I guess I’m a little more worried about the 14 trillion in debt, and 100+ trillion in unfunded liabilities. But that’s just me...
A deal: take a billion if you promise to immediately defund every useless agency in sight.
Eh, Qbert, I agree! The earmarks refusal was just symbolic, thje Caucus admitted. But the earmarks have been the *personal* desires of the Congressmen, so this was a big perk to give up - the power to award a large government-funded project to a friend, or to a group whose support you want, must be intoxicating. So giving up earmarks is an intense personal sacrifice for these guys, and a sign of true commitment to Tea Party values, as opposed to just vote-seeking lip service.
The only problem with your preference is the question of whop decides what agencies are useless? How is the “useless” designation determined?