Hoffman promises details on cutting Federal government
At this week’s tea party event in Plattsburgh, Conservative Republican Doug Hoffman promised unflinching courage in the fight to cut government spending and lower taxes.
“I’m not going to be concerned with whether I get re-elected or not, or whether Republicans support me for the next campaign or not. What’s right for you is more important than a career for me.”
This really gets to the crux of the conservative movement’s dilemma.
Americans say they want smaller government and lower taxes, but threatening to actually cut popular programs has proved to be the kiss of political death in many campaigns.
So far, Mr. Hoffman has offered broad philosophical commitment to cutting government, but added very few specific examples of how he would do it.
Indeed, speaking with NCPR, he has suggested that Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and defense spending are “off the table” for substantial cuts.
Yet those programs alone threaten to swallow the entire Federal budget, with nothing left over for things like education, roads and the environment.
Most economists agree that balancing the budget will be well nigh impossible without slashing popular entitlements.
It’s important to note that Mr. Hoffman’s fuzziness on this question is shared by his primary opponent, Matt Doheny, and by Democratic Rep. Bill Owens.
All three agree that Federal spending, taxes and the deficit are major issues in this campaign; but their specific proposals for dealing with the problem remain incredibly thin.
But Mr. Hoffman is offering himself as a different sort of politician, a straight-talker who doesn’t mind upsetting people with some tough medicine.
So where’s the tough medicine he’s been promising?
At yesterday’s event, Mr. Hoffman announced that his campaign is preparing a “position paper” that will outline specific details of his proposals.
“We’re going to have to make hard choices. When revenues decrease, expenditures have to decrease. We have to find ways to do that. Everybody in this room, and across the 23rd district, and America knows that in their heart.”
It is, obviously, a risky commitment. When Mr. Hoffman presents his ideas, they are likely to mean real pain for someone.
After all, that flood of government dollars flows to paychecks and doctor payments and rent subsidies.
The other politicians in this race are likely to pounce. That is, unfortunately, the way our politics work.
But before anyone criticizes Mr. Hoffman, we will urge them to come forward with realistic, substantial ideas of their own for wrestling with America’s growing debt.
(Or, if they think the debt isn’t a big deal, we’ll urge them to offer detailed explanations as to why.)
The bottom line? Voters should all be skeptical of all the ideological theory, and the gotcha stuff. We need nuts-and-bolts proposals from all three candidates.
Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.
I love how the first Tea Partier you interviewed in your story this morning about the race touted Hoffman because the interviewee opposed big government. The person in question was a corrections officer, the government-funded prison-industrial complex being the biggest employer in NNY. The irony is delicious, but no doubt lost on the Tea Partiers.
The only way to have a smaller government is to have a smaller country or to have fewer people living in the country.
More people demand more services and more grants and more subsidies and more everything.
Any ideas on how to have a smaller government when just about everyone demands more from the government?
Here’s some suggestions:
Start with ending both wars in the Middle East. Bring our troops home by the end of 2011 as Obama has outlined for Iraq, but include Afghanistan as well. Also, remove our troops and close our bases in Okinawa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Germany, Korea, etc..Why do we have bases in 150 countries? Moth ball 1/2 of our Aircraft Carrier Fleet (do we really need 11 fully equipped carrier groups that cost about 10 billion a piece per year? I think not). Scratch the F-35 fighter project (that alone is estimated to cost 280 Billion over the next 10 years). And missile defense, star wars, or whatever the latest buzz word is, should be scrapped as well. It doesn’t and never will work. And it’s high time for some job cuts for the brass that run the pentagon. Do we really all the generals, admirals, etc. and their extremely expensive pensions? Cut all the funding for the mercenary armies such as Black water. We have 250,000 in the Middle East alone.
Now Social Security: Eliminate the cap on income. Why shouldn’t the wealthy pay based on all their income just as the vast majority of other Americans do? Increase the tax both employers and employees pay by 1% each.
Medicare/Medicaid- Put real effort into curbing abuse and fraud which costs the program Billions per year. Utilize efficient computer software to improve the waste and inefficiencies. Finally, let the Feds NEGOTIATE DRUG PRICES WITH BIG PHARM. This is a huge give-away to the pharmaceutical lobby!
The Drug war: Another war that needs to end. The drug problem is a health crisis, not a war. Legalize and regulate soft drugs. Cut the DEA budget by 3/4 and put some of the money into treatment (job creation anyone) programs. Close prisons not needed due to less people being imprisoned with long sentences due to possession.
Bravo to Brian Mann for getting to the crux of the matter in a fair manner. Prediction: Hoffman will offer some “tough love” when his position paper is revealed. And it won’t be crafted so he can get elected. He’ll give you what’s in his heart. People should remember that going to Congress represents a pay cut for Doug.
My vote is for “If Clapton is God, Warren Haynes is Jesus”. These are exactly the budget ideas that should be put forth. I’d add extending the age of retirement in SS to 68, making significant cuts to agricultural subsidies and adding a tax surcharge to pay for what we’ve spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Almost forgot, do away with corporate subsidies. Let the “free market” work.
Cement,
I admire your faith in Mr. Hoffman. However, I have to ask, if he didn’t provide real specifics in the last election what makes you think he will now? I’m not trying to be smart here, but rather am curious about why you think this time is different.
“Prediction: Hoffman will offer some “tough love” when his position paper is revealed. ”
Hahaha… I’ll believe it when I see it. I haven’t heard any specific “tough love” so far only generic hot air.
Good ideas PNElba, especially the tax surcharge. We had war bonds during WWII, why couldn’t we do something similar now? Making it some sort of investment vehicle (although given this countries already spiraling debt, I’m not sure it’d be a good investment).
I also think we need to address our trade deficits. One of our biggest items within the trade deficit is energy. We need to tap and utilize the newly discovered vast reserves of Natural gas here in North America. Of course, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, bio-fuels and a “smart grid” are all part of that equation. I suggest the federal gov’t create a “green fund” investment vehicle which citizens could invest in. We become owners of the new economy (thereby also encouraging our own use of these alternative fuels), the gov’t gets the capital needed to move to this new economy, and we gradually move away from fossil fuels. Sort of a War bond for alternative energy. Why should T.Boone Pickens and Al Gore be the only one’s making money on the green future we’re moving to?
We also need to move to Net metering as a way to encourage small time energy production. This is something that could be done at the federal and/or state level of gov’t.
Why a politician hasn’t already suggested some of these things is rather striking.
Dang, If Clapton pretty much has my vote. How about cutting a cabinet level agencies down in size too- HHS, Education and Energy all need to back to lower level funding and staffing.
It’s important to remember that nothing is in the federal budget by accident. Many years ago I was a lobbyist for a small federal program..I’d venture that most Americans never heard of it or, if they did, wondered why the Feds were doing “that.” But the people who paid my salary loved it and we were successful year after year in getting it continued. Multiply that 10,000 times and you have the federal budget.
Fred,
Don’t keep us in suspense, what was the name of the program?
I don’t think cutting any one little program even multiplied times a thousand will make any difference mathamatically. The only way to cut the federal deficit in any real fashion is Defense, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and interest on the debt. Those are what makes up the vast majority of our federal budget.
The budget deficit is not caused by food stamps, or TANF or our LIHEAP program or roads or bridges or the farm programs etc.
So if his proposals don’t include one of those five it is not really relevant. Geting rid of waste and fruad has been a bogus argument for generations I hope he does not come up with that one. There is waste and fraud but stopping it is not going to stop the trillions scheduled to be paid to fund our wars or to pay all of the millions of those who want health insurance when they are old.
Brian says,
“I love how the first Tea Partier you interviewed in your story this morning about the race touted Hoffman because the interviewee opposed big government.”
Well, Brian… a lot of trust-fund-baby-progressives think they can fly around in their private jets and rule the world – precisely because they had some hard-working capitalistic ancestor who earned the money that they now live off of.
Who is to say that the hardworking capitalist ancestor wasn’t progressive? There a a lot of self-made progressives. I’ll name one (which will really get your conservative granny panties in a bunch):
B. Obama
You mean President Obama, who’s dad was a well connected diplomat and went to Harvard like his legacy son? The same President who went to private schools his whole life and has never held a private sector job?
He is self made as much as Bush is a Texas cowboy, its all about the spin.
President Clinton, now there was a self made politician.
Bring back Bill Clinton!
“never held a private sector job?” You listed to too much talk radio. I believe he worked for a couple non-profits, a private law firm and a private university. Don’t forget that he made his wealth from his writing, that’s sounds pretty capitalistic to me.
His “well connected” African immigrant father went to Harvard on a scholarship. But I did not know he was a diplomat (you learn something new everyday)
Scratchy, besides his short time as an elected official, what public sector jobs has our President had?
I meant to direct that question a Mervel
HA! Obama got his money from the Chicago political machine, the same one that moved his wife up the corporate ladder. Got his wealth from his books, right.
Really Bret. His income comes from the “Chicago machine”? Please cite come evidence, and don’t Glen Beck isn’t a legitimate source.
JDM, given that I’m a progressive who needs to work for a living, maybe I should make friends with those folks. Sadly, I don’t know any of those types of people at the moment. I’m probably too busy earning my living and volunteering to make my community a better place to meet them.
Who pushed him into position for his runs? The Chicago political machine. Who greased the skids for him along the way? The Chicago Political machine. Who made sure things were “done” for him and Michelle? Ditto.
Please, lets not be naive and think that politics plays no part in the real world.
I forget to add MICHELLE WORKED FOR DALEY!!! Come on, lets get the stars out of our eyes.
Yeah I don’t know I don’t begrudge President Obama his success it is very impressive, my comments were probably over the top a little, too much coffee. To answer the question he was in the state Senate prior to being President. Indeed he did work for a law school and has made some money from his books after he got his notoriety. I just don’t like the spin on these matters sometimes, about both President Bush and President Obama.
Bring back Bill Clinton indeed !!