as a nation slowly is overtaken in a self made disaster for lack of character
Barbara Streisand's meals on wheels will have to be cut.
Peasant Ostumbler will have to cut back on Hawaiin, Indonesian and Spanish vacations. ostumbler will have to budget 1/2 million dollars for each vacation instead of a million.
Bye bye Las Vegas conventions for the Agriculture Dept.
Sorry if I step on any toes, but the farmers are still receiving subsidies from years and years ago. There is a small fortune that is handed out to some farmers for doing nothing.
The Washington D.C. suburbs may drop from the richest zip codes in the U.S. to the 2nd richest behind the California movie colony.
However, the zip code 90210 will remain.
Sequesters should not be called Sequesters, Sequesters should be called Rep. Paul Ryan "Bad for America", YOUBETCHA!!
ryiann,
You need to stop watching kristy Matthews, Eddy Sh%^$#$, and Madcow, YOUBETCHA!
"What the heck is Sequestration" ? --- DC on Drugs,bought by "your" money.
1.2% of the federal budget, why does this even make the news? Let's not LET it happen, let's MAKE it happen, cut another 15-20% while you are in there..
And once again our government is playing Russian roulette with our economy!!!
This sounds like a FANTASTIC start to much needed federal budget cuts. I applaud Congress and Obama on staying the course and ensuring these cost savings go into effect ASAP!
Next how about some REAL cuts?
What a bunch of cr@p! These are merely cuts in the increases this b.s. congress are going to put in the next budget. We need to cut $1T NOW! And stop with the stupid panic comments of how this would wreck the country. If anything it would accelerate growth beyond anything ever seen.
I think the waste in our Federal Government is in the areas no one ever talks about. It's in the people who use the copy machine for copies of their resumes. It's in the people who take batteries home because they forgot to get them at the store. It's in the guy who wanders cubicles and chats for three hours a day. It's in the guy who worked in the mornings but spent the afternoons designing his retirement home. It's in the woman who arranged her sweater, spare glasses, and coffee cup to look like she was away from her desk but had really left work early. It's in the girl who spends as much time on Facebook as she does performing the keyboarding tasks assigned to her. It's in the guy who arranged to come in late and stay late, but who leaves right after all the other employees have gone home.
I have worked for government contractors and government departments, and all of these things are behaviors I have seen with my own eyes. They barely touch the tip of all the ways government employees have figured out to cheat their employers and, in turn, the government. They think one little situation doesn't affect the whole, but when it happens everywhere, all year long, time after time, it adds up quickly.
Let's start patrolling ourselves and see what kind of savings can take place before we point fingers at the President and Congress. We, the taxpayers, ARE the government. Let's clean our own houses before worrying about someone else's.