Slashing welfare': GOP eyes chopping $5 trillion to pay for Trump priorities — like tax cuts

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

It's telling that no one has responded to your post. The liberals don't like the truth. It's time for tough love.

 

Maybe it's because no-one has heard of Thomas Sowell until now.

 

Quite eminent, obviously. A guy who opposes gun control and supports decriminalization of drugs sounds schizophrenic to me.

 

IME the people who talk about fiscal responsibility and tough love are the ones with the biggest tax breaks.

[Justanotherone]

who understand in his/her right mind , that a TRILLION DOLLARS of tax payer's money goes to pay interest on the debt to private bankers in charge of 'printing' money out of thin air

 

they might have killed JFK over it, but come one... much good could be done with that if not given to private greedy bankers...

 

[thaipo7]

On 1/12/2025 at 3:31 PM, Isaan sailor said:

Welfare is a good place to start.  There are multiple generations on public welfare—with absent fathers and higher welfare payments for each additional child.  President Clinton instituted a work for welfare program.  We should revisit the program.

How about all the Left Wing groups being funded by our taxes?  Obama started this.  It has only gotten larger.

[Hawaiian]

8 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

No idea I don't have access to the stats, but don't you believe people earning a reasonably high income can have a hold on additional tax cuts to support the less well off?. I'm sure you're well aware the wealthiest country is the world, USA, in the only G20 country without Universal Health Care - a somewhat ridiculous ideological position.

It would be interesting to see the statistics that compare how much the U.S. contributes in aid to illegal immigrants, the U.N. and its many agencies, and international disaster relief, to other G20 countries.  Have I missed any other similar contributions?  Maybe this might shed some light on where all the money is going to.

 

[candide]

18 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

It would be interesting to see the statistics that compare how much the U.S. contributes in aid to illegal immigrants, the U.N. and its many agencies, and international disaster relief, to other G20 countries.  Have I missed any other similar contributions?  Maybe this might shed some light on where all the money is going to.

 

Here you are. It took around 3 mn using Google.

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/foreign-aid-given-as-a-share-of-national-income-net

[EVENKEEL]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Maybe it's because no-one has heard of Thomas Sowell until now.

 

Quite eminent, obviously. A guy who opposes gun control and supports decriminalization of drugs sounds schizophrenic to me.

 

IME the people who talk about fiscal responsibility and tough love are the ones with the biggest tax breaks.

Thomas Sowell is an American economist, economic historian, social philosopher and political commentator. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

 

 

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Thomas Sowell is an American economist, economic historian, social philosopher and political commentator. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

 

 

Hoover Institution -- right wing think tank.

[cdnvic]

Removed a post that intentionally misspelled a person's name.

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, Peabody said:

Let's talk military budget.

 

An entire military overhaul might be needed. All volunteer military is too expensive. Bring back the draft. Lots of benefits: young people learn discipline; pay is reduced to that appropriate for national service; and best of all deployment to foreign wars becomes much more difficult when the entire society is at risk of seeing family sent to fight instead of just those desperate for military benefits.

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, candide said:

Here you are. It took around 3 mn using Google.

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/foreign-aid-given-as-a-share-of-national-income-net

 

Where does funding for illegals, refugees, and asylum seekers fit in that chart? That was the biggest component of what he was asking about.

[John Drake]

3 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

So you're against Republican tax cuts going to foreign owners of US corporations then?

 

Because that's where US taxpayer dollars go if corporate rates are cut.

 

Sure you are, Cubby.  Sure you are. 🙄

 

You've misread me. I don't favor tax cuts for billionaires being renewed either.

[candide]

19 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Where does funding for illegals, refugees, and asylum seekers fit in that chart? That was the biggest component of what he was asking about.

He asked about:

how much the U.S. contributes in aid to illegal immigrants, the U.N. and its many agencies, and international disaster relief,

 

If you are not happy with it, I am sorry. Have a try by yourself.

[mrwebb8825]

18 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Without getting into tax cuts for anyone, too many bludgers exploit welfare because governments are too gutless to do anything about it. Other than genuine health problems, and old age pensions, no one that is fit should be getting welfare.

Agreed. I always thought there should be a 'mandatory draft' for ALL capable welfare recipients 17-35, to serve 4-6 years in the military. They'd learn valuable skills, save for higher education after, get free healthcare, free housing, free food, free clothing AND get paid. Best welfare system ever created only you maintain self respect by earning it.

15 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Enough to live on and have a decent place to live in and afford health care.

Drinking alcohol, smoking, using illegal drugs, internet, travel, entertainment and recreation etc not included.

Are you going to be 1st in line to sign up to give away ALL the money YOU worked to earn (save ONLY NEEDED expenses - determined by...) so others can sponge?

[mrwebb8825]

On the topic of welfare cuts; they should redirect those cuts to the SS system.

How much has welfare increased? Since funding for the War on Poverty ramped up in 1967, welfare payments received by the average work-age household in the bottom quintile of income recipients has risen from $7,352 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars to $64,700 in 2022, the last year with available household income data.  Sep 12, 2024

compare that to SS: Over the last decade the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase has averaged about 2.6%. The COLA was 3.2% in 2024. Nearly 68 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.5% COLA beginning in January 2025. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2024.  Oct 10, 2024

IMHO it kinda sucks that the same people who paid for both and the only 1 that ones endangered of the funds drying up.

[mogandave]

On 1/12/2025 at 3:19 PM, simple1 said:

So much for protecting the less fortunate...

 

House Republicans are circulating a “menu” of options that Speaker Mike Johnson’s conference could chose from—reportedly a massive $5 trillion worth of federal government programs to put on the chopping block to pay for the President-elect’s promised priorities, including tax cuts and border security.

 

'Slashing welfare': GOP eyes chopping $5 trillion to pay for Trump priorities — like tax cuts

So AlterNet is paraphrasing Politico, it must be true. 

 

 

[Hawaiian]

5 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

Where does funding for illegals, refugees, and asylum seekers fit in that chart? That was the biggest component of what he was asking about.

Thanks.  I did not get a chance to checkout the figures.

[Hawaiian]

5 hours ago, candide said:

He asked about:

how much the U.S. contributes in aid to illegal immigrants, the U.N. and its many agencies, and international disaster relief,

 

If you are not happy with it, I am sorry. Have a try by yourself.

Read my post again.  I intentionally placed a comma between U.S. aid to illegal immigrants and contributions to the U.N. and it's agencies. 

I appreciate your attempt, but it does not furnish where probably most of the money is spent.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

No idea I don't have access to the stats, but don't you believe people earning a reasonably high income can have a hold on additional tax cuts to support the less well off?. I'm sure you're well aware the wealthiest country is the world, USA, in the only G20 country without Universal Health Care - a somewhat ridiculous ideological position.

You seem unaware that the US is supposedly a capitalist country. If you want it to be a socialist country that would require a change of government policy.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Are you going to be 1st in line to sign up to give away ALL the money YOU worked to earn (save ONLY NEEDED expenses - determined by...) so others can sponge?

Despite my opinion on dole bludgers, I am a socialist and I believe that government should serve the people, and not the people serving the government and rich people.

I think that everyone ( except criminals ) deserves to have a decent life, provided they contribute as much as they can. Having a decent place to live does not mean a mansion- a state house is enough, and they should be able to eat enough and access health care. If society can't provide that, far as I'm concerned it's a rotten society.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, tony2times said:

Maybe not give Billions to Israel to Murder Little Children and a Coke Snorting Comedian in Ukraine,That could save Money for Americans instead 🤔

Agree 100%.

Same in the UK and Europe.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

An entire military overhaul might be needed. All volunteer military is too expensive. Bring back the draft. Lots of benefits: young people learn discipline; pay is reduced to that appropriate for national service; and best of all deployment to foreign wars becomes much more difficult when the entire society is at risk of seeing family sent to fight instead of just those desperate for military benefits.

Slight problem with that. Modern youth are often too fat to be in the military. Better to have a separate organisation that concentrates on separating them from the blubber before they are put into the military, or perhaps not be in the military at all. Discipline and fitness are not the sole preserve of the military, and I'm not in favour of many of the youths I see being given weapons training.

[Hawaiian]

9 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

Cut the military,over 150 overseas bases, 50,000 people in Okinawa . Is the US that insecure it thinks they need all these. The war has been over 80 years and they still have soldiers in Germany, the Russians went home years ago.

The Russians went home only to send 410,000 of their troops to Ukraine and another 60,000 to occupied territories.

[Hawaiian]

45 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Despite my opinion on dole bludgers, I am a socialist and I believe that government should serve the people, and not the people serving the government and rich people.

I think that everyone ( except criminals ) deserves to have a decent life, provided they contribute as much as they can. Having a decent place to live does not mean a mansion- a state house is enough, and they should be able to eat enough and access health care. If society can't provide that, far as I'm concerned it's a rotten society.

Countries with large populations  and diverse ethnicities usually have difficulty in providing the society many wish for.

And the form of government may not always be the answer.

[swissie]

21 hours ago, Walker88 said:

Your money, eh?

 

I guess you also make or made 8 figures a year? It's always guys who make maybe $100K a year who beef the loudest about "their tax dollars". They're not even a rounding error.

 

I would prefer people do have something they owe society if society pays them, but the Welfare Mom meme is kind of overblown. I'm going to guess much more Federal money is wasted on all those MAGAs on SSDI in Red States. The top "employer" in KY, TN and WV is SSDI, and all three are Red States.

 

Personally, I don't mind helping the less fortunate. I don't think I need another tax cut, nor do I think Elon is ever going to worry about his Nick Cannon-level of offspring getting their next meal. I think $400 billion is enough. He'll get by without having to play guitar in front of a subway entrance, hat in front.

 

The last tax cut went almost exclusively to those who don't need the money, and the claim that corporate cuts would lead to domestic investment was a shibboleth. Because rates had been zero for years, no corp was starved for funds, so "repatriating overseas profits" was a Repub lie. Corps used the tax cut for stock buybacks and bonusing executives.

 

Corporations are now debt heavy, which doesn't bode well if the economy slows, as it absolutely will do as the Biden Boom ends and the second coming leads to yet another Republican-created Recession.

Corporations, states, private households are "dept heavy" and increasingly so, wordwide.

Especially by the next US presidential election in 2028 this will be the Nr 1 issue. Global Bond Markets will elevate it to this "major issue". Regardless of other political circumstances.

Since after WW2, the "west" has prospered with the magic potion called "credit", mainly. Never mind "productivity increases".

This concept can not possibly be maintained for the next 50 years as before. This can turn out to be "the monkey wrench" for the future global economy. A time, when "holding our ground" will be considered as a success.

Under these circumstances, major corporations featuring a mere P/E ratio of 5 will be considered as "fit for the future".

We may have to become more "humble" again. Possibly to the advantage of most of us.

 

[swissie]

17 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

Not if 40+ million of them cannot afford medical insurance.

And more millions that need "food-stamps" to keep them from starving.

 

This is not happening in Sudan or Eastern Timbuku, this is happening in the richest country of the world.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, swissie said:

Corporations, states, private households are "dept heavy" and increasingly so, wordwide.

Especially by the next US presidential election in 2028 this will be the Nr 1 issue. Global Bond Markets will elevate it to this "major issue". Regardless of other political circumstances.

Since after WW2, the "west" has prospered with the magic potion called "credit", mainly. Never mind "productivity increases".

This concept can not possibly be maintained for the next 50 years as before. This can turn out to be "the monkey wrench" for the future global economy. A time, when "holding our ground" will be considered as a success.

Under these circumstances, major corporations featuring a mere P/E ratio of 5 will be considered as "fit for the future".

We may have to become more "humble" again. Possibly to the advantage of most of us.

 

While I make no claim to expertise on the economy, I do listen to those that are experts. The one that I agree the most with was that too much money is made without creating anything at all eg Amazon, which makes nothing, and just bypasses buying from a business, Google, Facething and the other ones that create nothing except a means to steal copyright intellectual property, and bully people on line.

 

I suspect that when the crash happens, it's going to affect corporations like them the most- if people have no money they ain't buying anything on line, and they won't be able to afford to go on line anyway.

 

As always, my opinion.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, swissie said:

And more millions that need "food-stamps" to keep them from starving.

 

This is not happening in Sudan or Eastern Timbuku, this is happening in the richest country of the world.

The US isn't rich at all. It owes a few trillion $ to other people. Some people living in the US are very very rich, but that applies to most countries on the planet.

 

Unless you want the rich people to give a lot more to feed the poor, the poor will always be with us.

 

BTW, in Sudan people don't get welfare. When the they die.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Maybe it's because no-one has heard of Thomas Sowell until now.

 

Quite eminent, obviously. A guy who opposes gun control and supports decriminalization of drugs sounds schizophrenic to me.

 

IME the people who talk about fiscal responsibility and tough love are the ones with the biggest tax breaks.

The only people that think the best things in life are free are the rich

[Hawaiian]

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While I make no claim to expertise on the economy, I do listen to those that are experts. The one that I agree the most with was that too much money is made without creating anything at all eg Amazon, which makes nothing, and just bypasses buying from a business, Google, Facething and the other ones that create nothing except a means to steal copyright intellectual property, and bully people on line.

 

I suspect that when the crash happens, it's going to affect corporations like them the most- if people have no money they ain't buying anything on line, and they won't be able to afford to go on line anyway.

 

As always, my opinion.

I agree.  Businesses with few tangible assets are risky long term investments.  Things like good will or a large listening audience can disappear overnight.  Yet some banks loan money based on them.

[swissie]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The only people that think the best things in life are free are the rich

Quite true. Only solution: We all must become rich. Marx, Lenin, Fidel Castro have failed.

The more I recommend my stock-market tips.