The library I volunteer at has received, to my knowledge, 3 copies of his book, “Two Cents To Save America.” We cannot resell them, nor can the library put them into circulation, because the copies we have received so far have been uncorrected proofs, and they appear to be part of a mass mailing because one of them showed up at the library in shrinkwrap, with a mailing label.
What do Dopers know about him, or think about this?
Perry Johnson is a businesses exceutive/consultant who spent $1.5 million of his own money to run for Governor of Michigan last year, only to fail to get enough signatures to even get on the ballot. His “two cent” idea is to cut Federal spending on discretionary programs by two percent every year until the deficit is wiped out. The idea has gotten some support in conservative circles.
He’s been spending his time in Iowa and New Hampshire so far, trying to build some early momentum.
Thanks. Since I live in Iowa, that all makes sense - that he’s promoting himself so easy, not his policies as you have described them.
What discretionary programs? The usual GOP suspects such as Social Security, Medicare, and EBT?
Compared to the usual Republican plan to decrease the deficit by cutting taxes, this one seems almost sensible.
I don’t for a moment think they’d follow through on this plan.
In what possible way does 2% equal 2 cents?
Social Security and Medicare aren’t, in fact, classified to be “discretionary spending” by the Federal government.
This site shows how the Federal budget breaks down; for the current fiscal year, 63% of the budget is allotted to “mandatory” (non-discretionary) spending, spending for which is authorized by specific laws. This includes Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, federal and military retirement payments, veterans’ disability compensation, some farm price support programs, child care assistance, highway and transit assistance, and some community health programs.
Of the remaining budget, 14% is discretionary defense spending, 16% is non-defense discretionary spending, and 8% is interest payments on the government’s debts.
Given that only 30% of the total budget is “discretionary spending,” and nearly half of that is defense spending, even if it were enacted (unlikely – can you picture Congress actually agreeing to cut defense spending by 2% every year), I’m not sure how well it would work to significantly decrease the deficit.
I can see defense spending being exempt quietly behind the scenes, and the rest being 2% to death.
I could see that, too, though it’d take a very long time, at that rate, to erase the deficit.
The Federal budget for last fiscal year was $6.27 trillion. Discretionary non-defense spending is ~16% of that, or roughly $1 trillion.
Cutting that 16% by 2% this year would cut about $20 billion – but the federal deficit is currently projected to be ~$1.4 trillion for this fiscal year; cutting $20 billion in discretionary spending would only reduce the deficit by about 1.4%. Even if you cut discretionary non-defense spending to zero, today, that would still not wipe out the deficit.
This reminds me a bit of the “9-9-9” tax plan that Herman Cain championed when he ran for president in 2012 – it’s catchy, it’s simple, and it probably won’t actually work in real life, but a lot of people like the idea of a simple solution to a complex problem.
Two cents out of every dollar. Catchy, right?
I weigh 200 pounds. I won’t miss a pound (or two) of flesh.
It was clearly a typo, and should have been “Two 'cents”.
In his defense, every year there would be an additional two percent cut. So, over time, it would have more impact. And perhaps tax revenues would continue to increase as the economy grows, and viola!
How are interest payments on the debt discretionary? Not questioning you, just the logic…
I don’t think they are (and, they aren’t listed as “discretionary” spending on that website); it’s just that interest payments are in a different bucket from the non-discretionary spending that is (a) spending on a particular program, and (b) dictated by law.
“Discretionary” spending appears to be spending which is covered under appropriations legislation.
Got it. Thanks.
It’s two cents cut from every dollar of ‘’‘’‘spending’‘’‘’.
He’s putting his two cents in.