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[KantianBurke]

Mr. Bush proposed last year to double co-payments on prescription drugs for many veterans, primarily those with higher incomes and no service-connected disabilities. The White House reaffirmed its support for that proposal in November.

[byteback]

[MegaSilver]

Abolish federal aid to the public schools. The teachers' union will never support a conservative administration, even a "compassionate" one.

[Atlas Sneezed]

How much of a surplus would we have if he eliminated all unconstitutional spending?

[AmericanVictory]

will rein in the growth of domestic spending without alienating politically influential constituencies.

Does this mean that they will eliminate costly, constituent-driven boondoggles that help our opponents in the War, such as ethanol subsidies? Somehow, we doubt it. We'll hear our leaders continue to blandly and inaccurately assert that such boondoggle subsidies "don't amount to much."

[jagrmeister]

Cutting spending is a political impossibility. Reagan could not do it. Bush cannot do it. Entrenched interests won't permit it and the American people, for a variety of reasons, punish politicians for cuts. Instead, we should look to privatize services where possible.

Another way to alter the system is to create incentives for bureaucracies to cut costs. I would offer hefty financial bonuses to Secretaries who cut spending in their departments. All of the upper management would get bonuses in the tens of thousands of dollars for each % point they cut in their budget. That would offer a countervailing force to the instiutional pressure of demanding an increasing budget.

[Biblebelter]

Here is what I do not understand. Good jobs have left our economy because business has become more productive and efficient by downsizing its work force. When is government going to get productive and efficient and start laying off workers? That would be a deficit reducer. Of course, the boy who claimed to invent the internet, also claimed to reinvent government. I don't want it reinvented, I would just like to see it downsized at the same rate big business has had to downsize its workforce.

[Kay Soze]

Mr. Bush faces criticism from conservatives, who say he has presided over a big increase in federal spending, and liberals, who say his tax cuts have converted a large budget surplus to a deficit.

I am one such conservative/unappeaser! Those unhappy with the status quo move the world while others run. We moved the party back to the right.

Brian M. Riedl, an economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said: "President Bush is not focusing on his fiscal conservative base right now. He's trying to position himself in between conservatives in Congress and the Democratic Party. It may be good politics, but it's bad policy, a lost opportunity to get runaway government spending under control."

White House officials deny that they have acquiesced in a domestic spending spree.

This is great news for conservatives.

[xrp]

I'd like to see steady REDUCTIONS in the budget of 3 percent by President Compassionate Conservative.

[mabelkitty]

Duh. We called this last year.
Spend on National Security first, foremost, and much.
Cite the deficit as a reason to cut the fat.
If anybody was hanging around and waiting for the remaining seven appropriations to get their fat for their district, they can wait until hell freezes over.

This is an election year - nobody will get fat - especially any Democrats helping his opposition.

Anybody who opposes this will be told, "What is the alternative? Do you want your taxes raised?" Dems will have to run on raising taxes.

And people call W. an idiot. Wish I was an idiot, too.

[putupon]

Now that the Geezers get free pills, nobody else is going to want me to pay for theirs.

Yeah, right .

Sure.

Thanks mucho for opening the barn door for Socialized Medicine JorgeCare there, Dubya.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Great post as always, Reagan Man. Looks like LBJ Jr. doesn't have the heart to REALLY cut gov't spending.

Domestically, Bush has been a disaster.

[Fledermaus]

And in related news...pigs started flying yesterday.

[Joe_October]

Bump.