Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Buteye Help Me or Martini Help Me Date:   2/13/2018 5:33:02 PM

I think that the big issue is what we are getting for what we go into additional debt for.  You know I am a huge supporter for Defense, but I question whether we need such a huge increase.  There are a lot of unacounted for funds - both from our Afghanistan nation building (reportedly millions of money provided to commanders to give to village elders), to a very expensive gas station, and the $8M that DLA seems unable to account for.  I'm sure there is much more that has yet to be discovered.  I can't figure out if the new increases are going to the renewed nuclear program, or for current programs in acquisition or maintaining what we have.  It's impossible to cut current acquisition programs no matter how much they are costing us, because Congress will simply not allow jobs to be cut in their districts.  

I agree with Fly that there are probably millions to be found in public assistance and social security/medicaid/medicare fraud. I suspect there are likely at least a billion that Defense can't account for.  

Maybe the govenrment needs to hire IBO to come in and audit one department at a time, to see where the money is going.  

I don't care which political party we have in the WH and majority in Congress, debt is still debt that will be with us much longer than any administration.  We're still carrying the debt from Obama and GW Bush.  I'm not saying that this country shouldn't have any debt, because that would be impossible.  But remember when we were all saying that Obama was mortgaging our kids and grandkids futures?  Nothing has changed now that it is a Republican vs. a Democrat.  They all worry about their legacy, but not about the debt.