Debt Commission

[teamnelson]

Federal Times reports the following suggestions by the commission
http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101110/BENEFITS01/11100302/1001:
- Freeze all federal pay for 3 years (not just military)
- Consider folding the Small Business Administration into the Commerce Department, to save $1 billion annually in operating expenses.
- Cut 250,000 non-defense contractors — which the co-chairmen said would save $18.4 billion by 2015.
- Cut $400 million from the federal travel budget annually.
- Cut the federal vehicle by 20 percent, saving $300 million by 2015.
- Consider eliminating locality pay for Foreign Service officers stationed overseas, to save $427 million in fiscal 2013.
- Close outdated, Cold War-era consulates and consider canceling construction of some high-security facilities overseas that are not needed.
- Save $1 billion by instituting other savings, such as having all photocopiers make double-sided copies by default and eliminating paper pay stubs.

Military times reports the following, with links to 58 points suggested by a federal commission:
http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2010/11/military-debt-commission-recommendations-111010w/
- Allow active duty military to retire at 10, collect at 60.
- Consolidation of commissary/exchange systems.
- Reduce military personnel stationed at overseas bases in Europe and Asia by one-third.
- Cut spending on facilities maintenance.
- Apply the $100 billion in overhead savings that Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to squeeze out of the defense budget to deficit reduction, rather than reinvesting it in force structure and weapons modernization, as Gates would like to do.
- Freeze federal salaries, bonuses, and other compensation for the DoD civilian workforce for three years.
- Double the number of defense contractor positions scheduled for elimination from 10 percent of current staff augmentees to 20 percent.
- Reduce procurement by 15 percent, or $20 billion.
- Eliminate the V-22 Osprey program, the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program, the Navy’s Future Maritime Prepositioning Force, new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, the Ground Combat Vehicle, and the Joint Tactical Radio.
- Cut the planned number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in favor of more F-16s and F/A-18Es.
- Cancel the Marine Corps’ F-35 program.

The draft proposal brief itself:
http://www.militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/debt_commission_co_chair_draft.pdf

[The Hermit]

If memory serves me right, they are also for cutting all entitlement programs, including social security, medicare and medicaid. Due to the erroneous methods that the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses to calculate the CPI, which is used for inflation calculations, I almost always doubt everything this government has to say. This bi-partisan commision was picked by Obama. (sic: George Soros).The only entity that garners my trust today is the military. Let them handle their own budget and not be subject to the whims of congress or commisions. I'm sorry TN for getting off track here, but it bothers me to see where we are heading. Cell phones for welfare cheats! Curse word!!. There is no inflation, just ask Bernake.
I hope the new influx of congressmen/women stick to the new mandate.

 The Hermit

[teamnelson]

TM7, there are some large black holes in defense, I concur. I had thought that the coalescing and establishment of CyberComm would actually clarify the budget, since so many of the subagencies were hidden in other budgets. Alas, I fear that will not be the case. I'll just use my job as an example. I am a Navy officer, assigned to a Navy command (FITREP signed by its commander, etc.). However, his job and my job, and most of our command are funded by $ from a DOD agency distinct from the DON. So the $ flows from our pockets, to congress, to DOD, gets diviied up, flows through the substrata, but winds up back together again, because the agency gets 80% of its staffing from the military. Let it sink in. Who owns me? Well the Navy (actually the church before them) so DON and this agency have this body floating in the middle that each say belongs to them. I count against the DON end strength BTW, which is funded by Congress (?) so I wonder if I'm getting paid for twice, but only paid once? And mine is probably one of the most simple arrangements out there. Its no wonder $ get lost easy - we have no clear flow of $.

Let's look at housing. Bean counters sold us on privatization to reduce costs. We've realized now, costs have gone up in fact, not to mention that privatization means there has to be a profit margin in there somewhere. We've privatized alot of services to DOD that used to be handled by troops. I say give it back to troops, and see how much we'd save. Or go creative and give it to a job corps non profit entity, employing the unemployed for less cost than privatization. There's no way my house is worth $3000 a month (with utilities) but that's what I pay; base housing, duly assigned.

I've no problem with this coming out of infrastructure; reduce forces if you need to, and reevaluate the NSS accordingly. Tie DOD to a % of our GDP, sounds good to me on the surface. Close bases, stop some of the programs ... but fix our existing structures for defense that are in sad need of repair.

[powderman]

tm. Bo and his co conspirators have put us over 9 trillion $s in debt. Where is it and how has it helped America?? I've seen no changes for the better around here. POWDERMAN. 

[Oldshooter]

The only thing remarkable about the debt commission is that they are meeting in a Ritz Carlton in Arizona of all places. Why in hell not in Washington, in a building we already are paying for? 

[scootrd]

In all bi-partisan fairness both administration elected Bozos (this and the previous) have put us in enormous debt.
There is so much blame to go round there is enough to spare.

And more is coming, gotta borrow 700 b to pay for tax cut exemptions.
Gotta raise ceiling on national Debt credit card by March or we go belly up in world economy.    

Cant wait to see how all vote regarding that one.

 -  what a mess

But hey lets fix it by shutting down a commissary for soldiers where they get a financial break to keep their families afloat.
Give 'em all Costco cards ...yeah that'll put a dent in our deficit. What a joke.

I have ones I'd like to add  -  

• how about we tie their salaries to economic performance and American Job growth. No performance no Job Growth... no salaries.
• how bout lower what a senator or congressman makes in retirement pension .
• All elected officials up on that big hill get no breaks and gotta pay for healthcare on open MKT as individuals just like everyone else.

[powderman]

The only thing remarkable about the debt commission is that they are meeting in a Ritz Carlton in Arizona of all places. Why in hell not in Washington, in a building we already are paying for? 

HEH. I'm sure it's for the children dontcha know. POWDERMAN.