How Can We Make the Federal Deficit A New Jersey Priority?

by: gideon.NJPIRG

Tue Dec 07, 2010 at 11:21:11 AM EST

My organization, the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG), recently released a report with the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) proposing $600 billion in federal budget cuts. The NTU is a group that often disagrees with us, and our goal was to create some early consensus on specific budget cuts that target waste, inefficiency, and corporate handouts in the federal government. The report is here.

Everyone knows the federal deficit is important. Yet polls like this show that the deficit continues to be a low priority for Americans.

President Obama's fiscal commission did not quite achieve the super majority vote required to prompt direct congressional action on implementing budget reform. This means that now, more than ever, it is critical for Americans (and New Jerseyans) to press their federal representatives to take serious action.

Yet New Jersey is struggling with many economic problems of its own, and it can be tough to look past city and state budget crises. Yet as long as we put off fixing the federal budget, we will continue to waste our tax dollars, and money that could be used for helpful services or creating solvency will end up in irresponsible subsidies or inefficient programs. What does the Blue Jersey community think about this? Have any of you experienced direct consequences stemming from our federal budget deficit? How can we make the federal deficit a New Jersey priority?

gideon.NJPIRG :: How Can We Make the Federal Deficit A New Jersey Priority?

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How Can We Make the Federal Deficit A New Jersey Priority? | 3 comments

Not urgent (4.00 / 4)

The Federal budget deficit is simply not an urgent priority in the midst of a recession with massive unemployment. It's that simple. And the deficit hawks are mostly a bunch of hypocrites, if there are massive tax cuts for the rich on the table.

Why wasn't the deficit a priority when George Bush was president and the economy was growing? Because tax cuts for the rich and increasing spending for 2 wars were more important. That's what turned the Clinton budget surpluses into deficits.

Anyone serious about the deficit has the answer in the above paragraph: Reverse the tax cuts on the rich, and reduce military spending to the minimum needed for actual national security. And BTW, there's absolutely no reason to put Social Security on the table. Social Security did not turn Clinton's surpluses into the deficits we see today.

by: danpreston @ Tue Dec 07, 2010 at 18:21:28 PM UTC

Amen, danpreston! (0.00 / 0)

NJPIRG, you are waaaaaay off base on this one.

by: toaonua @ Wed Dec 08, 2010 at 14:01:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wasteful federal spending (0.00 / 0)

While I maintain the deficit is a big problem, I may have misstated the primary objective of our report. Our report is designed to draw attention to wasteful federal spending, and whether these cost savings go to reducing the deficit or to fixing other problems is kind of besides the point.

My question should have been: How do we make reforming federal spending a priority?

Also: the report I posted above was created with a traditionally opposed group (The National Taxpayer's Union), in the spirit of political consensus. USPIRG has put out a more comprehensive list of our own budget recommendations, you can find that report here.

by: gideon.NJPIRG @ Tue Dec 21, 2010 at 16:28:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]