So what exactly are we going to ear mark for their benefit? As far as special programs to benefit the poor, I think that should be spread out to all taxpayers equally in proportion to their income earned. If I earn 10 times more than some middle class taxpayer, then I should pay for 10 times as much of the special benefits for the poor. The middle class, however, still should pay a pro-rata share of it. To give the middle class a vote on how the money should be spent while giving them a pass on any of the cost burden is an unwise move. Such decision making without any consequence or responsiblity is exactly how you get into a situation we have now with politicians who are not accountable for their actions. If these programs take a little bite out of the average guy's take home pay, then he is much more likely to hold his elected representatives accountable.

As for places to cut, it goes back to another point I have belabored. Reform of government. Effective campaign finance reform combined with term limits & the line item veto. Until we get politicians out of the mode of trading billions of taxpayer dollars for millions in campaign contributions, we cannot hope to have an efficient government. We have effectively created a structure of government that gives incentives to elected representatives to favor special interest over the common interests.

No more spending hundreds of millions of dollars for Alaskan highway systems that service less than 1,000 people because the Alaskan member of the House of Reps insists on this in exchange for voting on some bigger bill. No more subsidizing "Hooters" resturants in Shreveport, LA as part of the Energy Bill. No multi-billion dollar giveaways to the pharmacutical industry or insurance industry. If you cut corporate wellfare alone, you would be eliminating the need for hundreds of billions of dollars worth of taxes every year.

While we are at it, lets cut our foreign aid. I mean its one thing to give several billion to Egypt every year so corrupt Egyptian beaurocrats can divert the money to Swiss bank accounts, but why are we giving away so much money while our own citizens cannot be helped? Foreign aid should be a very small fraction of what is now spent. That will free up tens of billions more every year. Then we can delve into the corruption in bids for governmenrt projects. Fund the Office of Inspector General and give them the teeth to go after corrupt government contractors.

Raise the retirement age to something close to the average life expectancy. Go back to FDR's original intent when he established social security & medicare. If you want to sit on your butt for the last 15 years of your life, then do not look on it as an entitlement from Uncle Sam. Go earn & save.

Thats my start on costs saving moves.

Notice I did not say we should cut funding for schools, state medicaids, unemployment benefits or public housing. Its not all about the rich twisting their handle bar mustaches as they sip brandy at the local country club & maniacally laugh at the plight of the poor. Sometime the rich can be talking about the needs for a better government that is not so heartless. Things everyone would focus on if more of their net pay was being diverted into wasted tax dollars.