Romney says he'll eliminate all 'non essential' programs, but what is Romney's definition...?

Question

...of non essential?

Update:

I'm afraid 98% of the budget is essential to Romney...

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

For 30 years now every Republican candidate for office has promised to give everyone a big tax cut, to double defense spending, and to pay for all this, AND balance the budget, through cuts in 'non-essential' programs. I believe every one of them has used the term 'non-essential'. Once in office, though, the tax cuts go only to the rich, and the Republican president decides debt simply doesn't matter.

Romney is just making the same noises Reagan and both Bushes made, and none of them kept. Romney hasn't even been able to specify which programs he believes are 'non-essential', with the single exception of PBS.

So when he says 'non-essential', it's like when a politician says "the American Dream" or "family values"--terms he deliberately leaves undefined so everyone in his target audience will believe he shares his own definition. For instance, people in non-farm states believe farm subsidies are non-essential. People in farm states believe education is non-essential. People in the South believe tax exemption for churches are essential.

Answer 2

Called discretionary. There is mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Mandatory includes all current entitlements, Social Security, Medicare, military, law enforcement that goes on with or without a budget, even during a government shutdown

Discretionary spending is basically everything else that must be included in a year budget for funding. It's basically entertainment and activities you would cut back on if your personal income went down.

Answer 3

the EPA , what's a few more kids getting asthma ? the extra profits to the energy companies will be worth it .

the USDA , so what if no one inspects our food supply ? the extra profits to the ten agra companies that control 80 % of our food , will be worth it .

Education , so what if my 8 year old kid remains ignorant ? he'll probably have to get a job at the coal mine or sweat shop just for us to get enough money for morsels of food . we can import college kids from china

we must all join in and make these sacrifices for the millionaires , g-d chose them , not me , they are entitled .

Answer 4

Hopefully the military budget.

We'd save a lot if we pulled all of our troops and sent them to guard our borders.

Answer 5

Anything that helps poor people, education, health services like Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, etc.

Answer 6

The general criteria is "Is it worth borrowing money from China to fund it."

If the answer is "No", then it is "non essential".

Answer 7

Everything that is not paid for with money borrowed from the Chinese is what he said.