Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 14, 1993 TAG: 9303150556
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: D-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WASTE (IN THE BILLIONS) CAN BE CUT
IN THE FEB. 20 editorial, "Bold leadership on the economy," you ask that critics of President Clinton's plan speak up if they have something more to offer. OK.If you will read "Government Racket - Government Waste From A to Z" and also the "Grace Commission Report," you will find hundreds of additional ways to slash government spending.
You had better have a strong stomach because the amount of waste described will make you sick and mad as heck!
To list just a few examples:
1. Eliminate outside consultants (lawyers, that is) to save up to $20 billion.
2. Start zero-based budgeting for all government departments. Save more than $50 billion.
3. Eliminate programs no longer needed, such as the manufacture of helium. Billions saved.
4. Cut or eliminate all subsidies - farm, dairy, tobacco. Billions saved.
5. Cut congressional staff by half and also cut committees and subcommittees by half. More than a billion in savings.
6. Cut or eliminate the private Air Force used by government officials. Save billions.
7. Cut the huge pool of cars and limousines. (Federal government uses 10 times more than a comparative private industry.) Save billions.
8. Food-stamp fraud. At least $2 billion can be saved by changing the system.
9. Cut new construction of unnecessary federal buildings.
10. Cut new decorations and furniture.
11. Eliminate junkets (vacations) taken by bureaucrats and congressmen.
12. Cut federal bureaucracy and its super-duper retirement, vacation time, sick leave, health plans and salaries. (Now we are talking big bucks.)
13. Enact line-item veto and cut billions in pork-barrel spending.
Need I go on? There are many more items.
President Clinton and Congress must cut government's wasteful spending and prove they are doing so before taxpayers even consider making additional "contributions" (taxes) to their slothful ways. ERNEST FITZGERALD COVINGTON