[aruanan]

I'd rather see your revenue figures now rather than wait and see a few years from now. If Cain's 9-9-9 plan will not even come close to covering current federal spending, how will the 3-3-3 plan do so?

How long did it take for the Reagan tax cuts to start producing a significant increase in federal revenue? There was, after that, a big cut in the capital gains tax that also produced a significant increase in federal revenue. But it didn't happen immediately, though it did happen rather rapidly. You cannot increase federal income in the meantime by increasing tax rates, otherwise, you'll never see the increase in revenue from tax rate reductions.

So the short term way of dealing with things until the revenue stream turns into a torrent is either deficit spending (which is pretty much a dead end now that Obama has pissed so much money away) or serious reduction of spending. The easiest and most immediate "reduction" would simply be to end the baseline budgeting scam that has been, until Obama, the main cause of increased federal expenditure. After that, elimination of duplication between different departments and agencies as well as the elimination of departments and agencies that are not constitutionally mandated. Another way is the elimination of EPA control over the economy and the rest of the regulatory nightmare that has been strangling business. The federal government could also quickly increase revenue from leasing mineral, oil, and gas exploration and development. After all, the United States is one of the richest nations on earth in untapped mineral and energy resources.

[SoJoCo]

How long did it take for the Reagan tax cuts to start producing a significant increase in federal revenue?

A couple of years. But Reagan's tax rates were considerably higher than the 9-9-9 plan. And he ran significant deficits throughout his whole time in office.

...or serious reduction of spending.

Agreed. So take the current U.S. spending and cut it by by 60% to arrive at a balanced budget under the Cain plan. Let me know what you have left.

[Notary Sojac]

We need elected officials who have the courage to make immediate and meaningful cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and to a slightly lesser extent Social Security.

Some GOP politicians (Romney and Palin for example) have danced around this issue.

Some have confronted it honestly (Perry, Ryan, DeMint, Daniels).

To beat the drum for (admittedly desirable) tax cuts and economic growth as if that will enable us to run the existing entitlement without major reductions, is deceptive and dangerous.

I'm not yet sure of where Cain stands on this issue.