Presidents plan to reduce deficit

[Cabin4]

He has no plan to reduce the annual budget deficit nor a plan to address the growing national debt. In fact, all his official plans continue to create a growing annual deficit and a growing national debt. He is a complete failure.

[jimster]

He has no plan to reduce the annual budget deficit nor a plan to address the growing national debt. In fact, all his official plans continue to create a growing annual deficit and a growing national debt. He is a complete failure.

I was wondering when someone would just spit that out and end this thread.

True statment...addresses the title of the thread. End of thread? Should be.    

[wareagleguy]

Dixie,
You do know that TVA uses ZERO tax dollars, right?  Tell me how private companies can do better.  Remember TVA has the lowest residential rate of all southeastern companies.  This includes private.  Explain your position?

[Dixie Dude]

The money obtained by selling TVA can be used to pay down the national debt.  The Grace Commission that Reagan set up suggested the Feds sell all their assets that were in conflict with private companies.  Rates are cheap because the Feds built all the dams on the Tennessee River.  They also built coal and nuclear power plants to expand their electric output using government money.  Private companies have slightly higher rates to obtain a profit so they can used these profits to expand.  I work for a gas distribution company, I know.  We have bought many city gas systems because they couldn't meet the new regulations coming down the pike.  By being a larger private company we can put money where the most problems areas are first.  The government also owns a small section of Wakiki beach totaly surrounded by high rise hotels and condos.  Why, they don't really need it.  It is stuff like this that was or is funded by taxpayers.  The grace commission found that there was enough to sell excluding national parks and forests to completely pay off the national debt in the 1980's.  Probably still could, or at least help without raising taxes.  Interest on the national debt alone is probably about half the debt now.  It can't go on much longer. 

[wareagleguy]

The Fed builds ALL the dams and Corps of Engineers control (run) it.  Private companies had the chance to do the right thing and provide power to people that needed it.  However, the profit margin was not enough so power was never provided.  Sorry, but privatization is not always the answer.  The reason we are out of jobs is because companies decide the profit margin could be higher if it was off shored.  Sometimes it takes government to step in.

[Dixie Dude]

Can't offshore power production so yes it can be privitized and money goes to national debt.  Only the flood control is operated on the dams by the Army Corp of Engineers.  The power plants are operated by the local power company.  At least it is here.  Alabama power owns and operates all the power equipment at Martin Dam while the Corp operates the flood control.  Martin dam was built in 1925.  I think Alabama Power got it built with permission from the Corp.  They were getting around to building the dams, but at a slower pace and on smaller rivers than the Tennessee.  Feds just spead up things during the depression.  The TVA is worth probably billions, and could easily be sold today for privitization and used to pay down the national debt.   

[wareagleguy]

OK.
Lets not stop with TVA.  We need to sell it ALL.  We start with the military and layoff every person serving in the armed forces.  Sell off all the land on bases and get rid of all those dead beat federal employees.  This needs to be both fed and state.  Lets make everything private!!!!

[Dixie Dude]

Feds should not own GM and Chrysler either, never should have.  Loaning money is one thing, actually owning a company is another.  Military should never be privitised.  Military, roads, bridges, are used by all and should be government owned.  Government shouldn't own an airline either.  Small military bases could also be shut down and incorporated into larger ones.  I do agree with closing down bases in Europe no longer needed.  I also think all government pay should be in parity with the private economy.  Not more, not less.  I also think that government workers should not be unionised.  Parity with private companies should make it unnecessary.  Feds also should not give states and local governments operating money.  States should stand alone.  40% of Californias budget is subsidised by the Feds. 

Bottom line, WE CAN'T AFFORD ANY MORE GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES.  Once the debt (now around $15 trillion) reaches $20 trillion, all tax money comming in pays only the interest on the debt.  We will be bankrupt as a nation.  Something has to be done drastically now.  Obama has increased the debt by $8 since he has been in office.  Over half the debt by him.  It took Bush 8 years to get to $8 billion. 

[wareagleguy]

"No More Government Expenditures"
You choose TVA as an example which was a bad one because TVA is self supporting.  NO TAX DOLLARS ARE USED FOR TVA.  This is true for several government agencies.  That is I asked how would selling TVA help anything other than a private company make money.

[Dixie Dude]

Even though TVA and other businesses are owned by the government and are self supporting (like post office), it is a government asset.  The asset like TVA should be sold for profit, like a business, and used to pay down debt.  This is like Ford selling Volvo, Rangerover, and Madza to pay off debt.  I think the postal service should limit itself to letter carriers only and phase out their partial delivery since UPS and Fed Ex can do that.  This would save money and keep the postal service solvent with small stuff only.  I say if it can't fit in your mailbox, they can't deliver it, leave it to UPS or Fed Ex.  The feds got out of Conrail because it was unprofitable.  I do agree to going back to a little larger military and let the privates do KP and clean up details instead of private food service and private janitorial service.  Privates are cheaper and you have manpower to call up if needed.  There is also government lands next to cities and towns that is being developed around.  They could sell some of this land for development at market prices to help pay down debt.  Rural areas are not worth selling, I'm talking about places like a 400 yard strip of Wakiki beach reserved for officers in WWII, no longer needed and is high priced land now that it is surrounded by high rises.  Places near highly developed areas that are not being used. 

[wareagleguy]

It has got to be all or nothing.  Privatize everything or nothing.  Cherry picking is a cop out!!!!  Until you decide the military should be included the sale of government it is all BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[teamnelson]

wareagleguy, your proposal is unconstitutional, which remains the law of the land. The only reason I bring that up is that under our current form of government, a common defense is a prescribed role of the federal government, along with a reasonable level of foreign policy interaction. So you'd have to first do away with a constitutional government to privatize the whole thing, or to nationalize the whole thing either. That might be the most difficult part of your plan.

[wareagleguy]

 

[Cabin4]

All or nothing is rediculous. There are aspects of the government that can be privatized and there are those aspects that cannot or should not. The real cop-out is the "all or nothing" scenario becasue everyone would agree that is not a reasonable goal or reaction to moving forward.

[wareagleguy]

EXACTLY!
The fact you can't privatize everything and it should not be that way.

Dixie Dude seems to think privatize it all and sell it all.  I was trying to tell him that is just not the correct way to think.  Pure capitalization is not the answer because there are some things that must be done by government.