Posted on 12/04/2014 12:32:05 PM PST by SleeperCatcher
How much does it cost to run a country? Each year federal, state and local governments confiscate more than $5.7 trillion from the economy, based on 2013 figures. Of that number, $1.1 trillion is eaten by local governments; state governments take in $1.6 trillion, and the federal government consumes more than $3 trillion. And still runs a deficit of hundreds of billions each year.
Part of the problem is that We the People have developed quite a voracious appetite for OPM – other people’s money. Federal aid and entitlement programs consume the lion’s share of the budget; this is called “mandatory spending” and it amounts to around 65 percent of the budget every year (and that will only grow, thanks to the most recent expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare). “Discretionary spending” is that which is subject to the annual congressional appropriations process; it amounts to about 29 percent of the annual federal budget, according to National Priorities, a non-partisan watchdog group that monitors federal spending. Interest on the federal debt – 6 percent currently – takes up the rest of the money.
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“Time to END all taxpayer-supported subsidies “
That’s the way it is supposed to be!
No it’s time to raise the import tariffs and put Americans back to work.
We don’t need to become dependent on foreign countries for our food too. How stupid would that be!!!
Well SleeperCatcher what say you?
I’m not opposed to ending the subsidies, but consumers will be shocked and very unhappy with the end result.
The Farm Program, if it were accurately named, would be called “The Cheap Food for Consumers Program”.
Do you really want to end that?
A truly free market system would negate the need for taxpayer subsidies, especially those that essentially pay farmers NOT to grow crops.
Yes, I agree. However, see my post #24.
Paying farmers NOT to grow crops is a critical, and integral, part of the Cheap Food for Consumers Program.
Without wading into the detail, that program was designed to keep farmers poor and dependent on government payments, and in exchange consumers got low priced food. That scenario worked very successfully for more than 50 years.
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