Politics and media aside, GOP can cut $100 billion in spending

It took media about half a day to start pounding Republicans after the party regained a measure of power in the 2010 midterm elections. Some media—even some conservatives—are in a tizzy over whether Republicans will cut $50 billion or $100 billion from the so-called federal budget.

Some Republicans say the problem is Democrats didn’t pass a budget last fall. The Daily Caller reminded us, “Some Republicans blamed the fact that Democrats failed to pass a budget last fall – a serious abdication of responsibility in its own right – and said it kept Republicans in such uncertainty that it was hard to accurately forecast what the true impact of their spending cuts would be.”

Have you seen any media grill a single Democrat over their budget shenanigans?

Meanwhile before Speaker John Boehner took the gavel from his predecessor, leftwingers and some rightwingers began to rail about a change in the figure for presumed GOP cuts—from $100 billion to $50 billion.

And to give an idea of how politically unsavvy some Republicans are, a few congressmen have defended the decrease by pointing to the lack of a budget.

Why? That is a really dumb approach.

I can, from my desk here in Florida, cut $100 billion from the federal budget and Main Street won’t feel a thing. Nor will the entitlement class.

I would do this by means of attrition for all open positions in the federal government (except the military). Put a freeze on those positions for 2 years. Meanwhile conduct audits to make sure these agencies are running efficiently because I can guarantee you most are not.

I would also immediately cut benefits for all federal employees except the military. Freeze all bonuses (some can run up to a sizable percentage of annual pay). The US government is in the red. No business in the land pays bonuses when it’s losing money unless of course the business functions as a government crony in which case the business can do whatever it likes because Uncle Sam will take taxpayer money to provide a cushion.

I would immediately cut by 10 percent budgets of all non-essential agencies like the Dept. of Education (unconstitutional agency established to please a Democrat governor) and any agency related to the arts or humanities.

I would freeze all non-essential travel.

There are numerous ways to cut spending right now, today, budget or not. Republicans should simply build on the $50 million already targeted and take it from there.

Never mind the inept Democrats who rail at past Republican administrations for spending. Current Democrat leadership should qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records on spending.

Remember President Barack Obama’s promise to go line by line through the budget to cut spending? Not a single branded media outlet has ever called him out on that broken commitment.

Rather than try to explain how they arrived at some numbers, Republicans should just man up and whack the $100 billion. Believe me, it will not be difficult.

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(Commentary by Kay B. Day/Jan. 6, 2010)