The Kentucky senator opened his campaign this week with the "extraordinary" thought that the federal government be forced to spend no more than it takes in. This, while cutting taxes, increasing military spending and asking people to imagine "what a billion-dollar stimulus could do for Detroit or for Appalachia" from his plan to establish "economic freedom zones."
He is neither the first, nor certainly the last, to hold out the hope for a balanced budget — while at the same time glossing over what happens if the government is truly made to live within its means.
Paul told his campaign-kickoff crowd Tuesday: "Currently some $3 trillion comes into the U.S. Treasury. Couldn't the country just survive on $3 trillion? I propose we do something extraordinary. Let's just spend what comes in."
What comes in: The government is projected to collect $3.5 trillion in revenue next year.
Where it goes: Of that money, nearly $2.5 trillion will go for Social Security, Medicare and other automatically paid benefit programs, and $277 billion to pay interest on the debt. That's according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
What's left: If spending no more than that $3.5 trillion, the government would have $800 billion left over to pay for the Defense Department, Homeland Security and the budgets of every other federal agency. That's one-third less than the $1.2 trillion those agencies are currently projected to spend.
Paul drafted a 2013 plan meant to achieve a balanced budget in five years, and one of his proposed steps would be the partial privatization of Social Security. That's something he did not mention in his campaign kickoff speech.
Instead of taking on the prime drivers of debt in his speech, Paul followed the familiar Washington path of criticizing a few spending items that are unpopular with some people but would not save much money if eliminated, such as foreign aid.
"Let's quit building bridges in foreign countries and use that money to build some bridges here at home," he said to applause.
But as his campaign launch drew near, he proposed a more than $48 billion increase in the Pentagon budget as a member of the Senate, paying for that increase primarily by cutting refundable child-tax credits, supplemental security income and welfare.
"We need a national defense robust enough to defend against all attack, modern enough to deter all enemies, and nimble enough to defend our vital interests," he told supporters at his campaign launch.
Paul also proposes to roll back President Barack Obama's health care law, a step that actually would cost money. Repeal would reduce tax revenues by $1 trillion over a decade, the nonpartisan budget office said in 2012.alright those cheers from the audience are obviously under informed republican voters. as far as freedom zones go Detroit is on their path to privatization Appalachia well the people that live there are republican interest remember they wanted to keep giving them free lunch but wanted to yank it from the hands of people who live in inner city's like Detroit.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/22/house-republicans-limit-school-lunch-program-rural-white-kids.html
i've said before if you look at any republican initiative you will find nothing but take always for the social net and benefits for the rich while ignoring things like that trillion over a decade his real of ObamaCares would cost not very fiscally responsible by a long shot, did i mention the millions already spent on witch hunts and the millions more they are gearing up for more witch hunts for the same thing? he speaks of defending our vital interest by boosting pentagon money they keep telling them they don't need but the republicans are listening only to the military industrial complex because that is where the money changes hands. recognize
also keep in mind no matter what he or the others claim they will do it's a lie the party won't let them do anything out of the norm for them like not giving a gnat's crap about us, if they let him continue with that line it's a ploy with an understanding that on inaugural day it's right wing business as usual.
