# Obama Slashes Budget **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 7, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676 "2009-05-07T18:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/21 "2009-05-07T19:45:01Z")
> [@Renob](#): > > I’m not sure who tasked him with making meaningless budget recommendations to Congress that a) are a pittance of federal spending and b) have no chance of being enacted into law. The law does. The President is required to send a budget proposal to Congress. Are there any more elementary questions on the functioning of government I can answer for you? > [@Robot Arm](#): > > Who is opposed to the FDA, people who don’t eat? Generally, conservatives and libertarians who believe they’re being oppressed by having safe food and effective drugs on the market. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/22 "2009-05-07T19:48:15Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Generally, conservatives and libertarians who believe they’re being oppressed by having safe food and effective drugs on the market. No, we believe we’re being oppressed by having this function performed by an inefficient government when it could be performed so much more efficiently by the private sector (ala Underwriter’s Labs, Consumer Reports, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![IdahoMauleMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71c47a/32.png) [@IdahoMauleMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IdahoMauleMan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/23 "2009-05-07T19:49:14Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The law does. The President is required to send a budget proposal to Congress. Are there any more elementary questions on the functioning of government I can answer for you? > Generally, conservatives and libertarians who believe they’re being oppressed by having safe food and effective drugs on the market. As stated many times on this Board, most of us libertarians would be delighted to have the FDA continue in its present form, with voluntary participation by consumers and producers. That would also allow other testing companies to form and compete with the FDA. And go a long way towards reducing the deadweight loss of many $10s of billions that the FDA imposes on the citizenry. It had been at least 10 minutes since the last ridiculous libertarian strawman was thrown up on the Board. Thanks for filling the void. It was getting too quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/24 "2009-05-07T19:49:16Z")
If it was McCain, I’d expect the spending to be _more_ in order to finance McCain’s 100 year occupation plan in Iraq. And McCain would still be giving my tax cuts away to rich people. With Obama, I get less spending plus a tax cut. Win-win. ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/25 "2009-05-07T19:52:17Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The law does. The President is required to send a budget proposal to Congress. Are there any more elementary questions on the functioning of government I can answer for you? Having worked in the U.S. Senate on appropriations issues, I’m well aware of the budget process. My point was that no one tasked him with giving useless ideas to “slash the budget” that, as everyone with any knowledge of the budget process knows, have no chance of being incorporated into the budget or appropriations bills. He already sent his budget plan to Congress. This little exercise of his is just a PR stunt. And it’s working, since you have folks out there talking about how great it is that Obama’s being fiscally responsible and all that BS. > [@](#): > > Generally, conservatives and libertarians who believe they’re being oppressed by having safe food and effective drugs on the market. That would be me. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Err…are you saying his recommendations are too few and even as few as they are Congress will balk and not pass it anyway therefore Obama should have asked for deeper cuts? No, I’m saying that we’ll have an idea about his true commitment to fiscal responsibility when it comes time to sign or veto appropriations bills. As he lacked any will to veto the wasteful FY09 omnibus spending bill, I don’t have much hope for the future. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/26 "2009-05-07T19:52:18Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > No, we believe we’re being oppressed by having this function performed by an inefficient government when it could be performed so much more efficiently by the private sector (ala Underwriter’s Labs, Consumer Reports, etc.) Bond rating companies. Stuff like that? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/27 "2009-05-07T19:54:37Z")
> [@IdahoMauleMan](#): > > As stated many times on this Board, most of us libertarians would be delighted to have the FDA continue in its present form, with voluntary participation by consumers and producers. That would also allow other testing companies to form and compete with the FDA. And go a long way towards reducing the deadweight loss of many $10s of billions that the FDA imposes on the citizenry. > > It had been at least 10 minutes since the last ridiculous libertarian strawman was thrown up on the Board. Thanks for filling the void. It was getting too quiet. And when little Johnny chokes to death on the steel shavings in his oatmeal, the invisible dick of the market will cockslap the private testing company that Johnny’s mother relied on. Yay! And then another company will take it’s place. This company will also have profit motives and will cut every corner it can so that it will make more money! Yay! That idea is horribly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/28 "2009-05-07T19:55:43Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Bond rating companies. Stuff like that? > > -Joe Exactly. They work like a charm when not shackled by ridiculous government regulations from the likes of Barney Fwank. ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/29 "2009-05-07T19:55:46Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Generally, conservatives and libertarians who believe they’re being oppressed by having safe food and effective drugs on the market. > [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > No, we believe we’re being oppressed by having this function performed by an inefficient government when it could be performed so much more efficiently by the private sector (ala Underwriter’s Labs, Consumer Reports, etc.) **Ravenman** and others already know this point. He just deliberately omits it to make him look smart and anti-govt folks look stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/30 "2009-05-07T19:56:07Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > No, we believe we’re being oppressed by having this function performed by an inefficient government when it could be performed so much more efficiently by the private sector (ala Underwriter’s Labs, Consumer Reports, etc.) Hmm…well, private ratings agencies managed to rate shit investment schemes as AAA. Ratings agencies which presumably were supposed to provide reliable ratings to protect consumers of these investments. Color me dubious about hoping private, profit driven labs will reliably guarantee the safety of my food. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/31 "2009-05-07T19:58:32Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Color me dubious about hoping private, profit driven labs will reliably guarantee the safety of my food. Fine; you put your faith in civil service functionaries who can’t be fired. I’ll stick with my private sector experts who depend on results to keep their jobs…TRM ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/32 "2009-05-07T20:02:06Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Fine; you put your faith in civil service functionaries who can’t be fired. I’ll stick with my private sector experts who depend on results to keep their jobs…TRM Or they depend on payoffs from the companies that make those products. As long as we’re throwing up hypothetical scenarios. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/33 "2009-05-07T20:02:39Z")
Who would _pay_ for these incredibly ethical and trustworthy \*private food and drug monitors? The food and drug producers? I can see a slight conflict of interest there. Why do conservatives who say they don’t trust the governments which are elected of and by the people and are publicly accountable, always have such unquestioning and devoted faith in amoral, profit driven soulless corporations with no public accountability at all? \*Because adding a profit motive and removing public accountability always transforms bureaucracies into forces for pure good. ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/34 "2009-05-07T20:09:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Who would _pay_ for these incredibly ethical and trustworthy \*private food and drug monitors? The food and drug producers? I can see a slight conflict of interest there. Why do conservatives who say they don’t trust the governments which are elected of and by the people and are publicly accountable, always have such unquestioning and devoted faith in amoral, profit driven soulless corporations with no public accountability at all? I’m not sure what you mean “no public accountability.” If they do a bad job, they lose business. That right there is a lot more accountablity than any government employee has. Furthermore, if they are negligent, they can be sued. If they are criminally negligent, they can go to jail. Please point me to the last election in which an FDA Commissioner ran. Or show me where I can vote on how well the FDA does its job. The only “public accountability” the FDA has is that Congress gives it some money and tells it how to do its job. That’s pretty far from being accountable to the public. Furthermore, FDA employees are protected by civil service laws that essentially give them a lifetime tenure. Private businesses are much, much more accountable. How’s this for accountability – Bernie Madoff is going to jail for his ponzi scheme and defrauding the public. Barney Frank has a job as long as he likes, even though he’s done much more to defraud the public and encourage fraudulent financial schemes than Bernie Madoff ever has. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/35 "2009-05-07T20:13:59Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Fine; you put your faith in civil service functionaries who can’t be fired. I’ll stick with my private sector experts who depend on results to keep their jobs…TRM Ahh…like the folks and Moody’s and Standard & Poors who gave undeserved high ratings to dubious financial instruments that played a substantial role in the meltdown of the global economy? That kind of better not do it or we’ll lose our jobs thing? Your faith that the market is rational and will correct itself is misplaced. Even Ayn Rand loving free-market guru Alan Greenspan finally admitted as much. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/36 "2009-05-07T20:16:48Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Exactly. They work like a charm when not shackled by ridiculous government regulations from the likes of Barney Fwank. Really? All those AAA ratings for entities weeks way from going tits-up must have been my imagination. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/37 "2009-05-07T20:20:46Z")
When I last looked into this, they were projecting a 1.8 trillion dollar deficit. Obama is ready to cut 17 billion, is he? Wow that’s almost 1% of the debt for one year; I am so not impressed. Even 170 billion dollar in cuts, is just 10%. Congrats, on cutting something though, but keep going with it. The Republicans are arguing that isn’t enough. Great, let’s see what they offer to cut. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/38 "2009-05-07T20:23:48Z")
> [@Ruminator](#): > > **Ravenman** and others already know this point. He just deliberately omits it to make him look smart and anti-govt folks look stupid. How dare you, sir! I deliberately omit it to make a joke on a subject that has nothing to do with the OP. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/39 "2009-05-07T20:28:42Z")
> [@Renob](#): > > Let’s start with the Department of Education I love when the Republicans start in with this chestnut. This translates into more and more ignorant americans, ready to buy into the kind of bullshit propaganda that Bush & Co. used to fearmonger their way into spending stupid, unfathomable amounts of money the US won’t be able to ever pay back, on a war that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676/40 "2009-05-07T20:28:52Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Exactly. They work like a charm when not shackled by ridiculous government regulations from the likes of Barney Fwank. Yes, the entire world’s basking in the paradise that comes from lack of ridiculous government regulations right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-slashes-budget/495676.md?page=3)