Why is it so hard for our government to go through the budget and find ways to save money?

Money = Power in Washington.

out of control spending

Government spending is the true measure of taxation. And you're right, it is out of control! No question about it!

Truth is, cutting spending is the only realistic way out of this mess. But politicians don't want that, and most people are naive to economic reality. Name a cut and you'll find a constituency supporting it!

War? No way! Agriculture? Not a chance! College? Gasp! NASA? Too important! Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security? How can you be so mean and evil?

I believe we should repudiate the debt, shut down the Federal Reserve, and bind down Washington by the chains of the Constitution! But even conservatives claim I'm crazy for wanting such a genuine solution.

We're in trouble. I believe the dollar will collapse and we're heading into another great depression. These things keep me up at night.

When it comes to Washington, it's a different story. Admittedly, we have a major problem on our hands with the budget deficit and what seems to be out of control spending. I am just a country boy from Oklahoma, but it just makes sense to me to start cutting back on the spending, at least in some areas. Time after time, I have said on my own blog that the earmarks and special projects need to be shut off. When I say that, someone usually comments that wasteful spending is but a small portion of the actual budget and the total amount adds up to practically nothing. The first thing they want to start with is to raise everyone's taxes and they are always finding new and creative ways to charge a tax.

Maybe our budget deficit and our economy can not be remedied by spending cuts alone and it may be necessary to find new revenue sources. Why is it so hard for our government to go through the budget and find ways to save money? Why is it that the only thing they seem to think of doing is raise someone's taxes.